Sometimes children have a health problem that affects their ability to function, whether due to a neurological condition or an injury. This can be very difficult for the child, and perhaps even more so for their parents, it is always so distressing to see a young person struggling just to perform simple everyday tasks!
Fortunately, there is help available for children so afflicted, they can greatly benefit from paediatric occupational therapy in Melbourne that can help them to learn how to perform daily life tasks such as eating, bathing, and more. The dedicated occupational therapists will focus on upper body strength and muscles that are needed to make the small movements that are used in fine motor skills. The therapy can help children improve self-care, overcome sensory challenges, and better enjoy their play. If the child suffers from an injury, the therapists will work with them to restore their previous levels of function.
Let’s learn some more about paediatric occupational therapy, the potential areas it can help with are listed below:
- Learning – improves cognitive skills
- Moving – improves fine motor skills such as using the small muscles in their hands
- Playing – improves social and emotional skills
- Daily Living – helps them with personal hygiene, dressing, and eating
- Education Skills – helps them with pre-writing, writing, colouring, and scissor skills
Paediatric occupational therapy encourages children to write with a pencil, feed themselves, and play with their peers. Every child enrolled in paediatric occupational therapy works toward meeting their own individualized goals. Children who may benefit from, and who need occupational therapy might have the following conditions:
- Conditions that affect their normal development.
- Congenital conditions present at birth that affect their cognitive function and/or physical abilities
- Injuries that necessitate using adaptive equipment such as mobility devices and/or prosthetics
- Neurological conditions like cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder
Paediatric occupational therapists are highly trained healthcare professionals certified in occupational therapy who specialise in child development and paediatrics. They work to treat or manage physical or cognitive conditions that can affect a child’s-
- Coordination and movement
- Perception, memory, and thoughts
- Visual-perceptual and visual-motor and skills
- Processing of sensory input
- Coping and self-regulation and skills.
- Mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, difficulty with anger management
The following are common conditions that seeing a paediatric occupational therapist might help with:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Down syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Sensory processing disorder
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Developmental delays
Concerned parents will ask what happens during paediatric occupational therapy? The paediatric occupational therapy can help their child learn new skills, but the process will take time. Parents can talk with a paediatric occupational therapist or a healthcare provider to find out more details about what to expect during their child’s initial assessment appointment, their second appointment, and so on. The goal of the paediatric occupational therapist is always to involve the child’s parents and/or caregivers as much as possible in the process.
Every child can achieve great things, paediatric occupational therapists help children who begin life with difficulties overcome them so they can build themselves a better future!
