Valley Family Therapeutics, LLC


Valley Family Therapeutics is dedicated to providing quality occupational therapy services within the school setting. Additionally, we have provided links to various evidence-based resources in an effort to bridge the gaps between school-based interventions, carryover into the classroom, and transfer of skills to other settings. While these resources are separated by targeted skill, overlap of skills will likely occur.  The intent of these resources is not to replace occupational therapy interventions provided by skilled professionals, but rather to provide ideas in support these skills between home, school, and clinical environments. If you have any questions about occupational therapy, or if your child qualifies for school-based intervention, please contact your school's occupational therapy professional or director of special education for further information. 

Resources

Occupational Therapy


According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, "Occupational Therapy Practitioners are occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) who use meaningful activities (occupations) to help children and youth participate in what they need and/or want to do in order to promote physical and mental health and well-being.   Occupational therapy addresses physical, cognitive, social/emotional, sensory and other aspects of performance. In schools, occupational therapy practitioners focus on academics, play and leisure, social participation, self-care skills (ADLs, or Activities of Daily Living), and transition/work skills. Occupational therapy’s expertise includes activity and environmental analysis and modification with a goal of reducing the barriers to participation.


Click here to learn more about the role of occupational therapy in the school-based setting.


American Occupational Therapy Association

Back to School Guide in the Era of COVID-19

Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation refers to one's experience of varying emotions, how one reacts to these emotions, and actions one takes in response to these emotions.

Fine Motor Skil​ls

Fine motor skills include coordination of small muscles in our bodies, such as the hand and fingers to perform tasks. These tasks can include holding a pencil, tying shoe laces, buttoning, and many more. 

Executive Functioning

Executive functioning skills are controlled by the frontal lobe to help one problem solve, begin tasks, manage time, plan, organize, and many more.

Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills involve the coordination of larger muscle groups, such as the arms, legs, and torso to complete whole body movements. These skills are necessary for tasks such as jumping, running, skipping, and many more. 

Handwriting

Handwriting is used as a form of written expression of thoughts, ideas, and knowledge. While formation of letters is primarily within the scope of practice for educators, handwriting tasks require a variety of underlying visual, motor, sensory, and executive functioning skills to complete. 

Sensory

Sensory processing refers to how our brain processes different input from our environment from our sensory systems such as the proprioceptive system (body awareness), tactile system (touch), olfactory system (smell), auditory (hearing), gustatory (taste), visual (sight), and vestibular (balance). The interoceptive system may also be categorized here. Dependent on how this sensory information is processed, some children may become sensory seekers, or sensory avoiders to certain stimuli.

Visual Perception

Visual perceptual skills involve the ability to organize and interpret the information that is seen and give it meaning.

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