Occupational Therapy Department

The Occupational Therapy Department at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides comprehensive services to help infants, children, and adolescents with their daily living skills, including fine motor activities, dressing, and feeding.

Licensed occupational therapists with expertise in pediatrics work with children and families to develop goals that optimize the child’s functional abilities.

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What Is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy helps children develop fine motor skills, regulate behavior, and achieve independence. Therapists use a mix of play activities, learning strategies, and daily self-care tasks.

What conditions do you treat?

Pediatric occupational therapists at UPMC assess and provide treatment services for children with:

Amputation or limb difference.
Arthritis that affects fine motor skills and self-care.
Autism spectrum disorders and related behavioral or cognitive challenges.
Developmental delays that affect movement, independence, and learning.
Down syndrome and other genetic disorders.
Feeding challenges.
Hand injuries.
Motor planning difficulties.
Neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy, brain tumor, or traumatic brain injury.
Sensory processing disorders.

Who can benefit from occupational therapy?

Children with cognitive, behavioral, and motor challenges who want to achieve independence can benefit from occupational therapy.

What Occupational Therapy Services Do You Offer?

Our pediatric occupational therapists work with each child and family to develop a unique program that meets their needs. Some of the services we provide include help with:

Adaptive equipment evaluation and training.
Behavior regulation.
Feeding issues.
Fine motor skill development.
Motor planning.
Sensory processing.

Our occupational therapists also offer handwriting help through the Handwriting Without Tears^® program.

Handwriting Without Tears is a developmental-based program that progresses a child's fine motor and visual skills through fun and interactive activities. It can provide your child with the necessary skills to be successful with handwriting in school.

What Can I Expect at the Occupational Therapy Department?

All children referred to the department receive an individual assessment to identify impairments and limitations that interfere with the child’s functional skills.

During the first appointment, you can expect your child's occupational therapist to take a full health history. They will observe your child and discuss their current abilities and limitations with you.

We will develop a treatment plan with individualized goals in collaboration with children and families. Treatment interventions include a variety of methods and modalities that incorporate current theories and equipment that optimizes patient progress and outcomes.

Your child will have regular visits with their therapy team to work toward their goals.

What is an occupational therapist?

A pediatric occupational therapist is a health professional who uses play-based activities and learning strategies to help children develop their fine motor skills, regulate their behaviors, and process sensory experiences.

Do I Need a Referral to Occupational Therapy?

Yes, referrals are required from your child’s primary care or specialty physician. Insurance authorization may be required if your child is enrolled in a managed care insurance plan. For more information, please call the office number.