Paediatric occupational therapy pre-school resource pack

The purpose of this resource pack is to give parents and pre-school staff ideas to support their children to practise and develop skills prior to referring to occupational therapy.

This pack is intended as a guide only, and the strategies are appropriate for children with identified delay in functional and fine motor skills.  

Our occupational therapy service should always be consulted if:

• The need appears more complex than the solutions offered.
• The child has a neurological condition e.g., cerebral palsy which may impact upon the appropriateness of strategies given.
• The child has a degenerative condition, and their needs are changing rapidly.
• There are safety concerns related to the activity or strategies provided.

We hope that by providing advice and strategies at a universal level, a more specialised and targeted service can be provided for children who are presenting with complex difficulties.

How to use the pack: 

• Many of the ideas can be incorporated into everyday activities in the home and nursery.
• Many of the ideas can be delivered in a group approach in the nursery setting, and may also benefit children without additional needs.
• The activities should be carried out for a minimum of 3 months to allow for progress. If you feel additional support is required after the 3 months, please contact the health professional who initially referred you to the occupational therapy service and ask them to re-refer your child.

If you are then accepted into the cccupational therapy service, you will need to discuss the completed resource pack, evidencing that you have tried strategies to support your child’s development in the areas you feel they need support (for e.g., cutlery skills, dressing skills etc). Please keep your completed resource pack so that it can be discussed with your occupational therapist if your child is accepted in the future.

Please note the equipment recommended in this pack, is not available via NHS funding, and therefore needs to be purchased privately by parents/carers. The equipment recommended is not an exhaustive list, and parents/carers are encouraged to look at other retailers as required. Always use the equipment as recommended by the manufacturer. If you have a health visitor or social worker, please contact them for advice on whether you need financial support.

Please identify which difficulties the child is experiencing from the table, and then refer to the relevant worksheet and resources below.