Pick of the Month: The Pocket Occupational Therapist

This book is written mainly for American parents, to the extent that in a British context the whole of the first and seventh chapters are irrelevant. But aside from that, there is a lot of useful information for British parents who have children with various physical challenges.

Some of the tips it contains could be useful if you work regularly with children who have additional needs - ideas such as using a 4 inch depth ring binder as a ‘desk’ for drawing, and learning how children with muscle problems should sit when doing craft.

It was an easy read for me, but then I have worked in this field for some time. The writer explains clearly the reasons why some children struggle with various areas of daily living and follows this up with how an occupational therapist would help with the different areas of difficulty. The best things in the book are the ‘Out of the pocket activities’ – little activities and tips that can help a child learn to do things in a fun way. If you work particularly in the area of additional needs, or you just want to learn more, this may be a helpful resource for you.