Therapy Services

Patient and Visitor Changes

We've made changes to therapy services visits to keep our patients, families and staff safe. This video shows what to expect at your next therapy on the main hospital campus. 

Take a Virtual Tour of Therapy Services

The St. Louis Children’s Hospital Department of Therapy Services provides occupational, physical, and speech therapy within an individualized state-of-the-art model of care in conjunction with world class physicians and medical practices.

As a highly trained pediatric team with an international reputation for excellence, we utilize a widely accessible, family-centered, collaborative approach. Families trust and rely on us to fulfill their needs and to take care of their children as if they were our own. The staff tailors therapy to each child's developmental stage and individual needs for the most effective results.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapists work with children who have neuromuscular conditions that affect body functions. Working on strengthening, range of motion, endurance, walking and balance can help children improve mobility and return them to a previous functional status or an age-appropriate level.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists help children stay engaged in activities that give them pleasure or a sense of purpose. Some of these activities may include self-care skills, feeding, play, developmental skills, visual perception, handwriting, and fine motor skills. Specific therapeutic approaches may include sensory integration strategies, adaptive equipment, splinting and casting, and activities that promote increased functional use of upper extremities.

Speech Therapy

Speech-Language Pathologists are licensed, certified professionals who provide evaluation and treatment for:

• Articulation
• Oral-motor function
• Voice
• Resonance
• Verbal and written language content and form (syntax)
• Interactive communication and discourse
• Auditory and/or visual processing and memory
• Cognition
• Swallowing/oropharyngeal function
• Augmentative/alternative communication

Speech pathologists work with the patient, family and treatment team to develop functional communication and improved speech.

Facilities

For convenient outpatient care, many therapy services are also available at other locations across the St. Louis area. The staff's pediatric expertise combined with advanced therapeutic skills means your child receives developmentally appropriate and effective therapy to reach his or her full potential. The staff provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment for children with a variety of disorders, such as:

• Developmental delays
• Neuromuscular
• Neurological (traumatic brain injury)
• Sensory integration
• Speech-language
• Orthopedic
• Autism
• Cerebral Palsy
• Oral motor/feeding
• Torticollis
• Sports injuries

Primary services include:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech and language therapy

Your child may receive individual or group therapy, depending on his or her needs. In both situations, the staff works therapeutic fun into the program to motivate your child and practice essential skills through play. Extensive home education and parent training also are integral parts of therapy. The staff believes the family-centered, child-guided approach is the key to success in therapy.