Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents

What does a child need and want to do, and what is getting in the way?

Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents is a practical, evidence-informed guide to helping children and young people participate more fully in the everyday activities that matter. Rather than reducing practice to diagnoses or isolated impairments, this comprehensive resource keeps occupation, participation, family priorities, and real-world context at the center of clinical reasoning.

Spanning early childhood through adolescence and transition to adult life, the book guides readers through occupational profiles, standardized and developmental assessment, sensory processing, motor skills, praxis, executive function, self-care, play, sleep, feeding, school participation, assistive technology, community mobility, and independent living. It also addresses practice with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, developmental coordination difficulties, intellectual and multiple disabilities, mental health needs, chronic illness, pain, and fatigue.

Readers will learn how to translate assessment findings into meaningful goals, choose interventions with appropriate evidence, coach caregivers and educators, adapt environments, support neurodiversity-affirming practice, and plan for successful transitions across school, home, community, employment, and adult services.

Case vignettes, learning objectives, review questions, and practical reasoning examples connect theory to everyday decisions while encouraging thoughtful use of research, clinical expertise, and family and young-person priorities.

Designed for occupational therapy students, practitioners, educators, and allied professionals, this book is a clear, contemporary resource for delivering participation-focused pediatric care that is practical, collaborative, and grounded in what matters most: helping young people build meaningful lives.