The Occupational Therapy (OT) Clinic at Kennedy Krieger provides evaluation and treatment to improve clients' fine motor skills, activities of daily living (including eating, dressing, hygiene, toileting and play activities), oral motor skills and adaptive seating needs.
Our team focuses on helping clients achieve independence throughout their lives. We consult with parents, teachers, medical providers, and other community professionals to ensure our clients reach their full potential. Goals include improvements in the following areas:
- Performance of daily tasks, including writing, dressing, brushing teeth, and self-feeding
- Independence with wheelchair mobility
- Ability to participate with peers in developmentally appropriate play
- Socialization
- Confidence in task performance
- Self-esteem
- Knowledge and use of community resources
- Endurance during play and movement activity
- Safety and comfort
Who We Serve
The Occupational Therapy Outpatient Clinic provides care for clients with mild to severe disabilities, from infancy to young adulthood. Our services are available and appropriate for the majority of diagnoses and disorders seen at Kennedy Krieger, including:
- Attention and impulsivity disorders
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Brachial plexus
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental delays
- Feeding disorders
- Movement disorders
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Neurodegenerative disorders
- Neurological disorders
- Spina bifida
- Spinal cord injuries
- Sensory processing disorders
- Traumatic brain injuries
Our Team
The occupational therapists at Kennedy Krieger have professional certifications and advanced training in a variety of pediatric rehabilitation therapies, including:
- Casting and splinting
- Constraint induced treatment
- Developmental assessment
- Manual therapy
- Physical abilities testing
- Feeding and swallowing dysfunction
- Sensory motor intervention
Our specialists work in tandem with other Institute disciplines, including physical therapy, speech, behavioral psychology, neuropsychology, and physiatry, to create individualized treatment plans for each patient. The therapists also provide consultative services to a wide variety of clinics and programs here at the Institute.
In addition to their clinical work, our occupational therapists dedicate time to guest lecturing, research, teaching, and community outreach.
Our Approach
Our occupational therapy team screens and evaluates children, adolescents, and young adults for neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, developmental, and sensory motor/ processing difficulties. We help identify motor and learning strengths and difficulties to determine necessary intervention needs and treatment plans.
Treatment plans are designed to meet individual client and family needs, with regular reassessments and plan modifications as needed, based on goals and objectives. Treatment areas may include:
- Fine motor skills
- Oral motor skills and swallowing
- Sensory motor intervention
- Daily living activities
- Visual motor and perceptual skills
- Community- and leisure-based activities, and social participation skills
- Strength, endurance, and mobility
- Prerequisite skills for students, such as handwriting
- Rehabilitation for hand/arm and limb differences associated with birth, accident, or injury
- Assessment and recommendation of adaptive equipment, splinting, seating, and positioning components
Our Facility
The Occupational Therapy Outpatient Clinic is located in the Kennedy Krieger Outpatient Center. The clinic is a spacious, light-filled environment featuring the latest equipment and modalities, including:
- Our state-of-the-art sensory-motor gym
- Dedicated space to conduct equipment evaluations with access to demonstration equipment
- Precision Rehab Mold (PRM) simulation equipment
- A therapeutic kitchen and bathroom
Related Materials and Information:
- Occupational Therapy Factsheet (PDF)
- Occupational Therapy Services for Patients with Sturge-Weber Syndrome (PDF)
