• Physiotherapy, Does my child need it?

    Has it come to you to introduce your child to physiotherapy? This one is beneficial to infants, babies, the youth of all ages, & children. Children’s physiotherapy services provided by therapists are something you should look for. For one, childhood health conditions can best be alleviated by physiotherapy like congenital issues, developmental delays, hip dysplasia, neurological conditions, & torticollis.

    Here are more significant reasons why you should introduce physiotherapy with your child:

    Delayed Milestones

    If you think your child is behind or is delayed in achieving his or her next milestone, physiotherapy in Cleveland is just indeed the right option to consider. Whether it is due to conditions like Cerebral Palsy or Down’s syndrome, a program of play can then be created for your child. It’s something personally designed & intended in helping him or her grows.

    Disturbed Sleep

    Is your child struggling with sleeping the entire night? Upon waking up, he or she is complaining of restless legs? It’s when lack of sleep becomes a problem for your child. Lacking it can ultimately be brought by discomfort. The sleeping patterns serve as a good indicator of what goes inside the body of your child. Now if he or she is still in pain and is suffering mobility issues, let him or her be assessed by a physiotherapist. This way, you’ll know what is to best do to alleviate his or her discomfort. It can then easily be treated leaving you not stressed with your child, too.

    Aches, Pains, & Injuries

    Kids may believe in themselves as indestructible. They like it playing around as always. But just the same with adults, they also are prone to certain injuries. With developing bones and growth spurts, they are more at risk of getting injured. This is especially true to their daily activities. Good thing, physiotherapy in the Sunshine Coast  is the best solution to help them get back to being a kid.

    Fatigue & Stamina

    If your child comes unnaturally tired after attending school activities, it’s when physiotherapy makes perfect sense here. Help him or her to easily keep up with the family on the family day out. Stop the struggles that your child is facing when attending trips & birthday parties.

    Stamina and fatigue are common complaints of mostly all children. But, it never should limit your child to function well. If tiredness still becomes a problem for your child, physiotherapy is more than useful to consider. It teaches your child so many ways to manage fatigue and increase his or her stamina & fitness. This way, he or she will live an active & full lifestyle.

    Scoliosis

    Is there any abnormality observed in the back of your child? If yes, it can be defined as scoliosis. Physiotherapy comes in as the best course of action. What this incorporates are other recommendations and gentle manual technique exercises. It’s purposeful in the sense that it reduces impacts. It also avoids the progression of any changes in the spine.

    Coordination & Balance

    Is your child clumsy or accident-prone? Does he or she fall over in the playground as always? While you may be upset because of it, but know that you’re never alone. A lot of children have a poor coordination and balance. That’s why they fall over on frequent times.

    Children’s physiotherapy can help retrain your child’s body in moving without even falling over. Know that poor balance can be attributed to different underlying issues. The solution presented can solve the deepest root of the problem. It can further challenge your child’s body and improve more of his or her specific muscle strength. Finally, you can say goodbye to torn trousers, grazed knees, & holes in tights.

    All these reasons mentioned simply are enough in making you realize the true power of physiotherapy. This is what your child needs the most for him or her to function well in life!

  • What is Speech Therapy?

    Speech therapy concentrates on the vocabulary of receptivity, with the capacity to comprehend the words you have spoken and the language of communication or the desire to say words. It also includes word mechanics including, articulation, pitch, fluency, and volume. Some children need language aid only, although others have the most difficulties with speech mechanics. Some children need assistance with many aspects of vocabulary, voice, and swallowing.

    At the age of just three months, infants begin to learn speech skills. Its speech development lasts until the age of 8, and its expansion into puberty continues. The first five years of your infant are crucial both for language and speech development. It is essential to check for milestones that could suggest a time delay in action, especially in the early stages. If you find a concern, your child’s growth can be impacted by pediatric speech therapy.

    Language-speaking therapy addresses language and connectivity difficulties. It will help people with automation better connect visually, nonverbally, and socially. Challenges relating to contact and voice differ from individual to individual. Any people on the continuum of autism cannot speak. Others love to chat, but it is impossible to communicate or comprehend the vocabulary and facial gestures of the body when talking. Speech therapy for autism can help a child learn many oral and written comprehension skills. This advanced care will help establish connections, strengthen the brain and increase the overall quality of life. Moreover, speech therapy is designed for children; it can help someone of any age who has trouble with their communication abilities or relationships with others.

