<![CDATA[Kilkenny Occupational Therapy - Blog]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:24:22 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Rule Number 2: Goals; The family's and OT's goals are just as important as the assessment itself.]]>Thu, 07 Mar 2024 19:24:31 GMThttps://www.kilkennyoccupationaltherapy.ie/blog/rule-number-2-goals-the-familys-and-ots-goals-are-just-as-important-as-the-assessment-itself
Picture

Goals: I split my goals into OTs and parents and then I try to merge them both with function. In the OTs goals, I will try and dedicate each goal to a sensory, fine motor, gross motor, social emotional and cognitive difficulty and then link it back to a functional outcome. The OTs goals are: Specific: related to a finding in the assessment. Measurable: has an outcome. My outcomes are usually measured in the quality of life related to appropriate adaptive responses within the child’s environment. Achievable: they must be achievable. Ascertaining the level of independence to be achieved. Relatable/functional: The goals must relate to the OTs scope of practice and the child’s activities of daily living. Timely: I like to give a time frame. My time frame is on average 5-6 weeks due to the intensity of the intervention, however this is always just a gauge. Sometimes we need 3 sessions, sometimes we need 15 sessions. It all depends on the goal that needs to be achieved. Sometimes I call for a break, and then continue the block so the child and family have time to process information learned without the intensity of weekly intervention sessions. The Parents goals: The parents make their goals after their initial meeting with me. In the questions in the parental interview the parents get a better understanding of the OT process and our scope of practice to make more informed choices regarding the goals for OT intervention. #precrawlingclinic #babydevelopment #infantdevelopment #bodyawareness #finemotorskills #grossmotorskills #childdevelipment #occupationaltherapy #paediatricoccupationaltherapy

]]><![CDATA[Rule Number 1: Assessment is the key to every activity and recommendation provided by the OT]]>Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:30:11 GMThttps://www.kilkennyoccupationaltherapy.ie/blog/rule-number-1-assessment-is-the-key-to-every-activity-and-recommendation-provided-by-the-ot
Picture

Assessment; What is intervention without assessment? It is a shot in the dark. It is a “I hope this works”, instead of “I know exactly what areas of development need to be worked on both in intervention and at home therefore we target these as best we can”. Whats important to remember is that every meeting with the child is a chance for an assessment. We will always ascertain new information from an adaptive response. We are continuously assessing, even after the assessment is complete. 
In the words of Kath smith: we must be tough in assessment and kind in intervention.  On the assessment day, I will always take into account what the parent says about their child’s ability, however I will not score it if I don’t see it. I am tough with the assessment, only because most of the assessments I do are standardised, therefore there is a process I follow to ensure I complete the assessment in an ethical manner. I will always complete a standardised assessment with a child on the first meeting with them. I pick the assessment to use after meeting with the parent during the parent interview. The assessment is a lengthy process which consists of a parent interview (usually completed via zoom), a clinic assessment which can take anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours and sometimes it is spread over 2 days. 
Assessments used: Parental interview  Pre school/School/crèche interview  clinical observations standardised fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, sensory, social emotional assessments  Parental questionnaires

After the Interpreting the results of all the assessments, I write up the assessment report. This usually takes about 7 hours. Then I will complete the report feedback session with parents over a zoom call, which usually takes an hour.

]]><![CDATA[10 Cardinal Rules of Kilkenny Occupational Therapy]]>Mon, 08 Jan 2024 14:14:30 GMThttps://www.kilkennyoccupationaltherapy.ie/blog/10-cardinal-rules-of-kilkenny-occupational-therapy
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Daily Living]]>Mon, 10 Oct 2022 07:57:21 GMThttps://www.kilkennyoccupationaltherapy.ie/blog/daily-living
Picture
Baby massage techniques can be incorporated throughout the day to assist with daily routines such as:
  • transitions
  • cutting nails
  • nappy changes
  • bath times
  • sleep routines
  • play
  • teething pain

…. The list goes on. If you’ve found another way of using massage in your daily routines with your child please comment below.

The quotes above are from different conversations over the last few weeks. Remember, baby massage isn’t just for baby, techniques can be used across the lifespan.

#babymassageireland #babassage #activitiesofdailyliving #infantdevelopment #childdevelopment #occupationaltherapy #paediatricoccupationaltherapy #love #bonding #regulation #coregulation #sensoryintegration
]]>