What Is Pediatric Occupational Therapy? A Parent-Friendly Guide from Miss Haley

If you’ve ever Googled “What does an occupational therapist do?” you’ve probably found dozens of different answers—some helpful, some confusing, and some that make it sound like we help people find jobs. As pediatric OTs, we joke about this all the time, but in reality…it’s a real problem.

Many families only learn what OT is after their child begins therapy. My goal—through this blog, my social media, and the Power of Play community—is to change that.

Today, I want to give you a clear, parent-friendly, and meaningful definition of pediatric OT, why it matters, and how we use play and science to support your child’s development.

Let’s break it down together.

🌟 So… What Exactly Is  Pediatric OT? (The Simple Version)

Pediatric occupational therapy helps children build the skills they need to participate successfully in daily life—their “occupations.”

For children, these occupations include:

• Playing (yes, play is a vital occupation!)

• Learning in school

• Managing emotions

• Making friends

• Moving their bodies with coordination

• Engaging in routines (morning, bedtime, classroom transitions)

• Exploring sensory experiences

• Communicating needs

• Participating in family and community activities

  
  

A child’s life consists of hundreds of small activities ("occupations"), and OT helps remove barriers that hinder independence, joy, learning, and connection.

💛 OT Looks at the Whole Child ( Not Just the Skill)

Unlike therapies that focus narrowly on a single area (such as articulation, gait, or muscle strength), pediatric OT considers the entire picture:

✔ The child’s strengths

What they’re naturally good at, what motivates them, what lights them up.

✔ The child’s challenges

Not as flaws, but as clues about how their brain and body navigate the world.

✔ The environment

Classroom setup, sensory triggers, routines, demands, expectations.

✔ The family’s goals and values

What matters most to the people who know the child best.

✔ The meaningful occupations of childhood

We ALWAYS circle back to: How does this help the child participate?

This big-picture approach helps us create therapy plans that are individualized, flexible, and grounded in real life—not just worksheets or standardized drills.

🎮 Why Play Is at the Heart of Pediatric OT

Let’s say it loud for the people in the back:

👉 Play is not a break from learning. Play is how children learn.

In OT, we intentionally use play to develop skills because:

• It engages the brain’s reward system.

• It strengthens neural connections (hello, neuroplasticity!)

• It naturally builds problem-solving and imagination.

• It encourages persistence, experimentation, and emotional expression.

• Children remember skills learned through joy and exploration.

  
  

When kids are climbing, building, role-playing, drawing, or engaging in sensory exploration, they practice skills such as:

🟣 Fine motor control

🟣 Executive functioning

🟣 Social communication

🟣 Emotional regulation

🟣 Sensory processing

🟣 Gross motor strength and balance

🟣 Visual motor integration

The beauty of OT is that these skills emerge organically because the child is having FUN.

Play is purposeful. Play is therapeutic. Play is the foundation of development—and that’s why it’s the foundation of my practice.

🧠 The “Science of Occupation” (Explained)

The course I’m currently in for my Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (PPOTD) program encouraged me to rethink my definition of OT using the science of occupation, and here is the version that best reflects my work with children:

⭐ Occupational therapy uses science, meaningful activities, and child-led play to help children participate more fully and joyfully in their everyday lives.

We rely on:

• Motor learning principles (how skills develop through repetition + variation)

• Sensory processing science (how kids interpret and respond to sensory input)

• Executive functioning research (planning, attention, working memory)

• Emotional regulation frameworks

• Developmental psychology and neuroscience

• Evidence-based interventions tailored to each child

  
  

This scientific foundation ensures that every activity—from a sensory bin to an obstacle course—is grounded in a purposeful, therapeutic intent.

🌈 Examples of What Pediatric OT Helps With

Many families first hear about OT when their child struggles with:

• Handwriting or fine motor skills

• Sensory sensitivities (noise, clothing textures, messy play)

• Emotional regulation (meltdowns, frustration)

• Attention or impulsivity

• Fidgeting and body regulation

• Challenging transitions or routines

• Self-help skills (dressing, hygiene, feeding)

• Social play or communication

• Classroom participation

  
  

In OT, we support these skills through meaningful activities and routines—not isolated exercises. The goal is always functional participation.

💬 Why I Created This Blog (and Why OT Needs a Stronger Voice)

There is a genuine identity crisis in OT—not because our work isn’t essential, but because most people have never been taught what OT really is.

I want to help fix that. Through my blog, my social media, and the Power of Play community, I aim to:

• Educate families in clear, accessible language.

• Show how play builds foundational skills.

• Explain the “why” behind therapy strategies.

• Celebrate neurodiversity and strengths-based approaches.

• Promote inclusive, evidence-informed practices.

• Advocate for the occupational needs of children with ADHD, autism, and other developmental differences.

When caregivers understand the purpose behind OT, they feel empowered. When teachers know what OT is, collaboration skyrockets. When communities see the value of OT, children receive earlier and more appropriate support.

💛 Final Thoughts: OT Helps Children Do What Matters Most

At its core, occupational therapy is about helping children grow into confident, capable, connected humans.

Whether your child is navigating sensory differences, learning challenges, emotional regulation, or daily routines, OT provides the tools, strategies, and joyful experiences that help them thrive.

And the best part? We do all of this through meaningful play.

Welcome to The Power of Play with MissHaleyOT. I’m so grateful to have you here. 💛