brief

Occupational Therapy for Patients with CHDs

Ages 0 - 24 Years

Occupational Therapy (OT) is a critical intervention for many patients with heart defe, and can often serve them throughout the course of development. Broadly speaking, OT focuses on helping patients to participate as fully as possible in their daily life, and to promote health and well-being. OT often helps patients with fine motor skills, emotion regulation, activities of daily living, rehabilitation after illness or injury, academic skills, vocational skills, and play skills.

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In this section

Occupational Therapy for Infants and Toddlers Occupational Therapy for Kids and Teens Occupational Therapy for Young Adults OT: A Diverse Profession with Wide Possibilities

Occupational Therapy for Infants and Toddlers

Among infants and toddlers, OT can help with the development or recovery of skills such as:

increasing fine motor coordination
developing play skills
feeding
tolerating sensations
self-soothing and emotion regulation
meeting cognitive and motor milestones
building strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, and endurance

Infants and toddlers can access OT through:

inpatient services
Early Intervention (EI)
outpatient clinics

Medical and developmental care teams should refer all babies and toddlers with CHDs to EI, and should refer them to additional OT if they are having trouble accessing typical daily activities.

Occupational Therapy for Kids and Teens

Children and teens with heart defects often continue to benefit from OT. The nature and goals of their OT services can evolve over the course of development, as developmental concerns arise and resolve.

For many children and teens with heart defects, OT can help with:

fine motor skills
handwriting, drawing, gluing, taping, and cutting
activities of daily living
self-regulation
body and emotion awareness
strategies to access activities and environments
accommodations and tools to increase participation and reduce discomfort
recovery from illness or injury
tolerating and integrating sensations
feeding
toileting
sleeping

Children and teens can get access to OT through:

Special Education services offered through an IEP (often restricted to the activities that affect school participation and performance)
inpatient services
outpatient clinical services

Occupational Therapy for Young Adults

Adults with heart defects often continue to benefit from OT, either continually or episodically. Depending on their needs, OTs may help young adults with skills such as:

job skills
independent living skills
self-care skills
recovery from illness or injury
tolerating and integrating sensations
strategies to access environments and activities
accommodations and tools to increase participation and reduce discomfort
body and emotion awareness
self-regulation

Young adults have multiple options for pursuing OT, including:

Special Education services (ages 18-22)
inpatient services
outpatient clinical services

OT: A Diverse Profession with Wide Possibilities

Occupational therapy encompasses many subspecialties, and can serve a wide range of patients with disparate needs. Medical and developmental care teams should consider referring patients to OT whenever a patient struggles to participate fully in typical activities for their age.

Given the widely varied subspecialties within OT, care providers may want to educate themselves about OT providers within their community, and the patients they are able to serve.

This content was reviewed by an occupational therapist at Boston Children's Hospital.

Families local to Boston can seek help from the Pediatric Occupational Therapy department.

References

Clark, G. F., & Kingsley, K. L. (2020). Occupational therapy practice guidelines for early childhood: Birth–5 years. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(3), 7403397010p1-7403397010p42.https://research.aota.org/ajot/article-abstract/74/3/7403397010p1/9868/Occupational-Therapy-Practice-Guidelines-for-Early

Gronski, M., & Doherty, M. (2020). Interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice to improve activities of daily living, rest, and sleep for children ages 0–5 years and their families: A systematic review. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(2), 7402180010p1-7402180010p33.https://research.aota.org/ajot/article-abstract/74/2/7402180010p1/6665/Interventions-Within-the-Scope-of-Occupational

Martino, E. M., & Lape, J. E. (2021). Occupational therapy in the preschool classroom-Promoting fine motor and visual motor skills for kindergarten readiness. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 14(2), 134-152.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19411243.2020.1822261

Phillips, J. M., & Longoria, J. N. (2020). Addressing the neurodevelopmental needs of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease: A review of the existing intervention literature. Child Neuropsychology, 26(4), 433-459.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09297049.2019.1682131

Reitz, S. M., Scaffa, M. E., & Dorsey, J. (2020). Occupational Therapy in the Promotion of Health and Well-Being. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(3).https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A7%3A14058279/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A143041171&crl=c

Tanner, K., Schmidt, E., Martin, K., & Bassi, M. (2020). Interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice to improve motor performance for children ages 0–5 years: A systematic review. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(2), 7402180060p1-7402180060p40.https://research.aota.org/ajot/article-abstract/74/2/7402180060p1/6681/Interventions-Within-the-Scope-of-Occupational

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