ADHD (with hyperactivity or inattentive type) includes a list of differences that include a short attention span, restlessness and easily being distracted from a task. Children can have any intellectual ability but many have learning difficulties too. A child will be diagnosed through a paediatrician, psychologist or CAMHS (children and adolescent mental health services). It is not known exactly why this occurs in children but is thought to be related to brain development at birth. There is no cure for this but OT can support children including organisational strategies, listening and carrying out a task strategies and improvement in concentration and attention interventions in order to help them reach their full potential. These strategies can be used in school and at home
A sensory processing disorder is still not recognised officially within the medical world; however, it is thought that one child in every classroom is suffering from challenges related to their senses 'not working properly’. It can affect their attention in class, their ability to join in with normal regular activities and their daily lives in general. A child’s sensory problems are thought to happen because their central nervous system does not receive messages from their senses and turn them into appropriate behaviours/actions. A child may over or under respond to a sensory input and it can then appear that the child is being naughty or under responsive to something. OT aims to understand a child’s sensory profile (see assessments) and provide interventions to help them adjust to sensory input through a sensory diet. A sensory diet can also help the central nervous system develop itself to deliver a normal response to sensory input.
Autism is a life-long neurological difference that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people and the world around them. It is a neurological difference that happens because the brain has not developed in its normal way. The child may experience social challenges with regards to their interaction with others, their social communication and their flexibility of thought. They also can struggle with ‘putting themselves in someone else’s shoes.’ They may also have learning difficulties and motor co-ordination problems. Autism is diagnosed by a team of professionals. We can support children with Autism (remembering that not all children get diagnosed with Autism and may be borderline but may still benefit from OT) with motor skill interventions, social skills and teaching theory of mind. Children with Autism have sensory differences.
Dyspraxia is generally recognised to be an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought. Other names for dyspraxia include Clumsy Child Syndrome; Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD); Minimal Brain Dysfunction: Motor learning Difficulty; and Perceptual-motor Dysfunction.
For the majority of those with the condition, there is no known proven cause. Current research suggests that it is due to an immaturity of neurone development in the brain rather than to brain damage. Many children will not ‘grow’ out of it. However Occupational Therapy can address some key areas in order to increase their academic achievement, increase their social participation, self-esteem and emotional health and encourage participation in activities.
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