What is Cerebral Palsy Occupational Therapy?

Cerebral palsy occupational therapy is a treatment for people with cerebral palsy that is designed to promote independence, improve health, and generally provide participants with a sense of well being. This treatment is supervised by an occupational therapist, a person who has received training in occupational therapy. If the therapist specializes in working specifically with people who have cerebral palsy, additional training may have been taken to receive supplemental certifications.

People with cerebral palsy have this disability from birth in varying degrees of severity. A doctor can refer a patient to an occupational therapist if there is a belief that the patient would benefit from occupational therapy. The therapist conducts an evaluation to determine the severity of the patient's cerebral palsy and discuss long term goals, and uses that to develop a cerebral palsy occupational therapy plan. In the plan, goals are set and benchmarks are established for determining when those goals are met.

Some people use cerebral palsy occupational therapy to prepare for the workplace. They receive training in working with workplace equipment, using assistive technology, and adapting to the workplace. The occupational therapist can help the patient develop better muscle coordination and strength, show the patient how to use crutches and canes safely at work, and help patients with issues like setting up ergonomic workspaces. The goal of cerebral palsy occupational therapy is to help the patient to work as productively as possible.

This treatment can also be used to teach life skills to people who are not working or who do not need assistance with work. In cerebral palsy occupational therapy, clients can work on everything from learning to complete daily tasks like dressing and bathing to developing hobbies. Many patients and advocates believe that occupational therapy, in addition to increasing independence, also improves quality of life. If a patient can learn to complete tasks previously done by aides and family, the patient may feel less dependent on others and more capable of navigating the world comfortably.

Occupational therapists tailor their sessions to their patients. Every patient has different goals and a different set of impairments that may need to be addressed. Patients also have different personalities and learning styles that must be taken into account by the therapist. If occupational therapy does not go well for a patient, she or he may want to consider meeting with another care provider to see if there are different approaches or techniques that they find more productive and enjoyable.