When a child is diagnosed with a neurodiverse condition, parents become confused about which therapies to focus on and begin therapy shopping, which is harmful to the child. Parents are unaware of all of this because it is all new to them. All medical professionals advise starting therapy because it is so important.
There are numerous therapy options available, including ABA, special education, speech therapy, stem cell therapy, occupational therapy, SSP, and more….. Now comes the question of which therapy is most important for the child.
Parents’ main concerns are that their child is beginning to speak, read, and write, so there is no need for anything. Parents begin seeking speech therapy and special education because they believe their child will be perfect, but this mindset is incorrect.
Let me explain: How?
When a child’s development is delayed, it means the body-brain connection is weak or there are some issues that indicate the child lacks awareness/understanding of his/her body, which affects his/her daily activities.
So, if you are only concerned with speech and special education, rather than the brain-body connection.The child will not improve at all.
Occupational therapy is especially important for children because it serves as a foundation for their overall development.
So, what exactly is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is a department that focuses on helping children develop the skills they need to perform everyday activities effectively and independently. These activities include self-care, school- related tasks, and play activities.
They work with children who face a variety of physical, developmental, sensory, social communication, emotional, and cognitive challenges.
The goal is to connect the child’s brain and body in order to improve the child’s ability to function in daily life while also supporting their overall development and well being.
Occupational therapy areas include:-
- Reflex integration (infantile stimulation/primitive reflexes).
- Developmental Therapy
- Sensory Integration Therapy
- Play Therapy
- Handwriting therapy.
- Visual Perception Therapy.
- Cognitive Therapy.
- Behavior Therapy.
- Feeding Therapy.
- Brain Gym.