Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapists work with babies, children, and young people as well as their families to help them become more independent with daily occupations.

Children’s Occupational Therapy

Occupations are the ordinary and familiar activities that children want to do and need to do every day.

Children do lots of activities at home, in school and in the community. Some children find it hard to do things like getting dressed, eating their dinner, access the curriculum at school and participate in outdoor and indoor activities.

We work with children with a range of difficulties which can include:

• Cerebral Palsy
• Spina bifida
• Coordination difficulties like developmental coordination disorder (Dyspraxia)
• Special educational needs
• Developmental delay
• Muscular Dystrophies

What can we do

Occupational therapists from the Child Development Centre (CDC) at St. Luke’s Hospital can help by offering advice and support to children and those around them such as their families and teachers.

The Occupational therapy team see children in the CDC, at home, in mainstream schools, in special schools and in nurseries. We work closely with other professionals and agencies to provide support for children and families including:

• Consultants
• Physiotherapists
• Wheelchair Services
• Specialist Seating companies
• BACES equipment store
• The Physical and medical Team (Education)
• Schools
• Charities

We can also signpost children to groups, social activities and leisure activities which are available in the community.

What services can we offer to our children and young people

We offer a range of service to help children and young people. This would be agreed with the family after the assessment.

• Advice: we provide general information and advice, signpost families to other useful services and make referrals to other professionals.
• School visits: we work with classroom staff to help them understand the child’s difficulties, sometimes we recommend equipment to help the child join in activities, for example a special chair or different pencil.
• Individual work: we sometimes see children on an individual basis to help them achieve key life skills. These programmes of intervention may last a number of weeks and this will be agreed with the child and families/school.
• Parent support: we aim to help the family in understanding the child’s difficulties. We teach strategies for encouraging the child’s independence and confidence in daily living tasks.
• Supporting hospital discharge.

What to expect from your first appointment

Assessments usually happen at the Child Development Centre (CDC).

• At your first appointment, also called an initial assessment, We will ask the family and the child to tell us about their daily routine and this helps us to find out which daily living tasks are difficult for the child.
• During the appointment we may watch the child doing different activities or games, this helps us to identify any difficulties they may be having, for example with movement, coordination, attention or understanding.
• Together with the child and their family we will agree on what goals they would like to work on, we consider what skills are important for the child and their families. We may also discuss any difficulties the child is having in the classroom.
• Following the initial appointment, you and your child may be asked to attend further individual sessions, the therapist may visit you at home or see your child in nursey or school.

Occasionally students may see patients under supervision of a qualified Occupational therapist, in which case you will be asked for your consent, please tell us if this is not acceptable to you.

We use a range of evidence based treatments and regular review our practice to ensure we remain at the front of improving patient care.

Referral criteria

Referral: referrals are made in writing, usually by the child’s GP or Consultant Paediatrician. Families and professionals are welcome to contact the department to discuss a referral in more detail.

If English is not your first language: interpreters can be provided for the assessment if required, contact the office prior to you appointment to arrange this.

Communication difficulties: prior to appointments if you require additional support for communication such as Sign Language please contact the office to arrange this, additionally if you need an advocate or additional support to attend the appointment please contact the office for this to be arranged.

Co-ordination

Neonatal Therapy Service

Specialist Equipment

General advice sheets for children and families

Top Tips & Useful Videos

Source: Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

Sensory processing

Sensory processing is the way that our brain sorts out sensory information so we understand the world and can manage our everyday life.

For most children the development of their sensory processing (sometimes called integration) occurs as part of our normal development and they learn to respond appropriately to sounds, smells, movement etc.

We all have some sensory processing differences. For example, some of us like very strong tastes and smells and others avoid them. Some people enjoy roller coaster rides whilst others would avoid even a merry-go-round. As long as we can manage to take part in the things we want and need to do these sensory processing differences don’t matter or need support.

For some children their sensory development is delayed or disordered, and they struggle to take part in everyday childhood occupations. For example, they are so distressed by noise they can’t go to a friend’s party or they hit out when someone brushes up against them as they experience it as painful.

Our colleagues in Kent have devised a useful resource for parents/carers of children with sensory processing difficulties:

Parent Sensory Workshop

Welcome to this Sensory processing workshop. The workshop is divided into three sections:

1. Introduction to sensory processing
2. The senses
3. Strategies

You are free to watch any of the sections as many times as is helpful.

The idea of the strategies is to enable your child to engage in their daily activities and routines by doing something differently. As Laura says in the video, ‘you know your child best’ and by trying out one strategy at a time you will be able to monitor how these have, or have not helped. It takes time for strategies to be take effect, and then embedded into the daily routine.

All of us have different levels of tolerating and responding to sensations from the world around us, this is usual and what makes us unique. The aim of the workshop is to help you to better understand your child’s sensory processing preferences and challenges so that you can support them at home, at school and in the community.

This is another useful resource colleagues in Scotland developed: Making Sense of Sensory Behaviour

Our Occupational Therapy Service does not provide Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy.