Areas of Support

Trellis OT looks at the whole child, the family’s priorities, and the environments where support is needed most.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are important for many everyday activities, including play, school tasks, dressing, feeding, and self-care.

Support may include:

• • • Grasp development
    • Hand strength
    • Bilateral coordination
    • Tool use
    • Scissor skills
    • Pre-writing skills
    • Manipulating small objects
    • Self-care tasks such as buttons, zippers, and fasteners

Self-Care and Daily Routines

Occupational therapy can help children participate more independently in everyday routines.

Support may include:

• Dressing
• Toileting
• Bathing
• Brushing teeth
• Grooming
• Hygiene
• Feeding-related routines
• Morning and bedtime routines
• Chores and household participation
• Building independence in daily activities

Praxis and Motor Planning

Praxis, or motor planning, is the ability to think of, plan, and carry out new or unfamiliar movements. Children with motor planning challenges may have difficulty learning new motor tasks, navigating play equipment, using tools, or participating in multi-step activities.

Support may include:

• • • Learning new movement patterns
    • Sequencing motor tasks
    • Improving confidence with unfamiliar activities
    • Supporting play and playground participation
    • Bike riding and scootering skills
    • Daily routine participation

Visual Perceptual and Visual Motor Skills

Visual perceptual and visual motor skills support handwriting, reading readiness, puzzles, dressing, ball play, spatial awareness, and many school-based tasks.

Support may include:

• • • Eye-hand coordination
    • Copying shapes or letters
    • Puzzles and construction play
    • Spatial awareness
    • Visual tracking activities
    • Visual motor integration

Sensory Processing & Regulation

Some children experience sensory input more intensely, less intensely, or differently than others. This can affect daily routines, play, school participation, transitions, emotional regulation, and comfort in different environments.

Trellis OT can help families better understand sensory needs and create strategies to support regulation and participation.

Support may include:

• • • Sensory processing differences
    • Self-regulation
    • Body awareness
    • Movement needs
    • Sensory routines
    • Calming strategies
    • Alerting strategies
    • Environmental modifications
    • Parent coaching for sensory-related challenges

Handwriting

Handwriting can be challenging for many children and may involve fine motor skills, visual motor coordination, posture, motor planning, attention, and confidence.

Support may include:

• • Letter formation
  • Pencil grasp
  • Hand strength
  • Spacing
  • Line placement
  • Writing endurance
  • Pre-writing skills
  • Visual motor integration
  • Confidence with written work

Gross Motor Skills & Coordination

Gross motor skills help children move through their world with confidence. These skills support play, playground participation, sports, bike riding, scootering, balance, coordination, and everyday independence.

Support may include:

• • • Balance
    • Coordination
    • Core strength
    • Motor planning
    • Bilateral coordination
    • Playground skills
    • Bike riding
    • Scootering
    • Community-based movement skills

Reasons Families Seek OT Support

Trellis OT may support children with a variety of diagnoses, developmental differences, and functional challenges, including:

• • • Autism
    • ADHD
    • Sensory processing differences
    • Cerebral palsy
    • Down syndrome
    • Dyspraxia
    • Developmental delays
    • Handwriting challenges
    • Fine motor delays
    • Gross motor challenges
    • Self-care challenges