Occupational therapy is client centered health care profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of daily living. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement- WFOT 2012
Working with children. Helping children achieve their developmental milestones such as fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Educating and involving parents, caretakers and others to facilitate the normal development and learning of children.
Occupational therapists focus on the following performance components and performance areas: Gross Motor Skills, Fine Motor Skills/ Prewriting/ Handwriting, Bilateral Integration, Visual Motor Integration, Visual Perceptual Skills, Motor Planning, Sensory Integration, Feeding Intervention, Activities of Daily Living, Play Skills, Socio Emotional Skills, Assistive/Adaptive Device, and Splinting.
FRAME OF REFERENCE AND APPROACHES:
- Neuro developmental Theory (NDT)
- Biomechanical Frame of Reference
- Roods approach
- Sensory Integration
- Behavioral Theory
- Frame of Reference for Visual Perception
METHODS OF TREATMENT:
1.Sensory integration. Sensory integration is the neurological process of organizing the information we get from our bodies and from the world around us for use in daily life. Sensory integration provides a crucial foundation for more complex learning and behavior later. For most children, sensory integration develops in the course of ordinary childhood activities. The organization of behavior, learning and performance is a natural outcome of the process, as is the ability to adapt to incoming sensations. However, for some children, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should. When the process is disorder, a number of problems in learning, development, or behavior may become evident to families and professionals. Treatment services varied and designed to address individual needs of children of all ages. Our philosophy is to support what the child already knows about the way their system processes and uses sensation and activity to interact with their environment.
2.Kinesiology taping/Kinesiotaping. A definitive rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion as well as providing extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy administered within the clinical setting. Latex-free and wearable for days at a time, kinesiotaping is safe for populations ranging from pediatric to geriatric and successfully treats a variety of orthopaedic, neuromuscular, neurological and other medical conditions. Kinesiotaping is a therapeutic taping technique not only offering patient the support they are looking for, but also rehabilitating the affected condition as well. By targeting different receptors within the somatosensory system, it alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin. This lifting affect forms convolutions in the skin thus increasing interstitial space and allowing for a decrease in inflammation of the affected areas. Kinesiotaping is specifically applied to the patient based upon their needs after evaluation. It has been proven to have positive physiological effects on the skin, lymphatic and circulatory system, fascia, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. It can be used in conjunction with a multitude of other treatments and modalities and is effective during the rehabilitative and chronic phases on an injury as well as being used for preventative measures.
3.Music therapy as Neurofeedback. This is an advanced healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual needs of persons of all ages. Music therapy improves the quality of life for people who are well and meets the needs of children and adults with disabilities or illnesses.Music therapy interventions can be designed to promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, enhance memory, improve communication, promote physical rehabilitation, improve socialization, and improve the quality of life. Children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with: stress-related symptoms; mental health needs and issues; developmental and learning disabilities, Autism, PDD, and down syndrome, medical illnesses, such as cardiopulmonary diseases, cancer and end-stage illnesses; brain injuries; and physical disabilities, including acute and chronic pain, and pre-post natal care and pre-post-surgical care can benefit from Music therapy.
4.Constraint-induced Movement Therapy. (CI or CIMT). It is a form of rehabilitation therapy that improves upper extremity function in stroke and other central nervous system damage victims by increasing the use of their affected upper limb. The focus of CIMT is to combine restraint of the unaffected limb and intensive use of the affected limb.
- Sling or triangular bandage, a splint, a sling combined with a resting hand splint, a half glove, and a mitt. Constraint typically consists of placing a mitt on the unaffected hand or a sling or splint on the unaffected arm, forcing the use of the affected limb with the goal of promoting purposeful movements when performing functional tasks.
- The use of the affected limb is called shaping.
5.Applied Behavioral Analysis. This is the process of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles of learning theory to improve socially significant behaviors to a meaningful degree, and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are responsible for the improvement in behavior.