What's the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy?

Physical therapy focuses on gross-motor skills — strength, balance, walking, and coordination. Occupational therapy focuses on the fine-motor, sensory, and daily-living skills behind activities like handwriting, dressing, and self-regulation. Many children benefit from both.

How do I know if my child needs OT?

Common reasons include difficult handwriting, trouble with self-care like buttons and utensils, strong sensory reactions, clumsiness, or difficulty focusing and calming down. An evaluation is the clearest way to know.

What Is Pediatric Occupational Therapy? A Parent's Guide

Q: Do I need a referral for occupational therapy?

Yes — occupational therapy requires a referral from your child's primary care provider, faxed to 901-589-9001.

The name throws everyone off. Occupational therapy sounds like it's about jobs — so why would a four-year-old need it? In pediatrics, a child's “occupations” are the things that fill their day: playing, dressing, eating, writing, making friends, and managing big feelings. Occupational therapy helps children do those things more easily and independently.

What does a pediatric occupational therapist do?

A pediatric OT looks at the underlying skills behind everyday activities — coordination, strength, sensory processing, attention, and problem-solving — and finds where things break down. Then, through play and real-life activities, they build those skills so the everyday gets easier. It's hands-on, active, and tailored to what each child needs.

What occupational therapy helps with

Fine-motor skills and handwriting — holding a pencil, using scissors, buttons and zippers.
Sensory processing — responding to sounds, textures, and movement without being overwhelmed.
Self-care and independence — getting dressed (actually pulling clothes on and off, not just managing buttons and zippers), toileting, grooming, and feeding themselves.
Sleep — settling at bedtime, falling asleep, and sleeping through the night, using sensory and routine strategies.
Visual-motor and coordination — catching a ball, copying shapes, body awareness.
Attention, planning, and emotional regulation — focusing, transitioning, and calming down.

Signs your child might benefit from OT

Messy, slow, or painful handwriting, or avoiding coloring and drawing.
Struggles with buttons, zippers, utensils, or shoe-tying past the usual age.
Strong reactions to noise, textures, tags, or messy hands — or constantly seeking movement and crashing.
Clumsiness, frequent falls, or trouble with stairs and playground equipment.
Big difficulty calming down, switching activities, or sitting to focus.

These signs don't mean something is “wrong” — they mean an evaluation can tell you whether a little support would help. Every child is different.

Recognize your child here? An OT evaluation can tell you what would help.

Request an evaluation

What an OT session looks like

It looks like play — obstacle courses, fine-motor games, sensory bins, and handwriting woven into activities your child enjoys. Behind the fun, every session targets specific goals from your child's plan, and your OT sends home simple strategies so the gains carry into daily life at home and school.

How to get started

Occupational therapy requires a referral from your child's primary care provider (faxed to 901-589-9001). Submit our new-client form and our team will reach out to schedule the evaluation.