By Deviyani Pathak

The word therapies for children with special needs. It a term which often leaves parents confused and in a fix. Which therapies are available, which are most suited for my child, why should I avail of such therapies and many such questions. I attempt to briefly explain the various kinds of therapies available. To begin with we first have ;
Special Educators
They provide what we call remediation therapy which caters to the difficulty experienced by the child (Cognitive Functioning). Special educators make an attempt to bridge the gap between the child's current functioning level and the skills that are required as per his/her chronological age. Although the degree of being able to master a particular skill differs for every child.
Next in line we have ;
Occupational therapists/Physiotherapists.
They deal with difficulties experienced with the fine and gross motor skills. There is a difference between an occupational therapist and physiotherapists. We shall get into the technical details for each of these in later articles since here we are only putting light on the various therapies available. They also aid enhancing areas of attention perception and cognition.
Speech therapists
Some children may experience difficulties in speech which may sometimes be due to some underlying oro-motor difficulties. In such a case a speech therapist trains the child and develops his skills in the area of verbal(spoken) language.
Psychologists/ psychiatrists/ Clinical Psychologists
We may need each of these at a different stage in time and their need also might differ. They are the who assess and diagnose and provide a guideline for special educators for planning the goals to be achieved. Sometimes children experience emotional difficulties which need attention. It is then that psychologists play an important role.

There are a number of behavior therapists , play therapists and so on but here we have mentioned the most frequently mentioned people. It is very important to understand that a child might experience difficulties in more than one of the areas, so more than one therapy would be essential for the child's development. None of the therapies work in isolation, they simultaneously work for the overall progress. Another, important thing to keep in mind is consistency. Providing any therapy in fragments will not be able to show as much progress as continuous therapies.

Parents can feel free to put in their doubts with details of the child's difficulties or a scanned copy of the formal report if any. We will be more than willing to guide you, what according to are the possible actions beneficial for your child. The information will remain confidential.