Intervention Approaches

Occupational Therapy Roles Across Child Development

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Infants (Birth-12 months)

• Sensory Processing Development: Supporting appropriate responses to touch, movement, sounds, and visual input

• Feeding & Oral Motor Skills: Addressing breastfeeding difficulties, bottle feeding, and transition to solids

• Motor Development: Facilitating tummy time, head control, rolling, sitting, and crawling

• Parent Coaching: Teaching positioning, handling, and play techniques to support development

• Early Intervention: Identifying developmental delays and providing targeted intervention

• Sleep Routines: Establishing healthy sleep patterns and sensory-appropriate environments

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Gross Motor Development: Supporting walking, climbing, jumping, and overall coordination

• Fine Motor Skills: Developing grasp patterns, tool use, and early pre-writing skills

• Sensory Exploration: Facilitating appropriate sensory experiences and regulation

• Play Development: Encouraging exploratory and imaginative play skills

• Self-Feeding: Supporting use of utensils and cup drinking

• Daily Routines: Establishing consistent routines for dressing, toileting, and sleep

• Social Interaction: Developing early peer engagement and turn-taking

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Prewriting & Drawing Skills: Building foundational skills for letter formation and drawing

• Self-Care Independence: Supporting dressing, toileting, and grooming skills

• Primitive Reflex Integration: Addressing retained reflexes affecting development

• Sensory Regulation: Developing self-regulation strategies for varied environments

• Social Play: Facilitating cooperative play and friendship skills

• School Readiness: Building attention span, following directions, and classroom skills

• Visual-Motor Integration: Developing skills for cutting, coloring, and early academics

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Handwriting Development: Supporting letter formation, spacing, and written expression

• Classroom Participation: Addressing attention, organizational skills, and transitions

• Fine Motor Refinement: Developing skills for scissors, pencil control, and keyboard use

• Sensory Processing: Creating strategies for managing classroom sensory challenges

• Social Skills: Supporting peer interactions, friendship building, and conflict resolution

• Recess & Physical Education: Addressing coordination, ball skills, and playground navigation

• Self-Regulation: Developing emotional awareness and coping strategies

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Academic Tool Use: Supporting typing, note-taking, and project organization

• Executive Functioning: Developing planning, time management, and study skills

• Advanced Self-Care: Building independence in hygiene, clothing management, and simple meal preparation

• Advanced Handwriting: Addressing speed, legibility, and written organization

• Social Navigation: Supporting increasingly complex peer relationships and social expectations

• Sports & Recreation: Developing coordination for recreational and competitive activities

• Keyboarding & Technology: Building skills for digital learning and communication

Early Adolescence (12-15 years)

• School Transitions: Supporting adjustment to middle/high school environments and demands

• Executive Function Coaching: Developing planning, organization, and self-monitoring skills

• Social-Emotional Regulation: Addressing stress management and emotional expression

• Identity Development: Supporting participation in personally meaningful activities

• Life Skills: Building skills for money management, time management, and simple cooking

• Assistive Technology: Implementing tools for academic independence and efficiency

• Health Management: Supporting emerging responsibility for health routines and medication

Late Adolescence (15-18 years)

• Transition Planning: Preparing for post-secondary education or employment

• Community Mobility: Developing transportation skills, including driving readiness assessment

• Advanced Life Skills: Building apartment living skills, meal planning, and financial management

• Career Exploration: Assessing interests, strengths, and vocational skills

• Health Self-Advocacy: Developing skills to manage healthcare appointments and communicate needs

• Digital Citizenship: Supporting healthy technology use and online safety

• Stress Management: Developing strategies for academic pressure and life transitions

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Each developmental stage requires a shift in OT approach, moving from foundational skill development in early years toward independence, self-advocacy, and transition planning in adolescence.

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Our popular Handwriting for Heroes summer program is now open for individuals interested in being updated on dates/times and locations!

We're now starting a waitlist for families who want to help their children master this essential skill in a fun, supportive environment.

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What makes our program special:

✅ Evidence-based handwriting instruction

✅ Small group sizes with personalized attention

✅ Occupational therapy expertise

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Camp Locations: St. Catharines & Kitchener

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Developmental Domains Addressed by Occupational Therapists: Birth to 18 Years

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Fine Motor Development

Infants (0-1 year)

• Developing grasp reflex and voluntary grasp

• Hand-to-mouth coordination

• Reaching and batting at objects

• Transfer of objects between hands

• Pincer grasp emergence (9-12 months)

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Refined pincer grasp

• Stacking blocks and simple manipulatives

• Beginning tool use (spoon, crayon)

• Container play (filling/dumping)

• Turning pages in books

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Developing tripod grasp for writing tools

• Using scissors with increasing control

• Managing small manipulatives

• Stringing beads and lacing activities

• Early drawing and pre-writing patterns

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Refined pencil grasp and control

