Occupational therapy for children in Abu Dhabi
Evaluation and treatment of the child’s daily, sensory and motor skills at AHLI Specialists Medical Center - Al Shamkha
Do you notice that your child has difficulty using his hands?
Does he get tired quickly when writing or coloring?
Does he reject certain clothes, sounds, or food textures?
Does he seem very mobile or unable to sit and concentrate?
Does he have difficulty dressing, eating, using the bathroom, or relying on himself?
Occupational therapy for children helps the child develop the skills he needs in his daily life, such as playing, learning, writing, dressing, eating, sensory regulation, concentration, balance, and interacting with the environment around him. The goal is not only to improve hand or body movement, but to help the child be more independent, comfortable, and confident at home, nursery, school, and the community.
At AHLI Specialists Medical Center in Al Shamkha - Abu Dhabi, we provide evaluation and occupational treatment for children who face difficulties in motor, sensory, behavioral, or daily life skills, through an individual treatment plan that suits the child’s age and needs.
What is occupational therapy for children?
Pediatric occupational therapy is a therapeutic specialty that helps the child perform daily activities important for his age in the best possible way. The word “functional” does not only mean work or a job for adults, but rather it means a child’s daily job: playing, eating, dressing, writing, concentrating, participating in school, and regulating his response to the influences around him.
A child does not need occupational therapy only when he has a clear problem with movement. Sometimes difficulty with sensory regulation, attention, use of hands, or self-reliance.
Occupational therapy looks at the child comprehensively:
Based on the assessment, a plan is developed that helps the child develop the skills he needs in his daily life.
When does a child need occupational therapy?
A child may need an occupational therapy evaluation if parents or schools notice that the child is having difficulty with skills that seem simple to other children, but are causing fatigue, frustration, or frequent rejection.
- ● Difficulty holding a pen or using scissors
- ● Blurred handwriting or fatigue quickly while writing
- ● Weakness in coloring, drawing, or assembling cubes
- ● Difficulty dressing or opening and closing buttons and zippers
- ● Rejecting some clothes because of their texture
- ● Excessive sensitivity to sounds, touch, or smells
- ● Fear of movement, swings or stairs
- ● Excessive movement and difficulty sitting
- ● Poor balance or frequent falls
- ● Difficulty playing in a way appropriate for his age
- ● Extreme selectivity in food
- ● Difficulty using eating utensils
- ● Weak self-reliance
- ● Delay in fine or gross motor skills
- ● Difficulty paying attention and organizing the body
- ● Frequent anger or breakdowns due to emotional or daily situations
The presence of some of these signs does not necessarily mean there is a major problem, but it does indicate the importance of evaluation if the difficulty is persistent or affecting the child's daily life.
What skills does occupational therapy work on?
Occupational therapy for children does not focus on just one skill, but may include several areas depending on the child’s needs.
Fine motor skills
Holding a pen, coloring, cutting, assembling blocks, using eating utensils, opening cans, writing and drawing, and controlling buttons and zippers.
Gross motor skills
Running, jumping, climbing stairs, balancing, coordinating body movement, throwing a ball, sitting with proper posture, controlling the torso and shoulders.
Sensory integration and sensory regulation
Regulating a child's response to sensory stimuli — sounds, touch, clothing, movement — so he can better participate in his daily life.
Self-reliance skills
Dressing, undressing, using the bathroom, washing hands, brushing teeth, eating, organizing the bag, following the daily routine.
Writing skills and school readiness
Strengthening the hand, improving pen grip, sitting posture, eye-hand coordination, stress control, writing letters within the line.
Attention and self-regulation
Strategies for calming down, focusing, and engaging in activity — especially when sitting still is difficult or you constantly need to move.
Play and interact
Developing movement, interaction, attention, and problem-solving skills through play as a therapeutic method.
Signs of sensory integration difficulties in children
Sensory integration difficulties may present in different ways from one child to another.
Signs of hypersensitivity
- ● Discomfort from loud sounds
- ● Refusing to cut hair or trim nails
- ● Discomfort with the feel of clothing or labels
- ● Refusal of certain foods because of texture or smell
- ● Fear of swinging or movement
- ● Discomfort from touching others
- ● Covering the ears in crowded places
Sensory search signs
- ● Excessive movement, jumping or turning too much
- ● Collision with objects or people
- ● Love strong pressure or tight hugs
- ● Difficulty sitting quietly
- ● The constant need to move in order to concentrate
Signs of poor sensory response
- ● Does not notice pain or heat easily
- ● The alert needs to be repeated frequently
- ● He does not feel that his hands or face are dirty
- ● He does not pay attention to his body position
- ● Seems slow to respond to stimuli
These signs do not always mean a specific disorder, but they help the specialist understand how the child responds and develop an appropriate plan.
