Occupational Therapy (OT) Week is an opportunity to help increase understanding of occupational therapy among the broader community.

At the RCH Occupational Therapists provide high quality evidenced-based assessment, treatment and consultation for infants, children and adolescents with a range of medical conditions.

Neonates

Paediatric Occupational Therapists (OTs) are interested in how illness and hospitalisation impacts a child’s development. Development is the period of physical, cognitive and social growth that begins at birth and continues through early adulthood. Children develop from engaging in play, routines and social interaction. Illness and hospitalisation impacts on what babies and young children ‘do’ and therefore can impact their development. OT’s use the word ‘occupations’ to describe the everyday activities and routines that babies ‘do.’

Babies are ‘learning’ and ‘doing’ from the day they are born. They learn about themselves and the world around them by having cuddles, being talked to, and when having caring routines such as nappy changes and bathing. They soon can communicate what they are feeling, look at faces, suck on their hands and kick their legs. Babies on the Butterfly ward at The Royal Children’s Hospital are medically fragile, which makes ‘learning’ and ‘doing’ these everyday activities difficult. OT’s help these babies and their parents work through the challenges of being in hospital so they can develop, learn and do typical baby and parent activities.

Sophie is 12 weeks old and has been on the Butterfly ward since her birth. She has a condition called gastroschisis, whereby she was born with her bowel on the outside of her body. Sophie has had three surgeries and has daily medical procedures. Sophie and her parents have been receiving weekly OT to help her learn and develop skills so she can interact with people, explore toys and develop regular and positive routines around play and sleep while in hospital.

“We have both found she really enjoys when her Occupational Therapist Danni comes around, and helps her to find in different positions and movements so that she keeps learning new things while she recovers,” Sophie’s parents Melissa and Doug said.

Sophie has learnt many new skills and is now able to hold her head up, hold and explore new toys, play on her tummy and clap her hands. Because of OT Sophie now enjoys cuddles on her parent’s chest, sitting up and looking around her room, engaging with family and staff and playing with her toys.

“Occupational Therapy has been great and keeps her active so she is not laying in her cot all the time,” her parents added.

Hand therapy

Hand Therapy OTs work with children of all ages who have an acquired or congenital hand condition. Our hands are important for nearly all activities we do!

OT’s play an important role in maximising the child’s hand function and participation in daily activities. Specific hand therapy techniques are used to reduce and prevent muscle tightness/shortening (contractures), optimise movement and minimise scars.

Eight year old Aiden fell through glass when running around the house, cutting his right arm just above the elbow. Aiden damaged his ulnar nerve in the accident, which sends and receives messages for movement and sensation in his hand. He had surgery to repair the nerve and has been coming to OT for the past ten months, to monitor his nerve recovery and enable him to return to the activities he enjoys both at home and school.

The role of OT has been to protect the surgical repair and communicate with Aiden’s family and school about activity restrictions ie. no throwing, climbing or swinging on monkey bars!

As he continued to recover, Aiden has needed hand braces (called splints), handwriting adaptations and strengthening exercises to help his recovery, combined with play and activities he enjoys. Aiden is now able to play footy, swim, climb trees and play equipment, make paper planes, play chess and type on a keyboard.

“OT has been imperative to the rehab of Aiden’s arm,” Aiden’s mother said. “Each session has improved the use and sensation in his hand and arm. Without the therapy and tailored exercises he would have limited use of his hand and arm, and overcompensate other areas.”