Do You Repeat Activities With Sensory-Enhanced Pediatric Constraint Induced Movement Therapy?

Do you repeat activities with sensory-enhanced pediatric constraint induced movement therapy?

It depends on the child. Often, we repeat activities. Part of the treatment process is that when we repeat those activities, we are changing or shaping the activity to increase what we are asking of the child. If it is something that they are highly motivated to accomplish, then we will repeat the activity. Obviously, if their motivation increases, you are going to get an increase in ability. Again, we would repeat activities but change them. Instead of reaching straight at waist level, to complete the activity, next time we would reach it to shoulder height. If we repeat the activity and see that the child has improved, we would ask them to reach a bit higher to complete it. That way, we are gradually increasing the challenge in that activity.

Something else that we did with the children when the cast was off, was to ask them to complete an activity with their stronger arm and hand and think about how it feels. Then we would ask them to complete the activity with their weaker arm and hand to explore any differences they might feel between the two. We did this to increase their awareness over the course of the month. Overall, throughout this process, parents and children realized that the sensation component of this -- what the children are feeling and putting together functionally -- is not something that they have ever focused on. Typically, as therapists, we focus on motor ability and how it translates into function.