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Occupational Therapy
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with occupational therapy.
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Signs & concerns
When a child isn't yet showing colouring skills
If a child isn't yet colouring, it's usually fine — colouring within lines is a later fine-motor skill that arrives around 3–4 years, after scribbling and imitating strokes. Offer relaxed, no-pressure chances to make marks and build the hand through everyday play. Seek a gentle developmental check if the earlier building blocks — grasping crayons, scribbling, copying lines — aren't emerging over time, or travel with other hand-skill delays. This is observation, not a diagnosis, and early playful support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerSupporting a child not yet feeding independently
Feeding independence — spoon use, finger-feeding, open-cup drinking, managing textures — develops gradually, and every child has their own timeline. As a caregiver, offer relaxed daily mealtimes, let your child practise and make a mess, sit and eat together, and follow hunger cues rather than forcing. Seek a developmental check if feeding is unsafe (frequent coughing, gagging or choking), if your child refuses whole texture groups with distress, makes no attempt to self-feed when peers are, or if feeding concerns travel with other developmental delays. This is supportive observation, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing sensory regulation
If a child in your care is not yet showing steady sensory regulation — easily overwhelmed by sound, light, texture or movement, or seeking intense input to settle — observe gently, reduce overwhelm, and keep predictable routines while arranging a developmental check. This is not a diagnosis; many young children are still learning to manage their senses, and warm, consistent support helps. An early clinician look turns your observations into a clear plan.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't hopping yet, what should a caregiver do?
Hopping on one foot usually emerges between about 3 and 4 years, with steadier hopping by 5, and timing varies widely between healthy children. If a child isn't hopping yet, it is most often a matter of more practice and time. Seek a gentle developmental check if hopping is missing alongside other balance or gross-motor delays, frequent falls, one-sided weakness, or if you have a persistent worry — early support helps best.
Read the answer AnswerAs a caregiver, what should I do if a child isn't yet hopping?
Hopping on one foot is a later gross-motor skill, usually emerging around 3–4 years and steadying by 5. If a child isn't hopping yet but is otherwise running, jumping and climbing happily, it's usually fine — offer playful balance practice and watch overall movement. Seek a developmental check if other motor skills also seem behind, the child falls often or stiffly, loses a skill, or shows no progress despite practice. This is reassurance and monitoring, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerAs a caregiver, what should I do if a child in my care is not yet showing jumping skills?
Two-foot jumping usually emerges around 24–30 months, building on running, climbing and stepping down. If a child isn't jumping yet, it most often means more time and practice are needed — offer plenty of safe, playful movement. Arrange a gentle developmental check if jumping hasn't appeared by around 30–36 months or travels with other motor delays. This is reassurance, not diagnosis — early support works well.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing lateral movement
Lateral movement — sideways weight-shifting, reaching across the body and side-stepping — is a key building block for crawling and walking. If a child isn't showing it yet, keep offering rich floor and standing play that invites leaning and reaching to each side. Seek a developmental check if there is a strong one-sided preference, very stiff or floppy limbs, little progress over several weeks, or other motor delays. This is reason to look early, not to worry — early support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't tracing lines yet
Line tracing usually emerges around 2 to 3 years, growing from scribbling, grasp and hand-eye coordination. A child not yet tracing is rarely a worry alone — offer plenty of playful mark-making chances. Seek a gentle developmental check if tracing is late alongside other delays in fine-motor skills, talking or social connection. This is early support, not diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerCaregiver guide: when a child is not yet showing mobility
If a child in your care isn't yet rolling, sitting, crawling or walking as expected, arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. Motor milestones span a wide window, so some variation is normal — but a clinician can tell you whether to keep watching or begin early support. Gentle flags include floppiness or stiffness, a strong early side preference, not bearing weight on the legs, loss of a skill, or motor delay alongside social or communication differences. This is not a diagnosis; early observation simply turns small questions into early opportunities.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do when a child isn't yet showing motor skills
If a child in your care isn't yet showing expected motor skills, watch warmly, keep offering safe chances to move and play, and arrange a developmental check rather than waiting. Many children catch up, but an early gentle look means helpful support can start sooner. Flags worth a clinician's eye include missing major landmarks, one-sided movement, very stiff or floppy tone, loss of a skill, or delay alongside speech or social differences. Noticing is not diagnosing — it is the first kind step.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing pencil grip yet
Pencil grip develops gradually between about 2 and 6 years, moving from a whole-hand grasp to finger control, so a young child not yet showing a mature grip is usually typical. Keep offering playful hand-strengthening activities like finger-painting, dough and threading beads. Seek a developmental check if grip hasn't emerged by around 5–6 years, if a child avoids all drawing or tires quickly, or if there are wider delays in self-feeding, dressing or play. This is reason to observe and support early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing fine motor skills
