Mindfulness in Pediatric Occupational Therapy

  • Sandra Stuhr
•

Introduction

Mindfulness is a kind of training based on the feeling of complete awareness of our internal and external states. It emboldens observing one’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences objectively—that is, sans judgment or reaction. This may disrupt the cycles of destructive and repetitive self-thoughts that interfere with clarity of mind.

By contrast, occupational therapy focuses on building up fine motor, sensory, and visual-motor capacities primarily with the goal of situating the child in an improved place to socialize, self-regulate, and function optimally. Pediatric occupational therapy seeks to meet distinct needs that children have. We can empower kids in potent ways when we combine mindfulness practices with occupational therapy.

How Mindfulness Fits into Pediatric Occupational Therapy

The Role of Attention in Therapy

In psychology, the attention could be defined as “the focus of awareness on a phenomenon to the exclusion of other stimuli” (McCallum, 2022). Control over attention is one of the strongest tools in pediatric occupational therapy.

One mindfulness activity helps students learn to pay attention to an observable object, thought, emotion, or sound without trying to change it in some way. Indeed, for example, children can practice the following activities to increase sensory awareness:

  • Molding shapes with putty.
  • Listening to soft music.
  • Texture exploration in a sensory bin.

These activities encourage focus, calm the mind, and enable children to experience life as it is in the present moment. It allows them to become more aware of their senses while opening doors to learning, growth, and transformation.

Breathing and Guided Meditation

Other powerful mindfulness tools are the breathing exercises. The therapist may engage a child in some quiet meditation, where they learn to sit still, shut their eyes, and focus on their breathing. The environment should be calm, possibly at dim light and quiet, or with soft music.

Other techniques involve the progress of muscle relaxation, tensing, and releasing major groups of muscles from the toes up to the head. It helps children learn how to identify areas of tension in the body and how to release stress.

Benefits of Mindfulness in Pediatric Occupational Therapy

While having many benefits, mindfulness has lately turned out to be a very popular psychological approach. Mindfulness, in paediatric occupational therapy, greatly helps the children:

  • Improve concentration and attention.
  • Reduce anxiety and stress.
  • Improve emotional regulation.

With mindfulness integrated into the therapeutic setting, a child will be able to create ways to counteract challenges and work on improving their lives. For the therapist as well, mindfulness allows them to bring presence, compassion, and deeper connectedness while working with young people.

Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Support

Mindfulness involves plenty of techniques that can be specifically helpful for children who have problems with sensory processing. Body scan and breathing exercises make a child more aware of their body and emotions; this can significantly develop self-regulation and sensory processing.

The study of Schaaf et al. (2014) explores the impacts of mindfulness combined with occupational therapy on symptoms among children with ASD and sensory impairments. The intervention involved an eight-week, one-on-one occupational therapy program with embedded mindfulness activities. Sensory processing and emotional regulation significantly improved among the children from the treatment group.

Along with that, mindfulness practices have been applied to children also suffering from somatic health challenges like musculoskeletal disorders, chronic pain, neuro cognitive disorders, and neuro motor disorders. Interventions improve self-regulation and ensure good physical and emotional outcomes.

Conclusion

The mindfulness concept within paediatric OT offers significant benefits to children. It helps improve sensory processing, emotional regulation, attention, and general well-being of the child. Being present and more focused allows the children to handle their stress and, therefore, be successful in daily functioning.

Mindfulness for parents acts as a complementary tool in your child’s journey of therapy. These can include breathing exercises, sensory play, or guided meditation to help your child reach better balance, concentration, and resilience. Used alongside occupational therapy, the implementation of mindfulness can show ways toward complete growth and development.

References

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