What is Paediatric Occupational Therapy?

Picture
Occupational Therapy is a health profession aimed at promoting an individual’s functional  independence skills in all aspects of daily life. For children, this will mean assisting a child to: reach his or her developmental milestones; access the school curriculum and carry out activities of daily living e.g. to be able to dress and to feed themselves. It also involves assisting children to access play activities.

How can Occupational Therapy at the Banana Tree Practice help your child?

I will work with you and your child in order to promote his or her functional and independence skills. This will involve discussion with you and your child, alongside assessments in order to determine the root cause of your child’s functional difficulties. Functional difficulties may be related to problems with processing sensory information e.g. information received from vision, and movement or with delayed motor skills e.g. difficulties with: coordinating the two sides of the body to work together in order to perform two handed tasks; maintaining balance and with organising and planning movement. As a result, your child may experience: poor visual perceptual skills; poor handwriting; ‘clumsy’ behaviour; difficulty fastening buttons and zips and tying shoelaces and difficulties using scissors etc.

What is Therapy likely to Involve?

Your child will be assessed using both formal and informal assessments. Formal assessments involve standardised tests, whilst informal assessments use observations based upon fun activities and age appropriate play. A questionnaire may also be appropriate and will be sent to you for completion prior to the initial assessment appointment. Areas of assessment may include:
  •  Gross motor skills
  •  Fine motor skills
  •  Sensory processing 
  •  Visual perception
  •  Handwriting
  •  Organisational skills
  •  Self care skills
Intervention following assessment is aimed at promoting your child’s functional skills in order to improve his or her level of independence and may involve all or a mixture of the following:
  • A full Assessment and Report 
  • A block of individual treatment sessions - Treatment goals will be set with an agreed number of treatment sessions. These goals will then be reviewed during the  final session
  • A home/school exercise programme
  • A school visit to observe your child in the classroom setting and to discuss with relevant school staff the difficulties that your child is experiencing. 
  • Advice to teaching staff along with strategies that can be implemented in the classroom in order to help your child. 
  • A review assessment/report
  • Advice regarding adaptive equipment for home and/or school Liaison with other professionals involved with your child
In some instances both Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy intervention may be of benefit to your child. At the Banana Tree Practice we are fortunate to be able to offer joint assessment and treatment planning to ensure that your child receives an integrated therapy programme that best meets their needs in an effective and timely manner.

Areas of Clinical Experience

I currently work full time within The Banana Tree Practice, having left my NHS role as a Highly Specialist Children's Occupational Therapist at a busy Child Development Centre in 2014. 

​My main areas of Clinical expertise include assessment and treatment of:
  • Sensory Processing Difficulties
  • Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) / Dyspraxia
  • Developmental Delay
  • Advice to Schools and Early Years settings regarding normal development and how to help a child to progress towards their functional milestones
  • Fine motor skills and Handwriting Development
  • Assessment of Visual Perceptual Skills and strategies to assist in this area
  • The Alert Programme for Self Regulation

Qualifications
Bsc Honours Degree in Occupational Therapy – University of Ulster 1992
Advanced Practitioner in Sensory Integration Therapy - University of Cardiff 2011

Professional Registrations
British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists  www.cot.co.uk/
Health Professions Council www.hpc-uk.org

Specialist Group Memberships
College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section - Children, Young People and Families 
http://www.cot.co.uk/cotss-children-young-people-families/cot-ss-children-young-people-families
College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section - Occupational Therapists in Independent Practice 
www.cotss-ip.org.uk
Sensory Integration Network UK and Ireland
www.sensoryintegration.org.uk
Member of Paediatric Independent Therapy  (PIT) Group 
A small group of Independent Therapists, working together to ensure continued professional development.

Think we can help? Please contact us.