Have you noticed your child seems to be delayed in reaching normal developmental milestones? At Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale, our therapists work with kids of all ages, including kids with behavioral issues, to help them function at their highest potential! Our pediatric occupational therapist specializes in helping children reach critical developmental milestones. Our Occupational therapy is based on a whole-body approach incorporating physical, mental, and cognitive activities and exercises that support children in developing the essential skills they need to function at home and in a school setting.
Pediatric occupational therapists typically work with children with special needs in growth and development to perform daily tasks at home and in school independently. We implement strategies to improve language and communication skills while also helping to improve attention, focus, and social skills and decreasing problem behaviors.
Our Pediatric OTs can help your child if they struggle with things that other children their age can do. We will design a program tailored to your child and, in collaboration with you and other healthcare professionals, ensure that your child receives the best care possible!
Request an appointment today and learn more about our pediatric occupational therapy programs!
What happens in a pediatric occupational therapy session?
Occupational therapy services are essential to the health and educational care of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale, our occupational therapist brings expertise to facilitate the successful participation of kids with all developmental delays, including those with ASD.
Our Carbondale occupational therapists assess and analyze activities and adjust sessions as needed to tailor our interventions to the individual child, and the specific environmental/social factors required.
Occupational therapy could be a great option if your child struggles with everyday activities such as hygiene, feeding, getting dressed, writing, or interacting/playing in social gatherings.
Occupational and physical therapy are often complementary therapies that can be part of a comprehensive treatment program to assist patients in improving mobility, strength, coordination, and regaining independence in their everyday activities.
What is Applied Behavior Analysis?
The term Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) describes a therapeutic technique based on the science of learning and behavior in ASD children. The emphasis of the therapy is to analyze a child’s behavior and assess how it affects communication, learning, and socializing.
The program emphasizes positive reinforcement to improve behavior and diminish harmful behaviors affecting learning and interacting with others. Each time the person uses the behavior or skill successfully, they get a reward. When a reward follows a behavior, the child with ASD is likely to repeat that behavior.
The reward needs to be meaningful to the individual for optimal results. Rewards can include:
- Praise
- A toy or book
- Watching a video
- Access to the playground or other location the child finds fun
Over time, the rewards reinforce and encourage positive behavioral changes. Our occupational therapists at Synergy Therapeutic Group are skilled at finding methods to impact your child’s development significantly!
What to expect at your occupational therapy sessions
Our Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale occupational therapists will conduct an individual assessment determining conditions, areas where they struggle, physical abilities, and desired goals. Next, we will customize activities, including using ABA techniques to improve their ability to perform daily tasks and school activities.
Occupational therapy may be required if your child has difficulty with any of the following areas:
- Difficulty achieving age-appropriate developmental milestones. (i.e., behaviors or skills that most children can do at a certain age)
- Issues with fine motor skills (i.e., difficulty using fingers and hands)
- Trouble with gross motor skills (i.e., lack of coordination)
- Sensory processing problems (i.e., listening and following directions, self-regulation, etc.)
- Self-care skills
- Social and peer interaction skills
- Visual-motor integration
Our therapists routinely work with children struggling to adjust to their environment. Pediatric occupational therapists provide therapeutic interventions to help children develop fine motor skills, cognition, language skills, and more.
Our goal is to identify where they are delayed and provide parents, teachers, and other caregivers with how to help their child navigate their surroundings and learn the skills necessary to learn, communicate, socialize and have fun!
Request an appointment at Synergy Therapeutic Group today!
Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale is happy to evaluate your child and determine their need for treatment.
Call to request an appointment with one of our occupational therapists today!
Sources:
- https://www.aota.org/
- https://www.autismspeaks.org/applied-behavior-analysis
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Xbb2DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=applied+behavior+analysis&ots=DV69yVQbY7&sig=qdJScwfzxxZMCzctPh3Ag-IyI6s#v=onepage&q=applied%20behavior%20analysis&f=false
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/applied-behavior-analysis
