It is also helpful for children who have difficulty using sensory information to create the appropriate muscle response or who become easily overwhelmed by information received from any of the senses – touch, vision, hearing, smell and taste.
Pediatric occupational therapy is also used when a child struggles with hand-eye coordination that affects activities such as writing, cutting, copying shapes and building block designs. It is also helpful when a child’s brain has a visual perception impairment that results in difficulty with reading, writing, letter recognition, shape recognition, copying and memorizing.
Medical and developmental diagnoses that prompt a referral for pediatric occupational therapy may include autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Angelman syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, anxiety disorder, traumatic brain injury and stroke.
How can I get a referral to pediatric occupational therapy?
Make an appointment with a primary care provider in our family medicine department or pediatrics department to discuss any concerns about your child’s physical abilities. Your child’s provider can treat underlying medical conditions and provide a referral for occupational therapy as appropriate to your child’s needs.
What to expect during pediatric therapy:
At your first visit, the therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to better understand how your child’s condition affects his or her ability to perform daily tasks and activities. Next, the therapist will create an individualized treatment plan. She will discuss the treatment plan with you, including activities that will be included in future therapy sessions to reach your treatment goals.
