Pediatric occupational therapy is designed to make the activities of everyday life easier and more accessible to a child and adolescent. Occupational Therapy may work on things like being able to brush their teeth, more easily feed themselves, focus on completing homework, or be comfortable in social situations. The inability to participate in these tasks can get in the way of a child who’s just trying to live up to their full potential.

The overall goals of pediatric occupational therapy can include the following:

• Improving fine motor skills – this includes being able to hold a pencil or crayon, handle their toys, put on their socks and shoes, and manage zippers and buttons.
• Improving gross motor skills – these are “whole body” activities like crawling, standing, being able to navigate stairs, or throwing/kicking a ball.
• Developing sensory regulation strategies – Sometimes kids have a little trouble adjusting to certain environmental sensations. This can throw them off, distracting them from enjoying certain activities or social situations. We use a sensory-based approach to help them better integrate the kinds of information that come through movement, touch, taste, hearing, etc.
• Enhancing social skills – children can be challenged in different social settings like school or when meeting new people. Occupational therapy gives them tools and strategies to help them feel less stressed in these settings. We work together to help them better handle their emotions, learn more self-control, and be more comfortable engaging socially.
• Refining self-care skills – this includes feeding themselves, washing up, or brushing their teeth easier and more natural for them.

Your child is one-of-a-kind, so we tailor a plan that will be best for their specific needs. It may include one or more of these goals, prioritizing what is most important to your family. At the end of the day,pediatric occupational therapy helps to make your child more confident and independent. We help them master the skills needed to fully enjoy their life!

The purpose of pediatric occupational therapy is to give a child every possible tool to make them more independent and to fully enjoy their daily life. When explaining it to them, keep it simple; most of all, let them know that it’s going to be fun! The therapist uses games, activities, and play to build their skills and confidence. We tap into their particular interests and strengths so that it all resonates with them.

You might explain that grownups have jobs, and so do kids. A kid’s “job” is to go to school, learn to play, and grow strong. Sometimes, things get in the way of this job, and that’s where occupational therapy (OT) steps in. Let them know that they’ll learn fun ways to better manage their daily lives. If something has been frustrating them, let them know they’ll learn cool tricks to solve those problems.

They’ll learn to master skills like putting on their socks and shoes, coloring with less trouble, or being more comfortable around school friends. Pediatric occupational therapy can help them stay focused in class, or better navigate their wheelchair through the lunch line. They’ll learn alternate ways to play games so that they don’t miss out, and strategies that let them interact more fully with their friends, family, and the activities that they love.

In short, let them know that, like a favorite cartoon character or superhero, they’re going to be given some exciting “superpowers”!

The answer depends on what your child needs or wants to achieve, and the goals that we set together. Some kids may only need a few sessions to address something very specific. Other children may have a slightly longer list of goals that require a more extended timeline to achieve.

Some children attend weekly sessions, others come in just a few times a month. Again, the schedule (both short- and long-term) is unique to the child and their goals.

Another key aspect to consider is the pace of your child’s progress. It’s not uncommon to have an occasional delay as they work to either learn or master new ways of doing things (you don’t learn to play piano overnight!). At No Limits, we focus on their unique preferences to ensure that what (and how) they’re learning aligns with their particular strengths and how they best process new tasks. Then we build from there.

The main thing to understand is that the therapist is in constant communication with your family. You’ll be given detailed reports and updates on their progress. This allows you to have a clearer picture of just how long they’ll benefit from regular occupational therapy sessions.

Every child is unique and grows at their own pace. Sometimes they “stall” at a certain point in their journey, then rapidly catch up to their peers. However, if you have any concerns about your child’s growth and development, we’re happy to talk with you about pediatric occupational therapy and if it might be useful for them. 

Because kids are all different, the age-related milestones that have been established by pediatric experts over the years aren’t always hard and fast. Still, there are some baselines; use the following as a reference point.

Some indicators that your little one might benefit from OT include

• Balance issues
• Difficulty coordinating the left and right sides of the body
• Trouble holding a pencil or spoon
• Difficulty with zippers, shoelaces, and buttons
• Inability to handle emotions and learning challenges
• Trouble focusing in school or on homework
• Delayed speech, issues with reading comprehension
• Problems climbing or descending stairs without a handrail (age-dependent)
• Excessive drooling, losing a lot of food or drink from their mouth while eating
• Problems using a cup or straw past a certain age
• Trouble following moving objects with their eyes

We’ve also found that kids who deal with cerebral palsy, traumatic injuries, autism, or ADHD can greatly benefit from pediatric occupational therapy. It gives them many ways to better navigate their daily life with an increased sense of independence and confidence.

Yes, there’s a lot of information out there and we know it can be overwhelming. Get in touch and share your questions and concerns; if some OT might help your child master these milestones more easily and become more comfortable in their world, we’ll suggest a productive plan of action.

