Understanding ADHD: An Occupational Therapist's Perspective at Cadabam’s CDC

I. Introduction

What is an Occupational Therapist's Perspective on ADHD?

An Occupational Therapist perspective on ADHD views the condition through a unique, functional lens. It focuses primarily on how ADHD symptoms impact a child’s ability to successfully engage in meaningful daily activities—their 'occupations'—such as playing, learning, self-care, and socializing.

II. Why Choose Cadabam’s for Understanding the OT Perspective on ADHD?

Embracing the Functional Focus: Why Cadabam's OT Perspective Matters

Cadabam’s Experienced OTs Specializing in ADHD

Choosing Cadabam’s Child Development Center for support means accessing a deeply informed occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, tailored to unlock your child's potential. Our commitment goes beyond diagnosis; we focus on tangible, real-world improvements driven by this specialized viewpoint.

• Cadabam’s Experienced OTs Specializing in ADHD: Our Occupational Therapists (OTs) possess extensive training and years of hands-on experience specifically with children presenting with ADHD and related neurodevelopmental differences. They have a profound understanding of how ADHD symptoms manifest functionally and are skilled in applying the nuances of the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD to create effective interventions. Their expertise ensures assessments and therapies are finely tuned to address the specific challenges ADHD presents in daily life.

Integrated Multidisciplinary Approach

The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD at Cadabam’s doesn’t exist in isolation. Our OTs collaborate closely with a diverse team including clinical psychologists, speech-language pathologists, special educators, counselors, and consulting pediatricians or child psychiatrists. This integrated approach enriches the OT viewpoint with holistic insights. Team meetings and shared documentation ensure that the OT's functional goals align seamlessly with cognitive, behavioral, communication, and academic strategies, leading to truly comprehensive and cohesive care plans rooted in a deep understanding of the child.

Focus on Practical, Real-World Skills

At its core, the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD is about doing. We translate this perspective into tangible progress in the skills that matter most for daily living. Our interventions target improvements in morning and bedtime routines, homework completion, classroom participation, organization of belongings, managing chores, engaging in play, and navigating social interactions. We help children build competence and confidence in their everyday roles and environments, directly addressing how OTs approach ADHD and daily living skills.

State-of-the-Art Infrastructure

Our specialized facilities are designed to support the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD. Cadabam’s features fully equipped sensory gyms with suspended equipment, tactile bins, and proprioceptive tools; dedicated therapy rooms for fine motor work, visual-perceptual activities, and executive function strategy practice; and a range of standardized and observational assessment tools. This infrastructure enables our OTs to accurately assess functional challenges and implement targeted sensory integration and skill-building therapies effectively.

Seamless Therapy-to-Home Transition

We believe the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD must extend beyond the clinic walls. Cadabam’s places strong emphasis on parent and caregiver collaboration. We equip families with the understanding and practical strategies needed to implement OT recommendations at home and advocate for appropriate supports at school, ensuring consistency and maximizing the child's functional gains across all environments.

III. Key Areas from an OT Perspective on ADHD

The Occupational Therapist's Lens on ADHD: Core Focus Areas

The Indispensable Role of Occupational Therapists in ADHD Management

The role of occupational therapist in ADHD management extends far beyond contributing to diagnosis; it centers on enhancing participation and optimizing function in everyday life. While psychologists might focus on cognitive processes and behavior modification, and educators on academic skills, the OT’s primary concern is how the child performs meaningful activities. From the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, management involves:

