Pediatric DivisionHelping children reach their full potential
When a child appears capable, but is not performing to their potential, underlying foundational skills may be underdeveloped as well as having sensory integration issues. This may cause a child to work harder than others to produce the same results. When a child uses cognitive energy for what should be automatic the output will generally become increasingly labored and inefficient. Over time, the frustration may become so high the child may simply refuse to try new and/or familiar activities. In addition, the child may begin to show signs of developing a poor self-image which, in turn, may manifest itself in behavioral issues. Some of the typical symptoms observed by parents and teachers include the following:
- Tedious, laborious, or messy handwriting
- Difficulty completing homework
- Finding it hard to get thoughts down on paper
- Trouble attending to the task at hand or staying focused
- Reluctance to participate in sports
- Need for more repetition than others to learn a new task
- Trouble staying seated in a chair
- Difficulty with compliance which may or may not result in tantrums
- Hypersensitivity to tags in clothes, seams in socks, hair washing, unexpected touch
- Prefers to touch rather than be touched
- Leans into other people, walls or furniture
- Poor balance and/or coordination
- Difficulty with visual spatial skills
- Slow processing of auditory information
- Reading Comprehension
- Math Concepts
Some children whose motor skills appear to be average or even superior may suffer from aspects of poor sensory integration which many contribute to learning and behavioral problems such as inattention or the inability to sit still.
Children who have trouble processing touch, smell, light or sound may benefit from sensory regulation strategies. These may be designed by the expert staff at Transformations Rehab and are usually incorporated in a home program to be used to regulate behavior as it occurs in a home or school setting.
At Transformations Rehabilitation Services, a qualified Occupational Therapist will perform a comprehensive assessment of your child’s needs. This assessment utilizes a series of standardized and non-standardized assessments designed to identify which developmental components need to be strengthened in order to facilitate a greater level of success for a skill set. Evidence points to the notion that if foundational skills are underdeveloped, merely working to correct the symptoms (such as practicing letter formation over and over) may be counterproductive as it adds to a child’s frustration. Therefore, foundational skills are a key component in facilitating one’s ability to perform tasks efficiently.
