Occupational Therapy

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What is Occupational Therapy? 

Occupational therapy is the promotion of health by enabling people who may be limited by injuries or impairments to complete meaningful and purposeful occupations. Although many definitions exist, occupation can be defined as the active processes of looking after ourselves as well as others--while being socially and economically productive throughout our lives. Occupational therapists work with individuals, families, and entire communities to promote health through an active involvement in occupation. For a child, these meaningful and purposeful occupations include a myriad of activities including jumping, climbing, drawing, eating, swinging, and running. Occupational therapists play an important role in the development of children by facilitating motor development, coordination skills, and cognitive and social development.

Our services and treatments help improve:

  Feeding treatments

  Oral defensiveness

  Swallowing disorders

  Oral motor delays

  Feeding behavior issues

  Self-feeding delays

  Developmental treatments

  Gross and fine motor skills

  Sensory integrative dysfunction

  Developmental delays with play

  Self helping skills

  Handwriting skills

  Sensory diet specialists

  And more

How do I know if my child needs an occupational therapist?

If you think that your child may need an occupational therapist for any reason, please contact for an evaluation of your child. We can be reached at (714) 731-4668 or KarateForAll@cox.net

Parents should seek an occupational therapist for an evaluation if their children exhibit any of the following:

Birth to 2 months:

  Does not grasp objects when placed on the palm.

  Does not lift one foot after the other when helped with walking.

3 months to 5 months:

  Has difficulty raising arms and legs in smooth fluid motions

  Does not maintain balance while sitting

  Cannot obtain an object (eg. Rattle) on his own.

6 months to 8 months:

  Cannot use arms to move forward 3 feet

  Unable to sit alone unsupported

  Cannot crumple paper with palms

9 months to 11 months:

  Unable to use table objects for support to get into standing position

  Falls when lowering self from standing to sitting position

  Has problems maintaining balance while sitting and manipulating toy

  Cannot release an object (eg. Cube) into adult hand

  Cannot clap hands on own

12 months to 14 months

  Unable to walk unaided for 5 steps

  Fails to maintain balance while rotating head in kneeling position

  Does not smoothly stir a spoon in a cup

15 months to 18 months

  Cannot quickly walk 10 feet

  Unable to walk backwards 5 steps

19 months to 24 months

  Cannot run forward 10 feet without falling

  Unable to walk sideways for 10 feet while leading with the same food

  Cannot jump forward 4 inches without falling

  Unable kick ball forward 3 feet

  Unable to throw a ball 3 feet underhanded

  Has difficulty drawing a smooth vertical line

25 months to 30 months

  Cannot walk down 4 steps without support

  Unable to run 30 feet

  Needs assistance when jumping down from a 16 inch object

  Cannot properly stack 8 to 10 blocks

31 months to 36 months

  Cannot simultaneously both feet to jump 2 feet forward

  Cannot stand on one foot for 3 seconds

  Unable to draw a smooth circle

37 months to 42 months

  Cannot run 15 yards in 6 seconds or less

  Unable to balance on one foot for 5 seconds

  Cannot cut paper into two even pieces

  Has problems tracing a horizontal line

43 months to 48 months

  Has problems standing on toes without moving

  With an overhand toss, is unable to hit a target 5 feet away

49 months to 54 months

  Cannot complete a perfect forward roll without deviating 15 degrees

  Unable to hit a target 20 feet away with an overhand toss

  Has difficulty drawing a square

  Unable to quickly touch each finger to thumb

55 months to 60 months

  Cannot independently complete 3 proper sit ups

  Has difficulty folding paper in half with edges parallel

  Cannot easily color between vertical lines

61 months to 72 months+

  Cannot hop 20 feet in 6 seconds or less

  Has trouble doing 5 proper sit ups

  Has problems doing 8 proper push ups

  Cannot fold paper in half twice with edges parallel