• Letter formation and handwriting

• Cutting along lines and curves

• Tying shoelaces and managing fasteners

• Beginning keyboard skills

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Fluid handwriting with appropriate speed

• Complex tool use (art materials, instruments)

• Advanced craft skills

• Keyboard efficiency

• Multi-step manual projects

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Refined manipulation for specialized hobbies

• Advanced tool use for vocational skills

• Technical drawing or artistic expression

• Efficient note-taking strategies

• Specialized skills (musical instruments, sports equipment, technology)

Gross Motor Coordination

Infants (0-1 year)

• Head control and midline orientation

• Rolling and transitional movements

• Sitting independently

• Crawling and pre-walking movements

• Early standing and cruising

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Walking independently

• Climbing on furniture and play structures

• Kicking and throwing balls

• Running with increasing stability

• Navigating different terrains

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Jumping with both feet

• Balancing on one foot briefly

• Pedaling tricycles

• Climbing playground equipment

• Developing body awareness in space

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Coordinated running, skipping, galloping

• Ball skills (catching, throwing, kicking)

• Bike riding

• Playground skill mastery

• Beginning sports participation

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Refined coordination for organized sports

• Complex movement sequences

• Strength and endurance development

• Advanced balance activities

• Integration of motor planning and execution

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Sport-specific skills and strategies

• Physical activity for fitness and health

• Coordinated movement for dance, athletics

• Adapting to changing body proportions

• Body awareness for injury prevention

Sensory Processing

Infants (0-1 year)

• Basic sensory registration (touch, sound, vision)

• Self-regulation through sensory input

• Tolerance for everyday sensory experiences

• Vestibular processing for position changes

• Oral sensory development for feeding

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Sensory exploration and discrimination

• Managing sensory-rich environments

• Body position awareness (proprioception)

• Sensory seeking or avoiding behaviors

• Integration of multiple sensory inputs

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Sensory modulation for group settings

• Tolerating varied textures, sounds, movements

• Integration of sensory and motor planning

• Self-regulation during transitions

• Filtering relevant sensory information

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Classroom sensory management

• Focus despite background stimuli

• Motor planning based on sensory feedback

• Appropriate arousal levels for learning

• Sensory strategies for self-regulation

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Refining sensory preferences and needs

• Self-advocacy for sensory accommodations

• Managing complex sensory environments

• Integration with higher-level cognitive tasks

• Sensory support for emotional regulation

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Sensory awareness for self-identity

• Independent implementation of sensory strategies

• Adapting to changing sensory environments

• Integration of sensory processing for complex tasks

• Managing sensory aspects of intimacy and social interaction

Visual-Motor Integration

Infants (0-1 year)

• Visual tracking of objects and faces

• Reaching toward visually presented objects

• Visual attention development

• Hand-eye coordination emergence

• Depth perception development

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Basic shape matching and sorting

• Simple puzzle completion

• Building with blocks based on visual model

• Increasingly precise reaching and placing

• Visual attention for stories and pictures

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Copying basic shapes and lines

• Completing simple mazes

• Cutting along lines

• Drawing recognizable pictures

• Spatial awareness for construction activities

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Letter and number formation

• Spacing in writing

• Copying from board to paper

• Increasingly complex puzzles and construction

• Ball sports requiring visual tracking

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Efficient copying from various sources

• Complex visual-spatial projects

• Map reading and navigation

• Detailed drawing and design

• Screen-based visual-motor tasks

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Integration of visual input for driving

• Advanced technical drawing or artistic skills

• Visual-spatial planning for complex projects

• Efficient navigation of digital interfaces

• Visual processing speed for academic demands

Self-Care Skills

Infants (0-1 year)

• Participation in bathing and dressing

• Hand-to-mouth for finger foods

• Holding bottle (later months)

• Communication of basic needs

• Beginning sleep routines

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Removing simple clothing items

• Using utensils with assistance

• Helping with basic hygiene tasks

• Toilet training readiness and process

• Simple assistance with household tasks

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Dressing with minimal assistance

• Independent toileting

• Basic hygiene tasks (handwashing, toothbrushing)

• Serving and feeding self simple foods

• Managing simple clothing fasteners

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Independent dressing including complex fasteners

• Complete bathroom hygiene

• Basic hair care and grooming

• Simple food preparation

• Organization of personal belongings

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Time management for morning/evening routines

• Advanced clothing care and selection

• Beginning money management

• Simple meal preparation

• Home safety awareness and skills

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Complete personal hygiene management

• Laundry and clothing maintenance

• Meal planning and preparation

• Money management and budgeting

• Health self-management and advocacy

• Time management across multiple life domains

Social Participation

Infants (0-1 year)