• Assessing Functional Limitations: OTs meticulously observe and assess how core ADHD symptoms—inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity—manifest as practical difficulties. This could be challenges with sitting still during mealtime, following multi-step instructions for dressing, completing schoolwork legibly and on time, or safely navigating playground equipment. The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD quantifies the impact of symptoms on doing.
• Developing Personalized Intervention Plans: Based on functional assessments, OTs create tailored therapy plans. These plans don't just aim to 'reduce' ADHD symptoms in isolation; they target specific functional goals, such as improving handwriting speed and legibility for classroom tasks, developing organizational strategies for managing school materials, or learning self-regulation techniques to participate more calmly in group activities. This focus reflects the core occupational therapist perspective on ADHD.
• Environmental Modification and Assistive Strategies: A key tenet of the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD is recognizing the powerful influence of the environment. OTs recommend adaptations to the child's surroundings—like preferential classroom seating, minimizing visual clutter in workspaces, or establishing predictable home routines—to better support focus and organization. They also introduce assistive tools, such as visual timers, ergonomic pencil grips, graphic organizers, or specialized seating (like wobble cushions), to compensate for challenges and promote success. This is a vital aspect of the role of occupational therapist in ADHD management.
• Skill Building: OTs directly teach and practice skills needed for daily occupations. This includes breaking down complex tasks (like tying shoes or making a simple snack), teaching compensatory strategies for memory and planning, developing fine and gross motor skills crucial for play and schoolwork, and coaching social interaction skills within activity-based contexts. This hands-on pediatric therapy approach is central to the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD.

Occupational Therapy View on Executive Function Challenges in ADHD

Executive functions (EF) are the brain's management system, crucial for goal-directed behavior. The occupational therapy view on executive function challenges in ADHD focuses intensely on how deficits in these skills directly hinder a child's ability to engage in purposeful activities. OTs view EF not as abstract cognitive processes, but as practical skills needed for doing:

• Functional Framework for EF: From the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, EF skills like planning, organization, working memory, initiation (starting tasks), time management, cognitive flexibility (shifting tasks), and self-monitoring are viewed through the lens of occupational performance. How does poor planning impact getting ready for school on time? How does weak working memory affect following instructions during a craft activity? How does difficulty initiating prevent a child from starting homework?
• Impact on Daily Occupations: The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD clearly sees the downstream effects of EF weaknesses. Schoolwork suffers due to poor organization of materials, incomplete assignments (initiation/persistence), and difficulty planning long-term projects. Chores are often forgotten or done haphazardly due to weak planning and self-monitoring. Social interactions can be strained by impulsivity (poor inhibition) or difficulty following the flow of games (working memory/flexibility). Friendships require planning and organization too.
• OT Assessment of EF: OTs assess EF functionally. This involves observing the child during real-life or simulated tasks (e.g., packing a school bag, completing a multi-step craft), using parent/teacher questionnaires focused on everyday executive skills (like the BRIEF - Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function), and analyzing performance on specific tabletop activities that demand planning, organization, or working memory. The focus is always on how EF challenges impact performance, reflecting the occupational therapy view on executive function challenges in ADHD.
• OT Strategies for EF: The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD leads to practical, context-embedded strategies:
  • Task Breakdown: Teaching children to break large assignments or chores into smaller, manageable steps.
  • Visual Supports: Using visual schedules, checklists, flow charts, and graphic organizers to support planning, sequencing, and memory.
  • Time Management Tools: Implementing visual timers, time-tracking apps, and teaching estimation skills.
  • Organizational Systems: Developing routines and systems for organizing backpacks, desks, and bedrooms (e.g., color-coding folders, designated spots for items).
  • Metacognitive Strategies: Teaching self-talk and questioning techniques ("What do I need to do first?", "How am I doing?", "What do I do if I get stuck?") to promote self-monitoring and problem-solving.

The OT Perspective on Sensory Processing Difficulties with ADHD

There is a significant overlap between ADHD and sensory processing differences (often referred to broadly under Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD patterns). The OT perspective on sensory processing difficulties with ADHD is crucial because OTs are uniquely trained to identify and address these underlying issues, recognizing their profound impact on attention, arousal, behavior, and motor skills.

