Every child is unique. Some learn at a faster pace than others. For others, it takes a little longer to catch up. However, when children struggle with a combination of skills or fail to reach developmental milestones, an occupational therapist may help.

Many skilled and experienced pediatric therapists in Miami can help children who may be struggling to reach developmental milestones.

Here are five signs that your child may need pediatric therapy in Miami.

5 Signs Your Child May Need Pediatric Occupational Therapy in Miami

1. Developmental Delays

Developmental delays may be a sign that your child needs occupational therapy. It’s not uncommon for some children to be a little behind in developing a skill, but when children are missing development milestones or behind in several skills, occupational therapy may be beneficial.

Examples of developmental delays include difficulty:

• Learning at their appropriate age level
• Reaching milestones, such as crawling, walking or sitting
• Developing the appropriate social and learning skills

If your child is experiencing developmental delays such as these, pediatric occupational therapy may help.

2. Difficulty with Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills help your child with balance, coordination and movement.

Children who are having difficulty with gross motor skills may have trouble:

• With balance and coordination
• Going up and down stairs
• Differentiating between left and right

Some children may avoid games that involve gross motor skills. Occupational therapy can help children who are having difficulty developing these vital skills.

3. Issues with Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are what allow children to move their wrists, fingers, toes, lips and tongue. These small movements are needed to hold, use or pick up objects.

Children who are having issues developing their fine motor skills may struggle to:

• Hold markers and pencils
• Use scissors
• Use forks and spoons
• Place puzzle pieces or play with certain toys
• Write
• Buttoning a shirt or tying shoelaces
• Color or draw

If these skills are not properly developed, children may struggle with essential activities, such as dressing, writing or even using computers in school.

4. Trouble with Visual Processing

The brain uses visual processing skills to interpret the visual information in the world around us. Some children may fall behind or fail to develop these skills. These children may have trouble:

• Recognizing letters
• Judging the spacing and sizing of letters
• Visual tracking
• Copying letters, shapes or information from a classroom chalkboard
• Locating objects among other objects

Visual processing skills play an important role in reading, writing, but they also affect children on the playground.

5. Difficulty with Sensory Processing

Like visual processing, we use sensory processing to make sense of the world around us using sound, smell, taste, hearing and touch. Some children are overly sensitive or under-responsive to certain sensations.

Children who have difficulty with sensory processing may:

• Be emotionally reactive
• Have heightened sensitivity to touch, sound or movement
• Be distracted by sights and sounds
• Have trouble calming themselves down when they’re upset
• Be under-responsive to some sensations

Some children have sensory processing disorder, which can be helped by a pediatric occupational therapist through activities that make interaction with these stimuli fun.

Meeting with an occupational therapist can help determine whether your child can benefit from occupational therapy.