Demystifying and Exploring How the Worlds of Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology Collide

Christine Sproat, MA, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist and the Founder of Canyon Kids, a development and sensory-motor clinic. With over 20 years of experience, she has served children with autism and developmental delays, developing innovative and effective programs at home and in school. Christine's research focuses on parent-therapist-child partnerships, primary prevention, and sensory processing disorders. Her work has been published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

In this episode…

Many parents associate occupational therapy with strokes and significant physical disabilities and refuse the treatment for their children. Yet OT is holistic, encompassing key functions that influence children's development. How can you integrate OT treatments into your practice and educate parents about the process?

Pediatric occupational therapists evaluate children's fine and gross motor skills and sensory, social, and emotional development. This often involves having kids participate in activities that include assembling blocks, climbing rock walls, and swinging on swings. Child development advocate and occupational therapist Christine Sproat notes that when engaging in sensory activities, children with speech and language delays may utter sounds they wouldn't have made otherwise. She encourages speech therapists to incorporate swings and other sensory activities into their treatment protocols to stimulate language development. For occupational therapists, Christine suggests offering free educational screenings for parents to learn about the process.

In this episode of EspecIallY "SpeciAl" SpeeCh?!, Jennifer Branchini and Ama Teasdel talk with Christine Sproat, the Founder of Canyon Kids, about integrating OT with SLP. Christine addresses the average developmental milestones for OT and cognitive skills, how to accelerate children's growth mindsets, and how swimming can promote OT skill development.