    Significance of Speech Therapy in Autism

    For speech therapy, nearly anybody with an autism spectrum disorder is advised. In some cases, it is entirely recommended that many autistic children have restricted or compromised language and need support in word and sentence-forming. But even rather vocal individuals with elevated autism are more likely to be spoken. It is because while they can form terms and phrases, their vocabulary is sometimes misused and confused. Below are the importance of having speech therapy for children with autism.

    It improves communication. Language therapy can allow kids to express their desires and wishes, starting at the most simple stage. It may be non-verbal, for example, through gestures or facial expressions, sign language, or an imaging exchange method. Or children may be taught to use basic sounds or approximations to ask for what they want or want while they are yet unable to say words or phrases in full. Communication may also take the form of a speech output system in which an infant knows how to use the technology for “speaking” voices. It is useful and starts very early in life to communicate in any form. Hence, speech therapy tends to lead to an improved understanding over time.

    It helps develop social skills. Speech therapy may assist children with their acquisition of social skills. Firstly it will teach skills such as matching face-to-face feelings and how to lead a conversation; it also explores abstract skills such as knowing and interpreting the nonverbal language of others and learning to interact in diverse environments and with different relationship partners. It will help to improve relationships with others and to make children or even adults build stronger connections. Children who undergo autism treatment can practice this pragmatic field of communication with speech therapy, which does not always grow immediately for everyone, create and maintain friendships, and bloom in happy, more integrated children.

    It is conducted professionally. A speech-language pathologist or SLP is the specialist responsible for speech therapy for your child. Speech therapy or speech coaches are older or less formal terminology for such experts. The pathologist holds a master’s degree in speech and language from an approved speech school, has a professional residency, and has been trained for work in the field. The SLP will test the interests of your child to decide which interventions are better tailored to it. It is working to find enjoyable activities in places of failure to improve the children’s concerns and problems.

    Nevertheless, it is still necessary to note that every psychiatrist must fulfill your child’s criteria individually. That is why you would like to see, interview, and watch your child’s therapist. The therapist will also be asked to provide references of parents of kids with similar needs. Some therapists are great for talking to kids but not sufficient for nonverbal children and vice versa.

  • Exercises for Cerebral Palsy

    A full variety of motor impairments at varying severity are characterized by brain paralysis. Therefore, there are no two children who have brain paralysis the same way. Some may be impacted in the knees, on the one hand, or the whole body, depending on how serious the signs are or on what areas of the body of a child can need one or more different forms of care. Individual needs and care vary from person to person. Earlier, cerebral palsy treatment can help strengthen the function and changes for adolescent nervous and musculoskeletal structures, even though original disruption to the brain palsy cannot be reversed.

    Cerebral palsy is as hard as it is, and there is no solution to cookie cutting, as each person is affected differently. Although cerebral paralysis cannot be relieved of the brain damages, a wide variety of treatments can handle the resultant physical disability. A person’s cerebral palsy type, disability degree, and severity level help to assess treatment. Although, there is no universal procedure established in all cases. Since rehabilitation and adaptive equipment are the primary care for cerebral palsy, drug treatment, and surgery can also be needed for an individual. Some families are looking to complementary and herbal drugs for additional help with caution and medical advice.

    Children with cerebral palsy will benefit from training. A doctor or physiotherapist will prescribe therapies that relate to the physical disabilities of your infant. Exercise helps children with cerebral paralysis in a variety of areas that boost and child’s health. Exercise stimulates the muscle, decreases blood pressure, and retains regulated weight. It also results in improved breathing and lung function. Flexibility, muscle tone, bone strength, and muscle also helps. Furthermore, playing with other children develops social skills, such as sharing, turning, and becoming mindful of others. Aside from that, there are proper exercises for kids that can treat this problem.

    Deep breathing. In most cases, the diaphragm is synonymous with respiratory activity, and you should recognize that its central flexibility still plays a significant role. The diaphragm induces changes in the trunk’s tension, which affect posture, equilibrium, and stability of the spine. Take in and out a couple of deep breaths. Deep respiration includes diaphragms, abdominal and intercostal fluids. They all have to cooperate in pumping oxygen into and out of your lungs, which will finally boost the heart.

    Play therapy. It is a prescribed type of cerebral palsy exercises. Playing is more than leisure and is vital to the growth of your infant. It is crucial to ensure the toys are available to your child and that the child may show his or her desires. Play releases tension and continues to improve emotionally and physically. The hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills are improved. It also helps you and your child to laugh through a general form of treatment. Putting a small kid on the floor provides him with an ability to practice, explore and use his independence.

