Occupational therapy is a type of treatment where normal, menial, day-to-day activities are employed as a rehabilitation method. It is useful for people, especially kids, who find difficulty in doing routine tasks because of their physical and/or mental condition. For example, if a child is struggling to hold a pencil properly at the age of five (or above), the parents could consider occupational therapy for him/her. With time, OT helps improve fine motor skills, enabling children to overcome their problems with small, precise movements of their fingers, hands, toes and feet.

The developmental disorders most common among children are mainly of four types: specific learning disorder (SLD), dyspraxia (or developmental co-ordination disorder), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If a parent is concerned their child may be having any of these symptoms, then they should make sure they consult a psychologist just as soon as they start noticing the signs.

There are various types of learning disabilities. Here are a few signs to look out for, to know if a child has a learning disorder: Difficulty in memorising basic details, spelling and writing, and reading an analogue clock, being extremely careless and clumsy, low attention span, lack of comprehension skills, difficulty in maintaining eye-contact, and such other problems.

When it comes to developmental co-ordination disorder, the symptoms include difficulty in free movement, lack of balance, clumsiness, etc. These problems are mostly caused by premature birth, low birth weight or even genetic variations. Dyspraxia restricts movement in children, making it harder for them to crawl, walk or even stand without any support.

Autism spectrum disorder presents with a unique mixture of symptoms which may vary from child to child. The symptoms are extremely complex and may range from a mild learning and social disability to severe impairment with multiple problems and highly unusual behaviour.

Parents should be aware that isolated symptoms are not always a sign that their child has a learning disability. Only after consulting a psychologist, should the kid be diagnosed. One should also note that there is an age-appropriate timing for kids to be able to do any task. Parents need to take them to an occupational therapist only if they observe prolonged delays in their growth milestones.

At Adarsh Charitable Trust, we have a qualified occupational therapist supported by OT assistants who provide treatment for the kids to help improve their daily conduct. We use a set of personalised exercises tailored for each child which gradually make them less dependent on their parents in their routine activities. With consistent training, children with these specific disabilities learn to do these activities on their own, just like other kids of their age.