Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service
Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service
Patient Information
- Author ID: LB
- Leaflet Ref: POT 001
- Version: 2
- Leaflet title: Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service
- Date Produced: September 2024
- Expiry Date: September 2026
Introduction
The Paediatric Community Occupational Therapy Team can support children and young people aged 0-16 years old, and young people up to the age of 19 (if they are attending a special school) who live in the Wigan Borough and are registered with a GP Service in Wigan or Leigh.
Their support is offered to children who are experiencing difficulties with everyday functional skills due to a physical, motor, feeding or sensory based need that impacts on their independence and ability to take part in everyday activities.
Aims
An Occupational Therapist will prioritise a child’s Occupational Therapy needs based upon:
- A child’s general development, age and ability to meet key developmental milestones.
- A child’s level of experience and practice specific to a task.
- A child’s vision and/or hearing.
- A child’s understanding, attention and listening skills.
- Any genetic or medical issues or conditions.
- A child’s strengths, abilities, thoughts and feelings.
- Initial assessment may include:
- Observing your child undertaking a range of activities such as handwriting, dressing skills, fine and gross motor skills, eating and drinking.
- Play based activities.
- Consideration of the impact of the environment home/school/nursery.
- Talking with you and your child and any other professionals involved.
- Observing your child undertaking a range of activities such as handwriting, dressing skills, fine and gross motor skills, eating and drinking.
An Occupational Therapist will focus on key areas of function
- Self-care: getting dressed, using zips and buttons, using the toilet, preparing simple meals, feeding self, using cutlery, participating in hygiene routines like brushing teeth.
- Productivity: handwriting, using tools and materials in the classroom, following school routines, paying attention to tasks, using self-control, using computers and technology, participating in education and PE sessions.
- Leisure and play: playing sports, participating in a hobby, playing age-appropriate games, grasping small toys.
Benefits
- Provision of assessment, advice and intervention to enable children to participate safely, and as fully as possible in activities as part of their daily life.
- An Occupational Therapist will identify the occupations that a child or young person participates in well, and those they find difficult.
- An Occupational Therapist will also identify the personal, environmental, and task-specific factors that support or limit a child’s performance.
- They will recommend alternative approaches, teach new skills, or suggest changes to the environment and/or equipment to support a child’s development, participation, and achievement.
- Advice, strategies, information sessions, or signposting the child to another service may also be considered as appropriate.
Contact Details
Community Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Platt Bridge Health Centre
Rivington Avenue
Platt Bridge
Wigan
WN2 5NG
To make a request for a Paediatric Occupational Therapy assessment, a referral form will need to be completed by a health, social care or educational professional. Education staff must attend a pre-referral consultation for discussion and gained consent from a child’s parents or guardian.
The referral will be then triaged by an Occupational Therapist from within the team.
If you have any questions about making a request for an Occupational Therapy assessment, please contact 0300 707 1476.