Occupational Therapy for Early Stimulation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]During the first three years of your child’s life, he or she is going to undergo constant stimulation from new experiences. This can be exhilarating for most children, and even stimulate their growth and improve the development of their brain. However, for other children, this constant stimulation can also be a little overwhelming. Instead of letting them get to where they withdraw, there are options. Occupational therapy allows your child to explore these stimulants in a safe, non-threatening way which can help them grow in many different ways.

Early Intervention and Early Stimulation Can Help Children Grow with Their Peers

The goal of these early intervention programs is to expose children to stimulants that will often be a part of their daily routine. It allows them to see things as normal when exposed to them the right way, which can help them overcome any feelings of discomfort when exposed to those same things down the line. Here are a few things you can do to help increase these stimulants at different ages, to help your child with proper development.

As infants, children need to be encouraged to explore. They should have tummy time and learn to crawl instead of going straight to walking whenever possible. They should also be given opportunities to explore tactile items, like crayons and chalk.

Toddlers have slightly larger needs in that they are larger children. They should be learning to converse with those around them, with the goal of learning to use full sentences. The more they can describe what they want or need in detail, the better. Writing, copying, and drawing should be a regular part of their routine. These fine motor skills are very important as children develop.

Large motor skills also need some work during this time. Giving your child the ability to maneuver an obstacle course can help them here. Consider things to climb over, under, or through, as well as having areas to run around or tiptoe across gives them multiple things to do. You can also incorporate kicking, using a baseball bat, and jumping into this course.

Role-playing and playing pretend is also a way to help increase early stimulation. Let your child pretend to be what he or she wants to be. Allow them to dress up, pretend to cook, care for others to develop empathy, and anything they can safely imagine. This helps develop the brain and allows them to safely explore their emotions.

If you are looking for other ways of helping with early stimulation in your child’s life, give our office a call. We would love to give you some extra ideas to help your child learn to love learning.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]