Handwriting/written communication Writing needs to be legible and done with fluency if it is to be functional. If a child has to think about how each letter is formed they are not putting their mental energies into the substance of what they are writing. If they can’t write quickly, then they will not be able to take sufficient notes in class as they get older. The important thing is that your child learns to communicate in writing, whether that means handwriting or computer writing or an alternative. If your child is struggling with writing, our Occupational Therapists can help. They are skilled in determining the underlying reasons behind your child’s struggle and then finding the best programs and methods to teach your child.

Language and Speech Skills
Communication is necessary for sharing ideas, thoughts, feelings and learning. Speech is the ability to produce
sounds into understandable words. Language is the process by which words are learned and formed into understandable
phrases and sentences to express an idea and to understand what is said. Children who cannot produce certain sounds,
are hesitant in their speech or have low volume may have a speech problem. Children who cannot understand what they hear,
take a long time to understand or cannot express themselves clearly may have a language problem. Our Speech-Language Pathologists
are skilled in identifying and treating problems and concerns with speech and language.

Motor Skills Motor means muscle and fine motor means small or precise muscles that govern work such and manipulating buttons, writing, keyboarding, etc. Gross motor or large muscles govern the larger movements such as walking and jumping. Muscles need to have strength and endurance. Learning to use and control our muscles is necessary for handwriting, walking, clicking a remote, and just about every activity we do during the day. Some children have problems with their muscle strength, others with their ability to motor plan or learn new tasks that require muscles to sequence and coordinate, such as learning to dance or learning to write words fluently or automatically.

Sensory Processing Skills We receive information from the environment through our senses. Our brains must then interpret what comes in, filtering what’s important from what is not, and then make an appropriate response. When children have trouble with any part of this process, they are often said to have a sensory processing disorder. Some children reflect this disorder in hyperactivity or frustration, others in a heightened reaction to touch, and still others with difficulties in balance, coordination, poor motor skills, and a host of other reactions. If a sensory processing disorder is identified, then the therapist will develop to help you and your child manage daily life activities in an appropriate and rewarding way.

Study and Organizational Skills Some of us take for granted that anyone can organize himself, but organizational skills, time management and study skills often need to be learned in a very concrete manner. Whether it’s organizing a kid’s room or backpack or homework assignments, we can help you and your child learn the ways to better organization and less stress.

Literacy To become a proficient reader, a child must be able to identify words and comprehend the concepts presented in writing. There are many sub-skills,such as phonological awareness, decoding, fluency and vocabulary. Many children have difficulty with one or more of these sub-skills and need extra help.

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