My child seems like maybe he is behind; can he catch up on his own? How long should we wait to see if he can catch up? Can we do anything at home to help him catch up before pursuing therapy?
My child seems more clumsy than the other kids in her class; does that mean she needs therapy or just that she won’t be the star athlete?
My child’s teacher says my child is having trouble keeping up in class and is having trouble with writing; is the school program too hard or is my child developing behind his classmates?
These are questions that many parents ask themselves but that often go unanswered. Determining whether your child needs therapy can be tricky. Every child is different, with different strengths and different challenges. And while development follows a general pattern, figuring out if your child’s challenges are significant enough to warrant therapy is not always easy to decipher. Fortunately, there are many resources that can help a parent decide whether she should have her child evaluated.
The internet has a wealth of information, but sometimes the amount of information can be overwhelming, contradictory, or unclear, especially when there is expected variation in typical childhood development. One website that offers valuable, accurate, and clearly presented information in the form of checklists and videos is pathways.org. This website emphasizes development in the first three years of life and helps parents determine whether their child is on track. In addition it provides tips and games to play with baby from week-to-week until two years of age, just by entering the baby’s birthdate. This is a great resource for parents, especially if parents have concerns that their baby or toddler may be behind on developmental milestones.
For school aged children, there is an even greater variety in abilities, as well as in academic programs, making it even more difficult to discern whether a child’s difficulties are enough to warrant therapy. If you are having concerns regarding your school-age child’s development, please fill out the checklist at https://goo.gl/forms/7XeBDibk3d6Co0na2. The checklist is a list of red flags related to a child’s performance at home and at school. If you find that several of the red flags pertain to your child, a pediatric occupational therapist may be able to help you determine if your child needs therapy or if there are some things that can be done at school or at home to help him be more successful. A pediatric occupational therapist can help you discern where the line is between worry and need for action.
As a parent, there are many things to worry about when it comes to your child. Just because your child is having some challenges, it doesn’t always have to mean that he is behind developmentally or academically. When a child is demonstrating some difficulties, it may not necessarily be an indication that the child will have difficulty throughout his academic career either. Pediatric occupational therapists (OTs) are specialists in child development, including the developmental milestones that impact academic performance, such as visual motor skills, fine motor skills, handwriting, and coordination that impacts executive functioning and organizational skills. They are also devoted to helping children and families succeed, making pediatric OTs a wonderful resource for families that are trying to help their children excel. Many clinics offer free phone consultations to help the families discern if therapy is the next step. If the OT feels that therapy may be necessary, it can be a wonderful experience and great tool to support your child with any struggles he may be enduring. Therapy can also support you, the parent, in offering strategies to support your child at home and in the classroom, not only now, but in the future.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact an OT; they are ready to offer any support they can to help your child.
Allison LeBouef, LOTR, is a mom of 2 and has been a practicing pediatric occupational therapist since 2002. She is the co-owner of Pediatric Therapy and Learning Center, LLC, in Lafayette, LA where she assesses and treats children of all ages, works diligently with parents, supervises other OT clinicians, and trains students and new graduates. She is SIPT-certified and has traveled around the country to attend the best courses and mentorships available in her field.