UNC Health Lenoir is proud to offer Pediatric Outpatient Therapy to the community. Our services include occupational, physical, and speech therapy.
What to expect?
Our therapists will complete an initial evaluation to familiarize themselves with your child’s strengths, weaknesses, and daily routine. Following the evaluation, they will create an individualized treatment plan and goals to address any concerns about development. We take pride in making therapy enjoyable for your child so that they are motivated to live up to their greatest potential. Our team provides therapy services to children from birth to 18 years of age.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Pediatric occupational therapy for kids and teens addresses concerns with self-care skills, including feeding, bathing, and dressing; fine motor skills, including writing, tying shoes, and picking up small objects; neuromotor development; and sensory integration. A child’s occupation is to play. Children learn, explore, and participate with others every day through play. As pediatric occupational therapists, we strive to help our children reach their goals by engaging in play and providing parent education that continues with carryover at home
- Diagnoses we treat:
- Fine Motor Delays
- Autism
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- ADD/ADHD
- Gross Motor Delays
- Developmental Delays
- Torticollis
- Sensory Processing Disorder
- Feeding Delay/Aversions
- Learning Disabilities
- Downs Syndrome
- Behavioral/Emotional Disorders
- Neuromuscular Disorders
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Pediatric physical therapy is a specialized branch of physical therapy focused on helping infants, children, and adolescents improve their physical abilities and overall motor development. It addresses a wide range of conditions including developmental delays, neurological disorders, genetic conditions, orthopedic injuries, and more. Through tailored exercises, play-based activities, and hands-on techniques, pediatric physical therapists work to enhance a child's strength, coordination, balance, mobility, and independence. The ultimate goal is to support each child’s functional growth and help them participate fully in daily activities at home, school, and in their community.
Pediatric physical therapy addresses a wide range of diagnoses that impact a child's movement, strength, coordination, or overall physical development. Common conditions seen by pediatric physical therapists include:
Neurological & Developmental Disorders
- Cerebral Palsy
- Developmental Delay / Global Developmental Delay
- Hypotonia (low muscle tone)
- Hypertonia / Spasticity
- Spina Bifida
- Brain Injuries (traumatic or acquired)
- Genetic Syndromes (e.g., Down syndrome, Rett syndrome)
Musculoskeletal & Orthopedic Conditions
- Torticollis and Plagiocephaly
- Scoliosis
- Clubfoot
- Toe Walking
- Fractures or orthopedic surgeries
- Leg length discrepancies
- Joint hypermobility (e.g., Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome)
Neuromuscular Disorders
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
- Peripheral neuropathies
Prematurity-Related Issues
- Delayed motor milestones
- Poor head and trunk control
- Coordination and strength challenge
Other Common Diagnoses
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – for improving motor planning and coordination
- Gait abnormalities (e.g., toe-walking, in-toeing, out-toeing)
- Post-surgical rehabilitation (e.g., tendon lengthening, orthopedic corrections)
Pediatric physical therapists evaluate each child individually to create a custom plan of care aimed at improving function, independence, and quality of life.
Pediatric Speech Therapy
Pediatric speech therapy offers interventions to improve overall functional and social communication skills, as well as alternative communication methods. Strong communication skills are important for socializing and creating relationships. Our speech therapist helps children overcome their communication obstacles.
- Those who would benefit may endure:
- Communication/Language Delay/Disorder
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Autism
- Articulation/Phonological Disorders and Delays
- Fluency Disorders
