What is Pediatric Therapy?
Understanding Occupational and Speech Therapy and how they can help your child.
What is Occupational Therapy?
According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), occupational therapy is the "science-driven, evidence-based profession that enables people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health and prevent — or live better with — illness, injury, or disability."
Occupational therapists help develop skills that will lead to success in everyday life including: motor, social, personal, academic/professional, and vocational pursuits. The goal of a pediatric occupational therapist is for a child to be able to participate in daily life activities or "occupations" with ease and efficiency.
The primary goals of childhood are to grow, learn and play. A child's occupations are centered around functional skills needed for independence in play, learning, motor skill development, self care, and socialization in their home, school, and community environments.
What is Speech Therapy?
Speech Therapy focuses on several areas of development including receptive language, or the ability to understand words spoken to you, and expressive language, the ability to use words to express yourself. It also deals with the mechanics of producing words, such as articulation, pitch, fluency and volume, as well as feeding and swallowing difficulties.
Communication skills develop in a baby before they have ever spoken their first word. Communication is critical to each of our daily interactions with each other. A speech or language problem is likely to have a significant effect on a child's social and behavioral responses to the world.
Our therapists can identify and improve your child's abilities in expressive and receptive language, functional communication skills, and feeding/swallowing issues.