Welcome
Welcome to Aiming High Children's Occupational Therapy. Children's Occupational Therapists work with children and young people to help them take part in the daily activities (occupations) that are important to them, at home, school or elsewhere, to achieve their personal goals and fulfil their potential. This may be making a Lego model, getting dressed without any help or even rock climbing!
Children's occupations
The main occupation of a very young child is play, this is essential to enable the child to develop an understanding of the world around them and work out how to use their hands. Soon they start picking up and releasing objects, banging them together and passing them from one hand to the other. As they become toddlers they start learning how to dress, themselves, how to use a spoon to feed themselves and how to use the toilet. For school-aged children it's all about learning to use a pencil, scissors and ruler, pay attention and focus in the classroom, take part in PE lessons and pack and organise their schoolbags.
Skill development
Our brains are 'plastic', meaning they change in response to stimuli. Children are not born with the skills they need but develop them throughout their life if exposed to the right opportunities and environment. Repetition is key as it strengthens the brain's (neural) pathways so that tasks (occupations) become easier and more skilful over time. ​ Children with additional needs often have fewer opportunities, and need more practice than their peers to develop skills. Occupational Therapists use a variety of approaches to work directly with children to help them master everyday occupations. Occupational Therapists also work with parents, carer, nursery/school staff to advise on goals-setting, modifying the environment, appropriate activates, adapting and grading tasks.  ​ Although neural (brain) changes can take place at any age, early intervention is beneficial as a child's brain is most 'plastic' in the first 5 years of life. ​​