|
You may be familiar
with therapy services for an adult who has had a stroke or an accident,
but have you heard about therapy services for children, even babies?
Pediatric therapy services at Children's Hospital help children
of all ages.
While each child is
unique and develops at his or her own rate, most children meet developmental
milestones, like walking and talking, within a range of what is
considered normal. However, some children may develop more slowly
because they were born with, or develop, a medical condition, while
others may have a special need such as a speech problem or difficulty
in coordination, or need help after an illness or injury.
All of these children
benefit from therapy services
including Speech and Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and
Physical Therapy. Therapists help children improve speech, language,
sensory and motor skills. Therapy is most successful when parents
and caregivers are involved, and learn exercises and activities
to carry over at home. Children respond best when they find therapy
fun, interesting, practical, and something they can use in their
everyday lives.
Speech and Language
Pathology
Speech and Language Pathology addresses problems related to speech
and language development. Speech issues are usually related to pronunciation
of sounds (articulation), stuttering, or physical problems with
a child's mouth that interfere with talking, feeding and eating.
Language development relates to the understanding of spoken information
(such as following directions or understanding concepts, like "big
and little") and expression/talking (such as using sentences, asking
questions and telling stories).
While it is common for
children to have articulation errors as they are learning to talk
(e.g., "wabbit" for "rabbit"), as they get older, their articulation
of sounds should improve so that everyone should understand a 4-year-old.
Speech Therapy helps children with articulation of sounds, such
as "r", "l", and "s", when they continue to experience difficulty
in producing these sounds. Parents report they can tell Speech Therapy
is making a difference when their child is talking on the phone
to their grandparents or someone they only talk to periodically,
and the listener can tell a difference.
Some children who have
delay in expressing themselves verbally may be taught some sign
language to supplement their spoken language to communicate wants
and needs. For example, a 3-year-old may be so unintelligible his
mother has to interpret his words to his preschool teacher, friends
and extended family. While working on specific sounds and vocabulary,
he may also learn some simple signs to communicate "eat", "drink",
"more", "all finished", and "go play".
Speech Therapy may also
work with an infant with medical conditions who has reduced muscle
tone, and pushes table food out with her tongue, interfering with
feeding. The Speech Therapist may teach oral-motor exercises and
make suggestions about food textures and positioning when feeding
to make a more successful feeding experience.
Speech Therapists create
a fun environment using toys and activities of interest to the child,
such as books, pretend play (like farm animals to practice sounds,
baby bottles and dolls to make mouth movements for eating, or Mr.
Potato Head to learn body parts). Board and computer games reinforce
skills learning for older children.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy (OT) sounds like helping a child find a job,
but it actually focuses on things children do to occupy themselves
in their everyday lives, such as eating, dressing, hygiene, and
learning while at play and school. OT focuses on fine motor skills,
such as picking things up with your fingers, buttoning buttons,
tying shoes, holding a pencil and getting stronger in your hands.
OT also works with Sensory
Integration which relates to a child's ability to process and respond
effectively to sensory input from all around, such as touch, movement,
sounds, sight, tastes and smells. Some children may insist on certain
clothing or eat foods of only certain colors or textures, which
can be a sign of a sensory disorder. Sensory disorders can impact
their ability to learn and interact with their peers and teachers.
OT provides ways to teach children to regulate themselves and more
effectively respond to their environment.
Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy (PT) focuses on gross motor skills, such as
sitting, crawling, walking, running and jumping. Physical therapists
work on exercises to help children strengthen and stretch their
bodies so they can be as independent as possible. They offer children
activities that turn work into play, such as: kicking and throwing
balls, obstacle courses, jumping on a trampoline, and walking on
a balance beam.
Some infants have low
muscle tone (muscles feel soft and movements are weak) and need
help to work on skills to help them walk. Physical therapists work
on strengthening so the infants can learn to pull themselves up,
cruise around furniture, and eventually walk. They also help some
children who need adaptive equipment such as a splint, walker or
wheelchair to help them get around at home, school and community.
Sometimes teenagers may experience sports-related injuries. A soccer
player who develops back pain because of repeated kicking in a certain
position, can benefit from physical therapy techniques like stretching,
massage, home exercises, and hot packs to resume playing without
pain.
How
Can You Get Help?
Parents are generally the first to notice when their child seems
to be developing differently or at a slower rate than other children
their age. Many requests for services come directly from parents.
If you have any concerns about your child's development, you may
want to talk with your family doctor, or you may call Children's
Hospital, at (804) 228-5818, and ask to have your child's development
tested.
If You Are
Concerned About Your Baby's Development…
ALL infants and toddlers (0-36 months) in Virginia are eligible
to have their development checked at no cost to the family. If recommended,
additional testing - which includes speech, hearing, thinking skills,
motor skills and social skills - can also be arranged, again at
no cost to families. For more information contact Children's Hospital's
Infant Services Department at (804) 228-5818.
This material
is provided for informational and educational purposes only; it
does not contain specific medical advice. If you have specific health
questions or problems, consult a health care professional for personal
medical advice. To reach Patient Services at Children's Hospital
of Richmond, call (804) 228-5818.
Children's
Hospital is a specialty pediatric facility with the mission of providing
quality health care to children and financial assistance when needed.
Children's Hospital now offers inpatient, day patient and outpatient
services to more than 8,000 children each year, providing evaluation,
diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of medical conditions.
|
