PEDIATRIC REHABILITATION: USING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES

Abstract

Pediatric rehabilitation is a vital resource to help children achieve their developmental milestones. Parents often have concerns about how their children are developing, with the idea that “all children develop at their own pace”. It can be difficult to know when to push for more, get another opinion, or let go of the worry concern. Pediatric rehabilitation is the plurality of services available to support a child and their family in reaching developmental milestones of concern. Pediatric occupational therapists work in conjunction with the family and other caregivers to not only address areas of concern for a child’s development, but to also help families know when they’re right on track (K. C. Dluhosh & Y. Burns, 2014). This text is intended for parents and caregivers who may have concerns about their child’s development but aren’t sure where to start.

Developmental milestones are categorized into four areas: gross motor, fine motor, speech/language, and social/emotional. Gross motor refers to the use and development of large muscles in the body. Fine motor is the development and use of small muscles in the hands and fingers. Speech/language includes the ability to comprehend and communicate thoughts and ideas verbally. Social/emotional includes the ability to interact with and respond to others, as well as developmentally appropriate emotional responses to situations (Soref et al., 2023). Key developmental milestones for each of these areas are included, along with a general timeline of when parents might expect to see these skills emerge. Breakdowns of what gross motor, fine motor, speech/language, and social/emotional skills should be expected at different ages are provided. There is an emphasis on the “red flags” that might signal a child needs further support in a particular area, as well as general signs that might signal other concerns outside the scope of pediatric rehabilitation.