Here at Little Feet Therapy, our pediatric occupational therapists and pediatric physical therapists are trained to practice generally.
This means they can treat anything that falls within the purview of their field of medicine.
However, we do have a special interest in treatment for certain conditions.
If you’ve gotten a referral to an occupational therapist or a physical therapist for your child, whatever the reason, rest assured Little Feet Therapy can help. However, our pediatric therapists either have a special interest, or special training, in treatment for the following conditions:
If your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they may have trouble focusing, sitting still, being organized, or remembering to complete various tasks. Pediatric occupational therapy can help address these issues. Kids with ADHD may also have difficulty socializing, which is another area where a pediatric occupational therapist can help.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition with wide ranging symptoms. If you have an autistic child, they might have difficulty with social skills, which a pediatric occupational therapist can help with. They might also have gross motor skills delays – pediatric physical therapy can help.
Speech and language disorders can affect a child’s ability to communicate clearly and understand others. Your child might have trouble expressing thoughts, following directions, or being understood. Pediatric speech therapy helps build the skills they need to communicate effectively and confidently in daily life.
AAC
Some children have limited or no spoken language and need other ways to communicate. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes tools like picture boards or speech-generating devices. Pediatric speech therapists can help your child find the right AAC system to express themselves and connect with others.
If your child is struggling to maintain their balance and seems uncoordinated, it could be an issue with their gross motor skills development. Gross motor skills govern the larger movements of the body, like walking, running, jumping, rolling, and so on. Pediatric physical therapy can help address this.
Cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder that affects muscle development. There are many different types of cerebral palsy, but each makes movement difficult. Both pediatric physical therapy and occupational therapy, however, can help teach your child to navigate the world and be independent as possible.
Every kid develops at a different rate, but there are some general milestones they should be achieving by certain dates. If they’re a couple weeks behind but showing progress it’s not cause for concern, but if not, it could be a result of an underlying condition. Pediatric physical and occupational therapy can help.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that can cause a wide range of disabilities. Pediatric physical therapy can help your child develop their muscles and maintain an active lifestyle, while pediatric occupational therapy can help them with self care skills to encourage a happy, independent life.
Some people just have sloppy handwriting – including us healthcare providers. But if your child has poor handwriting, it could be a result of an issue with their fine motor skills, which can cause wide ranging difficulties for them both developmentally and in the future. Pediatric occupational therapy can help.
Self care skills are the things we need to do to enjoy independent lives. These include dressing, grooming, and feeding oneself, as well as washroom related activities. If your child is struggling with these, it could be because of an underlying condition. Pediatric occupational therapy can help.
Does your child seem overwhelmed at loud noises or bright lights? On the other hand, do they seem to not react to sensory stimulus? Do certain textures cause them stress, or do they hate wearing clothes? If so, these are all signs of sensory processing disorder. Pediatric occupational therapy can help.
One of the pediatric occupational therapy specialty services we offer is occupational therapy for social skills deficits. A pediatric occupational therapist can work with your child to enhance their ability to engage with the social world around them. Play is the main “occupation” that children participate in, and within play many of their social skills develop.
It’s very common for children to walk on the balls of their feet when they’re first learning to walk, and this itself is not a cause for concern. However, if they continue to do so past their second birthday, it can cause developmental issues, and may be indicative of an underlying condition. Pediatric physical therapy can help.
If your child has torticollis, they have a twisted neck that causes their head to face downward or upward and off to one side, while tilted in the opposite direction. This is also known as wryneck. While it can cause long term complications, pediatric physical therapy can treat it simply and effectively.