Occupational Therapy
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The secret to a child’s success is that they are having fun while they are learning!
When a child is enjoying what he is doing, great things happen! The therapists of Hummingbird Pediatric Therapies follow the child’s lead. We use your child’s strengths to build up their weaknesses within fun, play-based scenarios. Pediatric occupational therapy helps children reach milestones and achieve the developmental skills necessary to attain their highest potential level of independence in all areas of their lives (play, school, activities of daily living, and sensory integration). Occupational therapists are trained in evaluating a child’s ability to process sensory information within their environment. They work to help children develop appropriate responses to environmental stimuli. We provide opportunities for kids to grow and learn through play. Pediatric occupational therapists work closely with both children and their families to assist each child in reaching their maximum potential to function independently and promote active participation in home, school, and community environments. Pediatric Occupational Therapy focuses on:
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"I can’t say enough wonderful things about Jen. We had other OT therapists in the past but I had no idea what a difference a GREAT therapist can make. She is that rare combination of expertise and heart. She is a gifted occupational therapist that truly cares about my son. Jen is fun, charismatic and has an innate sense of empathy and professionalism. She is creative and resourceful bringing new experiences to each session. My son has no idea how hard he is working and looks forward to each session with her. Jen has exceeded my expectations and is an invaluable member of our support team." |
F.A.Q.'s
What is Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a scientifically based use of purposeful, playful activities to improve cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and motor skills. OT’s are also trained in assessing a child’s sensory system. The goal of OT is to reach the individual’s highest potential for independence in all areas of their lives, including play, school, and activities of daily living. In children we evaluate skills in motor coordination, school performance (handwriting, visual-perceptual-skills, organizational skills), interactive play skills, and independence in self-care (dressing, bathing, eating).
What is a sensory integration
Sensory integration is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the body’s basic sensory systems and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. The normal process of sensory integration begins before birth and continues through life. Sensory integration is necessary for almost every activity that we perform because the combination of multiple sensory inputs is essential for us to understand and interact with our surroundings. Sensory integration (SI) is a theory that was first pioneered by A. Jean Ayres, Ph.D., OTR in the 1960’s. Ayres’ initial work on the SI theory instigated ongoing research that looked at the crucial foundation that SI provides for complex learning and behavior throughout life.
What is Sensory Dysfunction
Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) is a neurological disorder that results from the brain’s inability to integrate information received from body sensations (sight, sounds, smell, tastes, temperatures, and the position and movements of the body). It is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. Ayres likened this disorder to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. It is therefore difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively.
What are possible causes of sensory integration difficulties?
As with other childhood delays, sometimes we have indicators of what is causing sensory difficulties in children, but in others the answers are less certain. Factors that contribute to sensory integration dysfunction include: premature birth, autism, learning disabilities, maternal substance abuse, stress-related disorders, brain injury and attention-deficit disorder. The two largest contributing conditions are autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders.
What should I do if I suspect my child has difficulties with fine motor or sensory processing?
First, it is important to discuss any suspected delays with your child's pediatrician. Your pediatrician should know general pediatric guidelines for fine motor, sensory and overall developmental milestones. However, pediatricians often have different opinions about when to make a referral to an occupational therapist. Some like to take a "wait and see" approach, while other pediatricians will make an immediate referral. It is our belief that if you are concerned about your child’s abilities, an evaluation should always be completed. If we feel that their skills are emerging, we will provide you with a home program and check in monthly. If we feel your kiddo needs a boost, then the earlier we begin the better. The earlier we intervene, your child will experience less frustration and/or behavioral difficulties that are associated with their delay. To help you see if your child is developing on time, you may find our developmental milestones chart helpful.
What does an occupational therapy evaluation include?