• Interpreting Sensory Modulation: The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD understands that many behaviors associated with ADHD (fidgeting, restlessness, difficulty sitting still, emotional outbursts, or appearing 'tuned out') can be directly linked to how the child's nervous system processes sensory input. OTs assess for:
  • Over-Responsivity: High sensitivity to stimuli (lights, sounds, touch, movement) leading to distraction, avoidance, anxiety, or meltdowns.
  • Under-Responsivity: Requiring intense input to register sensations, leading to appearing lethargic, unaware of surroundings, or slow to respond.
  • Sensory Seeking: Craving intense sensations (constant movement, crashing, chewing non-food items) to feel organized and regulated.
  • The OT perspective on sensory processing difficulties with ADHD posits that difficulty modulating sensory input significantly impacts the ability to maintain an optimal arousal level for learning and attention.
• Sensory Discrimination and Postural Links: The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD also considers difficulties in discriminating sensory information (e.g., discerning specific sounds in a noisy room, judging force needed for writing, understanding body position without looking) and related challenges with postural control, balance, and motor coordination, which are frequently observed in children with ADHD. Poor body awareness or weak core strength can contribute to fidgeting and difficulty sitting upright.
• The 'Sensory Diet' Concept: A cornerstone of the OT perspective on sensory processing difficulties with ADHD is the creation of a personalized 'sensory diet'. This isn't about food but involves providing the child with specific sensory inputs throughout the day to help them regulate their arousal level and improve focus and organization. Examples include scheduled movement breaks (jumping, swinging), heavy work activities (pushing, pulling), fidget tools for tactile input, or calming activities (deep pressure, listening to specific music). This proactive approach, central to sensory integration therapy principles, helps manage behaviors often attributed solely to ADHD. Understanding this concept is key to grasping the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD and its potential impact beyond traditional behavioral strategies. This can also address underlying factors related to potential developmental delay in sensory-motor systems.

How OTs Approach ADHD and Daily Living Skills

A defining feature of the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD is its unwavering focus on Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). How OTs approach ADHD and daily living skills involves a detailed analysis of task demands and the child's underlying abilities (sensory, motor, executive function) to promote independence and competence.

• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs):
  • Dressing: OTs break down the sequence, address motor planning challenges (buttons, zippers), sensory sensitivities to clothing textures, and use visual aids.
  • Grooming/Hygiene: They address sensory issues with toothbrushing or hair washing, teach sequencing for routines, and adapt tools (e.g., electric toothbrush, specific soaps).
  • Feeding: OTs may address picky eating related to sensory sensitivities (texture, smell), improve utensil use (fine motor skills), or help with pacing and sitting tolerance during meals. The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD looks at the whole routine.
• Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs):
  • Homework Management: Applying EF strategies (planning, organization, time management) directly to homework tasks, setting up conducive workspaces.
  • Chore Completion: Using visual checklists, breaking down tasks, incorporating movement breaks, and establishing routines.
  • Basic Meal Prep: Teaching simple sequencing, safety awareness, and organization in the kitchen (relevant for older children/teens).
  • Managing Belongings: Implementing organizational systems for toys, school supplies, and personal items. How OTs approach ADHD and daily living skills often involves creating environmental supports.
• School-Related Skills:
  • Handwriting: Addressing underlying fine motor control, pencil grasp, letter formation, spacing, speed, and sensory aspects (pressure modulation).
  • Classroom Participation: Strategies for maintaining attention, organizing materials, managing transitions, and using appropriate R regulation tools.
  • Material Organization: Setting up binder systems, using planners, developing backpack routines. The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD emphasizes the functional execution of these tasks.
• Play and Social Skills:
  • The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD views play as a critical childhood occupation. OTs analyze the sensory, motor, cognitive, and social demands of play activities.
  • They facilitate turn-taking, problem-solving during games, managing frustration, reading social cues, and engaging in cooperative play, often embedding these goals within motivating, sensory-rich activities (sensory integration principles).
  • Supporting routines around ADLs can also strengthen parent-child bonding by reducing daily conflicts and fostering cooperative engagement.

