What is Occupational Therapy?
Often confused with it’s counterpart Physical Therapy both therapies are related services to special education and are provided only if the child needs therapy to function in the educational setting. The role of physical therapist and an occupational therapist is to facilitate a child’s independent functioning and decrease the effects of a disability on his/her ability to participate in the educational setting and process.
Why Occupational Therapy Early Intervention Services are Important!
By receiving early intervention services in Occupational Therapy for your special needs child or teen it will help reduce regression of fine motor and gross motor skills when becoming an adult. Occupational therapy (OT) is the acquisition of or compensation for functional performance skills needed by students during their educational experience:
- Fine motor skills: small, finely coordinated hand movements
- Visual perceptual skills: the ability to understand and interpret what is seen
- Visual motor skills: the ability to coordinate visual skills and motor skills
- Gross Motor: Grabbing objects, jumping, hopping, skipping
- Self care skills: feeding, dressing, hygiene, and toileting skills for increasing independence in necessary life skills
Both physical and occupational therapists may address the following areas:
– Strength and endurance
– Body awareness
– Classroom positioning and adaptations
– Sensory motor skills necessary for participation in an educational program
Best Android Occupational Therapy Apps that improve Fine/Gross Motor skills
LetterSchool – Learn to Write ABC Games for Kids
An app recommended and used by parents, teachers, and occupational therapists. Loved & played by more than 2 million toddlers and used at over 5,000 preschools and kindergartens to teach handwriting to kids!
• Learn how to write all letters of the ABC English alphabet and the numbers 1-10.
• Play and discover 3 exciting game modes per letter or number!
• Practice essential phonics and writing skills.
• Learn WORDS associated with the letters!
• Have fun while tracing letters & phonics!
Autism ZOTTZ OT EXERCISER
Autism Bluetooth Assistive device App, ZOTTZ OT Exerciser, is designed to help Occupational Therapists to teach children challenged by fine motor skills, how to master cutting with scissors, pinching small objects, working their bilateral skills on buttons, and using two hands to hold down and press and hold a pencil.
123 Numbers – Count & Tracing
Help your toddler or preschool child learn the numbers, tracing, counting and more with this easy to use app designed for kids and parents to play together. 123 Numbers features bright, colorful games that teach while children play, making it easy to learn basic number and counting knowledge from a convenient all-in-one app.
Life Skills GO
The Life Skills GO mobile app brings together our amazing library of flexible, evidence-based resources designed to empower teachers and support their social and emotional wellbeing. The app also provides downloadable resources for teachers to continue this learning in the classroom and facilitates a whole school approach to wellbeing.
Mimi Life Skills
An electronic life coach, supporting parents in equipping their 3 to 6-year-old children with life skills – skills that will help them lead a fulfilling, happy life! Children form fundamental opinions about themselves and the world around them at this age – learning life skills in their early years equips them to flourish mentally and achieve their maximum potential.
Train your brain game
Mental game for kids and adults to exercise visual perception and train memory. Look carefully at each picture and memorize it, when you are ready you will have to answer a question about what you have seen. Will you be able to remember what you saw? There are more than eighty pictures to test your perception ability.
The Journey: visual perception puzzle
It is a visual challenge with limited movements in which the difficulty lies in the number and similarity of the images present in the game panel. In addition, it has an online classification to compare your ability with the rest of the players.
Memory & Attention Training for Kids
This educational bundle includes 4 mini-games for the development of visual memory and 3 mini-games for the training of attention and concentration. The games are great for kids ages 4-7 years old, but watch out: parents can get addicted to them just as easily.
Mini-games that train visual memory:
– Who Had Which Number?
– Palette
– Memorize the Pictures
– Memory game
Gross Motor Skills
The Gross Motor Skills app was designed to provide visual support in demonstrating the execution of gross motor skills. The elaboration of figures and animations represents the proficient way of executing motor skills.
Yoga for Kids and Family fitness – Easy Workout
This fitness app is one of the best yoga for family with different poses and specifically designed for kids. Yoga workout plan helps to stay fit, relaxing, focusing and developing children’s mind. Physical competence builds self-esteem at every age. Yoga app has different type of yoga poses including fun Animal yoga poses.
Kids Routine Daily Activities – Day & Night Chores
What’s your daily routine? Establish a Routine for Kids That Actually Works. Explore our daily routines activities for kids. Find many more daily routine activities and worksheets for kids, for home and school. Morning and Bedtime Daily Routine Charts for Kids – perfect for keeping them on a schedule.
iCan | Special Educational Fun for Kids
What Educational development iCan™ may have on my child?
– social skills
– cognitive skills
– life skills
– self-care skills
– mathematical reasoning skills
– writing foundation skills
– speech and language skills
