Sight
What we see.
Child Development & Learning Centre Bengaluru
✦ • Kamanahalli, Bengaluru
OCCUPATIONAL & SENSORY SUPPORT
Helping Children Build Regulation, Coordination and Confidence in Everyday Activities
Everyday activities require many different skills to work together.
Children need to process sensory information, coordinate their movements, use their hands effectively, maintain an appropriate level of alertness and organise their bodies to complete everyday tasks.
At AstraKids, Occupational & Sensory Support focuses on helping children develop practical skills for regulation, coordination, participation and greater independence.
✓ Sensory Regulation
✓ Fine Motor Skills
✓ Coordination
✓ Everyday Independence
REGULATE✦
MOVE✦
COORDINATE✦
PARTICIPATE✦
PRACTISE✦
BUILD CONFIDENCE✦
GROW INDEPENDENCE✦
REGULATE✦
MOVE✦
COORDINATE✦
♡
EVERYDAY PARTICIPATION
Build practical skills through meaningful activities.
UNDERSTANDING OCCUPATIONAL & SENSORY DEVELOPMENT
Everyday Skills Support Participation and Independence
Occupational development in childhood relates to the activities children need and want to participate in every day.
Playing
Drawing & Writing
Using Classroom Materials
Dressing
Eating
Personal Hygiene
Organising Belongings
Participating in School
Moving Through Environments
Playing With Other Children
Following Everyday Routines
When sensory, motor or coordination difficulties make these activities challenging, children may need additional strategies and structured opportunities to practise.
UNDERSTANDING SENSORY PROCESSING
Every Child Experiences Their Environment Differently
Throughout the day, the brain receives and organises information through many different senses.
Sound
What we hear.
Touch
What we feel against our skin.
Taste
What we taste.
Smell
What we smell.
Movement
How our body moves through space.
Body Awareness
Where our body is and how much force we use.
For some children, particular sensations may feel
stronger, weaker or more distracting than they do for others.
EVERYDAY ENVIRONMENTS MAY FEEL DIFFERENT
What Feels Comfortable to One Child May Feel Overwhelming to Another
Parents may notice sensitivity to particular sounds, textures, environments or types of movement.
MAY AVOID OR FIND DIFFICULT
Loud or unexpected sounds
Busy environments
Bright lighting
Clothing textures
Certain food textures
Hair brushing
Tooth brushing
Messy play
Strong smells
Unexpected touch
MAY ACTIVELY SEEK
Constant movement
Jumping
Spinning
Touching objects
Chewing objects
Climbing
Strong pressure or squeezing
These responses should be understood in the context of the individual child rather than simply labelled as difficult behaviour.
OBSERVE • UNDERSTAND • SUPPORT
Notice what environments help the child feel comfortable.
SENSORY REGULATION
Helping Children Reach a Comfortable State for Participation
Sensory regulation relates to managing sensory information while maintaining an appropriate level of alertness for an activity.
Listen
Process relevant information more comfortably.
Communicate
Express needs and participate in interaction.
Concentrate
Stay engaged with an activity more effectively.
Participate
Become more available for learning and play.
Manage Emotions
Respond more comfortably when environments feel demanding.
Transition
Move between activities with greater readiness.
Support may involve identifying what situations create difficulty
and what strategies help the child become more comfortable and ready to participate.
FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT
Building Skills for Everyday Hand Activities
Fine motor skills involve the coordinated use of the hands and fingers.
Hold a Pencil
Draw
Write
Colour
Cut With Scissors
Turn Pages
Build With Blocks
Fasten Buttons
Open Containers
Use Utensils
Tie Shoelaces
Manipulate Small Objects
STRUCTURED PRACTICE CAN HELP DEVELOP
Hand control, finger coordination and confidence.
HANDWRITING & PENCIL SKILLS
Writing Requires More Than Knowing Letters and Words
POSTURE
+
SHOULDER STABILITY
+
HAND CONTROL
+
PENCIL GRIP
+
VISUAL ATTENTION
+
MOTOR PLANNING
Uncomfortable pencil grip
Excessive pencil pressure
Very light writing
Difficulty forming letters
Uneven spacing
Difficulty writing on a line
Slow written work
Hand fatigue
Avoidance of writing
Support can focus on the underlying skills that make
writing more manageable rather than simply asking the child to write more.
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
Supporting Movement, Balance and Coordination
Gross motor skills involve larger movements of the body and contribute to comfortable participation in play, school and everyday movement.
Walking
Running
Jumping
Climbing
Sitting Upright
Throwing & Catching
Playground Equipment
Physical Games
Activities can help children develop greater balance, coordination, body awareness and confidence in movement.
BILATERAL COORDINATION
Helping Both Sides of the Body Work Together
Many everyday activities require coordinated use of both sides of the body.
PLAN • ORGANISE • MOVE
Break unfamiliar movements into achievable steps.
MOTOR PLANNING
Helping Children Plan and Complete Movements
Motor planning is the ability to understand, organise and carry out a movement that may be unfamiliar.
Navigate an obstacle course
Climb playground equipment
Copy an action
Complete a craft
Dress independently
Learn a new physical game
Breaking movements into smaller steps and providing demonstrations can make new activities easier to learn.
