Child & Family Development Child & Family Development

January 19, 2017

Occupational Therapy: Out & About at the park with Melissa Petcu OTR/L

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Melissa Petcu MS OTR/L, occupational therapist at the Midtown office of Child and Family Development, emphasizes that pediatric occupational therapy is all about “the job of living”. Families can capitalize of events and activities already happening when they are out and about in the community to facilitate development and improve skills. In January, she shares:

Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation offers many locations and programs to the citizens of Charlotte.  Surrounding counties do the same.  For example, Park Road Park has some great options for our children!

  • It has a new age merry-go-round that reduces the number of kids on the equipment to just a few at one time.  This provides great rotatory input for children that seek vestibular input.
  • It has a great motor planning course- full of ropes and bars to climb across and crawl over.  This is a great way to work on motor planning and bilateral coordination.
  • There are swings and sand and stairs and slides- All activities to excite the sensory system.
  • I also like that there is equipment suitable for little siblings as well as the older ones.