We begin all of our evaluations with a phone consult and will then follow up with sending you the appropriate intake paperwork. We try to schedule our new evaluations within a week of our initial phone consult. The OT evaluation normally consists of both standardized testing and structured observations of responses to posture, balance, coordination, discrimination and integration of sensation (touch, movement and body position, vision, auditory) and eye movements. We then take these test results and informal observations along with information from other professionals and parents, and carefully analyze them to design a treatment program that is specifically tailored to your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
What does Occupational therapy look like?
The therapy is uniquely designed for each child to facilitate independence in developmental skills. Depending on the current concerns, therapy may include modalities of sensory integration, neurodevelopmental treatment, motor coordination, visual-perceptual-motor enrichment, handwriting, social interaction skills, and play skills.
Therapy with a sensory integration approach typically takes place in a sensory-rich environment sometimes called the "therapy gym." During these sessions, the therapist guides the child through fun activities that are subtly structured so the child is constantly challenged but always successful. The sensory integrative approach is guided by one important aspect – the child’s motivation and “internal drive” to explore and be involved in the activities.
The goal of therapy is to foster appropriate responses to sensation in an active, meaningful, and fun way so the child is able to behave in a more functional manner. Over time, the appropriate responses generalize to the environment beyond the clinic including home, school, and the larger community. Effective therapy thus enables these children to take part in the normal activities of childhood, such as playing with friends, enjoying school, eating, dressing, and sleeping.
Ideally, parents are involved and work with the therapist to learn more about their child's sensory challenges and methods for engaging in therapeutic activities (sometimes called a "sensory diet)" at home and elsewhere. The child's therapist may provide ideas to teachers and others outside the family who interact regularly with the child. Families have the opportunity to communicate their own priorities for treatment.
Therapy with a sensory integration approach typically takes place in a sensory-rich environment sometimes called the "therapy gym." During these sessions, the therapist guides the child through fun activities that are subtly structured so the child is constantly challenged but always successful. The sensory integrative approach is guided by one important aspect – the child’s motivation and “internal drive” to explore and be involved in the activities.
The goal of therapy is to foster appropriate responses to sensation in an active, meaningful, and fun way so the child is able to behave in a more functional manner. Over time, the appropriate responses generalize to the environment beyond the clinic including home, school, and the larger community. Effective therapy thus enables these children to take part in the normal activities of childhood, such as playing with friends, enjoying school, eating, dressing, and sleeping.
Ideally, parents are involved and work with the therapist to learn more about their child's sensory challenges and methods for engaging in therapeutic activities (sometimes called a "sensory diet)" at home and elsewhere. The child's therapist may provide ideas to teachers and others outside the family who interact regularly with the child. Families have the opportunity to communicate their own priorities for treatment.
My child has sensory integration difficulties. Does that mean he/she is autistic?
No. Just because your child has difficulties with sensory integration does not mean he is autistic. Autism is complex disorder and the diagnosis should not be taken lightly. A neurologist or neuro-psychologist or an autism team are the qualified individuals to evaluate your child and determine is he/she falls on the autism spectrum.
Many of the children that are referred to use for sensory difficulties are children who are presenting with behavioral problems. Once properly identified and given therapy, these children learn how to “cope” with their sensory difficulties.
Many of the children that are referred to use for sensory difficulties are children who are presenting with behavioral problems. Once properly identified and given therapy, these children learn how to “cope” with their sensory difficulties.
My child has been DX with autism. Would sensory integration therapy help him/her?
For some children, we may not know what is causing their sensory integration difficulties. For others, their sensory processing difficulties can be a related component of a wide range of diagnoses that include autism, Asperger’s, attention problems, cerebral palsy, head injury, chromosomal disorders, Down Syndrome, and/or learning disabilities. A diagnostic evaluation will focus on identifying underlying sensory, motor, and perceptual issues that are contributing to the functional skills that are challenging to your child.
My child is sensitive to noise, smells and being touched but does not have a DX, how do I know if he/she needs tx?
