The Role of the Occupational Therapist
While there is very little research to date in the occupational therapy field on nonverbal learning disorders (NVLD), many children with similar motor and sensory profiles may be diagnosed with other learning disabilities, developmental coordination disor
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The Role of the Occupational Therapist Rebecca Schatz
Background While there is very little research to date in the occupational therapy field on nonverbal learning disorders (NVLD), many children with similar motor and sensory profiles may be diagnosed with other learning disabilities, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and/or sensory processing disorder (SPD). These children, due to their identified challenges in the areas of fine motor and gross motor coordination, sensory processing, and writing, may be referred to an occupational therapist (OT) both in schools and outpatient facilities. It should be noted that these children are identi fi ed for occupational therapy due to their motor or sensory issues not because it has been recognized that they have NVLD speci fi cally. The challenge today is to accurately identify children with NVLD apart from children who fi t the pro fi le but do not have NVLD. This chapter highlights the intervention areas that are relevant for a child with NVLD (whether or not they have received an official diagnosis) so they will receive the full complement of appropriate treatment that they require to function successfully in the school, home, and social environments. The intervention therapies, strategies, and suggestions outlined in this chapter are drawn from my own experiences as well as those of other colleagues, working as a pediatric OT for the last 17 years.
R. Schatz, M.S., OTR/L (*) Rebecca Schatz & Associates, Inc., 2000 N. Racine #3600, Chicago, IL 60614, USA e-mail: [email protected] J. Broitman and J.M. Davis (eds.), Treating NVLD in Children: Professional Collaborations for Positive Outcomes, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-6179-1_3, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
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R. Schatz
Introduction Children with NVLD present with various challenges including those associated with motor, visual–spatial organization, social skills, and academic skills. Children with NVLD may appear awkward or clumsy in their motor coordination in tasks such as ball throwing and catching, riding a bike, tying shoes, cutting, and writing (Stewart, 2007). Atypical sensory processing, including high or low sensory thresholds, is commonly seen (Whitney, 2008). In addition, NVLD children are often challenged in perceiving and interpreting social situations accurately (see Chap. 10 for more information). The occupational therapist plays a key role in working with these children on their gross and fine motor, sensory, written expression skills, organization, and social processing. The occupational therapist completes a thorough evaluation to assess current levels of functioning in a wide range of motor and sensory areas and then determines whether occupational therapy is warranted for the child.
The Assessment Process When assessing children with NVLD, there are a number of different areas that require evaluation before an appropriate treatment plan can be determined. As part of the assessment process, an occupational therapist utilizes motor skills assessments, handwriting and v
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