Pediatric Therapy
Helping children to overcome and achieve
Billings Clinic Pediatric Therapy is a comprehensive outpatient program that provides diagnosis, treatment and referral services for your child (birth to age 18).
We love helping your child become as independent as possible so they can be successful in the community, at school, at home, in play and in social interactions.
A team approach is often the most effective way to address your child's therapy needs. Our therapists have specialized training in pediatrics to ensure the most comprehensive evaluation and treatment of your child. Our team of dedicated, trained professional therapists include:
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Speech-Language Pathologists
Billings Clinic Pediatric Therapy evaluates and treats medially complex patients with diagnoses including, but not limited to:
- Neuromuscular
- Orthopedic
- Sensory processing
- Genetic
- Developmental
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- Feeding/swallowing
- Comprehensive feeding/swallowing assessment
- Language and articulation
- Bowel and bladder difficulties
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Billings Clinic Pediatric Therapy Services
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy improves a child’s fine motor skills, sensory integration, self-care skills, play/social skills, motor planning and coordination through meaningful activity so children can participate in their daily routines at home and out in the community.
The following are symptoms (red flags) that may warrant a pediatric occupational therapy evaluation
- Coordination difficulties
- Clumsiness, frequent falls, bumping into people or objects
- Frequent fatigue or apparent weakness as compared to peers
- Difficulty with fine motor skills/handwriting
- Difficulty manipulating small toys
- Difficulty with dressing, using utensils, or grooming activities
- Difficulty with transitions or adjusting to changes in routine
- Limited play skills
- Limited social interaction
- Tendency to become overwhelmed easily
- Frequent tantrums
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy aids the child or teen in recovery, motion, strength and function with youth-specific training, movement and exercise to improve motor development and strength.
Physical therapy can work to improve:
- Development and enhancement of gross motor skills
- Management of muscle tone
- Building or rebuilding muscle strength
- Posture/postural control
- Pre-gait and gait training
- Range of motion and joint mobility
- Balance and coordination
- Body awareness and body alignment
- Building cardiopulmonary endurance
- Relieve or manage pain
Speech Language Pathology
Pediatric speech language pathologists are trained to assess and treat a variety of disorders including genetic, developmental, social and acquired such as brain injury that may affect:
- Feeding difficulties and swallowing difficulties
- Language development
- Cognitive skills and executive functions
- Caregiver training to increase cognitive and language skills
- Articulation and auditory processing treatment
- Social skills training
- Augmentative and Alternative communication training
The following concerns may warrant a speech and language evaluation from a speech and language pathologist:
- Difficulty with eating and drinking
- Coughing and choking with eating and drinking
- Limited speech and language abilities-see ASHA website for age norms
- Difficulty with social situations and interaction with peers and caregivers
- Difficulty being understood when speaking
- Delayed language development
- Difficulty recalling information
- Difficulty paying attention or following directions
Please discuss any concerns with your child’s physician and request a referral if you have concerns in any of these areas.
Pediatric therapists highlight importance of movement during pandemic
Keeping kids from catching COVID-19 is just one of the challenges during this pandemic. It comes with other health issues and concerns as kids miss out on classroom time.
“It’s always important for kids to have physical activity, whether they are at home, or at school. I think at school it’s easier for kids with recess and gym class, for them to get that recommended amount of 60 minutes a day of physical activity. So at home, it’s really important for their mental health, for their overall cardiovascular health, and just their muscular health to get up and move their body,” said Krista Bakkedahl, Billings Clinic pediatric physical therapist.
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