St. Joseph’s offers unique pediatric occupational therapy service

Michael Fieldsend of Park Rapids understands his body well enough to know that he feels better after an Occupational Therapy (OT) session with Deanne Kivi at St. Joseph’s Area Health Services Rehabilitation Services in Park Rapids.

Kivi brings a unique skill set to children and families in St. Joseph’s area service region and beyond. As a licensed occupation therapist (OTR/L), Kivi is also certified in Sensory Integration and Praxis Testing and is a Therapeutic Listening Provider. Sensory Integration is one of many treatment techniques therapists use when working with children.

Her qualifications allow her to work with children who demonstrate sensory irregularities that interfere with motor coordination, learning or social and emotional skills. She further collaborates with parents or guardians and instructors as a part of treatment.

A large number of Kivi’s clients have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, but the sensory integration approach helps any child who, through proper evaluation, has been identified as having trouble properly integrating sensations. Children with attention deficit disorder, developmental or emotional challenges, learning difficulty, coordination difficulties or cerebral palsy might benefit from the new pediatric OT services available at St. Joseph’s.

The brain continually absorbs information through the senses and processes it for action, learning and behavior. When that information isn’t processed correctly, sensations are poorly integrated, and it becomes difficult to determine which sensation is important to be able to function. Children with sensory integrative dysfunction may receive sensations that seem too slight or feel like a jumble of sensations. They may have unusually high or low activity levels. For example, they may bump into walls or demonstrate an extreme reaction to a change in routine or the feel of clothing.

Raelyne Fieldsend just knows that Michael savors a new sense of “calm” for up to several days after his sensory integration sessions with Kivi. The Fieldsends used to have to travel quite a distance for these sessions, but now Michael can get the help his body “craves” locally, Raelyne says.

If children learn through play, then Kivi’s room in St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation is an imaginative play palace for kids like Michael who swing on giant swings and inner tubes, toss bean bags with their toes or blow fluffy cotton balls across the floor. Kivi customizes therapy for the child’s needs and pulls an endless stream of toys and tools used to help children function better with their daily living at home or at school so they can learn.

To a child it may not seem like therapy, but the large and small motor sensory integration approach Kivi uses to engage Michael’s senses are helping him learn to process sensory information in whatever environment he encounters.

Kivi’s education and experience has given her opportunities to provide therapy for early childhood settings, schools and hospitals.

If you think your child could benefit from sensory integration therapy, see your primary care provider. A diagnosis and referral is necessary to qualify for most insurance coverage.

For more information, please contact Kivi at 218-237-5702.

Signs your child may have sensory integration problems include:

• Over or under reaction to touch, movements, sights, or sounds
• Irritability, emotional outbursts, tantrums
• Feeding problems / avoiding certain food textures
• Learning difficulties
• Difficulties with daily living skills
• Distractibility / poor attention
• Difficulty learning new movements or skills
• Physical clumsiness such as poor coordination or body awareness
• Poor social skills