Occupational Therapy (OT)
What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?
What does Occupational Therapy mean for your child? Our lives consist of “occupations” or meaningful daily activities. For children, these occupations include playing, learning, self-care (eg. eating, dressing, toileting) and socializing. If your child is struggling with any activities or tasks, you can contact us to determine a strategic plan. As occupational therapists, we work with children and their families, helping them engage successfully in these activities throughout the day.
How can a Pediatric OT help?
While evaluating a child’s SKILLS in such areas as fine motor development and sensory processing, we also consider the impact of the ENVIRONMENT and the nature of the TASKS required of your child. We help children and their families in a variety of ways including:
- Creating routines for smoother mornings, mealtimes and evenings/sleep.
- Building an understanding of sensory preferences leading to increased food repertoire, and tolerance for clothing, hair or nail cutting, social events, etc.
- Choosing appropriate toys and activities for skill development.
- Boosting motor, visual-perceptual and sensory skills to foster independence in completing self-care tasks such as toileting, dressing, printing and play.
- Designing environments and recommending activities to promote self-regulation and calming.
- Recommending adaptive equipment or environmental modifications to maximize a child’s independence and safety.
- Linking families to community-based resources as well as other families in the Bow Valley, for support and information-sharing.
Signs my child may benefit from OT?
Although there may be many causes for physical or emotional distress in children, below are some symptoms that may require the help of an occupational therapist:
- Difficulty manipulating small objects such as buttons, scissors, utensils, and pencils.
- Sensitivities to taste, sounds, touch, or movements.
- Struggles to maintain attention, complete tasks, organizing or listening to instructions.
- Challenges with daily living skills such as sleeping, toileting, feeding, dressing and hygiene.
- Described as “clumsy”, struggling to perform coordinated movements, or avoiding tasks such as biking or climbing playground equipment.
- Withdrawn from social situations (eg. birthday parties), reduced confidence, or difficulty making friends.
- Difficulty with sitting still, frequently fidgeting, or placing objects in their mouth.
- Messy handwriting or difficulty recognizing and copying letters.
- Under or over-reactive to certain situations (eg. covers ears when exposed to loud noises, not responding to name being called, or reduced food repertoire).
Bow Valley Occupational Therapists
Alexandra Moser OT
I was born and raised in Banff. After graduating from Banff Community High School, I moved to Edmonton and completed a Bsc. in Kinesiology; followed by a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the University of Manitoba in 2016. Through my experiences coaching gymnastics, volunteering in Nepal and working as a camp counsellor in Switzerland, I developed my passion for working with children. My career started in the Bow Valley as an Occupational therapist at the Mineral Springs Hospital as well as providing services to families through Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) and Program Unit Funding (PUF). In July 2018, I moved abroad to gain international work experience as an OT in New Zealand and Australia. Working internationally diversified my breadth of skills and inspired me to pursue further professional development. I have completed additional training in Feeding (S.O.S Approach to Feeding), sensory and social emotional regulation (Safe and Sound Protocol, Therapeutic Listening, Zones of Regulation, ILS Focus System, Alert program for Self-Regulation, and Reference and Regulate for Autism Spectrum Disorders), and Movement (motor learning). I am excited to be back home and provide occupational therapy in the Bow Valley.
Not accepting new clients.
Contact
bowvalleyot@gmail.com
Adrienne Lawlor BSc. OT, OT (c)
Born and raised in Montreal, I graduated from McGill University in 1991 and moved to Alberta in 1992 after working for several summers at Camp Horizon in Kananaskis Country. While living in Calgary for 8 years, I specialized in brain injury rehabilitation, which fostered my life-long exploration of the impact of BRAIN development on learning and growth. For the past 20 years, I have lived in Canmore, raising my children alongside my husband, and working with families, health and education professionals in the Bow Valley. While working on multiple inter-disciplinary teams within Alberta Health Services (AHS) and other non-profit agencies, I maintain a commitment to a wholistic, FAMILY-centred and strength-based approach. I have completed additional TRAINING in areas such as written expression (eg. Handwriting Without Tears), feeding (eg. Raising a Healthy Happy Eater), regulation/social-emotional development (eg. Sensory Profile, Zones of Regulation, MindUP, The Toolbox Project), movement (eg. Developmental Coordination Disorder, The World Groove Movement) and expressive arts (eg. Prairie Institute of Expressive Arts Facilitator Level I Training). I initiated a program entitled “Inner Cool Kids” within Canadian Rockies Public Schools (CRPS) and co-founded “Roots and Wings” early learning program, combining my passion for children with my love of our unique natural environment through OUTDOOR PLAY. Please access my contact information listed below to discuss your needs.
Contact
