Pediatric Physical Therapy and how we work with families

What Is Pediatric Therapy?

At Moreau Physical Therapy, our therapists work with children with onset conditions they experience such as illnesses, injuries, or conditions that limit their ability to function, move or live a productive daily life. Our services focus on improving mobility, develop or restore function, alleviate pain, decrease or prevent physical disabilities and promote a health and wellness.

The team of Therapists at Moreau Physical Therapy has many years of experience providing Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy Services. A pediatrician or parent can call our office to check on a particular diagnosis. We can provide pre-screening assessments to make sure the patient is a proper fit for therapy.

Pediatric Locations: 

• 4845 Main Street #B, Zachary, LA, 70791
  phone 225.654.8208 fax 225.654.4642

• 3975 I-49 S. Service Rd., Suite 232, Opelousas, LA 70570
  phone 337.948.2218 fax 337.948.2240

Pediatric Physical Therapy

Pediatric physical therapists work with children and families to provide services that promote a child’s ability to function independently and actively participate in school, community environments and home. Our therapists use their expertise in movement and apply clinical reasoning through the process of examination, evaluation, diagnosis and exercise intervention. Pediatric physical therapy promotes and improves participation, independence, strength and endurance, enhances learning opportunities and facilitates motor development and function.

Moreau Physical Therapy Treats Most Pediatric Diagnoses Including:

• Genetic Syndromes
• Orthopedic Conditions
• Premature Infants
• Torticollis
• Hypotonia/Hypertonia
• Cerebral Palsy
• Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injuries
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Speech Delay
• Auditory Processing Disorders
• Feeding and Swalling Disorders
• Sensory Integration Disorders and Developmental Delay

Pediatric Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is an intervention service that focuses on improving a child or adult’s speech and abilities to understand and express language, whether written or verbal. When your child is having trouble with reading and spelling, speech therapy may not seem like the obvious answer. Often people misunderstand the role of a speech therapist by thinking that they only work with people having trouble articulating certain sounds or who have a stutter or lisp.

At Moreau Physical Therapy, our speech therapists handle many language issues, as well as treating swallowing disorders and all aspects of feeding. They also help kids with other kinds of problems with written and spoken language, such as dyspraxia, dyslexia, and auditory procession disorder. These types of disorders are the reason that speech therapist are also referred to as speech-language pathologists (SLP).

Overview Of Speech Therapy

• Help children and adults with different kinds of speech difficulties as well as language issues like dyslexia and dyspraxia.
• Speech therapist have at least a master’s degree and are licensed to practice speech and language therapy.
• Speech therapy can improve your children’s communication skills by helping them with their language issues.

What Are The Main Components of Speech Therapy?

• Coordinating the mouth to produce sounds to form words and sentences (to address articulation, fluency, and voice volume regulation)
• Understanding and expressing language (to address the use of language through written, pictorial, body, and sign forms, and the use of language through alternative communication systems such as social media, computers, and iPads).

How Does Speech Therapy Work?

The speech and language therapists diagnose the kind of language problems a child or adult has. They determine what is causing the problems with communication and decide a best plan of treatment to address the issues. Working with the children one-on-one, our therapists help kids and adults build skills in small groups or in the classroom.

Speech and language therapists help with:

• Fluency – trouble with stuttering and flow of speech
• Articulation – not speaking clearly and making errors in sounds
• Voice and Resonance – trouble with voice volume, pitch and quality
• Oral Feeding – difficulty with eating swallowing and drooling

Speech and Language therapists can treat:

• Expressive Language – trouble expressing or speaking language
• Pragmatic Language – trouble using language in socially appropriate situations
• Receptive Language – trouble receiving or understanding language

What Types Of Strategies Do Speech, and Language Therapist Use?

At Moreau Physical Therapy our speech therapists use a variety of tailored strategies for each particular challenge a child or adult may face. These strategies may include:

• Articulation Therapy – the therapist will model the sound a child is having difficulty expressing. They may demonstrate how to move the tongue to reproduce certain sounds.
• Language Intervention Activities – activities that build skills in a variety of ways, including modeling and giving kids feedback. Our therapist may use pictures, books, and play-based therapy. They might also use language drills to enhance and practice skills.
• Feeding and Swallowing Therapy – Exercises taught to strengthen the muscles of the mouth. Most common exercises are facial massage and various tongue, lips, and jaw movement. The therapist might also use different food textures to encourage awareness during eating and swallowing.

What Are The Benefits Of Speech and Language Therapy?

Children who have language issue can benefit socially, academically and emotionally from speech therapy. Therapy helps them feel more confident and less shy or frustrated about speaking to others. For children with reading concerns like dyslexia, speech therapy can significantly help them hear and distinguish between specific sounds in words. Treatment will improve their reading comprehension skills and help them enjoy reading again.

Speech therapy is more very beneficial in early childhood, in fact, one study showed that 70 percent of preschool children with language concerns who utilized speech therapy showed improvement in their language skills.

What To Expect From Speech Therapy and Language Therapy?

When your child works with our speech therapist, the therapy can last for months or a few years. Each child’s progress depends on their specific underlying needs. There is no cure for your child’s speech difficulties; however, you will see improvement in your child’s issues. Our therapist will give you and your child strategies to deal with obstacles more effectively. They will provide your child activities to practice at home to reinforce the skills they learn while working with our speech therapist. The most successful children are the ones that get involved in their treatment at Moreau and home.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Pediatric occupational therapy is aimed to help infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents participate in their daily occupations, such as play, social interaction, school, community outings, and self-care activities with a focus on the individual’s ability rather than disability.  

Moreau Pediatrics offers an experienced staff of licensed occupational therapists who focus on helping children achieve independence in all needed areas based on their stage of life. For infants, occupational therapy may be related to the ability to eat and begin interacting with his/her caregivers.  As an infant develops into a toddler, this job develops into play with a variety of toys to include reaching, grasping, and toy manipulation skills.  Along with play, children are learning how to feed themselves as well as interact with other children.

As the child develops into the preschool years, their job now involves dressing, participation in grooming and hygiene activities, and playing with peers with more imagination.  The preschool age child also needs Pre-K skills, such as cutting, drawing, and the ability to follow multi-step directions. Within the school years, the child refines these skills while developing further within handwriting, self-care, and community activities. 

Therapy Interventions

Our therapists provide a comprehensive evaluation focused on current skills related to:

• Grasping patterns
• Hand and upper body use
• Manual dexterity skills
• Visual motor integration
• Muscle strength through core and upper body
• Motor coordination and planning
• Sensory processing abilities 
• Dressing skills
• Self-care skills 
• Feeding skills
• Ability to engage in social participation
• Ability to function independently within the community