Child Services
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
The Occupational Therapist is involved with patient care during infancy and early childhood through young adults and is part of a caring, team oriented group of health professionals.
Specific problems and diagnoses that benefit from occupational therapy intervention include:
Development and neurological delays in childhood progression, autism, birth defects, traumatic injuries, post surgeries or illnesses, orthopedic problems, amputations of limbs.
Increased difficulties with fine motor skills such as handwriting, using scissors, dressing problems with buttons or zippers.
Difficulties with sensory processing, as in disliking
certain food textures or smells, touch and feeding
problems.
Difficulty with feeding, dressing, or bathing (the child
having more difficulty with the activity as compared to other children.) Helping the child to improve his self help skills.
Thinking skills such as sequencing (put on socks before
Shoes), cause and effect skills.
Pre-school skills such as difficulties following directions,
self direction, listening skills.
Consultation for providing adaptive equipment to
maximize the child’s functional ability.
The pediatric occupational therapist arranges to treat the patient in the most appropriate location. Specific testing equipment, evaluation tools, supplies for child appropriate treatment (especially for sensory deprivation and fine motor coordination), are brought to the patient. The child is treated in their natural setting, and their toys are frequently used to motivate the child towards moving forward.