Healing Touch Rehab is pleased to be expanding its specialist paediatric services with the launch of Paediatric Sensory Occupational Therapy.
This new service has been introduced to support children and young people with neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions, helping them take part more comfortably and confidently in everyday life. From play and learning to movement, routines, and social interaction, the aim is to support each child in a way that feels practical, personalised, and meaningful for them and their family.
What is Paediatric Sensory Occupational Therapy?
Paediatric Sensory Occupational Therapy helps children develop the skills they need for day-to-day activities that matter to them. For some children, difficulties with sensory processing can affect how they respond to the world around them. This may influence attention, behaviour, emotional regulation, coordination, movement, and participation in everyday routines.
At Healing Touch Rehab, assessments are tailored to each child’s individual needs, strengths, and sensory profile. From there, support can be shaped around practical goals that help improve independence, confidence, comfort, and quality of life.
How sensory integration can help
Sensory integration is the way the brain receives, organises, and responds to sensory information from the body and the environment. For children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, acquired brain injury, or developmental delay, this process may not always work smoothly. This can make everyday experiences feel more overwhelming or more difficult to manage.
Using evidence-based, play-based sensory integration approaches, therapy can help children to:
- regulate their responses to sensory input
- improve attention and engagement
- develop motor planning and coordination
- strengthen emotional regulation skills
By supporting these areas, Paediatric Sensory Occupational Therapy can help children feel more settled, more engaged, and better able to take part in everyday life.
Working alongside paediatric physiotherapy
At Healing Touch Rehab, care is built around the whole child. That is why Paediatric Sensory Occupational Therapy works so well alongside Paediatric Physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy tends to focus on gross motor skills such as strength, balance, posture, coordination, and mobility. This may include helping a child develop skills such as rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, or walking.
Sensory Occupational Therapy complements this by looking at sensory processing, fine motor skills, planning, and how movement is used in daily life. This may include support with dressing, using cutlery, holding a pencil, managing routines, or staying regulated enough to engage in play and learning.
Together, these therapies can help a child build both the physical ability and the sensory regulation needed to take part in everyday activities with greater confidence and independence.
Welcoming Helen Buteux to the team
Coinciding with the launch of the service, Healing Touch Rehab is also delighted to welcome Helen Buteux, Paediatric Occupational Therapist, to the team.
Helen has more than 13 years of experience supporting children and young people aged 0 to 19, as well as their families, across Berkshire, London, and Yorkshire. Her background includes working with a wide range of neurological, neuromuscular, and sensory processing needs, including cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, and developmental delay.
She brings a collaborative, family-focused approach to her work and has held senior clinical and leadership roles within the NHS. Her experience working alongside families, schools, and multidisciplinary teams will be a valuable part of this new service.
A growing paediatric service for children and families
Kay Ganguly, Clinical Director at Healing Touch Rehab, said:
“We are always looking at how we can provide the right support for children and families in a way that is both specialist and practical. The introduction of Paediatric Sensory Occupational Therapy is an important step in broadening our paediatric offer and helping more children take part in everyday life with confidence. We are also delighted to welcome Helen to the team as part of this new service offering and we can’t wait to introduce her to our clients and their families.”
The launch reflects Healing Touch Rehab’s ongoing commitment to providing personalised, child-focused neurorehabilitation. By combining specialist clinical knowledge with practical, joined-up support, the integrated team aims to help more children develop the skills, confidence, and independence they need to thrive.
To find out more about Paediatric Sensory Occupational Therapy at Healing Touch Rehab, get in touch with the team by emailing clinic@healingtouchrehab.co.uk or calling 0113 548 2865.
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