Santé - Helping Unlock Children's Potential

Anne-Laure Jackson has a BSc Degree with Distinction in Occupational Therapy, and has worked in Europe, Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland with children with disabilities and children who have specific difficulties at school and/or home. She works in three main areas:

1. With children in mainstream school that are not performing to their potential.
2. With children with a medical diagnosis that need extra support at school or home.
3. As a training resource and consultant for teachers, classroom assistants, clubs, nurseries etc.

Many children have a diagnosis of ASD (autistic spectrum disorder), ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), dyspraxia, learning disability or developmental delay.

WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?

Occupational Therapists are involved with developing the skills needed for the job of living. For children, this means working in 3 main areas: self-care skills such as dressing, play skills and academic development. A specific condition or sensory and motor planning issues can affect these areas.

Occupational Therapists are trained in neurology, anatomy, physiology, child development, psychology, psychosocial development, activity-task analysis and therapeutic techniques. An Occupational Therapist will assess a child and his/her environment and assess any task the child has difficulty doing and break it down into smaller parts. The specific areas of difficulty for the child are identified and ways of treating or working with these difficulties are put in place.

In treatment, Occupational Therapists use activities that are meaningful and fun for the child to bring about change in the child, or change the environment in order for the child to function to their potential. Occupational Therapy is a powerful tool for enabling children to gain the skills they need to meet the challenges of school and life.