There are many similarities between physical and occupational therapy. Both therapies help children and their families overcome obstacles associated with various diagnosis and provide client-centered interventions to progress in specific developmental skills. Phyiscal therapists primarily focus on the movement of the body and the impacts on function. Occupational therapists focus on a child's ability to participate in everyday life activties. As you can imagine, there are many factors that could impact a child's ability to participate in typical life activties. In addition to observation and assessment of the movement of the body, an OT will also assess cognitive, visual, sensory regulation, social and emotional regulation skills. It is truly a holistic approach.