We believe in building a relationship with your child so that they approach every appointment as a fun experience with their friend. Consistently working together also helps the therapist better understand what motivates and inspires your child; those insights help us keep them steadily progressing toward their goals. 

We also believe that children should have exposure to a variety of talented therapists that can best help your child achieve their goals.  Each client that comes more than one time per week, will be comfortable seeing different staff members.  This allows them access to all of our staffs’ talents, and allows their skills to generalize to multiple adults. It also allows staff members to take a vacation, and your child does not have to miss any appointment, as they are familiar with our team and comfortable continuing their plan of care with any therapist!

Typically, a referral is needed for your child to begin occupational therapy (mainly for insurance purposes). We work closely with many area pediatricians and are familiar with the ins and outs required for insurance. If you have specific questions, we’re happy to talk with either you or your pediatrician. 

Both pediatric occupational therapy and physical therapy share a similar goal of building both physical strength and everyday skills to make a child more independent. How each specialty achieves that differs in certain ways.

Pediatric occupational therapy  This treatment is focused on helping a child better perform specific everyday tasks like handling utensils or getting dressed by themselves. It can assist in reaching certain growth milestones that might be a little bit stalled, like hand-eye coordination, reaching for toys, or holding their own bottle.

Pediatric occupational therapy also helps develop important life skills such as being able to focus in class, becoming more comfortable with new sensory experiences, or more easily interacting with others. These can be helpful for kids dealing with autism or ADHD.

Pediatric physical therapy  Physical therapy is focused on the whole body itself. The therapist works to strengthen the muscles that allow for things like running, jumping, and standing. We work on balance and coordination, giving a child more control over and confidence in their body.

Physical therapy is useful for a baby having trouble holding up their head, rolling over, or sitting on their own. Little ones who seem clumsier than normal, or who frequently trip or fall over, can benefit. And any child who has trouble keeping up with their friends while playing will find that physical therapy gives them the increased strength, balance, and coordination that will allow them to fully engage in childhood fun.

One thing we stress at No Limits is that it’s never too late for any child (even up to age 21) to benefit from either pediatric occupational or physical therapy. We work with them—wherever they may be in their development—to improve their life.

Despite their subtle differences, the main thing that both occupational and physical therapies share are strategies and tools to give your child a greater sense of freedom, confidence, and independence. 

Most insurance plans cover pediatric occupational therapy.  However, there may be “exclusions” in which certain things are not covered, for example, if the treatment is deemed “educational” versus “medically necessary.” Determining the difference can sometimes be perplexing.

Talking to your carrier is a wise precaution to get more detailed specifics. However, we deal with various insurance plans every day and can be very helpful in clearing up any questions or confusion. Call us at (479) 250-9838.

We’re in-network with these carriers:

• AETNA
• Arkansas Medicaid
• Arkansas Total Care
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• CareSource 
• Arkids A
• Arkids B
• Cigna
• Empower
• QualChoice
• Summit Community Care
• TEFRA

If your child is affected by cerebral palsy, autism, or traumatic brain injury, starting occupational therapy sooner rather than later is usually recommended. We work with their particular brain and muscle abilities (we call it “neuro-affirming”) to build on their unique strengths to help them achieve their goals.

Little ones who are lagging in certain developmental milestones can also get a helpful assist from OT to get back on track. Depending on their age, these milestones include things like rolling from their tummy to their back (and over again), throwing a ball, or being able to use scissors.

Perhaps you notice that your child is having some difficulty with things like concentrating or problem-solving. Maybe they’re uncomfortable in social settings, or have some trouble managing their emotions. Adding occupational therapy can intervene before these issues begin to affect their confidence.

Of course, every child grows and develops at different rates. In some instances, they may outgrow any apparent “delay” and go on to catch up to their peers. However, if you’re concerned, a discussion with your pediatrician can shed some light. If occupational therapy is recommended, don’t worry that you’ve missed some kind of optimal window to begin: we believe that kids can benefit at any point in their development. 

While many people assume that pediatric occupational therapy is meant for babies or young children, kids up to age 21 can benefit. No Limits Pediatric Therapies believes in meeting our clients “where they are” and using a full range of tools and strategies to help them live their best lives. If you’re not certain whether occupational therapy can help your child, schedule a free consultation with one of our therapists. We’ll answer all your questions.

Appointments can run from 45 minutes to an hour. We make the sessions fun and playful, structuring each one around the way your child best processes new information and challenges. There may be some days when we achieve a bit more than expected and don’t need to push further, time-wise; we don’t want to overload our little client. “Short and sweet” can be most effective for some children.

The time our therapist spends working with your child establishes and builds a social relationship that makes each session productive. Our goal is to make it seem like they’re just having fun, even as they’re increasing their skills and confidence!