Benefits of Occupational Therapy in Children
Benefits of Occupational Therapy in Children
Occupational therapy helps both children and adults live a better life. This therapy can be very useful for sufferers of several types phobia, hyposensitivity disorders and sensory hypersensitivity, and many more. In children, occupational therapy is used to equip children to face school situations, social situations, to have basic skills for social life, and to deal with cognitive and physical changes, so that they can be more accepted in their environment. The simple picture is, if a 5 year old child cannot enter Kindergarten without crying, always plays in public places with his mother, and does not have good writing skills, a simulation is given to prepare the child to learn this. “Well, the therapy can be done with a playing approach or other effective techniques. One of them, with sensory integration so that children respond positively to certain situations, “he said Dewi Anggraini, AMd.OT., S.KM, Occupational Therapist from My Child Growth and Development Clinic Check My Child, Jakarta.
For example, children who are afraid of heights, as well as children who are afraid that their feet will not touch the floor, are given therapy with slow height changes. This experience is designed in a positive, gradual, and slower way, so that the child feels comfortable and the input that comes into his body remains positive so that it is no longer scary. Based on records The American Occupational Therapy Association Inc., after a doctor or psychologist refers a child to an occupational therapist, there are 3 things that an occupational therapist will do, namely:
– Conduct a holistic evaluation of the child through the family and the child, to determine the therapeutic goals to be achieved.
– Designing interventions that will be carried out to improve children’s abilities so that they can adapt to the environment.
– Evaluating post-therapy to make sure the goals of therapy have been met or other intervention plans are needed. For example, added behavioral therapy.
