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Disabled children

Specialist equipment

The Council has community paediatric occupational therapists (OTs) who help children and young people to be as independent as possible in their daily living activities in their own homes.

The OT can assess a child’s needs for equipment such as:

• seating systems to enable a child to maintain good posture to prevent contractures, promote function and enable them to join in with their family at meal times and with leisure activities;
• sleep systems to encourage a child to maintain a good posture whilst in bed;
• bathing / showering and toileting equipment to enable a child to have a dignified bathing / personal hygiene routine whilst minimising manual handling for carers;
• eating and drinking equipment to promote independence.

The OT can make manual handling assessments often in liaison with other services such as schools, Linden Brook, home care and outreach providers and parents / carers.  An assessment may identify training, equipment or adaptations needs, and the OT will progress these.

The OT can advise on re-housing issues for families with disabled children.

The OT can recommend property adaptations to enable a child to access essential facilities, ensure the child is safe in and around the house, and reduce manual handling problems.

Housing advice can be provided for a child at any age.

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