The College of Occupational Therapists describes Occupational Therapy as a way of enabling people to "achieve as much as they can for themselves and get the most out of life".
Who is this service for?
We provide services for children aged between 0-18, or up to 19 if they’re in special education.
We help children with a range of health problems or conditions, such as:
-
Physical or sensory disabilities or difficulties
-
Cerebral palsy
-
Congenital disorders or syndromes
-
Gross and fine motor skills difficulties
-
Learning disabilities
- ADHD
We only provide services for children who live in, or attend school, in north Hampshire, including: Aldershot, Blackwater, Crondall, Farnborough, Fleet and Yateley
If your child lives in a different part of Hampshire, you can find your local occupational therapy service on the NHS Choices website.
Get access to this service
Anyone involved in your child’s health or education can make a referral to our service, as long the parents of the child have given their consent.
If you’re concerned about your child, you can speak to your GP, health visitor, school nurse or other health professional about making a referral.
When making a referral, we ask for detailed information because it helps us to process your child’s case more efficiently. We will ask for personal details like date of birth, GP details and contact information, as well as information about the problem and any information about how this has been treated in the past.
How we can help
We can see your child in our clinic, your home, preschool or school to assess what areas your child has difficulty with.
We will ask you to complete a questionnaire to help us understand what your child’s needs are. It can sometimes be helpful for your child’s school or pre-school to also complete this.
We will write a report to identify any areas where your child needs help, including a plan of action.
We will then work with you and your child to identify any problems that they may be having with everyday activities, such as dressing or handwriting. We can then assist you in finding practical solutions to make these tasks easier and more manageable.
This could include:
- Advice for home and / or school
- Advice with activity programmes for home and/or school
- Individual or group treatment sessions
- A review of your child following their treatment
We encourage parents or guardians to be actively involved in treatment sessions – so be prepared to participate. It’s also crucial to encourage your child to regularly carry out any activity programmes at home.
You know your child best – if you notice any changes in your child, please let us know. If your child is seen by other professionals, please make them aware of Occupational Therapy input so information can be shared
