For parents who are exposed to the term ‘paediatric occupational therapy’ for the first time, it would not be unusual to question the relevance or even know how an occupational therapist could help your child. Many of us associate the word ‘occupation’ with adults and work life, and it is because of this that the benefits of seeking assistance from a paediatric occupational therapist is overlooked.
As a passionate occupational therapist, who works with children and sees their independence grow each day, I feel it is my duty to help you to understand the benefits, and shed some light on paediatric occupational therapy. In this article, I will discuss the rainbow of services that are offered, and how paediatric occupational therapy can help your child be as independent as possible in their everyday lives.
What is Paediatric Occupational Therapy?
Paediatric Occupational Therapy or OT focuses on helping children of all ages with physical, sensory, or cognitive challenges be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. These children may have a specific diagnosis i.e. Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Global Developmental Delay, or may not yet be diagnosed or have a specific disability.
As mentioned previously the word ‘occupation’ can be a little misleading, and perhaps even align with something that is just for adults. After all, children do not have occupations. But a child’s main ‘job’ is playing and learning. Occupational therapists can evaluate your child’s skills in a variety of areas that include play, school performance, and other daily activities.
Through a variety of play-based activities, an occupational therapist can assess and provide therapy for the component areas in the performance of daily activities:
- Sensory: You child’s ability to interpret and organise information from the senses about their body and environment.
- Motor: Your child’s tone and strength, patterns of movement, posture, gross and fine motor function and hand-eye coordination.
- Cognitive: Your child’s arousal level and attention skills, initiation and planning of activity, problem solving and safety awareness.
- Psychosocial: The child’s self-esteem, motivation and social interaction.
By helping children improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills; occupational therapy can enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.
What’s at the End of the Rainbow?
We so often refer to different colours when describing the moods or actions of our children – they are blue (sad), they’ve hit the ‘red zone’ (angry), perhaps they’re feeling a little yellow (withdrawn), and so on. It is because of this that I often think of rainbows when I think of the colours that make up each child we see and nurture in our therapy sessions.
We all possess a rainbow of feelings, thoughts, strengths and challenges within, and it is this understanding that forms the ‘rainbow’ of services that are offered at our clinic. Following an initial assessment, ongoing therapy within our clinic may include activities associated with improving and building skills in the following areas:
Fine Motor Skills
We help children work on fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys, and develop good handwriting, scissor, block building and puzzle skills (just to name a few).
Play, Social and Problem Solving Skills
Through play based therapies, we help children navigat
e their feelings associated with winning and losing, understanding rules, taking turns and encouraging others to achieve.
Gross Motor Skills
We work with children to develop their postural strength and control, and help them become aware of their bodies and understand their abilities.
Visual Motor Integration
We assess and work with children on their hand–eye coordination to improve their play and school-based skills including hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from a blackboard, etc.
Functional Independence
We help children with physical disabilities, developmental delays and other challenges to learn basic tasks such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves, and develop the coordination required for these tasks.
Attention and Behaviour
We help children with behavioural disorders maintain positive behaviours in a variety of environments i.e. instead of physically ‘acting out’, they can be encouraged to use positive ways to deal with anger, such as writing about feelings or participating in a physical activity.
We also work with children who have sensory and attentional issues to improve focus and social skills.
Adapting Aids (Equipment Assessment)
We can evaluate a child’s need for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, or communication aids, and work with families to successful integrate these devices into everyday life.
In addition to the above, all therapies and interventions at The Rainbow Clinic encourage the involvement and understanding of parents, so they too can develop and grow their skills to better support their child’s development.
If we can all work together, have a clear understanding of the goals associated with a child’s development, we can achieve the best results. And seeing a child who is more confident in their skin and confident in their abilities, really is the proverbial ‘pot of gold’ at the end of the rainbow.
Without the Rain, There Would be no Rainbows
For me, a rainbow provides hope. A physical sign that the rain is over and the light is shining through. When we are faced with challenges, it can often be easier to hide amongst the darkness, and refuse to look up and see the light.
For parents of children who are faced with specific challenges, the light can sometimes be harder to see. That is why I chose the rainbow to represent our business and services. Not only does it depict the colourful personalities of our clients, but also the light and colour that can be seen at the end of a therapy session when a child achieves their goals.
If you are concerned about your child’s development, and want to see their rainbow of strength shine through, contact us today. We will take the time to discuss your concerns and shine the light on the right services for your family.
