Southeastern Med has always provided Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Rehabilitation for pediatric patients, but there is now a facility specifically dedicated to pediatric care. Pediatric patients can now receive the same care they are used to from the same staff they are used to, just in a different setting.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy
- Pediatric occupational therapy practitioners provide support to infants, toddlers, children, youth and their families.
- Pediatric OT provides support for a variety of diagnoses. Some common diagnoses include: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention-Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Developmental Delays, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Neuromuscular Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injuries
- An occupational therapist will complete a client-centered evaluation on the patient using standardized assessments to determine what factors are impacting the child’s ability to play, learn and/or engage with their peers
- Individualized treatment focuses on areas that need extra attention. These areas may include:
- Fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills
- Hand-eye coordination to improve a child’s play and school skills (hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from the chalkboard)
- Learning basic self-care and independent living skills (such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, feeding themselves)
- Maintaining positive behaviors in all environments and emotional regulation skills (i.e. instead of hitting others or acting out, using positive ways to deal with anger)
- Evaluating the need for specialized equipment such as splints, bathing/dressing equipment, pencil grips, visual schedules, sensory tools, adaptive utensils
- Improving attention and socialization skills to allow development of interpersonal relationships with peers.
- Occupational therapy practitioners are trained to address sensory-processing issues and help equip caretakers to successfully manage their child’s behaviors. Practitioners can help children incorporate sensory and movement breaks into their days to improve attention and decrease the impacts of sensory overload.
- Collaborates with speech therapist and physical therapist to maximize the carryover of skills amongst disciplines and facilitate functional progress