Outpatient Pediatric Therapy

Along with my time spent in the hospital, I am also fortunate enough to get some experience in a pediatric outpatient setting as well.  Each week I have been spending a day at a pediatric clinic.  I have really enjoyed this opportunity.  I definitely have to think in a whole different way!  The documentation is very different, along with the focus for the children.

In the outpatient world, an occupational therapist may be helping a child increase their fine motor strength and coordination so they can hold their pencil properly at school all day.  A child may be having a hard time dressing themselves or completing other age appropriate self care tasks and that may be one of our goals.  We may work on strengthening various muscles through play and exercises.  They may be struggling with processing all of the sensory input they are receiving and react in frustration and negative behaviors.  As therapists, we could help kids and their parents develop appropriate coping mechanisms and increase their tolerance to various sensory stimuli that their brain previously could not handle.  A child may be having a hard time planning the actions they want to perform or being attentive to a task at hand.  

We may treat children with a diagnosis such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism, developmental delay, anxiety, and so many more.

A lot of kids I have seen have been working on handwriting.  Many of the therapists are either trained in handwriting without tears or use some of their techniques within their treatment sessions.  This is a well known curriculum many teachers use when teaching children to write.

For more information on handwriting without tears and their handwriting strategies visit:

https://www.hwtears.com/hwt

Another important aspect of outpatient pediatric therapy is the occupation of play.  If the child is motivated and excited to participate in therapy, they will not view what they are doing as work but rather a time to play and have fun.  This depends on the age of the child of course, but if a child feels they are simply playing with some of their favorite toys, they can improve desired skills without realizing they are working for it.  Children learn so well through exploration during play and appropriate supports in place. 

                                                                        Retrieved From: http://www.spotstx.com/about/

An additional component of any outpatient therapy is what is done outside of therapy.  As therapists, we cannot fully help a child if they are only working on their goals during one session each week.  It is important to educate parents and children (as appropriate) on what they need to continue working on at home.  We want to make sure parents feel comfortable completing their home program.  We all understand that life gets busy and some weeks are better than others, but with continued work at home, the child can best succeed at meeting their goals.

I look forward to gaining more outpatient experience and will continue to share them with you!