IV. The OT Assessment Process at Cadabam's: A Functional Deep Dive

Assessing ADHD Through an Occupational Therapy Framework

Initial Consultation & Parent/Caregiver Interview

This is more than just collecting background information. Guided by the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, our OTs engage parents in a detailed discussion focusing on: * Functional Concerns: What specific daily tasks are most challenging? (e.g., "Getting dressed takes an hour," "Homework is always a battle," "He can't sit through dinner.") * Daily Routines: Mapping out typical days to understand structure, transitions, and points of difficulty. * Sensory Preferences and Sensitivities: Exploring reactions to different sounds, textures, movements, tastes, and visual stimuli. Does the child seek out or avoid certain sensations? * Participation Patterns: Where does the child succeed, and where do they struggle to engage (e.g., classroom activities, sports, playdates, family outings)? * Child's Strengths and Interests: Identifying motivating factors that can be leveraged in therapy. This initial conversation sets the stage for viewing the child holistically, central to the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD.

Clinical Observations

Direct observation is paramount from the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD. OTs watch the child engage in various activities, both structured (e.g., tabletop tasks involving drawing, cutting, building) and unstructured (e.g., free play in our sensory gym). Key areas observed include: * Motor Skills: Gross motor (balance, coordination, navigating equipment) and fine motor (pencil grasp, manipulation of small objects). * Sensory Responses: How does the child react to movement, touch, sounds? Do they seek or avoid input? How do they regulate their arousal level? * Attention and Activity Level: Sustained attention during tasks, ability to filter distractions, level of physical activity and fidgeting. * Frustration Tolerance and Problem-Solving: How does the child handle challenges? What strategies do they attempt? * Executive Functions in Action: Observing planning (how they approach a building task), organization (how they manage materials), initiation, and sequencing during activities. The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD prioritizes seeing skills in context.

Standardized OT Assessments

While observation provides rich qualitative data, standardized assessments offer quantitative measures and allow comparison to peers. Crucially, the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD dictates how these results are interpreted – not just as scores, but as indicators of underlying factors affecting function. Common tools might include: * Sensory Processing Measures (e.g., Sensory Profile 2, Sensory Processing Measure - SPM): Questionnaires completed by parents/teachers, providing data on sensory modulation, discrimination, and behavioral responses to sensation. * Motor Proficiency Tests (e.g., Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency - BOT-2, Movement Assessment Battery for Children - MABC-2): Assessing fine and gross motor skills. * Visual-Motor and Visual Perceptual Tests (e.g., Developmental Test of Visual Perception - DTVP-3, Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration - Beery VMI): Evaluating skills crucial for handwriting and other school tasks. * Executive Function Questionnaires (e.g., BRIEF-2): Parent/teacher ratings of everyday executive functioning behaviors. Handwriting Assessments: Evaluating legibility, speed, and endurance. * The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD integrates these scores with observations and interviews to build a comprehensive functional profile.

Environmental Assessment (Indirect/Direct)

The OT considers the child's key environments. This may involve detailed discussions about the home setup (e.g., homework space, morning routine flow) and classroom environment (e.g., seating arrangement, noise levels, visual clutter), or potentially, with permission, a school observation. The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD recognizes that function is a product of the person-environment interaction.

Collaborative Goal Setting

Following the assessment, the OT collaborates with the child (age-appropriately) and their family to establish meaningful, functional goals. These goals are occupation-based, focusing on participation in desired activities. Instead of a goal like "Improve attention span," an OT goal derived from the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD might be: "Child will independently follow the 5 steps on their visual morning routine chart 4 out of 5 school days," or "Child will complete a 15-minute preferred tabletop activity with only 1 verbal reminder for redirection." This ensures therapy is directly relevant to the family's priorities.

V. Integrating the OT Perspective into Cadabam's ADHD Programs

How the OT Viewpoint Shapes Our ADHD Support

OT-Informed Residential Care

For children requiring the immersive support of our residential programs, the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD plays a critical role in creating a therapeutic and skill-building environment:

• Structured Routines & Sensory Diets: Daily schedules are co-designed with OT input, embedding predictable routines that support executive functions (planning, sequencing). Sensory diet activities (movement breaks, calming spaces, appropriate fidgets) are integrated throughout the day to help residents manage arousal levels, improving their ability to engage in therapeutic groups and academic work.
• Skill-Building in ADLs: The residential setting provides numerous natural opportunities to practice ADLs (dressing, hygiene, mealtimes, room organization). OTs provide direct intervention and train residential staff on strategies derived from the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD to foster independence in these crucial skills. Task analysis, visual supports, and environmental adaptations are common strategies.
• Therapeutic Activity Groups: OT-led or OT-informed groups focus on areas like social skills (often using sensory-motor activities), fine motor development (crafts, games), and executive function strategy practice (planning group activities, cooking simple meals). The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD ensures activities are both therapeutic and functionally relevant.
• Environmental Modifications: The physical environment itself is considered through an OT lens – minimizing overwhelming sensory stimuli, providing organized spaces, and ensuring access to needed sensory regulation tools.

