Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services in Tampa
Our dedicated team works diligently with children to foster their abilities, encouraging them to play, learn, and acquire the necessary skills and self-belief they require to flourish in various settings. Children diagnosed with the following conditions will find our occupational therapy program particularly beneficial:
- Attention deficit disorders, which can interfere with behaviors like focus, instruction-following, and task completion.
- Autism spectrum disorders, which can manifest as challenges with social communication and behavior.
- Cerebral palsy, a condition affecting muscle tone, motion, or posture.
- Delays in fine motor skills, evident when children struggle with activities like drawing, solving puzzles, or dressing themselves.
- Genetic syndromes, such as Down syndrome leading to developmental and cognitive delays, or muscular dystrophy that weakens muscle mass and strength.
- Challenges with handwriting.
- Oral aversion and difficulties in feeding.
- A need for orthotics or specialized equipment.
- Problems with posture and body mechanics.
- Sensory processing disorders and difficulties with self-regulation.
- Limited upper limb strength and stamina.
What To Know About Occupational Therapy In Tampa
Occupational therapy activities for kids
Various occupational activities can be arranged for kids depending on the condition they are faced with. These activities are designed specifically based on a child’s age. For infants & toddlers, some common exercises included are:
- Gentle massage
- Use of specialized, visually stimulating toys to help with light, sound and olfactory input activities.
- Oral motor exercises to improve control in eating
There are also sensory integration activities that enable the child to react more actively and accurately to their surroundings, such as 'Deep Pressure' activities (ex. Weighted vests, weighted blankets and lap blankets). These activities can be active or passive. One way to do this is creating a 'Sensory Corner' by blocking off a corner of a room and using soft furnishing with a variety of textures such as a bean bag which provides deep pressure with a calming effect.
Benefits Of Occupational Therapy For Kids
There are many benefits of pediatric occupational therapy. This type of therapy is used to treat a wide range of diseases and disorders. Pediatric Occupational Therapy can help your child become independent in daily living tasks, become successful academically, address sensory processing difficulties, and much more. Through the use of occupational therapy, the goal is to increase children's independence in everyday living including being able to perform activities of daily life, increase overall strength and stability, enhance social and play skills, improves visual perceptual/visual motor skills and more.
Does My Child Need Occupational Therapy?
If your child has difficulties when it comes to performing daily tasks at school, home, or in the community, or if they experience challenges that do not affect most typically developing children, then occupational therapy may be the solution. You should also contact an occupational therapist when you notice your child suffers from any sort of development delay, gross motor skill, visual processing, oral sensory skills, social interaction skills, or learning challenges. Dacona Medical Center is the occupational therapy institution in Tampa that will be able to cater to your child’s needs.