When it comes to paediatric therapy, parents often find themselves navigating a maze of different therapeutic options, including physiotherapy and occupational therapy. While both are invaluable in supporting a child’s development and well-being, they serve distinct purposes tailored to different aspect of a child’s growth and goals. Understanding these differences between the two can help parents make informed decisions about which discipline is right for their child’s goals.
Understanding paediatric physiotherapy
The journey from infancy through to adolescence involves a profound exploration of developmental milestones, encompassing the acquisition of foundational skills and movements that will set the foundations for a child’s growth. Paediatric physiotherapy is a specialised branch of physiotherapy that tailors to the unique needs of infants, children, and adolescents living with and without a disability. At Mobi Kids, our paediatric physiotherapists focus on addressing physical challenges and promoting optimised functional movement and independence in children. Physiotherapists assess and treat children with various conditions such as global developmental delay, neurological disorders, genetic conditions, prematurity, plagiocephaly, torticollis, and more.
Some areas that paediatric physiotherapy can address include:
- Functional movement and transitions
- Gross motor development
- Gait re-training
- Lower limb and upper limb strengthening and endurance
- Balance and coordination
- Flexibility and range of motion
- Body awareness and proprioception
- Equipment and orthotics prescription
Understanding paediatric occupational therapy
In the paediatric setting, occupational therapists play a crucial role in empowering children to overcome challenges and thrive in their daily lives. Paediatric occupational therapy focus on enabling children to engage in meaningful activities that are essential for growth, development, and participation in daily life. Activities of daily living for children include play, self-care tasks (e.g. feeding, dressing), school activities, and social interactions. At Mobi Kids, our occupational therapists assess and address a wide range of factors that may impact a child’s ability to perform these activities. This can include sensory processing difficulties, fine motor skills deficits, cognitive challenges, social-emotional issues, and environmental barriers.
Some areas that occupational therapists can address include:
- Prescription of assistance equipment and technology
- Fine motor development
- Activities of daily living and self-care tasks
- Social skills
- Cognition
- Sensory and emotional regulation
- Environmental assessments
Multi-disciplinary team approach
At Mobi Kids, we value a collaborative approach aimed at optimising your child’s physical and cognitive potential. Paediatric physiotherapists and occupation therapists work hand in hand to complement each other’s skills and approaches to cater to a child’s specific needs. While paediatric physiotherapists focus on enhancing movement and mobility, occupational therapists focus on maximising a child’s ability to perform daily activity tasks, cognition, and sensory processing. By working together, they create a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to each child’s specific needs, ensuring that every aspect of development is addressed. Through consistent communication and teamwork, paediatric physiotherapists and occupational therapists empower children to reach their fullest potential, foster independence and confidence, and maximise overall well-being.
To learn more about which allied health discipline is best for your child, contact us to book an appointment or have a discussion with one of our friendly team members.