• Attachment to caregivers

• Social smiling and cooing

• Turn-taking in interactions

• Joint attention development

• Social referencing

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Parallel play with peers

• Emerging cooperative play

• Following simple social rules

• Expressing emotions to others

• Sharing with prompting

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Cooperative play with peers

• Understanding turn-taking in games

• Developing friendship skills

• Group participation

• Early conflict resolution with support

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Sustained friendships

• Following complex social rules

• Team participation

• Understanding others' perspectives

• Appropriate classroom behavior

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Navigating peer dynamics

• Group identity and belonging

• Understanding subtle social cues

• Digital/online social interaction

• Balancing peer influence and values

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Complex friendship maintenance

• Romantic relationship development

• Identity in social groups

• Social networking management

• Leadership and group contribution

• Workplace social skills

Cognitive and Executive Functioning

Infants (0-1 year)

• Object permanence development

• Cause and effect exploration

• Attention to novel stimuli

• Memory for familiar people/routines

• Simple problem-solving (getting desired objects)

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Symbolic thinking and pretend play

• Increasing attention span

• Following 1-2 step directions

• Basic categorization

• Simple problem-solving strategies

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Attention for group activities

• Following multi-step directions

• Early planning and sequencing

• Basic time concepts

• Inhibitory control development

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Sustained attention for academic tasks

• Task initiation and completion

• Basic organizational strategies

• Time management for routines

• Working memory for academic content

• Self-monitoring beginning to emerge

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Organization of materials and information

• Time management for assignments

• Task prioritization

• Cognitive flexibility for changing demands

• Multi-step planning and execution

• Study skills and learning strategies

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Complex project planning and execution

• Abstract reasoning and critical thinking

• Goal setting and long-term planning

• Advanced organization systems

• Balancing multiple responsibilities

• Self-reflection and meta-cognition

• Decision-making with consideration of consequences

Emotional Regulation

Infants (0-1 year)

• Co-regulation with caregivers

• Self-soothing beginnings

• Communication of emotional states

• Regulation through sensory input

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Identifying basic emotions

• Beginning management of frustration

• Seeking help for regulation

• Using transitional objects for comfort

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Identifying broader range of emotions

• Simple coping strategies

• Language to express feelings

• Calming techniques with guidance

• Managing transitions between activities

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Increasing emotional vocabulary

• Independent use of simple coping strategies

• Understanding intensity of emotions

• Recognizing emotions in others

• Managing disappointment

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Complex emotional understanding

• Multiple regulation strategies

• Anticipating emotional responses

• Stress management techniques

• Connection between thoughts and feelings

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Sophisticated emotional awareness

• Managing complex social emotions

• Balancing emotional expression and control

• Stress management across contexts

• Understanding mental health and wellbeing

• Self-awareness of emotional patterns

Play and Leisure Development

Infants (0-1 year)

• Exploratory play with objects

• Simple cause-effect toys

• Social games (peek-a-boo)

• Sensory play experiences

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Functional play with objects

• Beginning symbolic play

• Simple construction activities

• Exploration of varied play materials

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Complex pretend play themes

• Rule-based simple games

• Creative arts exploration

• Construction with purpose

• Interest-based activity choices

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Rule-governed games and sports

• Collecting and organized hobbies

• Reading for pleasure

• Creative expression through various media

• Cooperative play projects

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Skill development in chosen activities

• Team sports and competition

• Complex games with strategies

• Special interest development

• Digital/screen-based recreation

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Leisure as identity expression

• Balancing recreation and responsibilities

• Competitive or performance activities

• Community engagement through interests

• Healthy lifestyle choices for recreation

• Social leisure with peers

Educational/Academic Performance

Infants (0-1 year)

• Early book exploration

• Attention to learning experiences

• Foundational concepts (in/out, up/down)

Toddlers (1-3 years)

• Early concepts (colors, shapes, counting)

• Book handling and engagement

• Following simple instructions

• Engagement in structured learning activities

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

• Pre-literacy skills (letter recognition)

• Pre-numeracy skills (counting, patterns)

• Classroom routine participation

• Circle time engagement

• Basic scissors and writing tool use

Early Elementary (5-8 years)

• Handwriting development

• Reading and basic comprehension

• Math concepts and calculation

• Classroom tool management

• Homework routines

• Test-taking skills

Middle Childhood (8-12 years)

• Note-taking strategies

• Long-term project management

• Study skills development

• Keyboarding and digital learning

• Research skills

• Organization of school materials

Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Advanced study strategies

• Exam preparation techniques

• Research and citation skills

• Digital literacy for academics

• Self-advocacy in educational settings

• Career exploration and planning

• Transition to post-secondary preparation

Vocational/Transition Skills

Early Adolescence (12-15 years)

• Interest and aptitude exploration

• Basic job readiness skills

• Volunteer experiences

• Understanding workplace behavior

• Introduction to resume building

Late Adolescence (15-18 years)

• Career investigation and planning

• Job seeking and interview skills

• Workplace social navigation

• Time management across life domains

• Money management and budgeting

• Transportation and community mobility

• Post-secondary education preparation

• Understanding workplace accommodations

• Independent living skills preparation