    Indoor activities. For any child, stretching is a helpful workout. Yoga, which often alleviates tension, is an ideal means of stretching for cerebral paralytic children. Dancing is also an amusing and profitable way of doing things. Dancing can enhance coordination, ventilation, and circulation, according to the cerebral palsy therapy guide. For an overall equilibrium, posture, and fitness, a solid core is critical since it integrates the upper and lower body. Children with brain paralysis and a poor heart are most likely to suffer indigestion, breath shortage, and injury issues. Therefore, main drills for indoor activities are essential for the possibility of complications to be reduced.

    Outdoor activities. The suitable types of exercise include horseback riding for children with cerebral paralysis. Exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming is generally used for child cerebral palsy treatment with some form of disability. The buoyancy relieves pressure on the bones and joints, not just water calming for many youngsters. It is a perfect way to practice playing outside only with your child in the form of a catch-and-seek game. Besides being enjoyable, playing games will also encourage you and your child to get together.

    Planking. It requires the use of strength for the whole body, making it a very effective workout. Allow your child to get into a push-up stance. It should be a little wider than the back-width of his or her shoulder and spine. The head should look down to the deck. If your child considers a standard board challenging, put them on their knees than their toes or forearms rather than their shoulders. It decreases strain and strengthens the stability of the heart. Keep the place for or as long as your child might be, 20-30 seconds.

  • OT for Kids – How does it help?

    The children’s early years are vital because their emotional, social and physical growth occurs in those years. The first three years are highly essential, as the brain grows during this period. However, this developmental milestone is not successful for each infant. Any of them may not grow as they expect to, and development or progress has been limited or postponed. It will significantly benefit occupational therapy when an infant faces these challenges and needs assistance to progress optimally.

    In occupational therapy for kids, there are many misunderstandings. It stems primarily from those who do not entirely grasp the point of treatment. Children may get occupational medicine and benefit from it because it allows their abilities and growth to increase. This method aims to enable a child to have regular life and fulfill the unique needs of each child. Many children will appreciate occupational therapy. To gain from this form of treatment, they do not have to be behind. However, your child can get much more significant benefits of personalized occupational care when he or she is behind some form of growth.

    Most children do not understand occupational therapy since they considered it to be a game. Kids will love learning new techniques. Also, the more fun they enjoy, the more abilities they are likely to build and the longer they are going to be. Workplace counseling encompasses all abilities that help children become captured and drive their friends along in many ways. Below are the ways how therapy help in kids’ development.

    It improves independence. It is the primary justification for clinical counseling for children. People tend to look after themselves as they grow. They like personalized activities such as washing, dressing, and walking to the toilet with no support. OT for kids is the only treatment that relies primarily on developing those abilities of self-handling. These skills include washing, eating, grooming, hygienic activities, bathing, going to the toilet, and additional duties such as preparing food.

    It boosts strength and endurance. Although standard fitness, stamina, or resistance to tasks are common in the treatment, occupational therapy distinguishes itself by the possibility of assessment. The mobility or cognitive needs of daily duties, innovative activities, and exercises to draw on the person’s actual skills to promote daily independence are essential. Besides, creativity can improve global therapy efficiency by continuously updating or increasing relative demand for physical or cognitive tasks. It keeps children engaged and challenged most of the time.

    It enhances coordination. This technique is designed to function effectively with the child’s legs and arms. In essence, they are classified into two broad categories: bilateral coordination and hand-eye coordination. Occupational therapy teaches your child to strike a ball with a bat and take a ball for hand-eye coordination. Bilateral acts allow all sides of the body to be used correctly. You may ask your child to roll pastry sheets out of play dough, to pull a hand-over-hand rope, and many more.

    It helps in sensory processing. Generally, it is impossible to synthesize information in the five vital senses such as hear, smell, sight, touch, and taste – by children with sensory disorders. Over and under sensitivity in multiple environments, such as kindergarten, home, or elsewhere, can be encountered by these children. The children also feel hard to be vigilant and distracted by a loud fire alarm and so on. They are still seeking to discourage recesses and sports. Hence, occupational therapy for kids Brisbane may help the young people recover their skills and resolve the problem adequately.

    It promotes good motor skills. Fine motor skills are needed immediately for kids with issues with a hand, fingers, and forearm. The specific treatment involves simple arm, wrist, and finger movements to ensure they can do routine work such as comfortably handling a pencil. Give them scissors to cover them and ask them to cut the paper forms. Support your child with heart and shoulder exercises to achieve gross motor skills. It involves a hop-show, walking on an unstable surface, swimming, and wheelbarrow walk.

