Our Occupational Therapy service may provide equipment on an assessed and needs led basis to children at school, nursery and certain aspects at home. 

The equipment provided is to enable occupations and participation in daily life. 

Its main purpose is to increase or maintain functional independence, facilitate safe moving and handling, minimise risks, and postural management. 

Some of the areas we may assess for school/nursery equipment provisions include:

• Specialist Seating
• Transfers (hoists and slings)
• Specialist Toileting Equipment
• Access in nursery/school
• Advice on adaptive tools for self-care and school productivity

We only assess and provide the following pieces of equipment for use within the home (based on Therapist’s assessment and clinical reasoning): 

• Specialist Cot Beds
• Sleep Systems

If specialist equipment is assessed for and deemed appropriate for the child’s needs, we will work closely with equipment advisors to ensure the equipment supplied is suitable for your child and fits the purpose for which it has been provided. Equipment will be monitored and reviewed with your child’s/young person’s changing needs.

If you have any concerns regarding the equipment that has been provided you must contact the Children’s Occupational Therapy Team for advice.

Activities of daily living - Everyday tasks that children do as part of daily life, such as getting dressed, eating, washing hands, using the toilet, and brushing teeth.

Bilateral Coordination - Using both sides of the body together in a coordinated way, such as cutting with scissors or catching a ball.

Coaching - Support and guidance provided by our therapist to help parents, carers, or teachers build skills and confidence to support a child in everyday situations.

Fine Motor Skills - Small movements using the hands and fingers, such as writing, buttoning, or picking up small objects.

Functional - How well a child can use their skills in real-life situations, such as at home, school, or in the community—not just during therapy activities.

Grasp - The way a child holds and controls objects, such as a pencil, spoon, scissors, or toy.

Home adaptations – Changes made to the home environment to help a child be safer, more comfortable, and more independent in their daily activities. This may include items such as handrails, bath supports, adapted furniture, or small changes to how spaces are set up – Social care (services) OT team is responsible for this.

Hand–Eye Coordination - The ability to use the eyes and hands together, such as when catching a ball or copying shapes.

Goals - Specific skills or activities that the child is working towards improving during therapy.

Gross Motor Skills - Large body movements involving the arms, legs, and body, such as running, jumping, or climbing.

Independently - When a child can complete a task by themselves without help from an adult.

Physical support - Hands-on help provided to guide or assist a child’s movements, such as helping them hold an object or move their body safely.

Pre-writing - The early skills children develop before learning to write letters and numbers. This includes activities such as drawing lines and shapes, colouring, using playdough, and developing hand strength, coordination, and control.

Occupation - In occupational therapy, this means the everyday activities that are meaningful to a child, such as playing, learning, self-care, and social activities.

SENCO - Special Educational Needs Coordinator – the person in a school who is responsible for supporting children with additional needs and coordinating support plans.

Specialist equipment – Equipment or tools designed to support a child’s needs, which can be small such as pencil grips, adapted cutlery or larger pieces of equipment such as seating, beds and sleep systems.

Strategies – Recommendations and planned ways of supporting a child to help them succeed, such as visual schedules, movement breaks, or step-by-step instructions.

Supervision - When an adult stays nearby to watch and ensure a child is safe while completing an activity, without necessarily helping them physically.

Transition - Moving from one activity, place, or task to another, such as from playtime to classroom work.

Tripod - A way of holding a pencil or crayon using three fingers — the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. This grip helps with control and accuracy when drawing or writing

Verbal prompting - Using spoken reminders or cues to help a child know what to do next, such as “pick up your coat” or “remember to slow down.”

Visual Supports - Pictures, symbols, or written information used to help a child understand routines, instructions, or expectations.

Disclaimer
This glossary is not an exhaustive list of all the terms that may be used during occupational therapy sessions or within reports. If you are unsure about the meaning of any word or phrase, please speak directly to your child’s therapist, who will be happy to explain and clarify.

To make a referral to the Children’s Occupational Therapy Service you will need to complete the Children's Single Point of Access (SPA) Referral Form available to the right of this page.

We accept referrals from the following places:  

• Early Years Education Setting  
• School (Teachers and SENCOs)
• Sixth form College (up to 18 years old)  
• Health professionals – Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, School Nurses, Health Visitors  
• Qualified Social Workers  
• GPs
• Paediatricians
• Local and inpatient hospitals 

Referral Criteria:

The referral form needs to highlight 2 or more areas of concern. These must be functional and impact on their ability to participate in activities of daily living.

For any referring professional, please read our referral criteria below before sending the referral to ensure they will meet our threshold for acceptance to the service.

For referrals related to Home Equipment and/or adaptations:

Any minor or major equipment needs at home, is dealt by the Social Services OT team and the child will need to be referred to the Barking and Dagenham Social Services OT team at LB Barking & Dagenham Social Services - Children and Families, Email address: ChildrensOTref@lbbd.gov.uk .

For referrals regarding wheelchair assessment and reviews:

We do not assess or review wheelchairs. Please send all referrals directly to the wheelchair service. Any professional can make a referral directly to the wheelchair services if a need is identified, however, they have their own criteria which is outlined on the referral form.

We can only make referrals to the wheelchair service if the child is currently being assessed or is already known to our team. The wheelchair services contact email is: northeastlondon@ajmhealthcare.org

 

It is important to note that this service is not commissioned to provide sensory intervention and therefore we are unable to accept Sensory Integration referrals.

Useful Information:

While we do assess for a wide range of equipment as mentioned above, there may be certain pieces of equipment that you child may need which may have to funded via a charity. Please see the booklet below for more information:

Charity eBook (ltv.services)