How we assess you

Illustration of baby with bocks We assess how a child functions in and out of hospital, at home and school. That way we can recommend changes to the environment or provide equipment such as chairs, so that children can take part in activities that are important to them and they would otherwise not be able to do.

Everyone is different and what is important to us depends on you and your priorities. When you have something you really want or need to do, and you can’t, then it’s worth doing something to try and fix that. Through structured assessment and support, our occupational therapists help to build skills and a sense of purpose so children and young people can take part in everyday activities.

Why you might need our support

There are many different issues that mean you might need to work with us.

For example:

  • Is a trip to the seaside worth it if you have to stay in bed for a week afterwards because of the tiredness and pain it caused you?
  • What if you couldn’t eat your favourite food because you couldn’t grip the cutlery tightly enough?
  • How could you enjoy a trip to the cinema if the loud noises cause you pain?
  • What if you couldn’t play sports with friends because changing your clothes takes too long?
  • If someone else had to type your text messages, would that change what you sent to your friends?

For some people, the day at the seaside is worth the pain but others might have different priorities so it's really important that we identify the things that are really important to you and work on those. We work in specialist teams to offer skilled assessments and intervention.