    Contact trained specialists in therapy if your child wants assistance with all of the skills to complete their everyday activities. Professionals will help your child in learning necessary everyday skills and helping adapt to new skills that will simplify and satisfy their lives.

     

     

  • 4 Tips for Reducing your Childs Screen Time

    It is imperative to reduce your children’s screen time as they may engage in risky behaviour when they become older. These electronic gadgets may keep your children occupied but parents may not desire excessive exposure of their loved ones to them. Therefore, it becomes essential to decrease the screen time of your children. You may seek assistance from occupational therapy sunshine coast to help your children spend less time watching television or playing video games. You may find it a tricky job to set limits on televisions and smartphones amid the massive technological revolution. The tips below will help you bring down the screen time of your child:

    1. Plan a time to keep gadgets aside

    It is essential to set aside a time for all family members to stay away from their electronic devices. It may be for an hour before bed or evening time when you may take your children to the park for some outdoor play. This will give your family members an opportunity to spend quality time with each other.

    2. Try to set a good example

    Parents can influence the behaviour of children to a great extent. Therefore, parents must become role models for their children when it comes to screen usage. Before you grab your smartphone, tablet, or watch the television, make sure you are setting an example for your children. The lesser time you spend watching television or browsing smartphones, the stronger message it will convey to your child. You may find several reliable centres that will be OT for kids.

    3. Make sure you know the perils of social media

    Children of the current era are highly tech-savvy. They can operate electronic gadgets with great ease and gain knowledge of new apps faster. Therefore, parents must remain aware of the latest apps, games, perils of excessive social media use, and trends, among others. For instance, you may not be able to inform your children about the disadvantages of social media unless and until you are aware of these risks yourself. So it is necessary to be on your toes when it comes to the various dangers of social media. Contact occupational therapy Gold Coast if you face any hassle in establishing healthy communication with your children.

    4. Establish technology-free zones

    It is necessary to create some zones in your home where you cannot take your electronic gadgets. The area must be segregated from the rest of the house and no gadgets like smartphones, tabs, video games, or laptops should be allowed there. For instance, you may make your dining or kitchen area the zone where no electronic gadget should be allowed. You must keep these zones available for healthy conversation over the meal. It will also help in enhancing the bond among all the family members.

    Conclusion:

    The above tips will certainly help in declining the screen time of your children. OT for children will help in improving the everyday skills of your child and help him become more independent. Encouraging your child to participate in some fruitful activities will assist in bringing out their best. It may include reading an interesting book, playing outside, or making a beautiful sketch. It will help to keep your children away from electronic gadgets and video games.

  • Why Refer a Child/Family to a Physio?

    Physiotherapists are trained professionals who can cater to the injuries and health conditions of individuals who find difficulty in moving and performing their daily activities. These days, physiotherapists not only treat the needs of adults but kids as well who suffer such issues. These professionals are known as paediatric physiotherapists who have mastery in dealing with children of all ages. May it be a newborn or an adolescent, physiotherapists have the skills to work with kids and look out for solutions concerning health development in children. They care for your child and thus can prove to be a helping hand to your kids health issues. There are various reasons to opt for physio therapy for kids; here are a few of them:

    • When you find out that a child is being impacted by an injury or any condition that impacts them adversely.
    • When the child is experiencing some kind of pain daily, and the reason is not apparent enough to why this pain arises daily
    • If your child has not started walking or moving around as per their age, you can consider going in for childrens physiotherapy. This will help you to get acquainted with the root cause and to get a solution for the same.
    • If you feel that the kids are not able to perform well in sports or similar events and wish to enhance performance.
    • When you find that your child is facing difficulty moving and it is affecting their general abilities as well as becoming a hindrance to their performance.
    • Sometimes the pain that a child experiences may be caused by some underlying problem and as such cannot only affect their mood and health but also the family environment. Such things can bring unpleasantness in the daily life of family members and can bring in tensions and frustration.
    • In relation to seeking physical health and weight-related advice from expert physiotherapists
    • If your kids face issues with posture, balance, motor skills, coordination, and other related problems, you can seek assistance from a physiotherapist and opt for physio for kids.
    • Another reason to knock the doors of a physiotherapist is when you find that you or your kids experience any kind of joint or muscle pain that brings in weakness and discomfort to the movement.
    • If you are succumbing to ailments like plagiocephaly or scoliosis, which should be immediately addressed before the case worsens.
    • If you or your child have recovered from any kind of illness or have undergone surgery and are looking ahead to improve movement, independence, and strength

    Conclusion:

    Physiotherapy sessions can help in improving the range of movement and also aids in hiking the muscle strength for the betterment of children. These above-mentioned reasons are strong enough to force you to seek physio therapy for kids Brisbane. So, if you are someone with the concerns discussed above, you should consider visiting a physiotherapist to gain control over any kind of disability or discomfort that may be affecting your child.

