What is Occupational Therapy and How Can It Help My Child?

When families come to All Things Speech, it has historically only been for speech therapy. And while helping children find their voice will always be at the heart of what we do, we’ve also seen how closely communication connects to so many other areas of development.

That’s why we’re expanding our services to include occupational therapy (OT). We want to provide a more comprehensive approach to supporting children — not only helping them with speech and language, but also with the everyday skills they need for home, school, and play.

Occupational therapy supports children’s gross motor skills, like balance and coordination.

What Does Pediatric OT Help With?

Every child is unique, but some of the most common areas OT can support include:

• Fine motor skills - holding a pencil, using scissors, opening lunch containers, fastening zippers or buttons

• Gross motor skills - balance, coordination, core strength, and motor planning

• Sensory processing - helping children who are sensitive to sounds, textures, or movement, or who are constantly seeking sensory input

• Self-care skills - dressing, eating, toileting, and everyday routines

• Handwriting and school readiness - strengthening coordination for classroom success

• Emotional regulation and attention - learning strategies to stay calm, focused, and engaged

  
  

  

  Occupational therapy uses fun, hands-on activities to support everyday skills.

Why Combine OT and Speech Therapy?

Many children benefit from both speech and occupational therapy. While our OT program is just getting started, we know from experience that children make the most progress when their different supports are connected. We’re excited to be moving toward a model where families can access both services in one place.

Here’s what that can look like in practice:

• An OT may help a child develop the regulation skills to stay seated and focused during a speech session.

• A speech therapist can then build on that readiness to support communication, literacy, or social skills.

This kind of collaboration helps children thrive across different areas of development, not just one.

Getting Started With OT at ATS

We are excited to now offer occupational therapy sessions at our clinic, starting with our New Westminster location at The Cove Indoor Play.

To launch this new service, we’re welcoming Kristie Shen, an experienced pediatric occupational therapist, to the team. Kristie has worked with children with autism, ADHD, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and developmental coordination disorder. She is passionate about making therapy fun, engaging, and meaningful for every child.

For now, OT sessions are available on Mondays (10 am - 2 pm) at The Cove.

Curious About OT?

If your child finds certain everyday tasks like writing, getting dressed, or staying focused a little more challenging (or if you’ve simply been wondering whether OT could help), this is a wonderful time to explore it.

➡️ Reach out to us today to learn more or book a consultation.