What is Paediatric Occupational Therapy?
Paediatric occupational Therapy uses specialist clinical skills and approaches to enable your child to achieve their maximum independence.
We focus on three core occupational Therapy areas self-care (washing, eating and dressing), productivity (being able to attend nursery, school or college) and leisure (being able to participate in hobbies or therapeutic interventions) . We see children in The London Borough of Havering from ages 0-18 who require Occupational Therapy (OT) input.
We work closely with the NHS and educational facilities to ensure that there is a multi-disciplinary approach to your child’s care.
How to refer your child
To refer your child to Paediatric Occupational Therapy please call our Social Care front door team on 01708 432000 or email paediatricot@havering.gov.uk whereby a member of staff will take the referral information and triage this to the Occupational Therapists.
Common conditions we help with
- Sensory processing disorder
- Dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder
- Cerebral palsy
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Trauma
- Developmental delay
- Down syndrome
- Genetic disorders
- Learning disorders
- Spina bifida
- Spinal injury
Who can refer
- GP’s
- Educational staff (Teachers and SENCO’s)
- Nurses
- Parent/carer/legal guardian
- Paediatricians
- Physiotherapists
- Other healthcare professionals
Our assessment and review approach
We consider our service to be friendly and realistic to each child’s individual circumstances and take a holistic approach, in that we see the child as a whole and not focus on one particular area of need.
Our assessment usually takes around 45 minutes depending on your child’s diagnosis and needs. It is a requirement that your child be present for the assessment so that we are able to see how your child is functioning both physically and psychologically which enables us to prescribe the most appropriate intervention. Our work is community based, which means we see your child mainly at home but we will also visit schools/colleges or nurseries where appropriate.
How can we help your child
After an Occupational Therapist has assessed or reviewed your child, they will make professional recommendations based on the outcome of the assessment. Examples of what intervention you may receive are:
Equipment - Such as bath and shower chairs, activity chairs, postural management for eating/feeding.
Housing -Sometimes the home you are currently living in is not suitable for your child's needs, therefore we can provide a housing report which can support your application for moving home.
DFG/major adaptations - As part of our assessment we may find that your home requires a major adaptation to aid in your child being able to meet an occupational area. E.g. a wet room so that they are able to access safe washing facilities. This is dependent on your tenure.
Chair adjustment- We are able to adjust your child’s chair so that it provides maximum support and to ensure the chair dimensions are suitable for your child's needs. Please note we do not provide seating for school/nursery or college. This service is available through NELFT whose contact details are overleaf.
Seating – We have a selection of pre-loaned chairs in our stores and we work closely with chair company reps who will attend an appointment to trial seating for your child. Working alongside the OT’s knowledge with postural management a suitable chair may then be prescribed.
Minor adaptations– In some circumstances rails, for access and mobility around the home can be provided as well as external ramps for wheelchair users.
Advice - Charity funding and practical advice around the home or an external referral to other professional services such as Physiotherapy, child and disability team (CAD) and Speech and Language Therapist (SALT).
Reviews- Once the prescribed intervention has been completed the Paediatric OT’s will review your child’s equipment to ensure suitability. Alternatively a review can be requested if you feel your child’s need have changed.