MCS&HC Gains New Pediatric Occupational Therapist

Remember when the teacher used to give restless little children odd jobs, like helping to carry books or move classroom furniture around? It turns out that this is an approved strategy, called "heavy work," to calm children with sensory processing difficulties, according to Jessica Andrews, a pediatric occupational therapist who joined the staff of the Mid-Coast Speech and Hearing Center in Rockport this October.

"Heavy work sends messages from our muscles and joints to our brain, telling us where our body is in space. This resistive input obtained through heavy work activities can be organizing and can improve attention, arousal level, body awareness and muscle tone. This strategy is particularly successful with children who have a difficult time with maintaining attention and arousal levels," said Andrews. "This is part of what we call sensory integration – the ability to process all our senses in an environment. As we learn more about it, we're finding that children's learning issues can be neurological rather than emotional or behavioral. And we have discovered that we can help them to become successful at school by offering a variety of sensory based activities and modifying their environment to match their personal needs."

Pediatric occupational therapists like Andrews work with children and their families to enhance the child's gross and fine motor skills, visual motor skills, self-care skills and sensory processing. In treatment they encourage children to utilize their existing skills while also acquiring new ones in a fun, motivating, goal oriented setting.

Pediatric OTs can evaluate and treat premature newborns, children with fine and gross motor delays, children having diagnoses of ADHD, autism, sensory integration dysfunction, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, Down syndrome and behavioral problems.

Children can be referred to a pediatric OT at the Mid-Coast Speech and Hearing Center by their pediatricians or by teachers through Child Development Services.

Before joining the Mid-Coast Speech and Hearing Center, Andrews worked at North Shore ARC Family Support and Early Intervention Center in Danvers, Mass., doing therapy with infants and very young children in their homes. She received her master's degree in occupational therapy at Husson College in Bangor, and completed her academic fieldwork at Maine Medical Center and New England Rehabilitation Center in Portland, and at the Pediatric Development Center in Falmouth.

In her free time Andrews enjoys hiking, swimming, taking her dogs to the dog park, relaxing, cooking and traveling to new places.