Assessments
Assessments are a vital stage of the Occupational Therapy process; they provide the therapists with a tool to gather important information regarding you or your child and the difficulties they are facing. Assessments can be completed where ever you require, including at the clinic, at the hospital, at school, at home or in our centre.
The purpose of all assessments including Paediatric Occupational Therapy
There are four main reasons why occupational therapists complete assessments, they are:
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To identify any concerns or difficulties and how they impact upon daily occupations
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To prioritise main concerns
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To naturally observe the patient or the child completing activities at home or in school
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To observe social relationships and how they affect activities
All of our assessments are used to analyse how you or your child completes daily activities, the results of which will be used to create a therapy plan. Daily activities refer to the activities an average person or child completes, consisting mainly of three areas: work/play, school and home life. Typical childhood daily activities include tying shoe laces, getting dressed, balance and play movements and handwriting.
Available Paediatric Occupational Therapy assessments:
All of our assessments are completed by a fully trained and experienced occupational therapist, below is a list of the assessments we provide:
Autistic Spectrum Disorder Assessment
The Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessment consists of a combination of observation, narrative and social assessment. The ASD assessment is used by occupational therapists to better understand how the autistic spectrum is impacting upon their school and home life, most notably during social situations.
Dyspraxia Assessment
The Dyspraxia Assessment is an assessment tool used by occupational therapists to evaluate if the child has symptoms that relate to a condition called Dyspraxia and how dyspraxia is impacting upon your child's function in relation to activities completed both at school and at home.
Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC)
Movement ABC is an assessment tool used to identify a delay or impairment in motor development in children. The occupational therapist would use this tool to assess if any motor development delay or impairment is having a detrimental impact during activities completed both at home and in school.
Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH)
The Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH) is used to analyse the speed and legibility of a person's handwriting. The DASH assessment identifies words per minute in relation to national averages, under both test and non-test conditions. This gives a more accurate description of why the child is struggling to write legibly and at a normal speed. Occupational therapists use the DASH assessment tool as an outcome measurement to compare improvements made during therapy.
Handwriting Assessment
Handwriting Assessment is an assessment of handwriting legibility, pencil grip and visual perception and is similar to the DASH assessment. However in this instance; the therapist would use this form of handwriting assessment to assess more than just the speed of handwriting. For example, letter formation, spacing, alignment, legibility and uniformity of slope and size of letters will all be evaluated. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the underlying flaws in the foundations that make up handwriting. Through identifying which aspects of the complex movements of handwriting need developing the therapist can provide a more efficient and accurate therapy treatment plan.
Functional Assessment
The functional assessment is a complete assessment of how your child is functioning in relation to the school and home environment. It will assess fine motor skills (dressing, writing, manipulating objects) gross motor skills (running, balancing, jumping, gymnastic movements) and visual perception skills (hand eye co-ordination, figure ground discrimination. The therapist will then use the information gathered through this assessment to design a suitable treatment plan to overcome any identified difficulties.
Equipment Assessment
The equipment assessment is needed when a condition is currently having or will eventually have a significant impact upon your child's function as a result of progressive or non-progressive condition. The equipment assessment may be necessary to provide advice on the correct selection of aids and adaptations that will maximise their independence.
Sensory Assessment
A Sensory assessment would consist of assessing how your child copes with the ever growing load of sensory information that enters their senses on a daily basis. Through analysis of the behaviours the child demonstrates under stress the therapist can help deduce why they may be misbehaving.
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment would be completed as a component of many assessments. Its purpose is to assess the environment (both physical and social) for any risks that could damage your child's health. The physical environment would include aspects relating to trips or falls, or objects that may harm your child if they bumped into it, including the social risks, such as bullying or loneliness, to your child's mental wellbeing.
These are some of the common assessments that we provide, however if you require a different assessment, please contact us
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What will be covered in most Paediatric Occupational Therapy assessments?
There are four main areas which most of the assessments we provide cover:
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How the condition impacts upon functioning in daily occupations
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The impact this has on the school and home environment
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The social/behavioural impact
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Further recommendations for treatment
Occupational therapy can help your child reach their maximum potential, and increase your child's functional performance both at home and at school. For more information on how Occupational Therapy can help or If you would like to speak to someone regarding any of the available assessments then please contact us, email us or call us today on +254 (0) 796 634 253