How can OT help my 2-year-old?

Does your 2-year-old have frequent, intense tantrums that seem to last longer than other kids his/her age? Does he/she have a hard time playing with new toys? Does your 2-year-old struggle to participate in daily activities or self-care tasks, such as feeding him/her self and dressing? If you answered yes to any of the above, then occupational therapy might be appropriate for your child.

Occupational therapists will work with both you and your child to address gross motor, fine motor, sensory processing, communication, feeding and play skills that may be impacting your child’s ability to participate in daily routines and tasks.

7 Ways Pediatric Occupational Therapists can help:

Develop co-regulation strategies to implement with your child. This will help during moments of distress.

Develop strategies to help identify when a melt down may happen, helping you & your child through their moments of really big feelings.

Identify and treat any sensory-processing challenges that may be impacting your child’s development.

Teach both you and your child emotional-regulation strategies. This will give you both a game plan for the obstacles of everyday life.

Address fine-motor delays which may be impacting utensil use during meal times and difficulty with toy manipulation.

Target motor-planning which may be causing challenges with dressing skills and navigating new places such as a park.

Develop play skills so that your child can interact appropriately with other children his/her age and play with a variety of toys.

Need more help or have more questions?

WHEW! Our pediatric OTs do ALOT when it comes to helping children succeed in their daily jobs of playing and feeling regulated!  If you have a child that you feel may need help with some strategies for soothing, participating in self-help skills, or diversifying their play with toys, we can help!

Call our pediatric occupational therapists at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center and learn how we can help your family thrive!  We can be reached at 773-687-9241!