MCG AND THE ABLE CHILD INC

Occupational therapists provide services to infants, toddlers and children who have or who are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. Occupational therapy is concerned with a child's ability to participate in daily life activities or "occupations." Occupational therapists use their unique expertise to help children with social-emotional, physical, cognitive, communication, and adaptive behavioral challenges and to help children to be prepared for and perform important learning and school-related activities and to fulfill their rule as students. Through an understanding of the impact of disability, illness, and impairment on a child's development, plan, ability to learn new skills, and overall occupational performance, occupational therapists design interventions that promote healthy development, establish needed skills, and/or modify environments, all in support of participation in daily activities.

A psychologist is an individual who is licensed to practice psychology which is defined as the observation, description, evaluation, interpretation, and modification of human behavior by the application of psychological principles, methods, and procedures, for the purpose of preventing or eliminating symptomatic, maladaptive, or undesired behavior and of enhancing interpersonal relationships, work and life adjustment, personal effectiveness, behavioral health, and mental health. The practice of psychology includes, but is not limited to, psychological testing and the evaluation or assessment of personal characteristics, such as intelligence, personality, abilities, interests, aptitudes, and neuropsychological functioning; counseling, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, hypnosis, biofeedback, and behavior analysis and therapy; diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorder or disability, alcoholism and substance abuse, disorders of habit or conduct, as well as of the psychological aspects of physical illness, accident, injury, or disability; and psycheducational evaluation, therapy, remediation, and consultation. Psychological services may be rendered to individuals, families, groups and the public.

A licensed physical therapist, including but not limited to an individual who is a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy, who has demonstrated specialized knowledge and skill in anatomy, histology, including embryonic development, genetics, biomechanics, neurological function, neuroscience, and pathology, behavioral sciences, and understanding of diseases or conditions that necessitate physical therapy care, that affect systems that in turn necessitate physical therapy care (comorbidities), and that influence the type of intervention that can be given.

A pediatrician is concerned with the physical, emotional and social health of children from birth to young adulthood. Care encompasses a broad spectrum of health services ranging from preventive healthcare to the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. A pediatrician deals with biological, social and environmental influences on the developing child, and with the impact of disease and dysfunction on development.

A psychologist who develops and applies scientific knowledge to the delivery of psychological services to infants, toddlers, children and adolescents within their social context. Of particular importance to the specialty of clinical child psychology is an understanding of the basic psychological needs of children and adolescents, and how the family and other social contexts influence the socio-emotional adjustment, cognitive development, behavioral adaptation and health status of children and adolescents.

Source: NUCC, CMS