When we talk about school readiness, it's easy to focus on the academic skills. Can my child recognise letters? Can they count? Can they write their name? Can they hold a pencil? But starting school involves far more than knowing the alphabet. Children need to be able to manage their bodies, participate in a classroom, follow routines, communicate their needs and cope with the everyday demands of school. What does a “ready” child actually need? There isn't one checklist that

One of the things parents sometimes tell me is: “I know they can do it. They just don't do it at school.” Or: “They can write their name at home, but school says their writing is very slow.” Or: “They can get dressed themselves — it just takes forever.” This can be confusing. If a child can do something, why wouldn't they simply do it? The answer is that there's an important difference between being able to do something and being able to do it easily, efficiently and consiste

A child who struggles with everyday tasks isn't necessarily being difficult, lazy or careless. Sometimes, the task is genuinely harder for them than it looks. Getting dressed. Using a knife and fork. Opening a lunchbox. Doing up buttons. Writing their name. Cutting with scissors. Packing their school bag. For many children, these things seem simple. But everyday activities actually require children to use lots of different skills at the same time. And when one or more of thos

Visual Perception is the brain's ability to interpret and give meaning to visual information. Your eyes first see the visual information,...

Fine motor skills involve the use, strength, control and dexterity of the small muscles of the body - mainly in the hands.

What are gross motor skills and why are they so important?

Sensory Integration has become quite a buzz word lately. Parents and teachers are learning more about it and are suspecting it more and...

According to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy is a client-entered health profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of Occupational Therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational Therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to