What is Medical Rehabilitation?
Medical rehabilitation focuses primarily on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disabilities to help individuals live as independently as possible. Successful rehabilitation is influenced greatly by the positive belief that individuals can make up for the loss of one sense or ability through training, practice, and focusing on their abilities rather than on their disability. Medical rehabilitation may include: early intervention, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, assistive technology, recreational therapy, and mental health. Information about the many types of therapy and medical rehabilitation services is available through the national office of Easterseals.
What is Habilitation?
Habilitation focuses on learning or improving basic skills for daily living, particularly when the person is developmentally disabled. While rehabilitation is used for regaining a lost skill, habilitation is used for gaining a new skill. For example, a young child who is not walking or talking at the expected age would seek habilitation services. Habilitation services may include physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and other services for people with disabilities, according to healthcare.gov.
What is Early Intervention?
Early intervention is designed to help babies and toddlers meet their developmental milestones. Qualified professionals work with parents and children up to the age of three years old who are experiencing delays in their development. The goal of early intervention is for children to reach their highest level of development. Therapists work closely with parents and other family members to teach them how to help their young child learn the skills they need to develop as they grow such as rolling over, sitting up, picking things up with their hands, walking, and talking.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy focuses on developing a person’s ability to do the things they need to do to take care of themselves. This includes a child’s or adult’s ability to do things such as bathing, dressing, eating, doing school work, managing a home, or working. Easterseals’ licensed occupational therapists and certified occupational therapy assistants promote independence in self-care, work, school, and play.
What is Speech-Language Pathology?
Speech pathologists, sometimes called speech therapists, help people learn speech and language. They also treat swallowing and feeding problems. Speech pathologists might help a stroke survivor regain their ability to talk, or might help a young child learn to speak. Speech pathologists also help people who cannot learn to talk to use augmentative communication devices like computer-based devices that speak for a person, or a board with pictures or words that a person can point to.