How do occupational therapy difficulties affect a child's life?
Sensory and motor difficulties may appear in many daily details, and parents may not notice them at first because they seem like “stubbornness,” “laziness,” or “excessive movement.”
Impact on the home
Frequent struggle with dressing, eating, sleeping, bathing, or moving from one activity to another.
Impact on the school
Difficulty sitting, writing, cutting, coloring, following instructions, or tolerating noise.
Impact on Behaviour
Anger, crying, rejection, escape, or excessive movement when the child cannot regulate his body.
Impact on Confidence
Frustrating or avoiding trying when a child feels he cannot do what his peers do.
Impact on independence
Relying on parents for age-appropriate tasks affects his confidence and independence.
Occupational therapy helps the child overcome these difficulties with practical steps appropriate to his age and ability.
How is pediatric occupational therapy evaluated?
At AHLI Specialists Medical Center, occupational therapy begins with a comprehensive assessment to understand the child’s abilities and difficulties — through play, observation, motor activities, and questions directed to the parents.
- ✓Know the child's development history
- ✓Asking parents about daily difficulties
- ✓Observe the way the child plays
- ✓Evaluation of fine and gross motor skills
- ✓Evaluation of balance and motor coordination
- ✓Assessing pen grip and readiness to write
- ✓Observing sensory organization and response to stimuli
- ✓Assessing self-reliance skills
- ✓Know the impact of the difficulty on home and school
- ✓Setting appropriate treatment goals and explaining the results to parents
After the evaluation, it is determined whether the child needs occupational therapy sessions, a home program, adjustments to the routine, or cooperation with the school and other specialties.
Steps of occupational therapy for children
An occupational therapy plan varies from child to child — there is no one-size-fits-all program.
Determine the child's needs
Knowing the things that most affect his daily life: writing, dressing, eating, movement, sensory regulation, or attention.
Establish clear treatment goals
Practical, measurable goals such as improving pencil grip, reducing clothing rejection, or increasing dressing independence.
Therapy through meaningful play
Fun yet therapeutically designed activities to strengthen needed skills.
Motor skills training
Strengthen hands, improve balance, hand-eye coordination, and body control.
Sensory Response Regulation
Appropriate activities that help the child deal with sounds, touch, movement, or textures.
Daily life skills training
Dressing, eating, using utensils, washing hands, and getting ready for school.
Parent training
Simple instructions and exercises that can be applied at home within your daily routine.
Track progress
Modify the plan according to the child's response and move to new goals when old ones are achieved.
Examples of occupational therapy goals
Goals vary according to the child's age and needs, and are not chosen randomly.
- ✓ Improve pen grip and hand and finger strength
- ✓ Improve control of scissors, coloring and drawing
- ✓ Improve balance and motor coordination
- ✓ Reduce sensitivity to clothing or touch
- ✓ Reduce excessive movement through appropriate sensory regulation
- ✓ Improve the child's ability to sit and participate
- ✓ Develop eating and spoon-using skills
- ✓ Training the child to dress and undress
- ✓ Improve school readiness and writing
- ✓ Reduce frustration during daily tasks
Objectives are set after comprehensive evaluation and reviewed regularly.
Important topics in occupational therapy
Occupational therapy and sensory integration
Sensory integration is the brain's ability to receive and organize information from the senses. Includes vestibular sensation (balance and movement), proprioception (body position and pressure), and proprioception (hunger, thirst, fatigue). Occupational therapy helps the child gradually regulate these responses.
Occupational therapy and writing difficulties
Many children don't just hate writing because it's "boring" — it may be tiring because of weak hand muscles, pen grip, posture, or eye-hand coordination. Occupational therapy gradually develops basic writing skills.
Occupational therapy and eating skills
The child may reject foods because of the texture or smell or have difficulty using eating utensils. Occupational therapy helps improve sitting at the table, reduce sensitivity to texture, and improve independence while eating.
Occupational therapy and dressing skills
Difficulty dressing may be due to poor fine-tuning skills, allergies to clothing, or lack of understanding of the sequence of steps. Occupational therapy helps the child learn these skills in a structured and age-appropriate manner.
