Pediatrics

“Very happy with our son’s care!”

-parent of OSPTI patient

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Pediatric Occupational Therapy (OT) works with children to engage in age-appropriate play, social interaction, self-care skills, and fine motor activities involved in their day, along with sensory-processing concerns. Children learn through play which is their “occupation,” along with being a student when going to school. Through play, children learn and develop social skills, coordination, and self-confidence to try new experiences and explore their environments. OT encourages and incorporates “sensory-filled” play throughout therapy with different kinds of objects for children to use their senses of touch, vision, taste, sound, and movement.

• Occupational Therapy addresses the following:
  • Daily Living skills
  • Fine motor skills
  • Sensory Processing
  • Visual and perceptual skills
  • Weak or poor endurance

• Some signs to look for:
  • Does your child require increased assistance for self-care tasks (dressing, buttons, zipper)
  • Does your child have difficulty with cutting or handwriting
  • Does your child have poor posture and endurance
  • Is your child over sensitive to touch, noise, and smells
  • Does your child have difficulty staying focused

Pediatric Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Our trained Occupational Therapist works with children who are experiencing signs and symptoms of incontinence or pelvic floor dysfunction. Treatment of pediatric incontinence or pelvic floor dysfunction is most beneficial for children aged 5 or older. If you notice these signs and symptoms listed below your child may greatly benefit from the services we can offer.

Most often treatment involves a variety of techniques including education of bladder function, anatomy, bladder irritants, dietary recommendations, information and education on constipation, strategies to help a constipated child, forming a voiding schedule, instruction on the concept of muscle contraction and relaxation with and/or without the use of biofeedback, and toileting posture/positioning for optimal success while voiding.

Signs your child may have incontinence or pelvic floor dysfunction:

• Encopresis- fecal incontinence
• Enuresis- involuntary urination, “bedwetting”
• Constipation
• Frequent UTI’s
• Dysfunctional voiding- abnormal urine flow
• Urge incontinence
• Urinary frequency
• Incomplete bladder emptying

What is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback is a technique you can use to learn to control some of your body’s functions. During biofeedback, you’re connected to electrical sensors that help you receive information about your body. This feedback helps you make subtle changes in your body, such as relaxing certain muscles to achieve the results you want (Mayo Clinic, 2019). In regards to incontinence, making sure you understand to relax your pelvic floor muscles while voiding and to keep them tight or strengthening when it is not time to use the bathroom is the reason your therapist may use biofeedback during treatment.

Pediatric Speech Therapy

Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) work with children to help them produce speech sounds, communicate their wants and needs with words, pictures, and/or sign language and gestures, understand language, work on social skills, and stuttering. SLPs also work on feeding/swallowing skills and oral motor skills.

• Some signs to look for:
  • Your child is not communicating by age 2
  • You cannot understand at least 90% of your child’s speech by age 4
  • Your child has difficulty producing certain speech sounds or words
  • Your child stutters
  • Your child uses little eye contact and has difficulty in social situations

Pediatric Physical Therapy

Pediatric physical therapy works with children of all ages to improve their gross motor skills. Gross motor skills impact play, movement, interacting with peers, and navigating community environments. Physical therapy with look at each individual’s lower and upper extremity strength, core strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination.

• Some signs to look for:
  • Baby has a preference for turning head or looking to one side
  • Delayed developmental milestones (standing, crawling, walking)
  • Trip or fall often
  • Flat feet or walk on tip toes
  • Difficulty keeping up with peers (jumping, hopping, skipping, throwing, kicking)

If you believe your child could benefit from the services listed above or if you have further questions, please contact your primary doctor or OSPTI for more information. A simple phone call could be the first step on the road to success for your child. Call OSPTI at (218) 641 7725.