Paediatric occupational therapists specialise in supporting children and young people to develop the skills they need for everyday life.
SPOT North West can offer assessment, advice and intervention for children experiencing difficulties with any of the following:
​
-
Handwriting
-
Fine motor and/or play skills
-
Self-help skills e.g., personal care, toileting and feeding
-
Sensory processing
-
Sleep
-
Attention and concentration
-
Balance and coordination
-
Planning and organisation
-
Posture e.g., assessing for specialist equipment such as seating
-
Accessing home or education e.g., environmental adaptations or accommodations
A free no obligation 20 minute phone call is available to help you determine if this is the right service for your child and what support is required.
A children’s occupational therapy assessment will identify your child’s strengths, along with any underlying difficulties or factors that may be affecting their function, participation, or independence skills.
​
Before the assessment, parents or carers will be asked to complete an initial questionnaire to provide background information. A telephone consultation will then take place to discuss your concerns and gain a fuller understanding of your child’s needs.
​
All assessments are tailored to individual needs and may include observational and play-based activities, as well as standardised and/or non-standardised tests.
SPOT North West offers a range of assessment packages, including:
Handwriting Assessment – A 45–60 minute assessment of handwriting skills using both standardised and non-standardised tests. Suitable for children aged 9 and above. Includes a feedback discussion, report, and recommendations.
Motor Assessment – A 60-minute assessment of your child’s motor and functional skills, followed by a parental feedback discussion. A detailed report with recommendations is also provided.
Sensory Assessment – Typically includes a 60-minute observation-based assessment and, where suitable, 1:1 assessment. A parental feedback discussion is included, along with a detailed report and recommendations.
Full OT Assessment – A comprehensive package that combines both the Motor and Sensory Assessments.
Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Assessment – Includes one of the above assessment packages (Motor, Sensory or Full OT assessment), plus a goal-setting session and an EHCP-specific report with recommendations.
Where not already included, goal setting and activity programmes can be added to any assessment package if required.
​
Occupational therapy intervention focuses on developing a child’s underlying skills and working towards achieving child-centred functional goals.
​
SPOT North West offers a range of interventions, including:
​
-
Goal setting​
-
Provision of a child-centred activity programme to be integrated into the home and school environments​
-
Review and monitoring of your child’s progress​
-
Treatment sessions or therapy blocks ​
-
Joint sessions with other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists or speech and language therapists
Treatment and therapy sessions typically last between 45 minutes and 1 hour, and include parent feedback via email, text, or telephone. Clear functional goals and a review plan are set before starting any therapy block.
Sessions are usually delivered at home or in school to support the integration of activities into your child’s everyday environments. They are typically play-based and focus both on developing underlying skills (e.g., fine or gross motor skills) and on achieving functional goals (e.g., handwriting, fastening buttons, or developing play skills).
​
