Cover photo for Occupational Therapy

Home Exercises: Occupational Therapy

By‎: TELETONUSA /

In this section you will find exercises, interventions, and strategies that have been recommended to you by your occupational therapist. These may include: Sensory integration strategies, training regarding activities of daily living, strengthening and stretching activities, home program recommendations, and more! 

Video: Hand Rainbows

  • Link: https://youtu.be/n0Dq1I5rVhc
  • Technique: Stretches/mobilizations.
  • Exercise Objective: Stretching/mobilizing small muscles and joints of the hands for play or weight bearing. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Must have intact skin on the palms and back of the hands (no wounds, skin abrasions). 
  • Precautions: None.
  • Equipment: None needed.
  • Contraindications: Caution with children who do not tolerate touch to their hands, children with wounds or skin breakdown on their hands. 

Video: Easy Grip

  • Link: https://youtu.be/MuSFKcYkH_M
  • Technique: Play/activity of daily living adaptation.
  • Exercise Objective: To assist your child with maintaining grasp on toys or self-care items such as a toothbrush, eating utensil, or hairbrush to increase engagement in play and daily activities. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Your child should be able to tolerate pressure from the hair tie/item on their hand. 
  • Precautions: None.
  • Equipment: Fabric or coiled hair tie; desired toy (rattle, drum stick, marker or selfcare item).
  • Contraindications: Children who do not tolerate pressure from items in their hand, children with wounds or abrasions on their skin. 

Video: Deep Pressure Massage

  • Link: https://youtu.be/CI8rLrnL4QY
  • Technique: Sensory integration.
  • Exercise Objective: Increase focus, decrease level of arousal, and anxiety. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Child must be able to tolerate tactile pressure applied across their trunk and extremities. 
  • Precautions: Sensitive skin; wounds or abrasions. 
  • Equipment: You will need lotion or cream.
  • Contraindications: Children who are aversive to tactile stimulation.

Video: Joint Compression

  • Link: https://youtu.be/FZQgKRERFLc
  • Technique: Sensory integration.
  • Exercise Objective: Increase body awareness, joint stability and strength, and self-regulation. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Child must be able to tolerate gentle compression in joints of their extremities. 
  • Precautions: Children who are hypersensitive to touch and tactile stimulation. 
  • Equipment: None needed.
  • Contraindications: Children with joint contracture; subluxation; brittle bones. 

Video: Sensory Box

  • Link: https://youtu.be/UnHDvXQJUAc
  • Technique: Sensory integration.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase joint attention, fine-motor, visual-motor, visual-perceptual skills, and decrease tactile defensiveness. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Child should be able to participate in exploration with minimal aversion or sensitivity to various textures. 
  • Precautions: Supervision at all times especially younger children. 
  • Equipment: Plastic box with lid, shower mitten, pom poms, textured brush, soft bristle brush, silicon toys/brushes, bead necklace, bell, rattle, maraca, squeeze ball, night light, light up ball.
  • Contraindications: Children who consistently put things in their mouth placing them at risk of choking on small pieces.

Video: Dressing Stick

  • Link: https://youtu.be/E4_Q24oMEas
  • Technique: Adaptive equipment – self care independence.
  • Exercise Objective: To assist your child with putting on or taking off clothing such as socks or shoes when it is difficult to reach below their waist. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to maintain grasp on the dressing stick and coordinate arm movements while sitting either supported or unsupported. 
  • Precautions: Supervision.
  • Equipment: Dressing stick, clothing.
  • Contraindications: Children who require significant assistance maintaining grasp and lifting lightweight items; children with limited control of their arms, head, and torso.

Video: Reacher/Sock-Aid

  • Link: https://youtu.be/2dhSQxcCuBY
  • Technique: Adaptive equipment – self care independence.
  • Exercise Objective: To assist your child with access to items out of reach either in sitting or standing; to increase independence with putting on his/her socks. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to maintain grasp with both hands on the reacher/sock aid; ability to coordinate arm and hand movements while sitting either supported or unsupported. 
  • Precautions: Supervision. 
  • Equipment: Reacher, sock aid, sock.
  • Contraindications: Children who require significant assistance maintaining grasp and lifting lightweight items; children with limited control of their arms, head, and torso.

Video: Shoe Horn

  • Link: https://youtu.be/wD2Tff6UsxE
  • Technique: Adaptive equipment – self care independence.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase your child’s independence with putting on his/her shoes. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to maintain grasp and coordinate movement of the shoe horn, maintain sitting in a supported or partially supported position. 
  • Precautions: Supervision.
  • Equipment: Shoes, long handled shoe horn. 
  • Contraindications: Children who require assistance maintaining grasp and lifting lightweight items; children who have limited control of their arms, head, and torso. 

