The Family Guidance and Therapy Center - Point Loma

This happens. The results of the school’s evaluation may be different than your child’s medical diagnosis. It’s also important to remember that school is NOT the final say on your child’s potential. They may offer very little support to your child, underestimate their abilities, or disagree with you on what support your child needs. You will probably need to advocate for the services and support you believe your child needs.

The occupational therapy process includes an OT evaluation before care starts. Here are the four steps your family can expect when starting occupational therapy:

1. Complete OT evaluation. An occupational therapist first identifies your strengths and needs through a thorough OT evaluation, also known as an OT assessment or screening. You’ll answer questions about you your skills, and you will most likely demonstrate these skills via hands-on activities with the therapist. Evaluations can last 30 minutes to a couple hours.
2. Approve OT plan. The therapist develops a care plan with individualized goals and customized interventions based on your needs. You can also share any specific goals or concerns before approving the OT plan.
3. Start therapy sessions. The therapist works directly with you, using various strategies and exercises to systematically improve areas of limitations and to build upon your strengths. If there are others part of your care team, the therapist may teach strategies for supporting your individualized needs at home and may recommend tools and techniques to use at home, in the community, or in the classroom to help you thrive.
4. Monitor your progress. You can expect ongoing progress monitoring and communication to ensure you're achieving your short and long-term goals.

There is no one way to provide or practice art therapy. Sessions will vary depending on your child's specific needs and their therapist. A session may be free-flowing or very structured, open-ended, or focused on a specific goal.

A session may start with traditional talk therapy, or general art making or play for wellness or grounding. Sessions may involve specific interventions, which can result in a special product. The special product can help the child to experience or view their emotions, thoughts, and beliefs in a new way.

Yes! Research has found that art therapy can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. A recent study found that autistic children who participated in art therapy showed improvement in their emotional regulation, as well as their verbal and nonverbal communication skills.