Occupational Therapy

The early years of a child’s life are very crucial as in those years the cognitive, social, and physical development of the child takes place. The first 3 years are especially very critical because the brain evolves during this duration. But, not every kid successfully passes through these developmental milestones. If a child faces these problems and needs support to develop optimally, then occupational therapy may be of immense help.

The primary goal of an Occupational Therapist (OT) is to help to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life by:

Occupational therapy focuses on the development of life skills that enable children to function purposefully within their environment. This can include (but is not limited to) development in the areas of:

Fine Motor Skills

ADLs (activities of daily living)

Visual Perceptual Skills

Visual-Motor Skills – coordination of eyes and hands for:

Upper Body Strength and Endurance

Splinting and Positioning

Sensory Processing Skills

Speech Therapy

Speech and Language Therapy Service provides evidence based services that anticipate and respond to the needs of children and young people who experience speech, language, communication or swallowing difficulties and beyond. Our therapy teams assess, diagnose, and provide therapy for children to help them communicate to the best of their ability.

Our trained pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists evaluate and treat children of all ages. They use a comprehensive, family-centered, goal-oriented plan of care.

Areas addressed in Speech-Language Therapy include:

Sensory Integration Therapy

Sensory Integration Therapy is used to treat individuals with Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) which occur when there is an inability of the brain to correctly process information brought in by the senses. It can affect coordination, learning, attention, behavior, emotional tone, and self-esteem. Children with SPD are often overly sensitive to sensory stimuli, under-responsive to sensory stimuli or fluctuate depending upon the situation or environment. Some children appear inattentive, overly sensitive to smells or unexpected touch, resist new situations, or appear uncoordinated. Successful treatment requires a specific approach and appropriate equipment. Sensory integration therapy aims to help kids with sensory processing issues by exposing them to sensory stimulation in a structured, repetitive way. The theory behind it is that over time, the brain will adapt and allow kids to process and react to sensations more efficiently. Our suspended equipment, weighted garments and other specialized tools offer treatment options that are highly effective for children with these disorders.

Group Therapy

Group therapy involves two (or) three therapists working with a select small group of children on weekly once. These groups include skill-building exercises and practice with age-appropriate peers. Social skill groups are typically aimed towards developing social skills in younger children, approximately ages two to eight. Social skill group therapy sessions can involve role-playing practices to help kids better understand how to start conversations as well as appropriate body language.

Group Therapy are in combination with individual therapy. If your child is receiving individual therapy, it is best to speak to your therapist about your child’s individual treatment plan. There are cases where children must be receiving group therapy in addition to individual therapy. Our therapist can best help you determine the treatment plan.

What are the benefits of group therapy?

• Universality: Children and adolescents often feel their problems are unique to them and this can lead to feelings of loneliness. Being a part of a group of people who have similar problems make children feel validated, supported, and understood.
• Sharing: Through the use of developmentally appropriate activities, children and kids will be able to appropriately articulate feelings and social feedback that they would have difficulty expressing to adults.
• Forming Relationships: Groups provide a safe and structured environment that allows kids to have positive social interactions with peers that create supportive bonds.
• Social skills: Groups provide a setting in which children and adolescents are able to learn through social interactions. The therapist models active listening, providing constructive feedback, and offering support. Group members also provide feedback on social behaviours. Over time group members pick up on these behaviours and implement them both in-group setting and in their everyday lives.
• Improved self-esteem: Group therapy provides a platform for children and adolescents to help others. Many times, children feel as though they cannot help others because they have needed so much support themselves. However, in a group setting they realize that they have skills and experience that may be helpful to their peers. The power of helping others is therapeutic and enhances self-esteem and self-worth.
• Increased coping skills: Through the use of structured activities, the therapist teaches proven strategies to cope with specific problems. Group members will have the opportunity to practice these skills in a safe environment and receive feedback. With time, group members begin incorporating these strategies into their daily lives.

Autism Intervention

Autism therapies are interventions that attempt to lessen the deficits and problem behavior’s associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to increase the quality of life and functional independence of autistic individuals. Treatment is typically catered to person's needs. Treatments fall into two major categories: educational interventions and medical management. Training and support are also given to families of those with ASD

Mental health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Special Education Assistance

Special Education programs are designed for those students who are mentally, physically, socially and/or emotionally delayed. This aspect of “delay,” broadly categorized as a developmental delay, signify an aspect of the child's overall development (physical, cognitive, scholastic skills) which place them behind their peers.

Child Psychological Assessment & Counselling

We provide comprehensive assessments and tailored counselling services, sensitive to each individual child’s development, needs and experiences. We use a collaborative approach with the whole family as appropriate to ensure each child is getting the support they need to overcome challenges and reach their maximum potential in all aspects of their development and growth

Pediatric Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists support and young people who have difficulty with movement and treat short and long-term conditions that impact on physical development, activity and their ability to participate in play, learning and socializing. Following an assessment, physiotherapy programmes are devised in collaboration with both the child/young person and their family. Treatment is incorporated into simple everyday activities. Advice and training are provided so that the family can help and encourage the child to practice their physiotherapy programmes.

Neurodevelopmental Treatment

Neurodevelopmental treatment is a hands-on, client-centered approach that seeks to improve gross motor function in children with neurological problems (such as cerebral palsy), and thereby improve their independence in a variety of contexts.

Audiology

Audiology is the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss and balance problems. This enables us to provide an holistic assessment of the child as well as to provide appropriate recommendations for further assessments