BEHAVIOURS WHICH MIGHT INDICATE THE NEED FOR AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY REFERRAL
GROSS MOTOR
- Clumsy, trips often, bumps into people and things, knocks things over
- Slumped posture when sitting at the table
- Walk on toes
- Can’t sit/stand still, fidgets a lot
- Dislikes using playground equipment / PE lessons
- Difficulty catching, throwing and/or kicking balls
FINE MOTOR
- Awkward pencil grip
- Presses too hard when writing/breaks the pencil lead often
- Poor tracing, writing, cutting, pasting skills
- Swaps dominant hands when performing tasks
- Doesn’t use the non-dominant hand to assist in activities (eg doesn’t stabilise the paper when writing)
- Trouble handling small objects
- Slow in completing set tasks
SELF-CARE
- Difficulty opening school lunch box/other containers
- Difficulty tying shoelaces
- Takes a long time to complete basic self-care tasks
- Trouble orienting clothes properly when getting dressed
- Trouble doing up fastenings when dressing (buttons, zips, press studs)
- Messy eater
PLAY
- Attempts to control/direct play with peers, very rule bound
- Tends to play the same game repeatedly rather than try new activities
- Has trouble staying with one toy/activity for long
- Prefers play with older or younger children than age peers
- Plays beside rather than with peers
LEARNING / SOCIAL EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOURS
- Fearful of new situations
- Lacks confidence
- Disorganised, messy
- Has difficulty accepting change in routine with ease
- Becomes easily frustrated
- Short attention span, often impulsive
- Difficulty starting or completing assignments
- Difficulty planning and sequencing tasks
- Difficulty copying from the blackboard
- Easily loses place when reading or writing
