Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy helps children and young people grow, learn, have fun, socialise and play so that they can develop, thrive and reach their full potential.
Occupational Therapy enables people to participate in daily life to improve their health and wellbeing. Daily life is made up of many activities (or occupations). Occupations for children or young people may include self-care, being productive in the school setting and leisure - playing with friends or doing hobbies.
(Adapted from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists definition of Occupational Therapy.)
The More House School Occupational Therapy team are qualified HCPC-registered Occupational Therapists employed directly by More House School, delivering therapy on-site using the school's bespoke Occupational Therapy facilities. The team are supported by experienced Occupational Therapy Assistants. Occupational Therapy is integrated into the classroom, particularly in the Junior School.
The aim of Occupational Therapy is to enable children to engage, participate and learn, developing functional skills to help them access their education and prepare them for adulthood.
Our Occupational Therapy team at More House School provide both direct and indirect support to pupils to support their confidence and development in the following areas:
Direct Occupational Therapy, delivered in small groups
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Fine motor skills, including pencil control, handwriting and typing, scissor and ruler skills.
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Visual perceptual skills. Recognising shapes and letters, visual memory and visual spatial skills.
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Gross motor skills, including building strength and coordination, postural motor control, balance, ball skills and stamina.
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Sensory processing. Using specific sensory motor activities to address sensory processing difficulties through the use of strategies, or a sensory diet to achieve increased motor coordination or self-regulation.
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Self-regulation. Using body awareness and teaching tools to build self-awareness of our own emotions and how we respond.
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Self-care. Developing organisational skills and independence for daily tasks e.g. changing for PE, tying school tie, tying shoelaces and using cutlery.
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Life skills. For specific boys in Year 9, we provide a range of life skills activities to build awareness and independence in skills such as laundry care, budgeting, journey planning and employability.
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Food Explorers. A group to support boys with limited food preferences explore different food textures, tastes and smells.
Occupational Therapy in the Classroom (Indirect)
- Observe and support specific functional difficulties in class including Art, Technology and PE.
- Support carryover of self-regulation strategies within the class.
- Assess for and advise on posture, handwriting grips and scissor and ruler strategies or adaptations in the classroom.
- Assess and observe self-regulation, coordination and planning skills within learning context.
