As children grow and develop, individual characteristics, personalities, and unique talents begin to blossom and we get the privilege of witnessing these developments in their early stages. However, not all children are the same, and many will begin to display some setbacks with their development. Varying degrees of developmental issues, delays, or defects can begin to manifest in a child’s early years, and pediatric rehabilitation may be required to help the child through the process. Here, we will discuss the field of pediatric rehabilitation, what it involves, and how you can educate yourself on the different processes.
Get An Evaluation
As we said before, not every child is the same, so it is not expected that every child develops at the same pace as others. Instead, professionals perform individual assessments for each child that are based on a developmental spectrum in order to determine the severity of each case and decide how much intervention is required.
The assessment begins with cognitive issues. Where is the child in the developmental spectrum in language, social, and emotional abilities? Impairments in these areas can have a significant impact on the child’s social acceptance, as well as pave the way for other developmental concerns to manifest later.
Sensory and extremity functions are evaluated next. Determining if the child’s vision, hearing, or other senses are impaired is crucial to understanding any present development issues as they too will have effects on their social acceptance and future development. Meanwhile, testing the child’s extremity function can determine if the child has the proper amount of strength, agility, and range of motion to physically accomplish the expected developmental milestones. A child who is still not walking may simply require physical therapy to strengthen their muscles and help with their coordination, or more intensive intervention may be required.
Finally, the assessment will reveal the existence of skeletal deformities or permanent disabilities. Deformities such as scoliosis, pelvic obliquity, and kyphosis can affect a child’s balance and extremity function, making activities such as sitting or walking very painful and difficult for the child. Meanwhile, children with permanent disabilities such as blindness or muscular dystrophy will rely on effective, routine rehabilitation to help them through the remainder of their development process and live a productive life.
Types of Therapy
Once the assessment is completed and the needs of the child have been determined, we can begin assigning the proper amount of therapy. The most common types of therapy associated with pediatric rehabilitation are physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral therapy. Each form of therapy is designed to address the specific developmental needs of each child, and help them reach their milestones as effectively as possible. Physical and occupational therapy are specially catered to helping children build their strength, overcome balance impairments, increase their range of motion, and many other physical impediments in order to perform their everyday functions. Speech therapy is designed to help children overcome any delays in speech development, or to overcome other impediments such as a stutter.
Visit Excellence Rehab Today!
At Excellence Rehab, we strive to get patients on the road to recovery sooner with our rehabilitation physical therapy services. If you would like to know more about our practice and our services, you may visit our website for more information, or you can schedule your first appointment today and schedule a consultation.