What can therapy do for your child

A therapist will conduct a developmental assessment and identify her strengths and weaknesses. We will assess your child’s performance in the following areas:

• Receptive language–her ability to understand the words, follow directions.
• Expressive language–using words and gestures to communicate with others.
• Cognitive development–problem solving abilities.
• Gross motor development–big body movements like turning over, crawling, walking, jumping, throwing.
• Fine motor development–small movements like picking up and dropping a raisin, drawing a circle, buttoning and tying shoelaces.
• Social emotional development–child’s interactions with parents and strangers, understanding of rules, ability to play.

It is important to track a child’s development from birth because the development of reaching, rolling over, or showing interest in patterns (drawings, book) form a foundation for the development of more complex skills like writing letters, using tools (spoon, shovel, a stick to reach a toy under sofa.) A therapist will teach a child to become successful in these simple tasks which will enable him to work through difficulties and improve in more difficult tasks at school, playground, or after-school activities.