Dressing: Where to Start
The Foundations Series – for Paediatric OTs – dressing goals
Mornings can be the hardest part of the day for families dealing with dressing challenges — and it’s easy to jump straight to “practice more” without a clear plan. This resource gives you a structured way to assess, intervene and coach parents through dressing challenges, so you walk into every session with a starting point.
What’s inside:
Dressing: Where to Start breaks down the sensory, motor, sequencing and emotional drivers behind dressing difficulties into one practical guide — covering assessment, intervention and parent coaching in a single resource.
You’ll get:
- Naming what you’re seeing — a clear breakdown of sensory-based vs. motor/praxis-based signs, so you know which lens to start with
- A developmental milestones table — age-by-age dressing skills from 12 months to 6 years
- The four lenses — sensory processing, motor planning & bilateral coordination, fine motor & fasteners, and autonomy/routine/emotional regulation
- Assessment guidance — why caregiver video often reveals more than clinic observation
- A full list of intervention strategies
- Backward vs. forward chaining — explained side by side, with a worked example and guidance on which suits which child
- Parent coaching guidance — realistic morning goal-setting, a concrete “step in vs. step back” coaching tool, and how to keep dressing support consistent across home, school and other carers
- 5-question clinical screening frame to use in your very next session
- Key clinical reminders you can keep open on your desk during appointments
- Social Story and Morning Routine Examples and Templates
Who it’s for:
New grads who want a confident starting point for dressing challenges and goals, and experienced OTs who want a structured resource to guide parent coaching or hand to students. No prior dressing-specific training required.
Format: Instant digital download (Word document, 10 pages) — yours to keep, print, and reuse across every relevant client.
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