Are you looking for an occupational therapist (OT) for your child? This kind of therapy is designed to assist children with cognitive, physical, and sensitive issues who struggle to be independent in everyday life.
Occupational therapy is capable of improving kids’ school performance, their participation in daily activities, as well as boost their self-confidence. OTs can help young patients develop fine motor skills, good handwriting, and social skills. They also assist patients in improving eye-hand coordination and mastering basic tasks like bathing, brushing teeth, and getting dressed.
There are numerous types of pediatric occupational therapy, such as SuperTalkersTherapy, ensuring young patients and their families are heard and understood.
Follow these tips to find the best therapist.
Consider their experience
The experience of occupational therapists should be checked when hiring such a professional to assist your child. In order for a person to become an OT, he/she must have a master’s degree in occupational therapy, preceded by a BA in a related field, such as physiology or biology. Also, these professionals are expected to have passed the National Board Exam to become licensed in their states.
The education of occupational therapists makes them more than qualified for this profession, even if their experience record isn’t exactly extensive. Both experienced and inexperienced OTs provide a different set of benefits to patients. For instance, new therapists are more energetic and excited to start working with patients equipped with the latest techniques in the field. On the negative side, they might take longer to pinpoint the right treatment for your child.
Experienced therapists, on the other hand, have diagnosed and treated a myriad of children in the course of their careers. Consequently, they’re provided with greater confidence when trying certain techniques. Additionally, their experience helps them think on their feet and handle even the most challenging situations. Nevertheless, these professionals have to invest in training to keep up with the newest techniques.
Consider their personalities
Another crucial factor to have in mind when choosing an occupational therapist for your kid is his/her personality. Occupational therapy treatments resemble play sessions, as it’s the most effective way of engaging with children and making progress. Instead of forcing young patients to do a series of monotonous exercises, OTs strive to make sessions fun and engaging.
Furthermore, games are an excellent method for working on the improvement of fine and gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and sensory processing problems. Hence, the purpose of play-based treatments is for patients to make progress while building a strong relationship with the therapist. Click here to learn everything there is to know about occupational therapy.
Parents can determine whether their occupational therapists are a good fit for their kids by evaluating the excitement of their children for the sessions. If your kid feels excited every time he/she is about to attend therapy, then the personality of the therapist complies with the character of your child.
Young patients should develop an interest in the treatment choices of their OTs in order for therapy to provide results. These professionals should be fun, creative, comfortable to be around, and always in a positive mood.
Discuss results
Discussing the results of occupational therapy is an important aspect of these treatments, as parents need to keep up with the progress of their kids. Nevertheless, it’s paramount for parents to understand that therapists cannot predict the exact time it will take for the sessions to yield positive results. Progress differs in children, depending on the severity of their physical, sensory, and cognitive problems. It might take years for parents and kids to see some results.
Even though the ultimate goal of occupational therapy is to enable patients to participate in everyday activities without any difficulties, there should be multiple minor goals leading to the most important one. OTs are expected to explain the goal they are working on at a given moment and the improvement they have seen so far.
It’s of essential importance for OTs to be open for communication with parents in the course of the treatments. Sometimes, they have to try multiple strategies before opting for the most functional one. Parents must have patience and allow therapists to do their job one step at a time without pressuring them to provide quick results.
Check the treatment plan
Treatment plans should be absolutely considered when choosing an OT. A high-quality plan should include a diagnostic evaluation prior to the treatment, delivered in a written form. Also, the goals of the treatment should be provided in a written form for parents to ensure they are on the same page with OTs.
The OT you opt for is expected to provide intensive treatment a minimum of two times per week. Once-a-week sessions aren’t likely to trigger the desired behavior changes, whereas intensive treatment is believed to produce neurological changes. Parent education has to be an integral part of these programs. Parents deserve to be included in the treatment as much as possible by receiving detailed feedback after each session.
Consider the location
Another factor that matters when choosing an OC to help your kid is the location. For greater convenience, parents are advised to choose a professional whose office is nearby their home. Commuting for more than two hours, three days a week, might soon enough become too much for both children and their parents.
Nevertheless, when finding the perfect occupational therapist, many parents are prepared to sacrifice their free time to take their children to sessions on the other side of town. Although commuting is worth it for therapy sessions with the right professional, the initial enthusiasm has a tendency to drop after some time.
Once the enthusiasm wears off, the number of sessions drops gradually until it reaches a single appointment per week. If possible, find a reputable OT near your home in order not to be tempted to cancel appointments.
To sum up
Occupational therapy can genuinely improve the quality of children’s everyday life.
It’s worth trying!
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