  • How an Occupational Therapist Can Help Your Child

    Occupational Therapists may help your child in several significant ways. They play an important role in the overall growth of your children. They are quite instrumental when it comes to play skills, behavioral issues, cognitive skills and the handwriting skills of your children. It is appropriate to seek occupational therapy for children Brisbane whenever its requirement arises. Occupational Therapists can be described as health care professionals who have gained immense specialization in occupational therapy and occupational science. These professionals rely on scientific bases and holistic perspective to boost an individual’s capacity to achieve their daily roles.

    Here is how they can assist your child:

    Handwriting and other vital skills for school

    The tabletop hand skills like handwriting skills will be enhanced via a holistic OT approach. It will include seating and posture alternations in a bid to support the usage of hands and eyes. Children are encouraged to practice by writing letters to family members and other loved ones.

    Scar management

    Whenever an injury is sustained or a surgery takes place, OT’s will help in curing or preventing keloid scarring. OT’s alleviate the risk of deformity. OT’s also prove useful in assisting scar management via treatments like massage, silicone, and vibration. You may seek occupational therapy treatment whenever you feel its requirement arises.

    Help participate in life activities

    The various activities let children with disabilities access and take part in interesting activities with their loved ones and peers. OT’s prove helpful with problem-solving skills to enhance unbiased participation in school, houses via amendment of verbal and visual expression.

    Equipment and technology prescription

    OT’s also prove instrumental in the assessment prescription and funding application required for your children’s involvement in daily chores. They have swift access to assistive equipment and technology. It will make a huge difference in your children’s independence in accessing the school curriculum and in self-care activities like bathing and toileting. It would also make a significant difference in your children’s independence.

    Home modification

    When your child suffers from a chronic or degenerative condition, OT’s will come to their rescue. These conditions may impact your children’s ability to access the home environment. OT’s prove helpful in assessment and funding applications of home adjustments to enhance independence and social connectivity for their child and family. OT’s ensure that children live their lives in the best possible manner.  You can seek the various therapy services for your children from an expert OT.

    Conclusion:

    OT’s can make a significant positive difference in your children’s growth. So you must seek OT for kids for your child. Your child may suffer from several behavioural issues that you may not be able to address effectively. These issues may lead to peer exclusion and social isolation when it comes to the child and family. It is important to address these issues at the earliest. Seek the assistance of OT’s as they will offer behavioural support and modification to your child, families, and teachers. OT’s will implement some useful strategies to enhance increased socially acceptable behaviour.

  • Our New Normal

    With the easing of restrictions as a result of COVID-19 we are currently transitioning back to face-to-face appointments within the clinic. We have made every effort to ensure that this transition is as smooth and as safe as possible for all our clients and staff and have secured additional space within our Ormiston precinct to ensure we maintain the appropriate social distancing.

    Upon entrance to the practice, we will be taking temperatures, asking all to use hand sanitiser but most importantly, we ask that if you or your child are unwell, please call and rearrange your appointment to a time when you are feeling better.

    Tele health and home visits continue to be an important part of our business here at Optimum Movement and we will continue to offer these services throughout this period. If you wish to speak to someone about how Tele health may work for you or book an appointment please call us on 3821 3399. We understand that this has been a difficult time for everyone to navigate and really do appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we transition to “our new normal”.

  • NEW GOLD COAST LOCATION

    We are pleased to announce that Optimum Movement is now offering Occupational Therapy Services on the Gold Coast. Located at the Physio 4 Kids Clinic in Robina , our clinician is available weekly on a Tuesday between 9am – 5pm.  Specialising in OT services for kids, teens and young adults, we are also a Registered NDIS Provider.  For further information or to make an appointment, please call our clinic on 3821 3399 or email admin@optimummovement.comq

  • NEW SENIOR PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

    We would like to welcome Debra Khan to our team here at Optimum Movement.  Deb brings 15 years of paediatric experience to the Ormiston Clinic as well as a philosophy of making her sessions fun and outcomes achieveable.  Specialising in rehabilitation therapy for children with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and other neurological conditions her aim is to help ensure therapy gains can be translated to optimal engagement and participation in everyday life.  For further information or to arrange an appointment, please call our call our clinic on 3821 3399 or admin@optimummovement.com