Occupational Therapy (OT) encompasses all of our meaningful daily activities that we want or need to do on a daily basis. Some of these activities, or “Occupations,” are also commonly referred to as “self-care” and include bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and eating. OT also helps with other daily tasks such as walking, shopping, lifting, cooking, and many other daily activities of life.

Aphasia is the impairment or absence of comprehension and/or communication skills as a result of an injury to the brain’s language center. It can apply to spoken or written words and numbers and is most commonly associated with stroke and brain injury. It is characterized by a disturbance of the comprehension and formulation of language. It is loss of language, NOT cognition. 

Apraxia is the difficulty and/or inability to execute purposeful and coordinated movements even though the person has the desire to speak and the mouth and tongue muscles are physically able to form words. This often results in rearranged sounds within words. 

The ability to obtain and sustain appropriate attention to a task while filtering out irrelevant stimulation in order to focus on the information that is important in the moment. This can be influenced by motivation, self-esteem, sensory integration, practice, language difficulties and any existing diagnosis. This can result in difficulties learning new skills, successful social interactions, learning and broadening a repertoire of play skills, inability to follow instructions, receptive (understanding) language, and auditory processing (accurately understanding verbal information).

Cognitive rehabilitation services address difficulties in areas such as attention, memory, organization, visuoperception, problem-solving, self-monitoring, and self-awareness in order to maximize an individual’s safety, daily functioning, independence, social participation, and quality of life. Treatment of this area includes increasing awareness of deficits, goal setting, compensation, internalization of strategies so they become more automatic and generalize to wider context. 

Dysarthria is difficulty in articulating words due to a disturbance in the central nervous system often resulting in slow and slurred speech. Treatment involves intensive focus on oral-motor skill development.

Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing food, liquids, and even saliva, due to muscle weakness or paralysis. Individuals may experience mild to severe difficulties when swallowing, including: Coughing, choking or throat-clearing while eating or drinking, throat pain or discomfort, sensation of food sticking the mouth, throat or upper chest, or gurgling noises when speaking. Feeding disorder happens when an infant or child has trouble eating or refuses to eat. Feeding difficulties may be an effect of underlying medical complications, but may also be related to sensory and behavioral issues. Symptoms of a feeding disorder may include: refusal to eat, trouble swallowing, taking longer than normal to eat or drink, vomiting, choking, gagging, and behavioral difficulties.

This is the cognitive processes that enable us to plan, focus our attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully in various environments. The brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses. Executive functioning helps you manage time, pay attention, switch focus, plan and organize, remember details, avoid saying or doing the wrong thing, do things based on your experience, and multi-task.

This crucial skill involves the precise coordination of these small muscles to perform intricate movements with accuracy and control. Individuals sometimes need help of an OT for maintaining or regaining control of their fine motor skills to accomplish many actions required for daily activities of life. Fine motor coordination refers to the adept utilization of the intricate hand and finger muscles to skillfully grasp, manipulate, and manage objects essential for tasks like self-care, feeding, and writing.

By assessing individual needs, OTs guide individuals towards improved coordination, balance, and strength, ultimately enhancing their overall quality of life. Gross motor coordination involves harnessing the power of major muscle groups for purposeful movement, and OTs play a crucial role in enhancing this ability. Through tailored interventions and exercises, OTs can help individuals refine their gross motor skills, enabling them to navigate their environment more effectively, perform self-care tasks with confidence, engage in recreational activities, and excel in their work-related responsibilities.