What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy is a recognized health care profession, regulated in the province under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and the Occupational Therapy Act, 1991.  Occupational Therapy strives to promote the health and well being of people through their everyday activities.  The main goal is to enable people to participate in those daily activities that give their lives meaning and purpose.

Occupational therapists address three areas of performance: self-care, leisure, and productivity.  They incorporate the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and sensorimotor performance components of the person, with consideration of their external environments (e.g. physical, sensory, cultural, social).

How can an Occupational Therapist help my child?

Occupational therapists assess children’s performance areas (self-care, leisure/play, productivity/school), their performance components (physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensorimotor) and how they perform/interact within their external environment (e.g. home, school, play group).

Occupational therapists work with children, families and school personnel to develop achievable goals and appropriate programs to reach those goals. 

For example, an occupational therapist may address the following:

Self-Care:

- toileting skills and washroom accessibility
- feeding skills related to development, sensory, positioning and safety
- dressing skills, including fasteners (e.g. buttons, zippers, shoe laces)
- grooming and hygiene skills

Leisure/Play:

- resources for community/recreational/leisure activities
- play skills to help with social development

Productivity:

- hand skills and coordination
- letter and number recognition and formation related to printing and cursive writing
- copying from the board
- keyboarding skills and computer access
- classroom tools, and possible modifications (e.g. pencils, scissors, cushions)
- alternative methods for producing notes due to physical challenges (e.g. word processor)
- proper positioning and seating
 

Is there funding for private Occupational Therapy services?

Some extended health care insurance plans extend limited coverage for occupational therapy services (often as paramedical services).  Families are encouraged to contact their insurance carrier to request such coverage if not already available.  Families can use this sample client letter for inquiries.

Consumers of occupational therapy services are required to cover their own costs of private occupational therapy services when there is no other funding available.

Services delivered by a registered occupational therapists are recognized as a deductible medical expense for income tax purposes (as identified in Canadian Revenue Agency Bulletin IT-519r2).