What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?
Occupational Therapy supports children to participate in their daily activities more independently.
Autistic children and young people experience a range of difficulties that may impact on their participation in activities at home, at school and in the community. As a result of their autism, our students commonly face barriers to their participation linked to their sensory processing and motor skills. They may also find it challenging to engage in new activities and daily tasks that they need or want to do. These challenges can impact their ability to complete all their necessary daily activities such as: toileting, dressing, using transport, moving around school, mealtimes, doing school work and playing.
Occupational Therapists help children develop independence in their academic, leisure and self-care activities by adapting the task, the environment or by using specific equipment, strategies or activities to develop skills.
Occupational Therapy at Kensington Queensmill School:
Occupational Therapists work with all students in a range of school activities including lessons in the classroom, P.E., mealtimes, play times and community activities. Intervention includes:
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Observation and assessment of how individual students’ challenges linked to their diagnosis impact on their participation in activities;
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Trialling strategies, adapting the environment and providing equipment;
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Creating, implementing and monitoring programmes for development of specific skills;
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Delivering individual and group therapy sessions, in collaboration with classroom staff;
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Providing support, advice and training to Kensington Queensmill staff and parents on key topics linked to occupational therapy;
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Joint working and goal-setting with teaching staff and other professionals (Speech and Language Therapists, Family Support Practioners, Educational Psychologist, School Nurse);
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Liaison with and referrals to other professionals and services (Disabled Children’s Social Care team, Housing, specialist transport, dietitians, consultants, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Occupational Therapy can help your child with:
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Increasing engagement in learning activities (for example using self-regulation and mutual regulation strategies);
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Taking part in a wider range of school activities.;
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Increasing independence in school routines (for example developing skills in organising belongings, transitioning, planning for activities, mobility around school);
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Eating and drinking (for example by increasing familiarity with new foods, supporting access to mealtime environments, developing independence using cutlery and cups);
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Self-care skills (such as washing, brushing teeth, hair and nail care, dressing, using the toilet);
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Growing up and puberty (such as understanding of body changes, public and private behaviour, female sanitary care);
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Accessing the community (for example providing safety equipment and strategies, travel training);
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Developing functional fine motor skills (for example by improving fine and perceptual motor skills, developing core stability and shoulder strength to improve handwriting);
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Developing play skills (for example by providing graded support for participation in play, developing positive relationships using intensive interaction approaches);
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Developing participation in P.E., leisure and break time activities (for example through gross motor skill development and developing motor planning skills).
Sensory integration therapy and approaches are used throughout the school, led by the Occupational Therapy Department. Find out more here