What does Occupational Therapy look like for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids?

Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on helping clients participate in activities or “occupations” of daily living; this could be anything from self-care, eating, play, learning, work, or leisure activities. You will often see Occupational Therapists (OTs) in the classrooms and playground, practicing skills with kids where they need to use them. 

“OTs work with clients of all ages to help them do the things they need and want to do. This might be helping a baby learn to reach for a rattle, supporting a toddler to dress themselves, supporting an older child learning to write, or supporting an adult to be more independent. Therapy may be just for a block of sessions to learn a specific skill or may be longer term when more support is required for skill development.”

– Kate Gaukropger (Deaf Connect Occupational Therapist)

For deaf and hard of hearing children, occupational therapy and early intervention can help bridge gaps in learning, as they often miss out on the “incidental learning” that hearing children have access to: 

“Early intervention is really crucial for our deaf and hard of hearing kids…things like overhearing Mum and Dad explaining what different items are called, or hearing people around them talking, they miss out on that information.

So a big part of our job in early intervention is to bridge that gap and make sure that they have access to all the opportunities for learning.”

Because they may miss out on instructions, this can make learning everyday skills a bit more challenging, and you may need to be more direct in how you support your child. Occupational therapy assists with strategies for this and helps bridge this gap by focusing on intentional learning experiences that promote development in areas such as social interaction and sensory processing. 

Our ‘All-Communication’ approach to supporting deaf children

Our occupational therapists working with deaf and hard of hearing kids will incorporate visual aids, tactile feedback, and communication systems such as Auslan (Australian Sign Language) or picture-based therapy. Kate notes the importance of our Therapy and Family Services team’s Deaf-specific, “all-communication approach” to meet language milestones and ensure each child can engage in therapy in a way that suits their needs. 

“We all know some Auslan, we use picture-based therapy and AAC, we use spoken language keyword sign… so children have access to the models of language that work best for them.

It’s important that we’re taking that child-focused approach.”

What is the difference between Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy?

Parents often ask what the difference between occupational therapy and physiotherapy is. They often work hand-in-hand, but with different focuses. As Kate explains: 

“Typically here our physios work on core stability, balance, vestibular movement and movement through space, whereas our job as OTs is to increase participation and engagement in activities…

A great example is; I work with one of our physios with a child and she’s working on developing his core strength so that he can sit up and I’m working on his play skills while he’s sitting…

Occupational therapy can also help children to break down everyday activities into smaller tasks and goals i.e. turning on the water to wash hands, holding a pencil to colour in.”

How do Occupational Therapists collaborate with other Allied Health Therapists? 

At Deaf Connect, occupational therapists work alongside physiotherapists, psychologists, speech-language pathologists and Teachers of the Deaf to ensure that each child’s goals are coordinated, and their therapy is consistent across disciplines. 

“One of the benefits of working at Deaf Connect is that we have a really strong multidisciplinary approach. I work with physios, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, Teachers of the Deaf, and it’s really important that we take a collaborative approach to make sure we are giving every child a holistic approach to care.”

Collaboration is key in occupational therapy, especially for deaf and hard of hearing children who benefit from wrap-around supports from a team of specialists. 

Benefits of Occupational Therapy sessions for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids:

The goal of occupational therapy is to help deaf and hard of hearing children develop the independence they need to thrive in school, at home, and in their communities. Supporting children’s participation in activities, communication and problem-solving skills can allow for more confident decision making and interactions with others.  

Our Occupational Therapists (OTs) aim to help your child develop their skills and independence so they can play with their friends, look after themselves, and develop the skills they need for school and life. This service is currently only available in Brisbane and Ipswich. Have a question about Deaf Connect’s OT or other allied health services? Click here.