Pediatric Therapy Services

Northwest Texas Healthcare System Children's Hospital Pediatric Therapy Services uses a multidisciplinary, family centered approach in treating children born prematurely or children with physical, neurologic or developmental disorders. Teams provide children with an individualized therapy process that incorporates physical, occupational and speech-language therapy. Because children are treated by therapists who help children transition from inpatient to outpatient therapy, they experience a continuum of care that helps maximize their opportunity for success.

Occupational Therapy

Pediatric occupational therapy at the Northwest Children's Hospital helps promote a child's ability to function at an optimal level in major life roles or activities of daily living. A child's "occupation" is centered on play, age-appropriate self-care and school-related skills. Areas addressed in pediatric occupational therapy include:

• Fine-motor performance for developmental skills, school and play activities
• Sensory integration, perception and organizational skills
• Visual perception and motor skills
• Self-care activities/infant feeding skills
• Developmental skills
• Social skills and coping strategies
• Fabrication of splints and training children in assistive devices
• Family education and home programs

Physical Therapy

Pediatric physical therapy at Northwest Children's Hospital addresses a child's ability to perform functional movement activities, including rolling, crawling, walking and running. Among the areas addressed are:

• 
  Gross motor performance/developmental assessment
• Functional mobility and balance
• Therapeutic exercise/strengthening
• Serial casting and assessment of bracing needs for children's lower extremities
• Equipment needs and modifications including crutches, walkers and wheelchairs
• Family education and home programs

Speech-Language Pathology

Pediatric speech-language pathologists work to help improve the speech, language and feeding skills of children. Conditions and problems that may require speech-language pathology include:

• Apraxia of Speech
  
• Autism
• Augmentative communication
• Brain injury
• Cerebral palsy
• Cleft palate
• Developmental delays
• Feeding and swallowing
• Speech and language deficits
• Social skills coping strategies
• Voice issues.