Who we are
Hi my name is Elfina,
I am 11 years old and I have just started a new school. I am finding it tricky to learn in my classroom because of all the noise and distractions and I sometimes fall behind with my work load because of this. My school's SENCo referred me to an Occupational Therapist and they helped me by;
- Speaking to me about what I find tricky.
- Going to my school and changing where I sit in the classroom so there are fewer distractions.
- Showing me fidgety gadgets that might help with my concentration.
- Telling the teacher that I am struggling with this and now she checks in to see how I am getting on with my work.
You can watch a video series on this website to learn more about “Living in a Sensory World” : Please scroll down to watch the video series, which is after all of the Elf Stories.
Hi my name is Elfador,
I am 8 years old and really want to be able to tie my shoelace after PE. My teacher referred me to an Occupational Therapist who helped me by;
- Practicing using two different coloured pieces of long pipe cleaner in my shoes instead of laces.
- Supporting me to learn one step at a time.
- Telling mum and dad to remind me to practice every day at a time when I am not in a hurry.
- Using pictures and a song to help me remember each step involved.
My parents also read through this when I needed reminding : Information Sheet to support your child with Dressing, Shoelaces, Zips and Buttons
Hi my name is Elfa,
I am 6 years old and really want to be able to eat by myself but I struggle a lot with this. My parents brought me to an Occupational Therapist and they helped me by;
- Looking at how my family and I eat together and what skills I needed to be able to do this. At home it’s with my hands but at school it’s with cutlery and so I wanted to get better at being the same as my friends at school.
- Making sure I feel more confident in learning how to use a fork.
- Reminding me to hold the cutlery in a way that will make it easier by placing my pointy fingers on the back of the fork, and side of the knife. Mum and Dad bought me caring cutlery to help with this.
- Using play dough to practice cutting, poking and making pretend food like the food my family eats.
- Using short simple language that I will remember “Poke with the fork, and saw forwards and backwards with the knife”.
My parents also read through this when I needed reminding : Information Sheet to support your child using cutlery
Hi my name is Elferton,
I am 4 years old and I am finding it hard use a crayon and draw. I visited an Occupational Therapist and they supported me to do this by;
- Practicing my pre-writing shapes: I — O + □ / \ X ∆
- Using a short pencil or a stubby crayon to help me hold the crayon better to draw.
- Practicing on a black board, chalk outside, sand and with shaving foam.
- Practicing drawing when lying on my belly to make me stronger.
My parents also read through this when I needed reminding : Information Sheet to support your child's Pre-Writing skills
Hi my name is Elfie,
I am 3 years old and I need help to get dressed. My parents brought me to an Occupational Therapist and they helped me to be able to do this all by myself by;
- Practicing in a quiet room so I don’t get distracted.
- Making sure that I could take off my dressing gown first and then learning how to put it back on.
- Reminding me that the tag is always on the inside.
- Learning one step at a time… I figured out how to put my left arm in first and then my right!
- My parents also read through this when I needed reminding : Information Sheet to support your child with Dressing, Shoelaces, Zips and Buttons
- Watching this video to support with learning at home : Dressing Tips Video
"LIVING IN A SENSORY WORLD" VIDEO SERIES
Happy OT Week from all the OTs at West Ham Lane Health Centre
This year we are celebrating OT Week by launching one video a day from our video series 'Living In A Sensory World'.
We hope that you will start this journey with us, as we help to unpick the world of 'sensory' and what this means for you as parents and teachers.
Video 1 - Introducing Our Senses
(Please click on the image below to play our video)
Video 2 - Sensory Preferences
(Please click on the image below to play our video)
Video 3 - Knowing Yourself & Your Child – How to be your child’s detective
(Please click on the image below to play our video)
Video 4 - Sensory Friendly Environments
(Please click on the image below to play our video)
Video 5 - When does a Sensory Preference become a significant problem
(Please click on the image below to play our video)
Thank you for watching, our 'Living In A Sensory World' video series is now complete.
Who We Are:
We are a team of experienced Community Paediatric Occupational Therapists who support the children of Newham. We work closely with children, their families and other professionals like teachers.
We aim to empower children and families to be able to engage more purposefully in everyday tasks at home, school and their local community.
An Introduction to Occupational Therapy Service for Children
Our Commitment to Quality
"Occupational Therapy (OT) can help babies, infants, children and young people grow, learn, have fun, socialise and play so they can develop, thrive and reach their full potential" - Royal College of Occupational Therapy Website Link
Occupational Therapists see a range of children, including those with developmental delay, physical disabilities and children who have difficulties completing everyday tasks. We offer support to help children be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives.
We will work together with the child, their parents/carers, and their school to meet family-centred goals (goals which are set by the child, where possible, and their parents).
We can help with:
- Development of Play
- Activities of Daily Living: Dressing, School Activities, Personal Care Skills
- Coordination and Fine Motor Skills
- Upper Limb Splinting for chronic conditions
- Postural Management (Static Seating for Home/School)
Following an assessment to identify needs, appropriate support is given which could be either advice, therapy sessions, group sessions, guidance to schools or working together with other relevant services to meet the child's needs.
Specialist Children & Young People’s (YP) Services (SCYPS)
Occupational Therapy Service for Children
Service Criteria
Who Can Refer: Referrals are accepted from education, health and social care professionals using the SCYPS referral form and must provide sufficient information to meet the referral criteria.
Parents/carers/young people can self-refer if they have previously been known to the service – using the same referral form.