OT Insights in Outpatient (OPD) Programs

In our outpatient services, the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD is applied through targeted, individualized therapy sessions and consultations:

• Direct Therapy: Children attend regular OT sessions focused on goals identified through the functional assessment. These sessions might involve:
  • Sensory Integration Therapy: Utilizing specialized equipment and activities in our sensory gym to improve sensory modulation, discrimination, and praxis (motor planning).
  • Fine Motor Skill Development: Activities targeting hand strength, dexterity, and coordination for tasks like handwriting, cutting, and dressing fasteners.
  • Handwriting Interventions: Employing evidence-based programs and strategies to improve legibility, speed, and comfort.
  • Executive Function Strategy Coaching: Explicitly teaching and practicing planning, organization, time management, and self-monitoring techniques using functional tasks.
  • ADL/IADL Training: Breaking down and practicing specific daily living skills identified as challenging.
  • Every session is viewed through the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, linking activities directly back to functional participation goals.
• Consultations and Collaboration: Our OTs regularly consult with parents/caregivers, providing education on the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, modeling strategies, and collaboratively problem-solving home-based challenges. They also liaise with school teams (with consent) to ensure consistency of support.

Home-Based Guidance Through an OT Lens

Recognizing that skills must generalize to the child’s natural environments, Cadabam’s extends the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD directly into the home through various modalities:

• Tele-Therapy Sessions: Live video sessions allow OTs to observe the child in their home environment, provide real-time coaching to parents, and guide the use of home-based materials for therapeutic activities. This makes the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD highly accessible and practical.
• Digital Parent Coaching: Structured coaching programs empower parents with OT knowledge and strategies tailored to their child's needs. Topics often include setting up sensory-friendly spaces, implementing effective routines, adapting homework environments, choosing appropriate toys/activities, and managing challenging behaviors from a sensory/EF viewpoint.
• Environmental Adaptation Guidance: OTs provide specific recommendations for modifying the home environment to better support the child's needs, based on the functional assessment and the core principles of the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD. This might involve suggesting changes to lighting, seating, organization systems, or incorporating sensory tools into daily routines.

VI. Meet Our Occupational Therapy Experts at Cadabam's CDC

Insights from Cadabam's Leading Occupational Therapists

Expert Quote 1 (EEAT)

"From an occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, we often see that challenges with attention and behavior are intricately linked to underlying sensory processing needs. A child who can't sit still might actually be seeking necessary movement input to feel regulated, or a child who seems 'tuned out' might be overwhelmed by classroom noise. Our role is to decode these sensory signals and provide tailored supports – like a 'sensory diet' – that help the child achieve the 'just right' state of arousal needed for learning and engaging. Addressing these foundational sensory needs is often key to unlocking their potential for focus and self-regulation, a core tenet of the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD." – Lead Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Cadabam’s CDC.

Expert Quote 2 (EEAT)

"The true measure of success, from the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, isn't just about reducing symptoms on a checklist. It's about empowerment. Our goal as OTs isn't simply symptom reduction; it's empowering children with ADHD to succeed in their everyday 'jobs' – being a proactive student, a cooperative friend, an independent member of the family. We focus on functional goals – like packing their own school bag, managing homework time effectively, or joining peers comfortably in play. That focus on meaningful participation in daily occupations is the heart of the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD and guides all our interventions." – Senior Occupational Therapist, Neurodevelopmental Team, Cadabam’s CDC.

