Activities of Daily Living
What are activities of daily living (ADLs)?
ADLs are the activities that we do to maintain a productive and healthy life such as: getting dressed, brushing teeth, feeding and sleeping. ADLs change as we get older and may include things such as community transportation, managing money, and going grocery shopping for teens and adults.
When does a child need ADL support?
A child would benefit from OT if they are having difficulties performing age appropriate ADLs. There are many different reasons a child may be struggling to complete an ADL such as: poor motor coordination, sensory processing differences, or cognitive delays.
How does OT support ADLs?
OT support would include an assessment of the child and the task to determine what factors are contributing to the ADL dysfunction. Treatment strategies may include:
Grading the task such a coats with larger zippers before moving to smaller zippers
Adapting the task such as utensils with larger handles for gripping
Sensory accommodations such as seamless socks
Using the CO-OP approach (cognitive orientation to occupational performance) - a top down approach to help a child problem solving how to complete a task