Children with hypermobility often get OT only in preschool and grade school. They get help with handwriting, and sometimes with scissor use or clothing fasteners.
And then they get dropped.
They might see a PT for gait or balance problems. Sometimes for pain management.
If they develop a dysautonomia, they see a cardiologist.
And that, as they say, is that.
This is wrong. It is unfair, and it is not because OT doesn’t have a lot to offer these kids. In fact, teens with hypermobility often go on to develop dysautonomias after middle school or in college. They need medical treatment, but they also need to know how to live with their chronic conditions.
Occupational therapy is ALL ABOUT living with your challenges, and managing to thrive despite them.
Soooo…..I wrote a handout pack for therapists that outlines how to help teens manage and thrive. I treated adults and adolescents for 10 years before switching to pediatric practice. I had a lot of post-graduate training in managing joint issues, doing ergonomic assessments, and prescribing DME.
Teens need someone who can do those things. They don’t need theraputty or button hooks. They MAY need Dycem. But they probably won’t use it anyway. Teens and their therapists need ideas that work without making them look different. As I say in my handout pack, appearing different is the Kryptonite for teens. They run. Fast.
Grab a copy of my new handout pack and learn what skilled therapists know. Be able to ask for the treatments that make living easier. Know what to say when your prescriber says, “Why do you want to see an OT?”.
You can pick it up as a digital download on the site that sells ALL of my handout packs for parents and therapists: Your Therapy Source! https://www.yourtherapysource.com/product/teens-with-hypermobility/
