Therapy Department

INTRODUCTION

Therapy is provided by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust in purpose built facilities within Roddensvale School.  Below is an overview of services provided by the therapists.

CONTACTING THE THERAPY DEPARTMENT

You can contact the therapists on their direct line: 02828275234

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY

Our speech therapists  provide help  for pupils with communication difficulties.

Therapy may be delivered individually, in group sessions or through a class or home-based programme. The therapy children  receive may include:-

  1. Sound production and development.
  2. Language comprehension/understanding.
  3. Expression of language.
  4. Makaton sign language and/or use of symbols.
  5. Improving general communication skills.
  6. Feeding assessment involving the muscles for chewing and swallowing.
  7. Memory work.

The pupils may or may not be given some work for home practice but therapist/parent interviews take place during the year and the  parent can have access to the therapist at any time on request.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

The school has a specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist and Physiotherapy Assistant on site. We work in partnership with families and other professionals. Your child may referred to our service by a medical professional if they have difficulties in the following areas:

  • Neurological conditions
  • Delayed gross motor skills
  • Orthopaedic conditions
  • Mobility issues
  • Increased/ decreased muscle tone
  • Complex needs
  • Balance and co-ordination
  • Limited range of joint movement
  • Postural needs and management

If your child has been referred to our team, the physiotherapist will discuss any concerns that you may have regarding your child’s physical development and they will then be assessed. Should physiotherapy intervention be indicated, the therapist will agree a treatment plan with you.

This may involve one or more of the following:

  • Home exercise programme and parental advice
  • Individual treatment programmes
  • Rebound therapy
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Provision of equipment
  • Onward referral e.g. Podiatry
  • Liaison with education staff re: positioning, activities, equipment etc.
  • MOVE programme

We aim to help your child reach their full physical potential. The amount of physiotherapy your child receives will vary greatly and depends on the needs of your child.

 

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

The Occupational Therapists are responsible for supplying equipment and aids to the home and school. This equipment will assist the pupil in feeding, toilet programmes, etc.

Occupational Therapy at Roddensvale school can be defined as the application of carefully selected purposeful activity as a treatment medium to help pupils attain the highest possible level of functional performance in all aspects of their daily lives.

The aim is to facilitate independent function and to restore and maintain it. While retaining its status as a health profession, occupational therapy helps the child with special educational needs to access the curriculum more fully in both physical and learning terms.

Some of the areas your Occupational Therapist can address at Roddensvale School are:

  1. POSTURAL DEFORMITY The Occupational Therapist assesses and recommends appropriate school furniture such as a special chair, or a wheelchair.
  2. FINE MOTOR SKILLS The Occupational Therapist assesses and provides treatment and recommends appropriate equipment such as handwriting aids.
  3. PERCEPTUAL SKILLS Difficulty with these may affect the pupil’s ability to co-ordinate movements efficiently and safely in PE classes or his/her ability to comprehend the formation of letter shapes. The Occupational Therapist devises a treatment   programme to develop these skills and advises teaching staff how to maximize the pupil’s abilities in this area.
  4. PERSONAL CARE The Occupational Therapist can assess and provide treatment to promote independence with activities such as dressing, feeding, washing and toileting.
  5. HOME ENVIRONMENT The Occupational Therapist can visit to advise on suitable building adaptations to allow sufficient access for your child, facilitate a safe environment, or to provide and advise on specialist equipment for your child at home.

The Occupational Therapist works closely with the teaching staff at Roddensvale School to help your child reach his/her educational potential.