Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology are all important to your child's health and well being. When a primary care physician or surgeon refers your child for therapy, our highly skilled therapists work closely with you and your child's care team to see that he or she receives the best care available. Physicians and surgeons refer children to therapy following surgery or if they recognize potential developmental disorders.

Bon Secours hospitals and Sheltering Arms work together to provide your child with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services. Our primary inpatient services are provided at St. Mary's Hospital, but we offer some services at all Bon Secours hospitals. Our team of specialists work with infants and children in the newborn and pediatric intensive care units and on our pediatric unit.

We work with your child in a safe, comfortable environment. Our facilities are the most current available, and we care about your child like one of our own. We firmly believe in involving the family and the care team in the child’s rehabilitation and partner with you, involving you as much as possible and providing regular updates on your child’s progress.

Our staff includes physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists that have been trained to work with children of all ages.Our physical therapists and occupational therapists have specialty training in pediatric rehabilitation and childhood development.

The Bon Secours pediatric physical and occupational therapists are experts at improving functional movement. They concentrate on activities that will ensure continued development during your child's hospital stay. Our therapists also work with younger children to make sure they stay on track with their developmental milestones, or to help those who have fallen behind to catch up. The occupational therapists help your child regain his or her independence at everyday activities. Our speech-language pathologists work with your child to improve communication. They also evaluate and treat potential feeding and swallowing problems, helping your child to learn to eat and drink safely.

Full Rehabilitation Services

Together with you, your child, and your child's care team, we develop a course of treatment that is appropriate for your child's age and abilities. Using specially developed activities and games, we make the therapy process as fun as possible for your child.

Some of the services that we offer include:

• Rehabilitation for most orthopaedic surgeries
• Range of motion exercises
• Developmental exercises
• Gait training
• Transfer training
• Family training

Our team approach allows our therapists to work with you and your child's physicians on discharge planning. We make sure that you and your child are comfortable with any necessary devices that your child will need when he or she leaves the hospital, such as crutches or a wheelchair. We will also spend time with you and your child to explain at-home exercises that will continue the improvements that your child has made in the hospital. We help prepare you and your child for therapy after discharge from the hospital, if needed, and assist in setting up outpatient therapy or home care if necessary.

For more information on Sheltering Arms, click here.

For a list of Bon Secours pediatric subspecialists click here.