Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Children may be born with or acquire conditions that prohibit them from performing the very things that occupy their daily lives. Occupational therapists can work with children to develop skills necessary to become independent adults. These may include:
- Regulation of arousal level in order to allow the child to engage in activities.
- Refinement of sensory discrimination and processing, enabling the child to interact with the environment.
- Preventing deformity through play, range of motion exercises, and/or splinting.
- Adapting the environment to allow for enhanced independence.
- Age appropriate self-care skills.
- Development of cognitive skills and facilitation of self-concept.
- Promoting oral motor development for feeding skills.
- Instructing caregivers on methods for enhancing development and handling the infant or child.
In addition, the Creighton University Medical Center Department of Occupational Therapy offers an innovative program called the Interactive Metronome. This treatment is a computer-based training program and is appropriate for children who have attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, and autism. The Interactive Metronome may enhance a child's attention and focus, motor control and coordination, language processing, reading and math fluency, and ability to regulate aggression (American Journal of Occuptaioal Therapy, 2001).
Please ask your pediatrician if your child would qualify for occupational therapy services. If you have questions, please call the Creighton University Medical Center Department of Occupational Therapy at 449-4248.
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