Sensory- Motor Assessments & Interventions...

As babies and children grow, they are constantly facing new experiences and learning new skills as a result of these experiences. They experience the world and themselves through their senses and they learn to respond to these experiences through the movement of their bodies.

Initially the movements they produce and develop are large and as they develop their strength, control and co-ordination, the movements become smaller and more refined. The control over their bodies starts centrally, with their head and trunk, as they learn to hold up their head, roll and sit.

They gradually gain control further away from their centre, in their arms and legs, learning to crawl and walk. As they get older they develop increasingly controlled and refined movements and are able to carry out tasks that increase in complexity. The ability to carry out these complex tasks, such as writing for example, require many underlying skills to have been already been developed.

Skills are developed through a complex interplay of the environment, the senses, movement and cognition. Skill development requires learning through trial and error and lot of opportunities to practice.

However, some children develop these skills slower than others. Challenges may be present within their environment, senses, body or cognitive processes, that make learning and retaining new skills more difficult.

Some children may be given a diagnosis of a condition, syndrome or illness at a young age and this diagnosis may cause delay or disruption to their development and skill acquisition.

Other children may not have a diagnosis but still find developing certain skills a challenge.

Our comprehensive sensory-motor assessments are carried out by our highly skilled and experience paediatric occupational therapists.

Using a combination of standardised and non-standardised assessment techniques, the child’s ability to process information through their senses, control and co-ordinate their body and their ability to plan, execute and evaluate movements and actions, are examined in detail. The child is assessed within their own environment (home or education setting) so the interplay between the child and environment can also be assessed and supported.

Following the assessment, the therapist provides a detailed report outlining the assessment findings and any recommended interventions to support the child or young person with identified challenges.

Recommended interventions may include:

  • Regular therapy sessions* with the child to work on improving identified skills and abilities
    *Sessions can take place at home or in the education setting or in a combination of both settings, as deemed appropriate.

  • Observational school visit (if the assessment took place at home) to observe the child in this setting and liaise with teaching staff

  • Advice, support and training for parents, carers and education staff

  • Creation of bespoke sensory and motor therapy programmes (ie recommended activities the child needs to engage in to support them with the challenges identified through assessment)

  • Reviews of progress and provision of updated advice over time

  • Recommended review assessment upon transition (eg to different year groups or key stages)

Our sensory-motor assessment and interventions focus on the following areas:

Please note, Inclusion therapists do not provide formal medical diagnoses but will signpost onwards if they feel there might be a potential underlying diagnosis.