ORA – ONLINE CONSULTATION

Online occupational therapy, for the benefit of children with DYS

A paramedical specialty with medical, psychosocial and educational foundations, occupational therapy is intended for anyone with a disability, whether motor or psychomotor. A state-certified professional, the occupational therapist supports children with DYS, helping them compensate for their difficulties, particularly at school. After assessing the situation, the professional designs and adapts their environment to make it more accessible.

Who is occupational therapy for?

Occupational therapy is aimed at anyone suffering from disabling conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, autism or rheumatoid arthritis. This specialty can also help with temporary or permanent disabilities caused by trauma or an accident. Lastly, it also works with children experiencing learning difficulties.

More generally, occupational therapy is suited to anyone with difficulty carrying out everyday activities. And this applies regardless of the patient’s age.

How can occupational therapy help children with DYS?

When supporting a child with dyspraxia, working with an occupational therapist is often recommended to improve hand-eye coordination and movement precision. Through physical and manual activity, the professional retrains movement.

But this support also applies to other DYS disorders, such as dyslexia, dysorthographia and dysgraphia, with the aim of helping the child gain independence and relax. For dysgraphia, they offer fun graphic exercises, adapted to the child’s age. They may also suggest advice and adjustments, particularly regarding computer keyboard use.

How does a typical session work?

The first occupational therapy session is used to assess the daily difficulties of the dyslexic child: the therapist puts them in concrete situations and studies the environment in which the difficulties occur (at school or at home). At the same time, they will review all the child’s medical and paramedical documents (assessments, health record), their school documents (notebooks, test copies…) and find out about the tools already in place.

Lasting between 45 minutes and 1 hour, the occupational therapy session ends with the establishment of a care schedule: traditionally weekly for dyslexic children, the number of sessions depends on the child’s motivation, maturity, dexterity and the extent of their difficulties.

Is online occupational therapy as effective as in-person?

Contrary to popular belief, online occupational therapy is just as effective as in-person sessions, and can even be more so. Remotely, the child with DYS must be more active, since they have to get involved in their own work. As Benjamin Franklin put it so well, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”

If the child lacks focus, it is easier to adjust the session so they can take a break. Additionally, since exercises are given between sessions, this reinforces learning from one session to the next, often shortening the overall length of therapy.

Finally, with online occupational therapy, there is no travel required, days are less packed, for the child as well as the parents, and sessions can be held, as preferred, on weekends or during holidays…

Is online occupational therapy reimbursed?

ORA-VISIO consultations are paid for directly online. Depending on your country and your health cover, your insurance may reimburse part of the cost: a detailed invoice is provided after each consultation.