Occupational & Physical

Occupational and Physical

Both occupational therapy and physical therapy seek to help individuals of all ages perform age-appropriate everyday tasks without difficulty or pain.

Occupational therapy approaches a problem by looking at the whole child.  Muscle tone, strength, visual motor skills, the child’s sensory system, and the child’s intrinsic motivations are all a part of the assessment and treatment plan.  The OT works to help your child fully engage in their life and all of its routines.

Physical therapists specialize in movement of the human body and can help babies and children regain movement capabilities and minimize pain following an injury or in the case of a developmental delay.  A PT will zero in on the impairment and is specially trained to help increase mobility, decrease pain, and align bones/ joints. A PT may fit your child for braces, shoe implants, or other adaptive equipment.

There is often overlap in the scope of a pediatric OT and PT. Our team can help determine what will best fit your child’s needs!

Occupational and Physical Therapy

Your child may benefit from an evaluation if he/she:

  • is not reaching developmental milestones for motor play, or social skills
  • struggles with age-appropriate fine motor tasks (using utensils, buttons, zippers, drawing/ writing, etc)
  • has difficulty with coordination, balance, and gross motor skills or avoids tasks or games that require these skills
  • displays signs of visual processing delays (trouble focusing on or is hyperfocused on moving objects, poor eye contact, difficulty locating objects among other objects)
  • is overly sensitive or has a heightened reactivity to sound, touch, or movement.
  • is under-responsive to certain sensations (e.g., high pain tolerance, doesn’t notice cuts/bruises).
  • is constantly moving, jumping, crashing, bumping.
  • is easily distracted by visual or auditory stimuli.
  • is emotionally reactive with excessive tantrums, unable to calm self when upset.
  • needs adult guidance to initiate play
  • does not join peers or siblings in play