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Pediatric OT - Occupational Therapy Services for Children
Pediatric Occupational Therapy (OT) Overview
Does My Child Need Occupational Therapy?
Pediatric occupational therapy (OT) offers many benefits for children and teens who exhibit delays in the development of their motor, cognitive, physical, and speech skills. It helps those who have difficulty focusing on day-to-day activities at home, school, or in the community.
OT is most beneficial for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. OT also helps kids who are recovering from a brain injury or stroke.
What Are Some Examples of Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapists will assess each patient to develop a treatment program to fit their individual needs. It may include:
- Help with everyday activities such as eating, putting on shoes and socks, focusing on learning, writing, and playing with toys or other kids.
- Training kids with cerebral palsy who may need to use a wheelchair or other equipment and guiding children with autism to learn how to interact with others.
- Finding ways for kids with sensory processing disorders to interact with their environment in a more comfortable and appropriate way.
Pediatric Occupational Services at Hasbro Children's in Rhode Island
Expand a section below to learn about our occupational therapy services.
Burn Care
We have certified burn specialists on our multidisciplinary team for children recovering from burn injuries. The team evaluates the child to develop a plan of therapy for functional limitations and to minimize scarring.
Modified Constraint Program
The modified constraint program is for children who have hemiplegia resulting from a neurological impairment such as stroke, cerebral palsy, or a traumatic brain injury. The goal of constraint therapy is to improve motor recovery and increase function by casting the child’s unaffected side and engaging their affected side.
Feeding
Our feeding program is designed to assess and treat a variety of motor and sensory challenges that may include difficulties with oral motor skills, texture tolerance, and self-feeding skills, including utensil use, or those that may have a limited food repertoire.
Treatment may include improving underlying sensory and motor factors through oral motor and oral sensory activities, as well as self-feeding or assisted feeding with a variety of foods.
Infants with Torticollis
Infants with torticollis are evaluated and treated with exercises to improve neck muscle length and improve neck and trunk strength. Physical and occupational therapists also screen for associated musculoskeletal conditions and can assist with evaluating and obtaining a remolding helmet to improve head shape or flat spots as a result of positioning.
Sensory Motor Skills Program
The occupational therapists who work with the sensory motor program have extensive experience in evaluation and treatment of children with sensory processing difficulties.
Serial Casting: Upper Extremity
Serial casting is a non-surgical procedure to improve joint range of motion, increase muscle length and improve alignment.