What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapists focus on the day to day activities that children want or need to do. This often includes developing independence skills such as dressing, participation in meal times, self – care, play etc.

We look at the child’s physical ability to do these activities but we also look at whether there are any other factors such as developmental stage, attention or regulation  which could be impacting on their ability to engage. We also consider the environment in which a child is carrying out their activities of daily living (ADLs) to see if this is impacting participation.  

How to use the Resource Hub 

This hub offers you lots of ideas and suggestions that can be tried without a referral into the Children’s OT Service.

There are videos and help sheets available to support you and your child try different strategies to support participation in everyday activities.

We would encourage you to try ideas from the resource hub before seeking a referral to Children’s Occupational Therapy – we often find that once parents and schools have accessed these resources and implemented strategies, they understand better how to support their child’s needs and won’t require input from Occupational Therapy.  

Children's Occupational Therapy Duty Desk

If you have a query for Children’s Occupational Therapy (OT) you can call us on 0300 300 1670 (Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm exc. Bank holidays). This is for general enquiries and advice relating to Children’s OT, we do not take referrals via the Duty Desk – information on how to make a referral can be found here.