Today Casper will be discussing the role that Occupational Therapists play in the paediatric space and the things we do within this population to assist them to achieve their goals.
Occupational Therapists work with paediatric participants on a wide range of areas and domains including social and play skills, emotional regulation, sensory processing, fine and gross motor skills, visual perception, attention, self-care skills, specialist disability equipment and much more. All of these developmental domains are crucial in a child’s development and assist them to engage in all of the occupations that are important and meaningful to them such as engaging with friends in social settings, learning and participating at school and increasing their independence as they grow older.
Some good news stories that we at Alliance Rehabilitation have experienced following OT intervention include:
- A child being able to progress from a few hours each day at school to participating in a full week of school and using their sensory and emotional regulation strategies to navigate the challenges that such a busy environment can bring to many children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other diagnoses.
- A participant making their “first friend” and being invited to and attending their first birthday party after working on social skills and engagement.
- A child developing their early learning and fine motor skills so that they are able to recognise every letter of the alphabet and write their full name after a block of therapy.
Working within this population provides therapists with the opportunity to practice skills they cannot utilise in many other areas of the profession and can be so rewarding by helping children achieve their goals and reach their full potential. A key focus for occupational therapy is to promote inclusivity for participants by working with them and their families to develop and implement strategies together to overcome any barriers they may face that restrict them from engaging in the things that bring joy to them and their families.
If you have a few minutes, I highly recommend watching this video of Alistair’s story (by Royal College of Occupational Therapists) and his experience with occupational therapy which has helped him to find and learn a skill that he loves and gives him meaning in life, promotes his social engagement and friendships with others through a club and has given him confidence to tackle many of the challenges he faced in his life.
#OTWEEK2022 #WHATOTMEANSTOME
Click here for more information on Occupational Therapy services at Alliance Rehabilitation.