Shelby Woodworth

Feeding, Eating & Swallowing Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational therapy assistants provide environmental modifications under the supervision of an occupational therapist. OTAs develop and implement an individualized occupational therapy environmental modification plan that reflects the relevant contexts of the client and relevant others and maximizes current and future occupational performance, safety, and participation of the client. Clients receive environmental modification recommendations and interventions that enable them to meet occupational performance and participation goals and that have adequate flexibility to accommodate for their future needs.

Pediatrics Occupational Therapist

Ms. Shelby Woodworth is a Pediatrics Occupational Therapist in Houston, TX with special training and skill in helping physically or mentally disabled children develop cognitive, motor, social, and self-care skills. As a Pediatrics Occupational Therapist, Shelby Woodworth performs educational and physical learning exercises with children disabled by injury or illness. Pediatric Occupational Therapy is a medical specialty dedicated to helping disabled children gain personal independence by improving sensory, motor, visual perception, and social interaction skills. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Pediatric Occupational Therapists include impairments resulting from birth injuries or defects, sensory processing disorders, traumatic injuries, autism, childhood arthritis, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, and many other conditions that affect children's motor and learning skills. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Pediatric Occupational Therapists include play therapy, handwriting exercises, motor planning, gross motor coordination, sensory modulation, visual perception skills, and parental education.

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.