What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy, or OT, helps people take part in everyday activities that matter to them. For children, those activities include playing, getting dressed, using utensils, and participating at school.
If daily tasks feel difficult for your child, understanding pediatric OT can help you decide what questions to ask and whether an evaluation may be useful.
What is occupational therapy for kids?
In occupational therapy, an “occupation” means an activity someone wants or needs to do. A child’s occupations are the routines and experiences of childhood, including self-care, play, and learning.
An occupational therapist looks at the child, the task, and the environment together. Support might involve practicing a skill, changing how an activity is approached, adapting materials, or helping caregivers make a routine more manageable.
The goal is meaningful participation. What that looks like depends on your child’s strengths, needs, interests, and priorities.
Source: American Occupational Therapy Association: What is OT?
What does occupational therapy do?
Pediatric OT connects skill development with practical activities. An evaluation determines which areas need support; every child does not need every type of intervention.
Hand skills and coordination
Goals may involve handling small objects, using classroom tools, or coordinating both hands during play and everyday tasks.
Dressing and self-care
Practice may focus on managing clothing, using fasteners, brushing teeth, or completing parts of a familiar routine with suitable support.
Play and school participation
An OT may examine what makes an activity difficult and adapt the task or environment so the child can participate more successfully.
Everyday sensory demands
When assessed sensory challenges interfere with routines, individualized strategies may support participation at home, school, or in the community.
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics: Occupational Therapy and AOTA: Sensory Integration & Processing .
What could a practical goal look like?
Imagine a family whose main concern is getting ready for school. Rather than choosing a broad goal like “better coordination,” the family and therapist might discuss practicing a specific step, such as managing a jacket zipper with less help. This is an illustrative example, not a treatment recommendation.
When should you ask about an OT evaluation?
Bring up concerns when daily activities are persistently difficult, distressing, or require more help than you expect for your child’s stage of development. Describe the activity and what happens, rather than trying to identify a diagnosis yourself.
- Getting dressed or brushing teeth regularly becomes difficult.
- Using utensils, scissors, or other everyday tools is a concern.
- Play or classroom activities are hard to access or participate in.
- Sensory demands repeatedly interfere with important routines.
These examples are conversation starters, not a diagnostic checklist. Ask your pediatrician or an occupational therapist what assessment would help clarify your concerns.
What happens during an occupational therapy evaluation?
The therapist gathers information about your child’s routines, interests, strengths, and challenges. Observation and relevant assessments help identify barriers to participation. Findings guide collaborative goals, recommendations, and a plan for reviewing progress.
Bring specific examples, previous evaluations if available, and questions such as: “Which daily activity will this goal help?” and “How will we know whether the plan is helping?”
Sources: AOTA: OT evaluation and treatment planning and AAP: Pediatric OT evaluation .
Occupational therapy and sensory processing
Families searching for “SPD occupational therapy” are often looking for help with sensory processing difficulties. The useful starting point is how sensory experiences affect the child’s daily activities, rather than a label alone.
An OT can assess sensory-related barriers and work with the family on individualized approaches. The aim is to support participation in activities that matter to the child.
Assessment should guide sensory strategies
AOTA recommends documenting sensory processing difficulties before providing sensory-based interventions. Ask why a strategy is being recommended, which daily activity it targets, and how its effects will be measured. A generic sensory routine is not a substitute for an individualized assessment.
Sources: AOTA: Sensory Integration & Processing and AOTA Practice Smart recommendations .
What is the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy?
OT and physical therapy, or PT, both support function and participation. Their work overlaps, but the focus of assessment and treatment can differ.
| Occupational therapy | Physical therapy |
|---|---|
| Focuses on participation in meaningful daily activities, such as dressing, play, and school routines. | Focuses on movement and physical function, including mobility, strength, balance, and endurance. |
| May adapt a task, materials, or environment while developing skills needed for the activity. | May develop movement skills needed to navigate home, school, and community environments. |
| An example might be practicing the steps of getting dressed. | An example might be practicing the balance or mobility needed to move between rooms or use stairs. |
This is not a strict “hands versus legs” distinction. A child may benefit from either service or both, depending on assessment findings and goals. Explore our pediatric physical therapy services for more information.
Sources: AOTA: What is OT? and American Physical Therapy Association: Pediatric Physical Therapy .
Exploring pediatric OT in Florida
Therapist to You provides information about pediatric occupational therapy services and care options for Florida families. Ask which services and settings are currently available for your child.
Choose a location
Explore Melbourne, West Palm Beach, or Okeechobee, then confirm local OT availability with the team.
Discuss a care setting
Ask about in-home, in-center, and school-based therapy. Options depend on clinical recommendations, staffing, permissions, scheduling, and payer requirements.
Questions to ask before starting
- What referral, records, or authorization does my child need?
- Does my insurance cover this provider, setting, and service?
- What costs might our family be responsible for?
- Is there a waitlist, and what scheduling options are available?
- How will goals, caregiver involvement, and progress reviews be discussed?
Common questions about occupational therapy
What is an occupational therapist?
An occupational therapist is a licensed professional who evaluates participation in daily activities and recommends individualized support. Occupational therapy assistants also provide OT services within their professional role.
Is occupational therapy only for children?
No. OT serves people across the lifespan. Pediatric OT focuses on the activities and routines of childhood.
Is pediatric OT just play?
Play can be both a meaningful activity and a way to practice skills. Ask your therapist how an activity connects to an assessed need and your child’s goals.
How long will my child need occupational therapy?
There is no single timeline for every child. Ask the evaluating therapist about recommended frequency, review points, and how progress will guide changes to the plan.
Can we practice occupational therapy activities at home?
Ask your child’s therapist for activities matched to the evaluation and treatment goals, including how to adapt them and when to stop. Describe what fits your family’s routines so recommendations are practical.
About the author
Dionne Batts, BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
This parent guide is published by Therapist to You. Clinical information about occupational therapy is supported by the professional sources listed below.
Sources and further reading
- American Occupational Therapy Association: What is occupational therapy?
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Occupational Therapy
- AOTA: Sensory Integration & Processing
- AOTA: Practice Smart recommendations
- American Physical Therapy Association: What Is Pediatric Physical Therapy?
This guide is educational and does not replace an individualized evaluation or advice from your child’s healthcare team.
Have questions about your child’s everyday skills?
Tell us which routines feel difficult and what you would like to understand. Our team can explain current occupational therapy availability, documentation requirements, and next steps.