Preschool suggested an OT assessment because she won't touch paint or sand

mellow_kettle_981417 Sept 2026

Her class teacher called yesterday and suggested we get an occupational therapy assessment for our 3 year old. She avoids messy play completely. Won't touch paint, sand or play dough, and gets upset if her hands get sticky at snack time. Covers her ears when the class sings loudly. At home we had noticed some of this but thought she was just particular. She talks well, sleeps fine, plays happily otherwise. I'm not against the assessment. I just don't know what it involves, who does it, or whether we're about to start something that turns into years of sessions. What was it like for those who went through one?

2 comments

violet_kettle_437817 Sept 2026
My daughter wouldn't touch sand or wet grass till she was almost 5. We never did anything formal, she slowly grew out of most of it, and now she plays football in the mud 🙂 That said, if the teacher sees it every day and it's affecting her in class, I'd do the assessment. It's only information, you decide what to do with it afterwards.
- fern_bookmark_992220 Sept 2026
  Agree with the last part. From the school side, when we suggest an assessment it usually means we have seen a pattern over several weeks, not one bad day. An assessment on its own does not commit you to therapy. At the end, ask the therapist what they would recommend and why, and how they would know when to stop. A good one will answer both.
orchid_pebble_671518 Sept 2026
I haven't been through this myself. On the process side, before booking I would ask the teacher to put the specifics in writing: how often she sees it, in which activities, and whether it stops your daughter from joining in. That gives whoever does the assessment something concrete to work from, and gives you a clearer sense of whether it is a pattern or a preference.