Occupational Therapy
We support children and young people to perform everyday activities, become as independent as possible, and interact with others and the world around them.
The children who use our service find things like dressing, feeding, handwriting, socialising and play difficult. This could be due to a problem with their fine motor skills, coordination skills, perception skills and/or sensory processing (the ability to make sense of the world around them). We also provide advice, and recommendations for equipment such as splints, sensory strategies, adapted cutlery, writing aids, specialist seating and switches.
We may be able to help by:
- Providing you and anyone else involved in supporting your child (eg education staff) with training and advice
- Providing recommendations, approaches and activities to support your child in a range of different environments
- Providing advice and recommendations for specialist equipment (such as splints, sensory strategies, adapted cutlery, writing aids, specialist seating, and switches)
- Contributing to Educational Healthcare plans and transition planning
- Providing direct therapy with your child individually or in a group when needed.
We work closely in partnership with you, your family, education staff and a range of professionals to help your child achieve the goals that we have agreed with you.
Please check that all the strategies relating to the difficulties your child or young peson is currently experiencing in the relevant sections in our Health and Development area. If you have tried these and you still have concerns please contact us as below.
East - Slough, Windsor, Ascot, Maidenhead or Bracknell
We accept referrals for all children and young people from 0-19 years using our online referral form.
West - Reading, Wokingham or Newbury
We will only accept referrals for children who are school aged and have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP).
For children in the west who do not have an EHCP please refer to Dingley Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Please see the Royal Berkshire Hospital website (opens in new window) for details of their referral criteria and how to contact them.
Our Occupational Therapy team are pleased to introduce our online workshops. These sessions are designed for parents, carers and those working with children and young people. Our aim is to help you understand the sensory needs that a child or young person may be experiencing. It offers strategies, practical advice and tips on how you can enable a child or young person to manage their sensory needs on a daily basis.
Please see below for more information on the sessions and how to register.
Early Years sensory processing workshop
This sensory processing workshop focuses on how to support younger children (0-5 years). This session can be attended by parents/carers and early years staff/childminders in order to understand a child's needs and how these can be best supported.
| Date | Time | How to register |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 10 October | 9.30-11.30am | Sign up here (opens in new window) |
School Years sensory processing workshop
This sensory processing workshop focuses on how to support school age children (5-11 years). This session can be attended by parents/carers and school staff supporting a child or young person in order to understand the young person's needs and how these can be best supported.
| Date | Time | How to register |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 17 October | 9.30-11.30am | Sign up here (opens in new window) |
School Years + sensory processing workshop
This sensory processing workshop focuses on how to support young people (11-19 years). This session can be attended by young people themselves, parents/carers and educational staff in order to understand the young person's needs and how these can be best supported.
| Date | Time | How to register |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 3 October | 9.30-11.30am | Sign up here (opens in new window) |
Important information about your personal data
When you visit the link for the training session, Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust will use the information you provide for service development purposes. Your email address will only be accessible to those Berkshire Healthcare staff involved in the delivery of the training.
Personal data will be deleted after the webinar, your information will not be shared with any third party and you will not be contacted by Berkshire Healthcare as a result of this training, unless safeguarding concerns arise from the session around your own, or your child’s wellbeing. If this is the case, data will be used to escalate appropriately to the safeguarding team.
Cameras and microphones will remain disabled throughout the session, however, please note that if you do not select ‘Join as a guest’ at the time of the training, your name will be visible to other attendees. Please select ‘Join as a guest’ when you enter and choose a name unrelated to you.
Below are a series of videos around sensory processing. These videos are designed for young people, paretns and carers, and those working with children and young people.
The aim of the videos is to help you to understand the different sensory systems and give practical strategies tht you can try at home or school to help you manage yours or your child's sensory needs and differences on a daily basis.
What is sensory processing?
Good sensory processing forms the baseline of all learning experiences. This video is an introduction to sensory processing and the different senses.
The Tactile (touch) system
This video talks about our sense of touch in more detail, including how to support the development of this sensory system.
Body awareness (proprioception)
This video talks about body awareness and why it is important to include heavy work activities as part of a child's day.
Movement and balance
This video talks about our postural stability, balance and alertness.
Alertness Levels
This video talks about how a child's alertness levels can affect their readiness to join in with activities and learning.
If your child/young person is already known to our service and you have a query, concern, or need advice, or you need to cancel/re-arrange a scheduled appointment, please call your local administration team:
- Bracknell: 0118 9044803
- Newbury: 0300 3654000 (option 2)
- Reading: 0300 3654000 (option 1)
- Slough: 0118 9044802
- Windsor and Maidenhead: 0118 9044801
- Wokingham: 0300 3654000 (option 3)
