What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy services are designed to assess and address a child’s ability to engage in activities of daily living.
Benefits of Occupational Therapy
- Promote overall independence and well-being
- Improve fine motor skills
- Address and support sensory processing challenges
What is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy services are designed to evaluate, assess and treat a child’s baseline abilities of strength, coordination and age-appropriate gross motor skills.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
- Age-appropriate strength
- Improved ability to participate in activities with peers and family such as bike riding, sports and playground skills
- Improved confidence
- Reduced risk of injury
- Promote independent ability to transfer
What is the difference between OT and PT?
Physical therapy focuses on improving a child’s gross motor skills and occupational therapy focuses on improving a child’s fine motor skills.
| Aspect | Pediatric Occupational Therapy | Pediatric Physical Therapy |
| Primary Focus | Activities of daily living, fine motor skills, sensory processing | Whole body strength, coordination and age-appropriate gross motor skills |
| Goals | Promote independence in activities like dressing, toileting, brushing teeth, writing, play skills | Improve movement quality, posture, coordination, endurance and strength |
| Areas of the Body | Hands, arms, core, vision, sensory systems | Legs, core, back and arms |
| Common Conditions Treated | Hands, arms, coordination, sensory systems, Autism, down syndrome, unique genetic disorders, sensory processing disorder, developmental delays, ADHD, cerebral palsy (for fine motor/sensory) | Autism, epilepsy, unique genetic disorders, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, orthopedic conditions, developmental delays, coordination and movement deficits |
| Therapeutic Activities | Play, puzzles, drawing, self-care tasks, sensory activities, handwriting | Climbing, agility activities, stretching, strengthening, obstacle courses, bike riding, catch, soccer and more |