What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is an evidenced-based practice that uses meaningful activities to help individuals reach their highest level of independence with those daily tasks that are essential for successful participation in their school, home and community.
Occupational Therapy Services
- Teaching Self-Care and Independent Living Skills
- Addressing Fine and Gross Motor Delays
- Sensory Desensitization Programs
- Addressing Motor Planning Deficits
- Feeding Therapy
- Handwriting Instruction and Remediation Programs
- Emotional and Behavioral Regulation Programs
- Teaching Play/Social Skills
Occupational Therapy is available in:
Austin, TX, Champaign, IL, Springfield, IL, Aurora, IL and Oswego, IL
In-Home ABA Therapy
Let us come to you! At BPI we recognize “there’s no place like home” for learners to gain life skills and independence.
In-Clinic ABA Therapy
Learn more about Apple Academy, Apple Too, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy!
School Consultation
Whether you need support for one student, an entire classroom or professional development, we are honored to support those that support our learners at school.
How does Occupational Therapy work?
To receive occupational therapy services at BPI, contact your BCBA or local clinic. Insurance benefits will be checked and a doctor referral will be obtained. A phone call or interview will be scheduled to complete an initial intake to obtain background information and concerns that have led to an interest in OT services. Following the intake interview, an evaluation will be scheduled and conducted by the Occupational Therapist. Frequency of sessions ranges based on evaluation findings, and duration of sessions range from 30-60 minutes. Services can be provided in clinic, home, school, community or via telehealth.
Where is Occupational Therapy Available?
- Aurora, IL
- Oswego, IL
- Austin, TX
- Springfield, IL
- Champaign, IL
How can Occupational Therapy help my child?
Occupational therapy uses a client-centered, holistic approach that promotes participation in everyday activities. The occupational therapy practitioner will work closely with the family in order to address family concerns and goals, as well as promote carryover of skills across environments. Occupational therapists collaborate with and work alongside other professionals (BCBA, SLP, etc.) to maximize goals and promote the best outcomes for each learner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Occupations are the activities we participate in everyday. The main occupation for children is play. Other occupations include education, social participation, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and sleep and rest. Activities of daily living include dressing, hygiene and bathing, toileting, feeding and eating. Instrumental activities of daily living include household chores, meal preparation, vocational activities and more.
If you have concerns about any of the following areas, you’re child may benefit from OT services: • Difficulty with self-care skills • Feeding selectivity or difficulties • Delayed developmental milestones • Fine motor skills including handwriting, visual motor skills and visual perceptual skills • Gross motor skills including balance, coordination, strength and endurance • Motor planning, motor coordination, hand-eye coordination and body awareness • Bilateral integration skills • Sensory processing and integration skills • Cognitive skills and attention • Emotional and behavioral regulation skills • Social and play skills
Evaluations are typically completed in 90-120 minutes. Parent interview, standardized assessments, and clinical observations will be conducted. The therapist will complete an official report containing the obtained information and results of the assessments, which will be reviewed with the family at a later date.
Fine motor skills involve using the small muscles in the hand to complete a task. This includes grasping and releasing objects, manipulating toys and clothing fasteners, self-feeding, as well as writing.
Gross motor skills involve coordinating the body for large movements. This includes walking, running, stair climbing, ball skills and more.
Visual motor skills start with receiving visual information with the eyes and using the information to manipulate objects. They are often referred to as eye-hand coordination, and involve using the body and eyes to complete tasks. Difficulties with visual motor skills may present as difficulty with control while writing or cutting, completing puzzles, catching or kicking a ball and sports. Visual motor skills are necessary to complete all daily occupations.
Motor planning involves thinking, planning, and executing a movement. Difficulties with motor planning may present as difficulty sequencing daily activities, forming letters and numbers, clumsiness, or requiring long periods of time to learn basic skills.
Bilateral coordination involves using both sides of the body at the same time to complete a task. Difficulties with bilateral coordination may present as difficulty catching a ball with two hands, pulling up pants or socks, tying shoes, activities involving a dominant hand and a non-dominant hand such as writing or cutting, clumsiness or dropping items that require two hands. Bilateral coordination is important in completing daily occupations including play, education and handwriting, dressing, self-feeding and more.
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Other Services
ABA
ABA or Applied Behavior Analysis is based on a science of learning and analysis of behavior-environment interactions.
Speech and Language Therapy
Our goal in speech therapy is to increase your child’s ability to effectively communicate, interact, and express their needs and/or wants.
ADOS
The ADOS-2 is composed of 5 modules based on the age and speech of the individual being assessed.
