Developmental Therapy
Therapy for Growth
Physical therapy includes activities and exercises that help build motor skills, increase muscle strength, and improve posture and balance.
Physical therapy is important, especially early in a child's life, because physical abilities lay the foundation for other skills. The ability to turn over, crawl, and reach helps infants learn about the world around them and how to interact with it.
A physical therapist also can help a child with special needs compensate for physical challenges, such as low muscle tone, in ways that avoid long-term problems. For example, a physical therapist might help a child establish an efficient walking pattern, rather than one that might lead to foot pain.
Speech-language therapy can help children with special needs improve their communication skills and use language more effectively.
Children with special needs often learn to speak later than their peers. A speech-language therapist can help them develop the early skills necessary for communication, such as imitating sounds.
In many cases, children with special needs understand language and want to communicate before they can speak. A speech-language therapist can help a child use alternate means of communication, such as sign language and pictures until he or she learns to speak.
Learning to communicate is an ongoing process, so a person with special needs also may benefit from speech and language therapy in school as well as later in life. The therapist may help with conversation skills, pronunciation skills, understanding what is read (called comprehension), and learning and remembering words.
Occupational therapy helps find ways to adjust everyday tasks and conditions to match a person's needs and abilities.
This type of therapy teaches self-care skills such as eating, getting dressed, writing and using a computer.
An occupational therapist might offer special tools that can help improve everyday functioning, such as a pencil that is easier to grip.
At the high school level, an occupational therapist could help teenagers identify jobs, careers, or skills that match their interests and strengths.
Emotional and behavioral therapies work to find useful responses to both desirable and undesirable behaviors. Children with special needs may become frustrated because of difficulty communicating, may develop compulsive behaviors, and may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and other mental health issues. These types of therapists try to understand why a child is acting out, create ways and strategies for avoiding or preventing these situations from occurring, and teach better or more positive ways to respond to situations.
A psychologist, counselor, or other mental health professionals can help a child deal with emotions and build coping and interpersonal skills.
The changes in hormone levels that adolescents experience during puberty can cause them to become more aggressive. Behavioral therapists can help teenagers recognize their intense emotions and teach them healthy ways to reach a feeling of calmness.
Parents may also benefit from guidance on how to help a child with special needs manage day-to-day challenges and reach his or her full potential