Fine motor skills — grasping, pinching, stacking and scribbling — develop at different paces. If a child in your care isn't yet showing expected hand skills, arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. Watch for not reaching by 5–6 months, no pincer grasp past the first year, very early hand preference, or stiff or fisted hands. This is not a diagnosis — it means early, playful support is wise now.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing gross motor skills
If a child in your care isn't yet showing expected gross motor skills — head control, sitting, crawling, standing or walking — arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. Watch for floppy or stiff tone, missed big milestones, strong early side preference, or loss of a skill. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because young children respond beautifully to timely, playful support.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet managing daily routines
A child not yet managing daily routines independently is common and workable — it is a skill to build, not a diagnosis. Make routines visible and predictable, break them into small named steps, and fade your help as the child takes over. Seek a calm developmental check if the child relies heavily on prompts beyond their age, shows intense transition distress, loses a skill once managed, or has other delays. Early, playful practice works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet running: a caregiver's guide
Running usually emerges a little after confident walking, often around 18–24 months, and matures through the second and third years. A child who walks well but isn't yet running often simply needs more time and playful practice. Seek a developmental check if walking itself is delayed by around 18 months, if movement looks stiff, floppy or uneven, if a skill is lost, or if other delays appear alongside. This is reason to observe and support — not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing scissor use
Scissor use develops gradually — most children begin snipping with help around 2.5–3 years and cut shapes by 4–5. If a child isn't cutting yet, it is usually about practice, hand strength and opportunity, not a problem. Offer safe, playful chances to build small-hand muscles, and seek a developmental check if cutting difficulty travels with broader delays in hand use, self-help or play.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing self-care skills
Self-care skills like feeding, dressing and toileting grow on a wide, normal range, so being a little behind is common. Useful steps: break tasks into small parts, offer real daily practice, and note what the child can already do. Seek a developmental check if the gap is wide across several tasks, progress stalls despite practice, other delays appear, or a skill is lost — not to label, but to put early support in place when it works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing self-care dexterity
If a child isn't yet showing self-care dexterity, keep practising daily tasks in small playful steps while watching how their hand skills grow. Being a little behind a peer is common and rarely a worry alone. Seek a calm developmental check if the gap widens or travels with fine-motor, language or understanding delays — this is early opportunity, not alarm.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing self-care skills
Self-care skills like feeding, dressing, washing and toileting develop gradually across a wide normal range. If a child isn't yet showing them, respond with calm, patient daily practice — breaking skills into tiny steps and praising effort. Seek a gentle developmental check if there's no emerging progress, no movement despite weeks of practice, or other delays in talking, movement or connection. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to Do if a Child Isn't Yet Showing Sensory Responses
If a child in your care isn't yet responding to sounds, sights, touch or movement as expected, the loving step is a calm developmental check rather than worry. Watch for little response to sound or sight, strong over- or under-reaction to touch, unusual movement-seeking or avoiding, especially alongside other developmental differences. This is not a diagnosis — early observation simply opens early opportunities for support.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing sensory avoidance
A child not yet showing sensory avoidance is usually nothing to worry about — both seeking and avoiding sit within a wide, healthy range of sensory development. Instead of waiting for avoidance to appear, watch the whole child: comfortable exploration, settling and recovery, and connection and play. Seek a developmental check if you see distress around sensation that disrupts play, eating or sleep, or a child who seems unusually unaware of sounds or touch. This is observation, not diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child is not yet showing sensory seeking
Sensory seeking is one healthy way children explore, but it is not a fixed milestone and styles vary widely — many children are calmer, quieter explorers. Arrange a gentle developmental check if a child seems to avoid or not notice sensation, shows little interest in play, or this sits alongside delays in movement, talking or connecting. This is a reason to look early, never a diagnosis, because support works best when offered calmly and early.
Read the answer AnswerHelping a Child Build Sensory Tolerance
Sensory tolerance is a skill that grows with gentle, repeated, low-pressure experience, and develops at different paces. As a caregiver, reduce overwhelm, keep sensations predictable, offer gradual no-pressure exposure, and use calming heavy-work play. Seek a developmental check if distress to sounds, textures, lights or foods regularly disrupts eating, dressing, bathing, sleeping or play — this is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerCaregiver guide: child not yet drawing shapes
Drawing recognisable shapes is a fine-motor and visual-perceptual skill that builds in steps — a circle around 3, a square by 4, a triangle by 5. If a child isn't yet drawing shapes, offer steady playful practice (scribbling, playdough, finger-paint) which builds the same foundations. Seek a developmental check if drawing lags well behind age or comes with grip, strength or eye-hand differences. This is reason to look early, not to worry — early support works best.
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