A Comprehensive Pediatric Physical & Occupational Therapy Facility

Evaluation: 

 
   Performed by a physical therapist/occupational therapist who thereby gathers information both subjective and objective (clinical findings) that determine the child’s strengths, weaknesses and functional limitations.  Goals and objectives are based on the child’s functional limitations and are based on what the child’s needs are.  Home programs are developed according the what and how the family functions and how it can be performed within their schedule.

Consult: 

   Usually not treatment or hands on, rather suggestions and recommendations that assist the child in performing a functional goal.  It may simply be a suggestion to place the soap in a easier container the child can reach for and retrieve the soap so that the functional task of washing hands before meal time can be performed independently.  Consults can be done in the school to provide better posture in a chair or suggestions of what to do about posture when out in other places in the community.

Treatment: 

   Performed by a physical therapist, physical therapy assistant or occupational therapist.  Treatment is either hands on handling by a therapist giving muscular input or direction to weight shift and overall movement that leads to doing a functional task.  The goal of each treatment session is to achieve a functional goal specific for that child.  The child may be working on sit to stand independently, however different techniques may be incorporated throughout the session in preparing the child in performing that task.  Stimulation or sensory into the feet, practicing weight shift forward over onto the feet or attempting to elongate the muscles of the back of thigh especially if they are tight and pulling the child backwards while in sitting.  This is just an example of what may occur prior to the child then practicing the skill or goal itself.