Paediatric

ASD

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental problem that adversely affects people’s interaction, communication, behaviour and learning ability. This disorder is considered a developmental problem because the symptoms of ASD can appear during childhood. It is a condition that is associated with the development of the brain and its impact on people’s mental approach in society.

Occupational therapy helps autistic patients develop handwriting, fine motor skills, and daily living skills. Apart from these, OT also helps to assess and target a child’s sensory processing differences.

Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome is one of the rarest neuro-developmental disorders occurring in infancy. This type of disorder mostly affects girls; however it can also be diagnosed in boys as well. The symptoms of Rett Syndrome are mentioned below.

• Loss of coordination and standard movement
• Difficulties with speech and communication
• Difficulties in breathing

An occupational therapist can provide effective assessment and treatment for Rett Syndrome, improving aspects such as balance, co-ordination, fine motor skills, dressing, concentration, handwriting and so on.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is another neuro-developmental disorder, where a child faces the problem of delayed speech. Apart from delay, there are a few more speech issues experienced by children.

• Lack of efficiency in vocabularies or language
• Lack of adaptive behaviour skills

Occupational therapy can be an essential component of the treatment plan for children with CDD. The goal of occupational therapy is to help children with CDD to develop or regain skills necessary for daily living and to improve their quality of life. Occupational therapists work with children with CDD to develop their fine motor skills, such as using pencils, scissors, and utensils. Fine motor skill development can help children with CDD to improve their writing abilities, self-care, and independence.

Development Delay

Developmental delay refers to a significant delay or impairment in one or more areas of a child’s development, such as motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, social and emotional development, and self-care skills. It can occur in children of any age, and there are many different causes, including genetic factors, environmental factors, and medical conditions.

Some common signs of developmental delay in children may include:

1. Delayed or absent crawling, rolling over, walking, or other motor milestones
2. Difficulty with speech and language, such as not speaking in phrases by age 2 or having difficulty following directions
3. Difficulty with social interactions, such as not making eye contact, not responding to social cues, or having difficulty making friends
4. Behavioral issues, such as being overly aggressive or withdrawn
5. Difficulty with self-care tasks, such as dressing, feeding, or using the bathroom independently.

Occupational therapy can be a highly effective intervention for children with developmental delay. Occupational therapists use personalized play-based activities to help children with developmental delay to improve fine and gross motor skills, regulate their responses to different stimuli, such as touch, sound, and movement, cognitive skills development, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving, social skills, such as communication, turn-taking, and sharing and more

ADHD

ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a typical childhood neuro-developmental disorder and, if not treated, can become a significant trouble in adulthood. ADHD is frequently diagnosed during childhood when a child begins to face problems paying attention or managing their behavior in school, home and social situations.

OT uses sensory integration therapy to help kids with ADHD who have sensory processing disorder. The occupational therapist helps to recognize the child’s sensory system, using deep pressure, such as massage, rhythmic and repetitive movements such as swing or trampoline, or listening therapy to help with sensitivity to sounds.

Poor fine motor skills

Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using hands, arms, fingers, feet and wrists muscles. Some of the natural fine motor skills include pencil skills like colouring or writing, brushing teeth, tying shoe laces, opening lunch boxes and so on.

Stroke, dyspraxia, congenital deformities, cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities can hamper a person’s fine motor skills. Depending on the individual case, Occupational Therapy would involve practice of movements regularly to help improve and master the individual’s fine motor skills.

Gross motor skills

Gross motor skills are vital for the movement of your body. Gross motor skills generally involve the core areas of the body responsible for functions such as hand-eye coordination such as catching or throwing, walking, running, skipping, standing, and more.

Occupational Therapy uses an array of therapies to address gross motor skill issues. Some exercises include strengthening the core muscles and improving stability, coordination, balance, attention, awareness, and praxis. Occupational therapist uses some physical activities such as playing, hopscotch, skipping, or climbing to boost sensory modulation, and strategies to improve a child’s ability to plan and anticipate tasks.

Vestibular Dysfunction

Vestibular dysfunction is a disturbance in the body’s balance system due to a disease or injury. Dizziness and trouble with body balance are the most common symptoms of vestibular dysfunction. However, patients might also have trouble with hearing and vision.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy by Occupational therapists helps patients suffering from vestibular dysfunction to return to their daily activities by improving the skills to help manage and improve their symptoms for better participation in purposeful activity.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders affecting movement, muscle tone and posture. It’s caused by damage to the immature, developing brain, most likely before birth. Cerebral palsy causes impaired movement associated with exaggerated reflexes, floppiness or spasticity of the limbs, unusual posture, involuntary movements, unsteady working, and some combination of these. A person with cerebral palsy can have trouble with movement and coordination, speech and eating, developmental delay, and so on.

If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, it’s time to consult an occupational therapist immediately. OT can help you manage your everyday activities and functions, like eating, getting dressed, and using the bathroom by improving your physical and cognitive ability and fine motor skills.

Global developmental delay

Global developmental delay refers to a child who has not gained the developmental skills that other children of his/her age have developed normally. Delay may occur in learning, motor function, speech and language, cognitive, play and social skills.

Occupational therapy can help your child to become more independent and use various ways to detect developmental delay, including tests to assess a child’s motor skills, sensory perception, and cognitive abilities and play to encourage the child to get involved in the treatment and develop a positive attitude towards performing tasks.

Progressive neurological disorder

Progressive neurological disorder, also be referred to as neurodegenerative or degenerative disorders, can affect people’s movement, balance, ability to communicate and cause difficulties with breathing and swallowing.
An occupational therapist can help patients to manage their day to day activities in a way that contributes to their physical, social and emotional well-being. The occupational therapist works with the patient to address the dysfunction using interventions that may look at altering the way a task is performed, adapting the physical environment, teaching the person new skills, or working on regaining the old ones.

ALS, MND

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. ALS often begins with muscle twitching, weakening of the limbs, slurred speech, and trouble eating and breathing.

MND or motor neuron disease is an uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. The condition can cause weakness that gets worse over time.

Although there isn’t any proper cure for ALS or MND, occupational therapy can help these patients successfully complete the functions of daily life – activities like self-care, daily chores, work, leisure talks, and community engagement, and live their life to the fullest.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the brain and spinal cord where the immune system attacks the protective sheath that covers nerve fibres and causes communication troubles between your brain and the rest of the body.

Occupational therapy can help people with Multiple Sclerosis learn to use their energy and abilities in ways that are beneficial, not harmful. Occupational therapists can help patients with MS live independently by providing self-management skills, compensatory strategies for cognitive impairment, and support in balancing independence with assistance from others.

Behaviour Issue

Behavioural issues in children can arise from various factors, such as environmental, social, genetic, and neurological factors. These issues may present themselves in different ways, including aggression, defiance, lack of impulse control, hyperactivity, and difficulty with emotional regulation.

Occupational therapy can play an important role in addressing behavioural issues in children by helping them to develop skills that improve their self-regulation, social interactions, and overall well-being.

Poor Handwriting

Occupational therapy can be highly effective in treating poor handwriting in children. Occupational therapists can use specific handwriting exercises to help children improve their letter formation, spacing, and alignment.

They may also use exercises to improve grip strength and pencil control. These activities can help children develop the hand and finger strength, coordination, and dexterity necessary for good handwriting. Occupational therapists can also work with parents and teachers to modify the child’s environment to make it more conducive to good handwriting. This may include adjusting the height of the child’s desk or chair, or using special writing aids to help the child grip the pencil properly