OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Pediatric Occupational Therapy work with children from birth to 21.  Occupational Therapists work with children to help develop the skills necessary for participation in everyday life.      Occupational Therapists can utilize many different frameworks in order to help a child reach their optimal functioning level.  One approach that an Occupational Therapist uses is a Sensory Integrated approach.  Sensory Integration is the Brain’s ability to organize information received through the senses and produce an adapted response in relation to the environment.  Some children have difficulty with processing information from within their environment and their responses to the environment are maladaptive.  They may perceive the sensory information being taken in as overwhelming, confusing, or distorted.  Many times simple activities are frustrating for them and they cannot feel the usual sense of security, confidence, and happiness that other children feel.  These children may dislike or avoid certain activities, may not be able to stay focused with in a group, may appear fidgety or in constant motion, may be having difficulties in school with staying in their chair, focusing or even organizing their space. By using framework of Sensory Integration the Therapist will utilize treatment strategies to improve underlying problems in order to help the child organize himself and be able to exhibit more appropriate behaviors and responses to the environment. Additionally a sensory protocol aka “sensory diet” could be developed by the Occupational Therapist to provide the child with the needed activities to calm or alert their Nervous System. Activities can be scheduled into a child’s day which would provide or modify sensory input to help the child be able to function better within the environment, and sometimes just simple changes in the Childs environment can be very effective in changing behavior.