At every age of childhood, there are a certain set of milestones that medical professionals look for to see if your child is developing in a typical pattern. (You can visit our last blog about development here). It is fairly common for children with NF1 to demonstrate signs of developmental delay. But have no fear! That is where various therapies can come into play – specifically Occupational Therapy (OT).
Occupational therapy is a branch of healthcare that helps people of all ages overcome barriers that impact their emotional, social, or physical needs. Specifically, when working with children, Occupational Therapists use play-based approaches to help children meet their developmental needs.
If you notice that your child is struggling with any of the below items, please speak with your child’s doctor about your concerns.
An Occupational Therapist will explore the cause to these delays and develop a treatment plan tailored to your child’s specific needs. Depending upon the age of the child and the type of concern, coupling occupational therapy with another form of therapy (speech therapy, physical therapy, or psychology/counseling) can be extremely beneficial.
The NF Center actually has a FREE play-based therapy program for children with NF1 called Club NF. For more information, please email NFCenterEvents@wustl.edu.
Madeline Scherr, MS, OTR/L