Our Vision is to be able to empower children and families to be able to engage more purposefully in everyday tasks, at home, in school, and in our local community.
Our Aim is to listen to our families and children so that we are able and equipped to work in a holistic, child centred way.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged 0 –18 years
- Is registered with a Newham GP.
- The child/Young Person is experiencing significant functional difficulties which limit their participation and engagement in everyday tasks in line with their cognitive age that would benefit from Occupational Therapy advice and input (ie: self-care, getting dressed, school activities, play activities).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Handwriting: Referrals made from schools for children with difficulties only with handwriting/scissor skills are not accepted – instead the school can access the MDT Education Resource Pack to provide support and ideas in these areas.
- Toileting: For children who are under 3 years, referrals will be signposted to their specialist heath visitor and the Health Visiting Team Service, and or children’s centres where they can access general advice in this area all of which can be found on the London Borough of Newham Local Offer (Please follow this link to view the London Borough of Newham Local Offer).
- Sensory Processing Preferences: Sensory processing preferences that are not impacting the child’s ability to carry out daily tasks (e.g. does not like loud noises but is able to cope in environments with minimal help) and repetitive and stereotypical behaviours (e.g. hand flapping, spinning, etc.)
- Behavioural feeding in isolation: We currently are not commissioned to provide a service for children with isolated sensory, aversive and/or behavioural feeding difficulties. For basic tips and pointers look out for our Fun with Food Video Series within our Resources section, which can help to give you some basic pointers that are simple and easy to try.
- Emotional Behavioural Management: If the referral is from school, the school will be signposted to the Behavioural Support Services. If the child has autism, advice can be sought from the Language Communication & Interaction Service (LCIS) who have specialist advisory teachers who specialise in autism. For families who require support around setting boundaries in the home families should contact/sign up for the Triple P Parenting Programme. Triple P is a parenting programme. It's a toolbox of ideas specifically for families.
Housing Adaptions: For housing adaptations, bathing equipment, safety in the home – please contact the Occupational Therapists in Social Services.
Newham Dockside
1000 Dockside Road
London
E16 2QU
They can be contacted by telephone on: 020 8430 2000 (Please Select Option 2)
You can visit their website
Wheelchair & Buggy Provision: Please refer to Enabled Living Wheelchair & Specialist Seating.
200 Chargeable Lane
Plaistow
London
E13 8DW
They can be contacted by telephone on: 020 3373 1354
What Happens Next:
If your referral meets the service criteria and is accepted, your child will be placed on our Waiting List (parents and referrer will receive an acknowledgement letter that the referral has been accepted).
Your child will be seen depending on their level of need, their condition (ie: if this is a degenerative/palliative condition), if there is an urgent safeguarding need, as well as the level of OT input that your child has received in the past from our service.
Model of Care: We work in episodes of Care. This means that children who meet our service criteria (see above), will be offered individual or group therapy sessions (a maximum of 4 sessions will be offered). Therapy sessions can take place in either one of our clinics, nursery/school or at home. Following this, the episode of care will be closed and advice/strategies will be provided for the family/carers and school to follow and embed in their everyday tasks to ensure that progress is made.
Advice and Therapy: We have a range of ways that we offer advice and therapy input – this could include any of the following:
- Workshops
- Problem solving sessions
- Individual therapy sessions
- Group therapy sessions
- Parent groups
- Extensive video resource library as well as resources for your child’s school
Re-Referrals: Re-referrals will only be considered for new areas of concerns. For continued difficulties in the same areas, families and schools are advised to refer to the last OT report and recommendations. Families/school need to be able to demonstrate they have worked on the previous advice and recommendations given before a new referral can be considered.
‘COME AND PROBLEM-SOLVE’ - PARENT GROUPS
18th October 2021 to 2nd June 2022
PARENT GROUPS FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OLD
Free Online Parent Groups provided by Occupational Therapy & Speech and Language Therapy Services.
The aim of these groups:
To share experiences, and problem solve challenges around developing independence skills, play and communication.
To increase your understanding of your child’s strengths, behaviours and needs, as well as giving you helpful tips and strategies to try out.
During the groups, there will be discussions on recognising cues and patterns of behaviour, celebrating successes and practical strategies.
Please feel free to join these sessions and share your experiences with the group. Please click HERE to open the Group Information Sheet and links for booking and registration.
How to Refer: Please download and complete the SCYPS Child Development Service and Therapies Referral Form.
Please return the completed referral form and any relevant reports to:
Intake Team
West Ham Lane Health Centre
84 West Ham Lane
Stratford
London
E15 4PT
Completed referral forms can also be emailed to newhamcds@nhs.net
Who Can Refer: Referrals are accepted from education, health and social care professionals using the SCYPS referral form and must provide sufficient information to meet the referral criteria.
Parents/carers/young people can self-refer if they have previously been known to the service – using the same referral form.
Re-Referrals: Re-referrals will only be considered for new areas of concerns. For continued difficulties in the same areas, families and schools are advised to refer to the last OT report and recommendations. Families/school need to be able to demonstrate they have worked on the previous advice and recommendations given before a new referral can be considered.
Specialist Children & Young People’s (YP) Services (SCYPS)
Occupational Therapy Service for Children
84 West Ham Lane
Stratford
London
E15 4PT
You can telephone us on: 020 8586 6480
Or you can e-mail us at: childrenOT@nhs.net
Children may also be seen in their school or at home when required.