About Our Rehabilitative Therapy Services
The Children’s Clinics Rehabilitative Department provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology, and nutrition services in an integrated care setting. Therapists, audiologists, and registered dietitian nutritionists work collaboratively with members of a child’s medical team to maximize outcomes. Services focus on promoting independence and function for children with special healthcare needs. The Children’s Clinics Rehabilitative Department is a community resource, providing evaluations and treatments in specialized areas including: feeding, wheelchairs, adaptive equipment, splinting and bracing, therapeutic casting, communication, hearing aids, and cochlear implants. An important goal across the disciplines is to educate caregivers about their child’s special needs and teach them how to improve their child’s day-to-day functioning. Therapist, audiologists, and registered dietitian nutritionists also coordinate with schools and primary care providers to ensure a consistent approach. Care is family centered with parents and caregivers directing the development of care plans and therapy goals.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapists at Children’s Clinics work to improve the strength, flexibility, coordination, endurance, and balance in order to optimize movement and improve function in patients with neuromuscular, orthopedic, and developmental conditions. Physical therapists help patients return to their prior level of functioning after an injury or surgery, or to develop age-appropriate gross motor skills, such as rolling, crawling, standing, walking, and running.
Physical Therapy Services:
- Evaluation and treatment of gross motor development
- Assessment for adaptive equipment
- Assessment for lower extremity orthotics (bracing)
- Evaluation for adaptive seating and wheelchair
- Therapeutic intervention for the management of spasticity, including serial casting and post-Botox therapy
Occupational Therapy
Children’s Clinics occupational therapists help child stay engaged in activities that give them pleasure or a sense of purpose. These activities may include play, dressing, bathing, hand writing, visual perception, feeding, and fine motor skills. Occupational therapists work with children to develop the skills to be as independent as possible with activities of daily living.
Occupational Therapy Services:
- Evaluation and treatment of fine motor, sensory processing, visual perception, and self-care skills
- Fabrication of custom hand and arm splints
- Evaluation for adaptive seating and wheelchairs
- Evaluation and treatment for feeding difficulties
Speech & Language Therapy
Children’s Clinics’ speech-language pathologists evaluate the ability to understand and use language for learning and socialization. They provide therapy to improve oral speech and language, or to develop alternative communication methods if speech is not possible. Speech-Language Therapists also assess and treat problems related to voice, eating, and swallowing.
Speech Therapy Services:
- Evaluation and treatment of expressive and receptive language
- Evaluation and treatment of feeding difficulties
- Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC)
- Evaluation and treatment of pragmatic language and social skills
- Care for children pre and post cochlear implant (CI) surgery
Audiology
Children’s Clinics audiologists specialize in the assessment of hearing ability in infants, children, and teens. When needed, they select, customize, and fit state-of-the-art hearing aids.
They teach the child and family how to care for and use hearing aids to achieve the greatest benefit. They provide ongoing hearing aid and ear mold support and services. The Children’s Clinics audiologist also play an integral role on the cochlear implant team by determining eligibility and providing post-implantation care for kids with cochlear implants.
Audiology Services:
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Evaluation
- Diagnostic audiology
- Hearing aid dispensing
- Evaluation for Cochlear Implant
- Repair and programming of hearing aids
- Cochlear implant mapping
Nutrition
Children’s Clinics’ Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) specialize in Medical Nutrition Therapy for children with complex medical needs and have advanced education degrees/certifications.
They are highly regarded in the community for their expertise and experience in treating patients with weight and feeding concerns, food allergies, digestive issues, abnormal nutrition-related lab work, enteral tube feeding including home blended tube meals, and encourage all patients to consume a well-balanced, high-quality diet.
Our RDNs are an integral part of the multidisciplinary and specialty clinics including Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and other Neuromuscular Disorders, Spina Bifida, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Cleft Lip and Palate, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Spinal Cord Injury, Feeding, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Endocrinology.
They work closely with community pediatricians to ensure optimal growth and nutrition outcomes for their patients. Our RDNs are skilled at incorporating cultural and family eating preference in treatment planning. They collaborate with many community agencies such as The University of Arizona, Arizona Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (ArizonaLEND), Mealtime Connections, Nourish, local hospitals, home health agencies, schools, Tucson Tubies Facebook group and other community and professional education projects.
