Occupational Therapy and Sensory Intervention
Occupational Therapy supports children and young people to participate more successfully in the everyday activities that are important to them.
For some children and young people, sensory processing, emotional regulation, motor skills, coordination, executive functioning or other developmental needs can create significant barriers to learning, participation, independence and everyday life.
At Sense Inclusion, our Occupational Therapy service takes a child-centred, neuro-affirming approach to understanding these barriers and identifying practical ways to support participation and engagement.
How Occupational Therapy Can Help
Our Occupational Therapist can support children and young people experiencing difficulties with areas such as:
- Sensory processing and regulation
- Emotional and self-regulation
- Gross and fine motor skills
- Coordination and motor planning
- Attention and engagement
- Executive functioning
- Organisation and everyday routines
- Independence and self-care
- Participation within education
- Accessing activities and environments
- Developing practical life skills
- Preparation for adulthood
Support is based on the individual child or young person rather than diagnosis alone.
Assessment & Intervention
Occupational Therapy support may include:
- Occupational Therapy assessment
- Observation within relevant environments
- Sensory assessment and profiling
- Identification of barriers to participation
- Individual Occupational Therapy sessions
- Sensory-based intervention
- Practical strategies and environmental adaptations
- Recommendations for home and education settings
- Advice and consultation for parents, carers and professionals
- Contribution to individual plans, reviews and EHCP outcomes
- Review and monitoring of progress
Our Occupational Therapist uses a sensory integration-informed approach where appropriate, alongside wider Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention.
Sensory Processing
The way a child or young person processes sensory information can significantly influence how they experience and respond to their environment. Sensory differences may affect attention, emotional regulation, movement, coordination, behaviour, communication, participation and a young person's ability to feel comfortable and ready to engage. Rather than viewing these responses simply as behaviour, we seek to understand what the child or young person's sensory system may be communicating and what adaptations or intervention could help.
Occupational Therapy at Sense Inclusion
Occupational Therapy can be accessed as a standalone service or incorporated into a wider package of support at Sense Inclusion. For children and young people accessing our Alternative Provision or EOTAS services, Occupational Therapy can form part of their multidisciplinary plan.
This allows sensory, physical, emotional, functional and educational needs to be considered together, with professionals working collaboratively towards shared outcomes.
Our Environment
Our setting at Robin Hill provides opportunities for Occupational Therapy and sensory intervention to take place across different environments.
Alongside dedicated indoor spaces, we can make use of movement, physical activity, practical tasks and the natural outdoor environment to support meaningful participation and regulation.