VISUAL-MOTOR COORDINATION
Connecting What Children See With How Their Body Moves
Visual-motor skills help coordinate visual information with the movements of the hands and body.
Handwriting
Drawing
Copying From a Board
Completing Puzzles
Building With Blocks
Catching a Ball
Cutting Along a Line
Matching & Sorting
SUPPORTING EVERYDAY INDEPENDENCE
Building Skills Through Daily Routines
One of the most meaningful goals of occupational support is helping children participate more independently in everyday life.
Dressing
Clothes, buttons, zips and footwear.
Eating
Utensils, containers and comfortable mealtime participation.
Personal Hygiene
Brushing teeth, washing hands and grooming.
School Organisation
Packing bags, materials and workspace organisation.
Home Responsibilities
Putting away toys and completing simple household tasks.
SHOW
→
HELP
→
PRACTISE TOGETHER
→
REDUCE HELP
→
INDEPENDENT ATTEMPT
SENSORY STRATEGIES AT HOME
Begin by Observing Patterns
There is no single sensory strategy that is appropriate for every child.
Creating a quieter space
Preparing before busy environments
Providing predictable routines
Allowing movement breaks
Introducing textures gradually
Using visual schedules
Reducing unnecessary distractions
Giving additional transition time
Strategies should be selected according to the child's
individual responses rather than applied universally.
MOVEMENT CAN SUPPORT PARTICIPATION
Movement Can Help Some Children Return Ready to Learn
Some children find it easier to return to learning after appropriate movement rather than being expected to sit continuously.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
→
MOVEMENT BREAK
→
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Movement opportunities may include age-appropriate
walking, stretching or structured physical play.
LOOK BEYOND THE REACTION
The environment may be contributing to the child's response.
WHEN SENSORY NEEDS AFFECT BEHAVIOUR
Sometimes a Reaction May Be Related to the Environment
A child covering their ears and wanting to leave a busy room may not simply be refusing to participate. The environment may feel too loud or overwhelming.
Uncomfortable textures
Difficult motor demands
Fear of movement
Too much sensory information
Uncertainty about what will happen
Looking beyond the immediate reaction can help adults understand what support may be useful.
HOW PARENTS CAN ENCOURAGE MOTOR SKILLS AT HOME
Everyday Play Can Develop Coordination
Familiar activities can provide valuable opportunities to strengthen fine motor, gross motor and planning skills.
Building With Blocks
Drawing & Colouring
Puzzles
Play Dough
Threading & Beads
Folding Paper
Simple Crafts
Ball Games
Climbing
Playground Activities
Sorting Household Objects
Simple Cooking Activities
Dressing Practice
Activities should remain
safe, age-appropriate and enjoyable
rather than becoming another source of pressure.
WHAT PARENTS CAN NOTICE & RECORD
Simple Observations Can Help Identify Patterns
Sensory Experiences
Which sounds, textures, environments or movements are avoided or sought?
Fine Motor Skills
How are pencils, scissors, buttons and small objects managed?
Gross Motor Skills
How comfortable are running, jumping, climbing and ball activities?
Everyday Routines
Which dressing, eating, hygiene or organisation tasks need help?
Regulation
What situations commonly lead to discomfort or overwhelm?
Helpful Strategies
What helps your child become comfortable and participate again?
PERSONALISED OCCUPATIONAL & SENSORY SUPPORT AT ASTRAKIDS
Understand the Child's Individual Development Profile
Every child has a different combination of strengths, sensory preferences, motor abilities and everyday needs.
Sensory Regulation
Supporting comfortable participation in everyday environments.
Fine Motor Development
Building hand and finger coordination.
Gross Motor Development
Strengthening balance and whole-body coordination.
Visual-Motor Skills
Coordinating visual information with movement.
Motor Planning
Organising and completing unfamiliar movements.
Classroom Participation
Developing skills that support learning activities.
Daily Living Skills
Dressing, eating, hygiene and organisation.
Independence
Reducing reliance on adult assistance where appropriate.
WHEN TO CONSIDER ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
When Difficulties Regularly Affect Everyday Participation
Parents may consider seeking appropriate professional guidance when sensory or motor difficulties are persistent and regularly interfere with everyday activities.
Classroom Participation
Writing & Schoolwork
Play
Movement
Dressing
Eating
Personal Care
Social Participation
Everyday Environments
Daily Independence
Important:
These observations alone do not indicate a specific diagnosis.
A qualified professional can help determine whether further assessment
or specialised support may be appropriate.
SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S EVERYDAY DEVELOPMENT
Helping Children Participate With Greater Comfort and Confidence
The goal is not to make every child respond to their environment in exactly the same way.
The goal is to understand how the child experiences everyday activities and help them develop the skills and strategies needed to participate more comfortably and independently.
?
CONCERNED ABOUT SENSORY REGULATION, COORDINATION OR EVERYDAY SKILLS?
Speak with the AstraKids team to explore support suited to your
child's individual needs.
Professional Disclaimer:
AstraKids provides personalised educational and developmental support
according to individual requirements. Specific outcomes and development
timelines may vary for every child. Information on this website should
not replace medical diagnosis, clinical treatment or professional
healthcare advice.