All of us have sensory processing strengths and sensory vulnerabilities. Treatment is needed when over-reactivity or under-reactivity to sensation is interfering with daily life tasks of hygiene, dressing, participating in group settings, school performance and/or motor coordination. Many of the children we see would not qualify for therapy services in school because the disorder has not yet significantly impaired their school performance. Most of these children are just as intelligent as their peers, or even intellectually gifted. Their brains are simply wired differently. They need to be taught in ways that are adapted to how they process information and they need leisure activities that suit their own sensory processing needs.
Our goal is to provide early intervention to build competency and self esteem before it has created delays in development. If your child does not yet have a diagnosis and that would be helpful for insurance and school planning, we will refer you out to other professionals if we feel the developmental concerns we see may be part of a larger diagnosis of autism, Asperger’s, attention deficit, or other neurological or psychosocial disorders.
Our goal is to provide early intervention to build competency and self esteem before it has created delays in development. If your child does not yet have a diagnosis and that would be helpful for insurance and school planning, we will refer you out to other professionals if we feel the developmental concerns we see may be part of a larger diagnosis of autism, Asperger’s, attention deficit, or other neurological or psychosocial disorders.
How do I know if a certain negative behavior is sensory processing disorder or simply poor behavior?
It is difficult to determine if individual negative behaviors are due to a sensory processing response, or a poor behavior response. Most negative behaviors are a combination of sensory and behavioral deficits, but determining which plays a stronger role can be tricky, even for a trained professional. However, a general rule of thumb is that if an individual can turn on/off a negative behavior like a switch, then the negative behavior is behavioral based. If the individual has a more difficult time calming down, even after the problem has been resolved, then the negative behavior is more likely to be sensory based.
For example, a child might be crying and throwing a tantrum when getting a hair cut. If the child stops crying immediately after the haircut is over and he calmly steps down from the barber chair, then the tantrum was more likely behavior based. However, if the child continues to be tearful and hesitant even after stepping out of the barber chair, then the tantrum was more likely sensory based.
For example, a child might be crying and throwing a tantrum when getting a hair cut. If the child stops crying immediately after the haircut is over and he calmly steps down from the barber chair, then the tantrum was more likely behavior based. However, if the child continues to be tearful and hesitant even after stepping out of the barber chair, then the tantrum was more likely sensory based.
What is the difference between occupational therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT)
Pediatric OTs primarily concentrate on fine motor activities as well as helping a child integrate all of their sensory systems so that they can be the best they can be!
Pediatric PTs primarily work on gross motor skills, coordination, endurance, motor planning and strengthening.
If one were to observe a pediatric occupational or physical therapy session, many similarities could be found in the actual activities. However, each therapist might be working on very different goals. For example, both OT’s and PT’s often utilize obstacle courses as a treatment technique. The physical therapist might use the obstacle course to focus on the gross motor skills of balance, jumping, endurance, strengthening, motor planning, etc. as needed for an individual to more fully participate in school PE or in playing with peers. An occupational therapist might use the exact same obstacle course, but would focus on the skills of attending to task, auditory processing skills, motor planning/body awareness, sequencing skills, and short term memory skills as needed to maximize functional abilities in a classroom setting. In addition, the OT might also be addressing the proprioceptive, tactile, and vestibular sensory input that is provided in the obstacle course.
Pediatric PTs primarily work on gross motor skills, coordination, endurance, motor planning and strengthening.
If one were to observe a pediatric occupational or physical therapy session, many similarities could be found in the actual activities. However, each therapist might be working on very different goals. For example, both OT’s and PT’s often utilize obstacle courses as a treatment technique. The physical therapist might use the obstacle course to focus on the gross motor skills of balance, jumping, endurance, strengthening, motor planning, etc. as needed for an individual to more fully participate in school PE or in playing with peers. An occupational therapist might use the exact same obstacle course, but would focus on the skills of attending to task, auditory processing skills, motor planning/body awareness, sequencing skills, and short term memory skills as needed to maximize functional abilities in a classroom setting. In addition, the OT might also be addressing the proprioceptive, tactile, and vestibular sensory input that is provided in the obstacle course.