What is pediatric occupational therapy?
Pediatric occupational therapy helps children develop the skills they need to participate in the activities that are important to them. If I asked you to make a list of the activities your child participates in from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed, these would be considered occupations. Occupations are defined as any activities to which one regularly devotes themselves. Often, for a child, these activities include many skills required for their primary occupation of PLAY. Your child’s list might include things such as this: waking up, getting dressed, feeding themselves breakfast, attending school (playing with others, paying attention, handwriting, etc.), homework, organized extracurricular activities, eating dinner with family, playing with peers outside, taking a bath/shower, getting ready for bed, and sleeping.
Physical impairment, cognitive impairment, and a host of other difficulties can significantly impact your child’s ability to successfully participate in the above mentioned activities. Our goal is to assist and guide your child with treatment, or adaptations, to reach their maximum potential in all identified “occupations” of importance. A pediatric occupational therapist assists in guiding your child through the stages of development.
Below are just a handful of things that pediatric occupational therapists may work on in order to help your child participate in common tasks.
Fine motor skills: finger movements and strength of small and large muscles of the hand, wrist and forearm control, and overall hand strength and coordination.
Gross motor skills: balance and body coordination.
Cognitive skills: initiating a task, following directions, completion of task, sustained and divided attention, and working memory.
Social skills: turn taking, listening and following directions, empathy.
Self care skills: dressing, bathing, self feeding.
Visual Perceptual skills: the ability to organize and interpret the information that is seen and give it meaning.
Sensory Processing: organizing sensation from ones own body and the environment. Interpreting information regarding the following; where body parts are in relation to one another, movement and balance, tactile (information coming in through the skin), smell, taste, hearing, and vision.
The end goal is to help your child participate in the activities that are important to them leading to a competent and confident child who is able to live out the plan and purpose for their life!
Do you really do all OT sessions outdoors in nature? What about incliment weather?
YES! Our philosophy at Nature’s Path OT is that each season offers unique activities to work on established goals. We utilize nature and all of it’s supported health benefits as a therapy tool. We believe that nature itself provides any and all elements required to work on skills. Walking on a log for balance and coordination, picking up and skipping rocks to work on fine motor and upper arm strength, listening to the creek rush by, rustling leaves, or rolling down a hill, to work on sensory processing and attention…just to name a few!
There are few occasions, that even with the proper clothing, conditions would be considered dangerous. However, we believe these occasions to be the exception. We align with the mantra, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” Rain boots, rain jackets, snow boots, snow jackets! In fact, we would argue that during these months of yuckier weather and colder temps, by providing therapy outdoors, we are increasing the benefits exponentially. Often children are not getting nearly enough outdoor unstructured play during these months!
Where will therapy session be conducted?
Woodlake Trailhead Nature Preserve, Black Forest Regional Park, and other locations as applicable.
My child utilizes a wheelchair/walker, is this a good fit and accessible for them?
It is our desire that ALL children have access to therapy services and the benefits that nature provides. Colorado Springs has excellent options for accessibility. We recognize that as a family, it can sometimes be more difficult for you to enjoy the outdoors and nature due to physical barriers. We want to partner with your family to be an additional assistance in your child experiencing the outdoors and receiving all the benefits. Sometimes this requires creativity and hard work, but it is our passion to make this therapeutic model available for all children.
What if the weather is really bad?
In most cases, therapy can be conducted outside in all types of weather. However, if the weather is truly too harsh the session will be rescheduled or moved indoors in the community.
Do you accept insurance?
We are a fee for service provider. This means we do not work directly with insurance companies. We will provide you with a superbill that you can submit to your insurance for out of network reimbursement. We believe by eliminating the insurance middle man, we can pursue a treatment program that is clearly dictated by the child’s needs regarding goals, frequency, and intensity.