Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy helps children gain the functional skills they need to participate in school, play, and all the activities of daily life. Treatment is centered on teaching kids important everyday skills so they can become more independent over time. Our occupational therapists create personalized, age-appropriate treatment plans tailored to your child’s unique goals and challenges.

An occupational therapist might be part of your child’s care team if they have any injury or condition that impairs their ability to accomplish specific life skills such as dressing, eating, writing, communicating, or playing with friends. This includes, but is not limited to:

Behavioral and cognitive conditions

Conditions that impact a child’s thinking, feeling, or ability to regulate actions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning disabilities.

Developmental disorders

Conditions that impair physical, cognitive, language, or behavioral development, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Down syndrome.

Feeding disorders

Our occupational therapists focus on eating difficulties for newborns under 6 months, as well as feeding or swallowing difficulties that result in poor weight gain for older children. If your child has difficulty controlling the mouth or throat movements necessary for chewing or swallowing, they may work with a speech-language pathologist instead, as the muscles required for these actions are the same ones required for speaking.

Injuries

Including post-concussion syndrome, burns, and others.

Movement and motor control disorders

Conditions that affect a child’s range of motion or ability to control movements.

Neurological conditions

Problems with the functioning of the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system, including cerebral palsy and spina bifida.

Sensory processing disorders

Impairments in a child’s ability to interpret and respond appropriately to sensory information, such as being overstimulated or under-stimulated by specific senses or being unable to use sensory information to make coordinated physical movements.

Visual motor control and functional vision challenges

Conditions that interfere with eye movements, visual clarity, or ability to process visual information (such as telling the difference between shapes or develop hand-eye coordination).

Our occupational therapists use a variety of advanced methods to help children overcome daily challenges and obstacles. These include:

Burn rehabilitation

Splinting can help protect skin, muscles, joints, and other tissues after a burn injury in order to reduce the risk of complications like decreased range of motion and contracted muscles.

Feeding therapy

Exercises and tools that help kids overcome feeding and swallowing disorders. Our treatment options include VitalStim® neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy to help kids develop swallowing skills.

Fine and gross motor skill development

Exercises, activities, and tools to help children gain the necessary skills to accomplish tasks that require fine motor control (like writing or buttoning a shirt) or gross motor control (like walking, running, or throwing).

Functional positioning techniques

Exercises and treatments that help kids improve body positioning and posture and control unwanted movements and muscle spasms. Examples include serial (temporary) casting or splinting of the arms, kinesiology taping, and core strengthening exercises.

Independence for self-care routines

Therapies that help children learn how to manage self-care activities like dressing, bathing, and eating, whether their challenges are physical, cognitive, or sensory in nature.

Play and school-related skill development

Helping kids overcome obstacles preventing them from succeeding in school or educational play, whether they involve motor skills, cognitive skills, or sensory processing.

Sensory integration therapy

Children with disorders that affect sensory processing (such as being oversensitive or under-sensitive to light, sound, or touch) participate in activities that help them learn how to regulate their responses and develop effective coping strategies.

Social skill development and emotional regulation

Helping kids develop the skills and confidence they need to socialize and interact with others positively and productively.

Visual function integration therapy

Age-appropriate activities (such as coloring, tracing, or throwing a ball) that help kids improve their ability to coordinate their movements based on what they see.