Occupational Therapy Treatment

This treatment is appropriate for you and your child if: 

• Your child is between the ages of 0 and 18
• Your child has been diagnosed with autism
• Your child has a fine motor, gross motor, or sensory processing need that impacts skill development 
• You, the caregiver, can participate in all sessions

You can use your Ontario Autism Program (OAP) funding to pay for this service, including AccessOAP funding, Childhood Budgets, and Interim One-Time Funding. You can also pay out-of-pocket or use other sources like external philanthropic support, community-based funding programs or private insurance.

In occupational therapy, occupations refer to the everyday activities that people do as individuals, in families and with communities to occupy time and bring meaning and purpose to life. Occupations include things people need to (e.g., eating, dressing), want to (e.g., community, social activities) and are expected to do (e.g., work, social).

Occupational therapists (OT) help promote confidence and build skill sets to allow a person to participate in activities that they need, want, or are expected to perform. Our occupational therapists use their clinical expertise to help children and adults gain the functional skills that are needed for independence or to achieve their goals. We offer a wide variety of services that include but are not limited to the following areas: 

• Fine motor skills (pencil grasp, dexterity, scissor skills, printing skills, hand-eye coordination, visual perception skills, bilateral coordination)
• Gross motor skills (ball skills, coordination and motor planning, riding a bike, balance, core strength, mobility, equipment recommendations)
• Sensory processing (sensitivities to textures, sounds, tastes, and/or light, body awareness, difficulty remaining seated, transitions, new environments)
• Self-care (dressing, feeding, bathing, toileting, home modification)
• Self regulation (attention and focus, emotional regulation, social skills)
• Executive function (organization, planning, task initiation, time management, impulse-control)