So pretty much occupational therapist and speech therapist in Sydney is the same as an occupational therapist or physiotherapist. They work with individuals with speech or swallowing problems. For example, somebody who has had an injury or a stroke and you notice that they have trouble swallowing properly. This is when an occupational or speech therapist would come in.
The term speech therapist and occupational therapist are used interchangeably because they do the same thing. Occupational therapy deals with how an individual with a speech or hearing problem will perform activities of daily living. These could be physical activities like going to the washroom or cooking or eating. The person is trained to function without the need for speech.
A paediatric occupational therapist in Sydney would teach an individual with a speech disorder, how to perform everyday activities on their own. If you were to look at this from the patient’s point of view, they would say that they are having difficulty in swallowing. When they go to the doctor, they will have the problem checked out and diagnosed as a swallowing disorder. From there, a treatment plan can be developed. Usually, the patient will continue with the therapy for six to twelve sessions over a four to eight week period.
The treatment that was discussed in the previous paragraph is actually paediatric speech pathology in Sydney. The patient’s mouth may be showing signs of infection or a condition known as caries. During this stage, the occupational therapist would use different techniques such as a “dry mouth” mouth guard or some sort of device to keep the mouth closed during speech therapy. This technique is used to control the flow of saliva which is necessary for individuals with swallowing problems.
Other speech disorders include stuttering and language delays. Stuttering refers to uncontrolled pronunciation of words while individuals suffering with stuttering may speak very slowly even when there is no conversational language delay present. Language delays are caused by brain damage caused to the left side of the brain. If left untreated, the language delay can lead to failure of the individual in many daily activities. These include speaking, following the text, taking part in conversations, reading, writing and other regular activities.
Sensory processing disorder is also treated through occupational therapist techniques. This is also known as “tactile” dysfunction. Individuals suffering from sensory processing disorder will have problems with areas of the body such as vision, hearing and touch. These types of individuals often do not respond to standard speech therapy techniques. They need to have their eyes checked, as well as testing for synaesthesia, peripheral sensory processing and gross motor skills.
Synaesthesia refers to a person experiencing a “loving” sensation in the hands, arms or feet. As the name suggests, this experience comes with the feeling that certain parts of the body are part of something larger. Individuals with a language delay will be found to have more sensitive hands, arms or feet. Occupational therapists often use tasks that require touching or brushing the hand or arms to provide relief for their clients suffering from a speech or language delay.
Occupational therapy can also help children with autism spectrum disorder in Sydney, dyspraxia or inattention. Dyspraxia refers to inability to coordinate or use movement in the appropriate context. Inattentive is described as difficulty with paying attention. Many times individuals with this condition do not display any short term memory impairments. But sometimes the short term memory loss is so severe that it interferes with their ability to function normally in everyday situations. In most cases, a speech therapist is needed to provide additional support, as well as to teach appropriate skills through speech therapy.