Children: Development + Neurology
Thorough, standardized assessment and specific therapy are provided for babies, children and teenagers who are experiencing difficulty with movement, coordination, mobility, posture or strength.
Developmental delay may be due to neurological conditions, chromosome abnormalities, autism, prematurity or hypermobile joints/ low muscle tone.
Therapy includes exercise programs, movement stimulation, massage, stretching, taping, hydrotherapy, pain treatments, prescription of equipment (foot splints, walking frames), instruction in correct breathing techniques, gross and fine motor activities and sensory stimulation.
Treatment can be provided after Botox injections or surgery to assist with the best improvement in function possible.
Advice can be given concerning footwear, soft orthotics and splinting.
Funding can be arranged for equipment for some children with chronic conditions and advice is given concerning funding for therapy.
Home, school, child care centre and pool programs are developed to achieve functional goals in consultation with family, teachers, other therapists and doctors.
Carole Stacey can visit you in your home, visit your child’s school or child care centre or you can visit our centre in Mandurah. Therapy sessions can also be held at your local pool or playground.
Problems assessed and treated include:
- Delay in milestones of sitting, crawling and walking.
- Decreased sensory awareness and ability to plan a movement.
- Delayed eye/hand/body coordination.
- Learning problems.
- Reduced joint and muscle flexibility.
- High or low muscle tone/tension.
- Disorders of behaviour.
- Delayed hand skills.
- Decreased coordination and balance.
- Delay due to medical conditions (e.g. heart disorders).
- Delay due to cerebral palsy, other neurological conditions or chromosome abnormalities
Therapy includes:
- Exercise programs for muscle strengthening and tone normalisation.
- Taping.
- Movement stimulation including yoga.
- Stretching and massage.
- Balance and coordination activities.
- Fine motor activities to improve dressing, independent feeding and writing skills.
- Hydrotherapy.
- One on one or small group swimming skills development.
- Provision of braces and splints.
- Treatment after surgery or Botox therapy.
- Advice concerning footwear and provision of soft orthotics.
- Treatment for painful muscles and joints.
- Home, school child care centre programs.
Programs are developed to achieve functional goals in consultation with families, other therapists, teachers and doctors.
