Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Our occupational therapists are skilled in helping children to do the activities that are important to them in their day to day life.
Pediatric occupational therapy clinic in mississauga, Burlington and Oakville
Occupational Therapists are skilled in helping children to do the activities that are important to them in their day to day life. An “Occupation” refers to any activity that an individual does to occupy time which brings meaning and joy to their life. An Occupational Therapist will work in collaboration with your family to help improve your child’s function and participation in their “occupations” such as self-care, productivity and leisure skills. Please see below for a list of our services and more information.
We can assess and treat the following areas:
Our Occupational Therapists are passionate about working with children and their families to achieve goals that are meaningful to them. We believe in partnering with children and their families to work towards new goals while celebrating successes along the way. Our Occupational Therapist will conduct a formal assessment with your child using a holistic and strengths- based approach that considers the child, their environments, and their occupations through standardized assessments, interviews, and skilled observation. Following the assessment, results will be shared and an individualized treatment plan will be created based on your child’s needs.
Our Occupational Therapists are trained to use a variety of treatment approaches including Handwriting Without Tears, The Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, the ALERT program, Zones of Regulation, DIR Floortime®, Sensory Integration, functional core and upper extremity strengthening, therapeutic play.
It varies depending on goals. Some children benefit from short-term skill-building, while others benefit from longer-term support for ongoing regulation and developmental needs.
Occupational Therapy supports children in participating in everyday activities in a meaningful and independent way. This includes play, self-care (such as dressing and eating), handwriting, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and building routines that support daily life. OT takes a holistic approach, considering the child’s strengths and challenges, as well as how their environment influences participation in daily activities.
ABA focuses on understanding behaviour and teaching skills using structured learning strategies. ABA is often used to build communication, social, and learning skills, while also addressing behaviours that may interfere with safety, learning, or participation (such as aggression, elopement, or self-injury).
While both services can support skill development, OT uniquely focuses on the underlying factors that impact participation, such as sensory processing, motor skills, regulation, and environmental fit. This helps children not only learn skills, but also feel regulated, confident, and able to engage more fully in daily life.
Many children benefit from both OT and ABA, as they can often complement each other.
Occupational Therapists focus on supporting children to participate successfully in everyday activities and addressing the barriers that may be impacting their participation. At Butterfly, our OTs often support areas such as emotional regulation, sensory processing, social-emotional skills, and navigating daily routines and life transitions.
Psychologists focus more on cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and mental health functioning. They can also assess and diagnose a range of developmental, learning, behavioural, and mental health concerns.
While there can be overlap in supporting emotional and behavioural needs, OTs primarily focus on how these factors affect day-to-day participation and independence in real-life activities.