Video: Leg Lifter

  • Link: https://youtu.be/d5O0JZUELc0
  • Technique: Adaptive equipment – self care independence.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase your child’s ability to access their feet for tasks such as putting on, or taking off socks and shoes. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to maintain grasp and coordinate movement of the leg lifter, maintain sitting in a supported or partially supported position. 
  • Precautions: Supervision.
  • Equipment: Leg lifter.
  • Contraindications: Children who require assistance maintaining grasp and lifting lightweight items; children with limited control of their arms, head, and torso. 

Video: Button Hook

  • Link: https://youtu.be/zGs-NvoO-XA
  • Technique: Adaptive equipment – self care independence.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase your child’s independence with buttoning their shirt. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to maintain grasp and coordinate movement of both hands, maintain sitting in a supported or unsupported position. 
  • Precautions: Supervision. 
  • Equipment: Button hook, button-up shirt.
  • Contraindications: Children who require assistance maintaining grasp and lifting lightweight items; children with limited control of their arms, head, and torso. 

Video: Bugs on the Wall

  • Link: https://youtu.be/JLz1gRJV5Zs
  • Technique: Arm strength/coordination and postural control.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase your child’s arm strength, coordination, endurance, as well as postural control. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to initiate reaching over head, passive range of motion for shoulder movements, maintain sitting in a supported or unsupported position while reaching. 
  • Precautions: Supervision.
  • Equipment: Wall, toys, or stickers. 
  • Contraindications: Children with contractures at the shoulders or elbows that prevent them from achieving exercise position, children who does not initiate arm movements. 

Video: Elbow Squeeze

  • Link: https://youtu.be/GAmZwuhDEFY
  • Technique: Arm strength and awareness of joint position.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase muscle activation and joint stimulation in order to use arm for stability during play or self-care activities. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to bear weight through his/her arm, passive range of motion to achieve arm position, ability to maintain sitting in a supported or unsupported position. 
  • Precautions: Supervision. 
  • Equipment: Engaging toy: balls with target, musical toys, puzzles, etc.
  • Contraindications: Children who require significant support for their trunk and head during sitting tasks. Caution with children who have contractures at the shoulders, elbows, or hands. 

Video: Puppy Play

  • Link: https://youtu.be/5-MyeuciF34
  • Technique: Postural control, strength, joint position.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase postural control, arm strength, joint position awareness, and cervical control required for play. 
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to bear weight through arms/hands and bent knees, extend head with some support at torso. 
  • Precautions: Supervision. 
  • Equipment: Toys your child prefers to play with; firm, flat, clean surface. 
  • Contraindications: Children who cannot bear weight through extended arms/hands and knees bent; children who have significant limitations in moving their arms and hands. 

Video: Tips for Putting on Your Shoes

  • Link: https://youtu.be/wL8UrpBF41E
  • Technique: Adaptive Equipment – Self Care Independence.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase your child’s independence with putting on his/her shoes.
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to maintain grasp and coordinate movement of both hands, maintain sitting in a supported or unsupported position.
  • Precautions: Supervision.
  • Equipment: Shoes, long handled shoe horn.
  • Contraindications: Children who require assistance maintaining grasp and lifting lightweight items; children who have limited control of their arms, head, and torso.

Video: How to Make a Button Hook, and Tips for Buttoning a Shirt

  • Link: https://youtu.be/69×2-jYtcS4
  • Technique: Adaptive Equipment – Self Care Independence.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase your child’s independence while buttoning their shirt.
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to maintain grasp and coordinate movement of both hands, maintain sitting in a supported or unsupported position.
  • Precautions: Supervision.
  • Equipment: Paper clip, PVC pipe.
  • Contraindications: Children who require assistance maintaining grasp and lifting lightweight items; children with limited control of their arms, head, and torso.

Video: Strengthening Shoulders and Arms

  • Link: https://youtu.be/-NZ7BY2KuD0
  • Technique: Arm strength/coordination and postural control.
  • Exercise Objective: To increase your child’s arm strength, coordination, endurance, and mobility.
  • Exercise Requirements: Ability to move upper extremities through their range of motion, ability to maintain sitting in a supported or unsupported position.
  • Precautions: Supervision.
  • Equipment: Two (2) water bottles or cans.
  • Contraindications: Children with contractures at the shoulders or elbows that prevent them from achieving exercise position, children who do not initiate arm movements.