Occupational Therapy (OT) can address difficulties with self-regulation, sensory processing, body awareness, motor planning, handwriting and development of gross motor and fine motor skills. With specialized training in sensory integration (SI) our therapists aim to improve the child's ability to accurately detect, regulate, interpret and execute appropriate motor and behavioral responses to sensations.
Physical Therapy (PT) specializes in helping children gain greater independence and ease of movement through the development of gross motor skills. Physical therapy particularly benefits children who may fall short meeting developmental milestones or those who lack adequate strength, stamina or coordination to participate in typical daily activities including sports. Therapy focuses on improving muscle flexibility, strength, balance and coordination, endurance, motor planning, motor control and body awareness.
SENSORY INTEGRATION
Sensory Integration refers to the way in which a child registers and interprets sensory information from the environment through a variety of sensory systems. These include visual, auditory, vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, olfactory and gustatory systems. Sensory input provides the child with important information about the environment so that he or she may respond appropriately to the demands of the environment. Well-organized sensory integration is essential for appropriate levels of alter ness, focus, body control, emotional stability and information processing.
REFLEX INTEGRATION
A reflex is an involuntary stereotypical response to a particular stimulus that helps with development, growth and survival. There are specific reflexes that are related to specific stages of development. When retained, reflexes affect a child's posture, hand-eye coordination, ability to cross midline, balance, visual-perceptual skills and establish hand-dominance. Our services help to integrate these reflexes and allow for more streamlined functioning in day-to-day life.
MOTOR PLANNING AND COORDINATION
Motor planning is the ability to order, plan and sequence a series of intentional motor actions. This ability to sequence and plan movements is important in everyday activities. It requires having an idea, developing a plan and then coordinating between the different systems to execute the plan.
FINE MOTOR SKILLS
Fine motor skills involve very small, coordinated movements and strength of the hands to support play, cutting and coloring, handwriting, keyboarding, dexterity and overall self-care (buttoning and zipping, utensils, etc.). We provide services to build your child's skills in this area so that they can function more independently.
GROSS MOTOR IMPROVEMENT
Sometimes children need extra support to engage in developmental activities, such as crawling and walking. Our services help strengthen your child's ability to do these activities independently and with greater ease and frequency.
BALANCE AND COORDINATION
Physical therapy helps children improve their balance as they engage in day-to-day activities such as sitting, walking and standing. This balance is necessary for a child to master so that he or she can use their physical energy and resources to attend to the more important task at hand of play, exploring and learning.