Reasons for Occupational Therapy Referral

Occupational therapy plays a major role in the life of the people who need it. If you are also in need of one such reliable and experienced occupational therapy, then you can ask for referrals. Referrals are generally given based on the different concerns regarding the development of your child. Referrals are made by doctors, parents, public health services, preschools, human services and head start programs. If you are wondering about the reasons for occupational therapy referral, then you are at the right place.

We will discuss about the different reasons regarding why to refer a child for the occupational therapy screening. The occupational therapy is mainly referred to the ability of doing certain daily living activities. These activities are bathing, eating, dressing or toileting. The therapists help in improving the development of the child with this therapy.

Reasons for the OT Referral

Here are some of the reasons behind referring the occupational therapy (OT) screening. These are:

Tactile

The child can withdraw from or child doesn’t not like being touched and sometimes they also show aggressive social behavior. The child may not even like to stand in a line or having others too close to him/her. They also try to avoid any ‘messy’ activities like play dough or finger painting. This is a sign that your child may need help with an occupational therapist as opposed to a physical therapist or any other type of doctor.

Vestibular

This is the balance factor. When your child is afraid of any activities that involve swings, slides or merry-go-round, then you will need OT referrals. Even a child may need excessive fast movements or activities. They can be highly distractible and face problem to pay attention. They can be impulsive in nature and have unsafe behavior. This can all be remedied as occupational therapists have specific duties to help children with these tactics.

Academic

When the child has an unusual and weak pencil grasp of the child has not become left-handed or right-handed yet. If he is pressing too hard or too soft when they are writing, it can be one of the reasons. The child can also refuse in participating in fine motor activities.

Other Activities

If your child is having a problem getting the daily activities done such as feeding and dressing, then it can be one of the reasons why you will need to call for an occupational therapy referrals. Even the child can have a problem sleeping when compared to other children of his/her age.

Disabilities

You may also need occupational therapy referrals if your child has been diagnosed with any physical disability that can affect his/her educational performance as well. Also, another reason is your child needs any special equipment or some or some physical changes in the environment.

Final Thoughts

These are some of the main reasons for occupational therapy referral. If you are wondering why you will need one, then you must know that with the help of the pediatric occupational therapist you can make your child better. With the right care and therapies, your child can gain back the strength, coordination and balance again. This will help your child to lead a normal life again without any issues. But you need to take the help from a well-reputed and experienced occupational therapist and OTA such as the experts at Theracare to get the maximum benefits.