Speech therapy
Pediatric speech therapy consists of the evaluation and treatment of children with communication and swallowing disorders. Our pediatric patients are typically seen for weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one therapy sessions. In addition to therapy, an emphasis is placed on family education to aid the child's progress in maintaining and generalizing newly learned skills outside the therapy setting.
What areas does speech therapy for children address?
- Expressive and receptive language disorders
- Communication disorders (stuttering, voice disorders and speech delay)
- Articulation and phonological disorders
- Cognitive skills (problem-solving and reasoning)
- Social skills
- Oral motor skills
- Augmentative/alternative communication
- Behavior management related to communication impairments
- Auditory processing disorders
- Feeding and swallowing disorders
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy practitioners work with children and their families or caregivers to promote participation in meaningful occupations. For children and youth, occupations include activities that enable them to learn and develop life skills. Recommended interventions are based on a thorough understanding of typical development, the environments in which children engage and the impact of disability, illness, and impairment on the individual child’s development, play, learning, and overall occupational performance. Mary Rutan Hospital Therapy and Sports Medicine’s Occupational Therapy Department has trained therapists to provide individualized treatment in the following areas:
- Developmental delays
- Attention and focus
- Writing delays
- Self-care delays (activities of daily living)
- Strengthening, both general and specific
- Coordination difficulties
- Sensory motor processing and integration
- Perceptual difficulties
- Fine motor delay
- Feeding difficulties
Physical therapy
Pediatric physical therapy involves examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention of children, from birth through adolescence, who are experiencing functional limitations or disability due to trauma, a disorder, or disease. Our treatment consists of developing and disintegrating gross motor skills, balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, gait training, and family education.
What areas does physical therapy address?
- Developmental delays
- Strengthening and endurance
- Sensory processing and integration
- Gross motor concerns
- Flexibility
- Balance and coordination
- Joint mobility
- Gait training
- Vestibular issues