Occupational Therapy for Highly Active Children
Some children have difficulty organizing their bodies and paying attention. Occupational therapy understands whether excessive movement is related to a need for sensory input or poor self-regulation, and then trains the child in strategies for calming down and participating.
The role of parents in occupational therapy
Parents are an essential part of the success of treatment, because the child needs to apply the skills in his daily life and not just within the session.
- ✓Give the child enough time to complete tasks
- ✓Break the task down into simple steps
- ✓Encourage trying rather than doing everything about it
- ✓Use a clear daily routine
- ✓Apply home exercises recommended by the specialist
- ✓Do not compare the child with his siblings or peers
- ✓Praise the effort, not just the result
- ✓Cooperating with the school when needed
Successful occupational therapy depends not only on the session, but on transforming skills into a part of the child's daily life.
When should you not wait?
It is best to book an assessment if the child's difficulties are affecting their daily life or causing ongoing stress for the family or school.
- !He cannot perform skills appropriate for his age
- !He constantly refuses to write or color
- !He avoids physical play or is afraid of movement
- !He moves a lot and can't participate
- !Refuses clothes or food due to allergies
- !He has frequent collapses due to sounds or touch
- !He cannot dress or eat like his peers
- !Struggles in school with writing or paying attention
- !Feels frustrated or loses confidence
Early assessment helps to understand the cause and develop an actionable plan before the difficulty becomes greater.
Occupational therapy in Al Shamkha - Abu Dhabi
If you are looking for pediatric occupational therapy in Abu Dhabi or an occupational therapist in Al Shamkha, AHLI Specialists Medical Center provides an assessment and treatment plan for children who have difficulties with sensory skills, motor skills, writing, self-reliance, or daily organization.
We help parents understand the child's needs, and develop a practical treatment plan that helps him participate confidently at home, school, and daily life.
Why choose AHLI Specialists Medical Center?
Comprehensive evaluation
Sensory, motor and daily skills before developing a plan.
Individual plan
Appropriate to the child's age and needs — no one program is for everyone.
Purposeful play
Comfortable therapy sessions based on play as an educational method.
Parental support
Practical instructions applicable at home.
Clear follow-up
Evaluate progress and adjust plan according to response.
Convenient Al Shamkha Location
Close to Baniyas, Al Falah, Shakhbout and Abu Dhabi areas.
Multidisciplinary Coordination
Possibility of cooperation with speech therapy when needed.
Suitable environment
A quiet medical center suitable for children and families.
Sub-services within occupational therapy
An occupational therapy plan may include one or more of the following services:
Treatment of sensory integration difficulties
For children with increased sensitivity or sensory seeking.
Learn more →Developing fine motor skills
Holding a pen, cutting, coloring, and assembling games.
Learn more →Treating writing difficulties
Unclear handwriting, fatigue while writing, organizing letters.
Learn more →Developing gross motor skills
Balance, coordination, jumping, and body control.
Learn more →Daily life skills training
Dressing, eating, using the bathroom, and organizing a routine.
Learn more →Support attention and self-regulation
Sit, focus, and move between activities.
Learn more →Related pages
When should I book an appointment for my child?
Book an assessment if you feel your child is having difficulty with age-appropriate everyday skills, or if the school is noticing weakness in writing, sitting or sharing.
The first step is a comprehensive assessment that helps understand the cause and develop an appropriate plan.
Book an occupational therapy assessment for your child
If you notice that your child is having difficulty writing, dressing, eating, moving, concentrating, or processing sensory stimuli, we can help you with a comprehensive occupational therapy evaluation.
AHLI Specialists Medical Center - Al Shamkha, Abu Dhabi
Al Qayed Street, Al Shamkha, Abu Dhabi
Frequently asked questions about pediatric occupational therapy
What is occupational therapy for children?
Is occupational therapy only for children with disabilities?
When does a child need occupational therapy?
Does occupational therapy help with writing difficulties?
Does occupational therapy help a child who is very mobile?
Does occupational therapy treat selective eating problems?
Are occupational therapy sessions like exercise?
How many occupational therapy sessions does a child need?
Do parents need to apply exercises at home?
Is occupational therapy suitable for autistic or hyperactive children?
Our specialized team
Book an occupational therapy assessment
02-448-7553 — Al Shamkha, Abu Dhabi