VII. Success Stories: The OT Perspective in Action

Real-Life Impact: How the OT Lens Makes a Difference

Vignette 1: Improving School Function & Reducing Frustration

• Challenge: 8-year-old 'Rohan' was struggling significantly in his 3rd-grade classroom. His handwriting was nearly illegible and slow, he frequently complained about noise making it hard to focus, often put his head down, and had immense difficulty starting independent work. His teacher reported increasing frustration and task avoidance.
• OT Perspective & Assessment Findings: The OT assessment, guided by the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, identified auditory over-responsivity, poor fine motor control and praxis (motor planning), and significant challenges with task initiation (an executive function). His messy handwriting wasn't just 'carelessness'; it stemmed from underlying motor and perceptual difficulties. His avoidance wasn't 'laziness'; it was linked to sensory overload and difficulty starting.
• OT-Driven Strategies & Outcome: Rohan's OT intervention, rooted in the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, included:
  • A morning 'sensory diet' routine with heavy work and movement before school.
  • Recommendations for noise-reducing headphones during independent work time.
  • Targeted fine motor exercises and use of a specialized sloped writing board and pencil grip.
  • Strategies for breaking down tasks into smaller steps with visual checklists (addressing SK 2: EF challenges).
  • (Illustrates) Within a few months, Rohan's handwriting became more legible, he used his headphones effectively to manage noise, independently started tasks using his checklists more often, and reported feeling less frustrated at school. His teacher noted significantly improved participation.

Vignette 2: Mastering Daily Routines & Building Independence

• Challenge: 6-year-old 'Sara' had ADHD and sensory sensitivities. Morning and bedtime routines were chaotic and stressful for the whole family, often ending in tears. She resisted getting dressed (disliking certain textures), took a very long time with brushing teeth, and struggled to follow the sequence of tasks, requiring constant parental prompting.
• OT Perspective & Assessment Findings: The occupational therapist perspective on ADHD focused on analyzing the routine's sensory demands and executive function requirements. Assessment revealed tactile sensitivity (clothing, toothbrush), under-responsivity to proprioceptive input (contributing to difficulty sequencing tasks without movement), and challenges with working memory and sequencing (EF).
• OT-Driven Strategies & Outcome: The OT worked with Sara and her parents, applying the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD:
  • Created highly visual picture schedules for morning and bedtime routines.
  • Introduced 'heavy work' activities (e.g., animal walks) between steps to provide organizing proprioceptive input.
  • Experimented with different clothing textures and introduced strategies like wearing a soft undershirt.
  • Used a playful approach to toothbrushing with different flavored toothpastes and an electric toothbrush for consistent input.
  • (Illustrates parent-child bonding). Over time, routines became significantly smoother. Sara began following her visual schedule more independently, transitions improved, and the overall stress level decreased, positively impacting parent-child bonding during these times.

Vignette 3: Enhancing Play & Social Skills Through Sensory Regulation

• Challenge: 7-year-old 'Aarav', diagnosed with ADHD, loved playing but often struggled in groups. He was impulsive, sometimes grabbing toys or accidentally bumping into peers, and had difficulty waiting his turn or managing disappointment if a game didn't go his way, leading to social friction.
• OT Perspective & Assessment Findings: Viewing this through the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD, the OT observed Aarav's high need for movement (sensory seeking) and impulsivity impacting his ability to regulate within the social demands of play. Assessment confirmed sensory seeking behaviors and weaknesses in inhibitory control (EF).
• OT-Driven Strategies & Outcome: Therapy focused on:
  • Providing structured movement breaks before playdates or group activities (part of a sensory diet).
  • Practicing turn-taking and waiting skills in structured OT games with clear visual cues.
  • Teaching simple self-calming sensory strategies (e.g., deep breaths, hand squeezes) to use when feeling frustrated.
  • Using social stories combined with role-playing within sensory-motor activities.
  • (Illustrates). Aarav gradually showed improvement in waiting his turn, using strategies when frustrated, and demonstrating more awareness of personal space during play. His parents reported more successful play interactions with peers, showcasing the impact of addressing underlying sensory and regulatory needs informed by the occupational therapist perspective on ADHD.