Why do Deaf and hard of hearing children require physiotherapy? 

Some Deaf and hard of hearing children can experience balance difficulties. This is because the vestibular system can also be affected in Deaf and hard of hearing children. 

The vestibular system is the sensory system located in the inner ear and is involved in giving us information regarding motion, head position and spatial orientation, and assists us to maintain our balance, orient ourselves in space and navigate our environment. 

Deaf and hard of hearing children with vestibular dysfunction may have difficulty with balance and movement, which results in difficulties with mobility, function and gross motor development, including rolling, sitting, walking and jumping. These children can benefit from Physiotherapy intervention. 

So, what is physiotherapy for deaf and hard hearing kids?   

Paediatric physiotherapists work with children to support them to: 

• Develop gross motor skills (walking, running, jumping)  

• Improve balance and coordination skills 

• Develop spatial and positional awareness skills 

• Increase muscle strength and core stability  

• Promote motor planning abilities (sequencing of movement)  

…which all help improve children’s mobility and function to ensure they are meeting physical development milestones.  

What does a physiotherapy session at Deaf Connect look like? 

As each child is different, our physiotherapists will assess your child, identify any difficulties they are having with movement and develop a therapy program to specifically target any identified difficulties. 

“A typical day is a combination of individual assessment or treatment sessions with children at our Yeerongpilly or Taigum Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP) locations, or sometimes we visit a child at their school. We also attend ECDP playgroups to provide advice to parents regarding their child’s development. We also spend time planning for sessions and writing clinical notes or reports.”
– Jayne and Prue, Deaf Connect Physiotherapists

Our physiotherapy team discuss some examples of activities and exercises that are focused on in physio sessions: 

“In Physiotherapy sessions, children participate in targeted play-based activities to help develop their skills. For example, for a child who is having difficulties with their balance skills, we may practice activities using equipment such as balance boards, stepping stones, or therapy balls…”  

What are the main differences between Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy for deaf and hard of hearing children? 

The Allied health team within Therapy and Family Services at Deaf Connect includes Physiotherapists,  Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Psychologists, who all work collaboratively to support Deaf or Hard of Hearing children. 

Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists at Deaf Connect work very closely together and often provide joint therapy sessions. 

Some of the main differences are that Physiotherapists focus on gross motor development, balance and coordination skills, muscle strength and postural stability, motor planning, and spatial and positional awareness. Occupational Therapists focus on fine motor development, social development, play skills, emotional regulation, developing attention and focus, and support with everyday functional activities such as toileting and dressing skills.  

“When children come to see us, it’s very rare that they’re only seeing a speech pathologist, usually they’re seeing an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist or a psychologist as well…so we have a really nice opportunity to provide wrap around supports for children”  
– Ashlee Everist, founder of the Lego Learners Program

Long-term benefits of physiotherapy sessions 

The long-term benefits of physiotherapy are to optimise a child’s mobility, functional ability, and physical skills. Physiotherapy supports a child’s independence and safety with their daily activities and promotes their ability for inclusion and participation in activities with family and peers. 

Learn more about our Physiotherapy services around Brisbane and Ipswich here: https://deafconnect.org.au/services/therapy-and-family-services