What Is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy (OT) helps children and adults develop, recover, or maintain the skills needed to perform meaningful daily activities — their "occupations." For children, these occupations include playing, learning, writing, dressing, and socialising. For adults recovering from illness or injury, OT restores independence in work, self-care, and leisure.
At MIRAI Centre in Bangalore, our certified occupational therapists use scientifically validated, play-based approaches to help children achieve their highest level of function — making every therapy session an adventure they look forward to.
Conditions Treated with Occupational Therapy
- Sensory Processing Disorder: Over or under-sensitivity to touch, sound, movement, and textures
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sensory integration, self-regulation, ADL skills, and social participation
- ADHD: Attention, organisation, impulse control, and handwriting
- Cerebral Palsy: Fine motor, gross motor, adaptive equipment, and seating
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia): Clumsiness, poor motor planning
- Handwriting Difficulties (Dysgraphia): Poor pencil grip, letter formation, writing speed
- Developmental Delay: Delays in reaching fine motor and self-care milestones
- Feeding Difficulties: Oral sensory aversions, restricted diets, texture sensitivity
- Visual Perceptual Difficulties: Poor spatial awareness, visual-motor integration
- Post-surgical or illness-related functional decline in adults
Our Occupational Therapy Approach
MIRAI's OT team takes a holistic, child-centered approach. We begin with a comprehensive evaluation covering fine motor skills, gross motor coordination, sensory processing, visual-motor integration, self-care abilities, and play skills. Our assessment tools include standardised measures like the Sensory Profile, BOT-2, and Beery VMI.
Key therapeutic approaches we use:
- Sensory Integration Therapy (Ayres SI): The gold standard for addressing sensory processing challenges
- Handwriting Without Tears: Structured programme for developing legible, efficient handwriting
- ZONES of Regulation: Self-regulation and emotional management curriculum
- DIR/Floortime: Relationship-based play therapy for developmental and emotional growth
- SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment): For children with significant sensory needs
- Social Skills Groups: Peer-based therapy for developing social participation
- Feeding Therapy: Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach for picky eating and oral aversions
Sensory Integration Therapy
Sensory processing is how the brain takes in, organises, and responds to sensory information from the environment and from our own bodies. When this process breaks down, children may be overwhelmed by ordinary sensations, seek intense sensory input, or struggle to regulate their behaviour and attention.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), Sensory Integration Therapy — developed by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres — helps children whose brains have difficulty processing and responding to sensory information. It uses guided sensory experiences to help the nervous system become more organised and efficient.
Our sensory gym at MIRAI is equipped with swings, climbing structures, tactile play stations, balance equipment, and proprioceptive tools — all specifically chosen to provide the "just-right challenge" that helps the nervous system build better processing pathways. Every sensory activity is clinically designed, not just play.
Fine Motor Skills Development
Fine motor skills — the small muscle movements of the hands and fingers — underpin everything from self-feeding to writing. Children with fine motor delays struggle with tasks that peers accomplish easily, leading to frustration and avoidance. Our OTs use purposeful, engaging activities to build hand strength, dexterity, coordination, and precision progressively and joyfully.
School Readiness and Academic Support
OT plays a critical role in preparing children for academic success. Beyond handwriting, we address visual perceptual skills (critical for reading and maths), organisational skills, attention and focus, and the ability to sit and attend in a classroom. We collaborate closely with teachers and schools to ensure therapy goals align with classroom demands.
Signs Your Child May Need Occupational Therapy
- Difficulty with buttons, zips, or shoelaces beyond the expected age
- Extremely poor handwriting that doesn't improve with practice
- Hypersensitivity to clothing tags, seams, or certain textures
- Seeking excessive sensory input (spinning, jumping, crashing into things)
- Poor coordination — frequently bumping into things or falling
- Difficulty sitting still or attending to tasks
- Very restricted diet, gagging on certain food textures
- Difficulty with age-appropriate self-care tasks (dressing, grooming)
Why Choose MIRAI for Occupational Therapy?
Our occupational therapists are certified in Sensory Integration (SIPT), Handwriting Without Tears, and other specialised certifications. We maintain a fully equipped sensory gym with age-appropriate therapeutic equipment. Every child's progress is meticulously tracked and communicated to parents through regular written reports and parent coaching sessions.
MIRAI Centre is located in Arekere, BTM 4th Stage — easily accessible from BTM Layout, JP Nagar, Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar, and Electronic City. Our multidisciplinary team, led by specialist clinicians including our founder, ensures every child receives coordinated, holistic care under one roof.
Frequently Asked Questions — Occupational Therapy in Bangalore
- What does an occupational therapist do for a child with autism?
- For autistic children, an OT addresses sensory processing challenges, self-regulation, daily living skills (dressing, grooming, feeding), fine motor development, and social participation. Using Ayres Sensory Integration and other evidence-based frameworks, OT helps autistic children navigate their sensory environment more comfortably and build independence.
- Is sensory integration therapy scientifically proven?
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recognises sensory integration therapy as an OT approach used to help children with sensory processing difficulties. While research is ongoing, Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) has the strongest evidence base within sensory-based OT approaches, particularly for children with autism and developmental challenges.
- How do I know if my child needs occupational therapy?
- Signs include difficulty with fine motor tasks (buttons, writing), hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to touch/sound/movement, poor coordination, difficulty with self-care tasks, restricted eating, or trouble sitting and attending at school. An OT assessment at MIRAI will give you a clear picture of your child's strengths and areas for support.
- Where can I find occupational therapy near BTM Layout or JP Nagar, Bangalore?
- MIRAI Centre is located in Arekere, BTM 4th Stage — just minutes from BTM Layout, JP Nagar, Bannerghatta Road, and Jayanagar. Call +91 8123536663 to book an OT assessment.