Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy is a division of rehabilitation medicine that helps individuals of all ages develop the skills required to become more independent in their daily lives. At Chitter Chatter, our occupational therapy program is designed to help children improve their fine motor skills, sensory processing skills, gross motor coordination, self feeding skills, visual motor integration skills, and dressing skills to help them reach their full potential. To achieve this, our occupational therapists use standardized assessments to identify your child's strengths and weaknesses, and work with parents to create goals for the child. By incorporating play and creative activities into treatment sessions, our occupational therapists work towards achieving goals at a therapeutic and appropriate pace, helping children develop the necessary skills to become more independent and achieve success in their daily lives.
TRANSLATION SERVICES
Chitter Chatter PC offers translation services for individuals whose primary language is not English for caregiver engagement sessions as well as documentation. Please inform your supervising clinician if you would prefer an interpreter or would like documents translated into your preferred language. Chitter Chatter PC offers translation services through various placements including internal staff, translation services through the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority (DWMHA), or third party translation services as necessary. All requests for translation services for any language will be accommodated.
Index
Signs and symptoms
Fine Motor
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Your child has difficulty picking up small objects with pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) by 12-18 months
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Your child has difficulty with clapping their hands or bring their hands together by 12-18 months
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Your child is not beginning to color with a palmar supinate grasp by 12-18 months
Social skills
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Your child has difficulty taking off their socks or shoes by 12 months
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Your child has difficulty helping to remove their shirt and pants by 2 years old
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Your child has difficulty attempting to unbutton clothing 2.5 years old
Visual motor
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Your child has difficulty with copying horizontal lines, vertical lines, or circle by
2.5 years old -
Your child holds writing utensils with a palmar supinate grasp after the age of 2
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Your child has difficulty completing 10-15 piece puzzle by age 5
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Your child has difficulty catching/kicking a ball by age 3.5
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Your child has difficulty staying within the lines when coloring
Procedural skills
Feeding Therapy
During the initial evaluation, our clinician will discuss with the family what concerns they have regarding their child’s feeding skills. Our clinicians are trained in oral motor, sensory, and behavioral based evaluations and interventions. In order to eat, a child must first have the oral motor skills to manipulate food in their mouth safely and effectively. If the child demonstrates competent oral motor skills but demonstrates sensory dysregulation in relation to feeding skills, such as poor tolerance for messy play (i.e., getting their hands dirty), this may be targeted. Other children may have a limited food inventory. If so, the occupational therapist may work on including more food into their diet. Our clinicians will determine the best plan, in collaboration with the family, to allow the child to eat a variety of foods in a safe manner.
Signs Your Child May Need Occupational Therapy to Address Feeding Concerns:
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Coughing, choking, or gagging during or after swallowing
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Inability to chew foods that are texturally age appropriate
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Excessive drooling
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Refusing foods based on type or texture
Our clinicians are trained in:
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Beckman Oral Motor
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Mealtime Miseries