Occupational Therapy Assessments
Occupational Therapy Assessment: The Key to Unlocking Your Child’s Potential
Assessments are a critical component of occupational therapy assessment in paediatric practice, as they provide valuable insights into a child’s strengths, challenges, and developmental needs. The occupational therapy functional assessments outlined below can be conducted as part of a functional capacity assessment report or individually to either access funding or evaluate current functional skills and guide intervention planning. These may include a detailed occupational therapy functional assessment, a home assessment occupational therapy session, ot assessment or a targeted OT functional capacity assessment. Repeating these assessments allows us to track outcomes and monitor progress over time effectively. We utilise a range of assessments to ensure comprehensive insights, as listed below :
Functional capacity assessment is designed to measure an individual’s ability to perform everyday activities and tasks. In paediatric occupational therapy, these assessments, often referred to as OT functional capacity assessments, which help to evaluate a child’s physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities. By conducting a detailed OT assessment, we gain insights into the child’s daily functioning and participation in activities at home, school, and social environments. These OT functional assessments are essential for understanding a child's needs and creating effective intervention plans.
Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (Beery VMI), sixth edition, with subtests of Visual Perception and Motor Coordination, is a widely used standardised tool for assessing visual motor integration skills. The Beery VMI assessment evaluates a child's ability to coordinate visual perception with motor actions, helping to identify difficulties in visual motor integration that may affect everyday tasks. These challenges can include personal care, household responsibilities, and school-based activities. Incorporating insights from the Beery visual motor integration test can guide tailored interventions, including specific visual motor integration activities to support a child's development and functional abilities.
A sensory profile assessment is a parent-completed questionnaire. It is used by occupational therapists to evaluate how a child processes and responds to sensory stimuli in their environment. Sensory assessments occupational therapy help identify sensory preferences, sensitivities, occupational therapy assessment or aversions that may impact a child’s daily activities and development. OT sensory profile assessment provides valuable insights into sensory processing patterns and their effects on daily functioning. By exploring these sensory patterns through ot sensory assessment, therapists can create personalised strategies to help children regulate and engage more effectively in various environments, including home, school, and social settings.
BOT 2 Assessment
Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2), including the BOT-2 Brief, is a standardised tool used to evaluate both fine motor skills (such as hand coordination and manipulation) and gross motor skills (such as mobility, balance, stability, coordination, and object manipulation). The BOT 2 assessment is suitable for children and adolescents and is designed for a specific BOT 2, assessment age range to ensure accurate and age-appropriate results. Often referred to as BOT II, this comprehensive test helps identify motor skill challenges and supports the development of tailored intervention plans to enhance functional abilities.
Dash Assessment
Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH) is a standardised tool designed to evaluate a child’s handwriting skills. The DASH handwriting assessment identifies children who struggle with handwriting, offering valuable insights to inform targeted intervention planning. By conducting a DASH assessment, occupational therapists can understand the specific challenges related to speed, legibility, and motor control in handwriting. The DASH assessment handwriting results guide effective strategies to improve writing performance and support academic success.
PEDI - CAT
Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) is a widely used occupational therapy assessment tool or occupational therapy functional assessment that measures a child’s functional abilities in three key domains: Daily Activities, Mobility, and Social/Cognitive. The Pedi cat assessment is particularly useful for children with developmental delays, disabilities, or other conditions that impact their independence and participation in daily life. By using the Pedi cat, therapists can gain a comprehensive understanding of a child’s strengths and challenges, enabling them to develop tailored intervention plans that enhance overall functionality.
