Occupational Therapy: Who’s it for?

Bloom Pediatric Therapy is ready to assist children and their families navigate their way through diagnoses and various occupational therapy challenges, including:

• Breast and Bottle Feeding Difficulty
• Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy
• Developmental or Fine Motor Skills Delays, Sensory Processing Disorders
• Spinal Cord Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Orthopedic Injuries
• Activities of Daily Living: eating, dressing, simple meal prep, organizational skills
• Picky Eating/Narrow eating habits
• Adaptive Skills: Coping with intolerance to certain tastes, smells, textures, sounds, lights, etc.
• Strengthening/Improving Range of Motion

Occupational Therapy: What’s it like?

Bloom Pediatric Therapy develops every treatment plan from scratch. We begin with a thorough evaluation that identifies not only the primary occupational therapy goals but the goals and expectations of the family including details about family life. We understand that family life can be hectic, so we find creative ways to fit home exercise programs into your family’s schedule.

How often will your child come for therapy? The answer depends on your child’s needs, as well as the needs of your family. We understand that appointments may have to be arranged for after school or between other activities, so a typical schedule may involve visits one to two times per week. Serious challenges might need more intensive therapy initially.

Occupational Therapy: How does it work?

We consider occupational therapy to be a family affair. While we begin each plan with standardized tests and clinical observations, we also want to hear directly from you as caregivers. We know that you can provide our team with insight that only a child’s caregiver can provide. For example, you might want to bring homework samples or lists of foods or other items that may be causing sensory discomfort.

When occupational therapy sessions begin, your child will need to bring anything that helps them do the things they do, including splints, braces, walkers, wheelchairs – whatever they are using in daily life.

Typically, your child will meet with the same occupational therapist throughout his or her treatment. We like to build strong relationships between the therapist and the child, as well as the child’s family. It helps to create a powerful, united support group during treatments and at home.

As we mentioned before, Bloom Pediatric Therapy believes in holistic solutions. A large part of the treatment plan will include activities and exercises that can be done at home. Obviously, the more practice and support your child gets at home, the better his or her chances to reach established goals.

The duration and frequency of the treatment plan depends on the challenges your child is facing and the success he or she is experiencing. Occasionally, we may suggest taking a break from the therapy routine to allow your child a chance to apply what he or she has already learned and to work on carryover in other environments. We feel that these breaks can play an important role in maintaining a sense of accomplishment and confidence.