Specific areas that we assess at Barrett Family Wellness Center are:
- Muscle Strength – “My child does not seem to be as strong as his/her peers and gets tired easily.”
- Balance and Equilibrium – “My child seems to be falling all the time. My child is afraid of heights and does not like swings. He/she is very uncoordinated and does not like sports.”
- Handwriting – “My child learned how to write in school, but I am concerned because his/her letters are hard to read, words run together, letters are facing the wrong direction, and my child does not like to write.”
- Sensory Integration – “My child appears to be very bright, but he/she struggles with everyday tasks. Everything appears to be more difficult for him/her than it should be. My child becomes easily frustrated and emotional. Simple things like putting on socks or experiencing a thunderstorm can ruin our day.”
- Modulating Emotions and Moods – “What I am looking for is a program that will help my child recognize their mood and teach them to pick healthier ways to cope on a day-to-day basis.”
- Dyspraxia – “My child is able to do almost everything when playing alone. He/she becomes uncoordinated and makes frequent excuses to get out of doing things when given direction.”
A typical assessment involves the following:
- Interview – To establish relevant history, we ask questions regarding health, development, family, current and past behaviors, and current or previous occupational therapy related services.
- Informal Testing/Observations – Informal testing and clinical observations are an important part of the assessment and involve casual conversation and engagement in therapeutic activities with the child.
Other types of assessments used as a Formal Evaluation / Second Opinion:
- Evaluation Tools of Children’s Handwriting
- Developmental Tests from Birth to 12
- Morrison F. Gardner Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (non-motor)
- BOT2
- Sensory Profile by Winnie Dunn, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA
- Sensory Integration Praxis Testing (SIPT)
The result of an Occupational Therapy Assessment is a written report containing:
- Information about the child’s history and development
- A description of your child’s current skill level in the specific area’s tested
- Recommendations based on skills observed during testing which may include: participating in an occupational therapy program, referral to another professional, participation in a home program, or no need for therapeutic intervention.