Pediatric Rehabilitation
You want your child to be as healthy and happy as possible, which may require helping them build physical strength or developmental skills. That’s where pediatric rehabilitation comes in. The pediatric rehabilitation team at Astera Health Wadena Rehabilitation Clinic provides customized therapy to help Central Minnesota children thrive for a lifetime.
All children deserve to play, learn, communicate, and explore the world around them. Our physical, occupational, and speech therapists can help them do just that by designing a therapy regimen that’s as unique as your child. They’ll partner with you to not only improve your child’s quality of life but also lay the foundation for a healthy future.
What are pediatric rehabilitation services?
Pediatric rehabilitation services help children develop important skills, including walking, eating or dressing independently, swallowing, and communicating effectively. At Astera, we provide the three pillars of pediatric rehabilitation programs: physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
Your family medicine provider or pediatrician may refer your child for pediatric rehabilitation if they identify a physical or developmental issue therapists could help address. You and your child will meet with a therapist in our clinic and embark on a course of outpatient therapy that includes both in-person treatments and exercises your child will perform at home.
Let’s take a closer look at the types of pediatric rehabilitation we offer.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is an extremely versatile form of pediatric rehabilitation. It may be right for your child if they need to recover from an injury or improve muscle strength, range of motion, or balance. Our physical therapists use a variety of treatment methods, ranging from adaptive play to stretching and strengthening exercises and more.
Your child may benefit from physical therapy if they need to:
- Build balance skills
- Develop crawling or walking skills
- Improve their gait
- Learn how to use a wheelchair
- Work on their ability to perform certain movements, such as jumping or skipping
Occupational therapy
Some children need pediatric rehabilitation to help them better perform daily activities, such as feeding themselves or getting dressed. Astera occupational therapists work with children to develop fine motor skills, such as using the hands and toes, as well as the skills they need to think about and process information.
Occupational therapy can help your child develop or improve:
- Behavioral control
- Coordination skills
- Handwriting
- Independent feeding and dressing skills
- Play skills
Speech therapy
Pediatric rehabilitation can help your child build important skills many of us take for granted: speaking and swallowing. Speech therapists—also known as speech-language pathologists—will work with your child to remove barriers to communication and nutrition. Depending on your child’s needs, our speech therapists may use play-based language-building and sound exercises or swallowing therapy to treat your child.
Speech therapy may improve your child’s ability to:
- Ask and answer questions
- Communicate with friends, family, and classmates
- Follow directions
- Swallow foods and liquids
With your commitment and the help of our speech therapists, you can help your child hone the skills and confidence they need to perform well in school and explore different foods.
Looking for rehabilitation services that can help your child maximize their functional potential? Our team is here to help. Call 218-631-7475 to schedule an appointment at Astera Health Wadena Rehabilitation Clinic.