Hand therapy helps children strengthen and improve movement in their hands and arms. It is often recommended after experiencing an injury, surgery or for certain limb differences. Our goal is to help your child feel comfortable and confident in using their hands.
Our Approach to Hand Therapy
Our Occupational Therapy team provides hand therapy to help children live full, active lives. Hand therapy focuses on improving your child’s ability to perform everyday tasks, like writing, dressing and playing.
Our certified hand therapists care for children recovering from surgery or those with hand and upper extremity conditions or injuries. We tailor your child’s hand therapy plan to their age, condition and goals.
Scottish Rite’s Hand Therapy team works with your child to improve strength and function through targeted exercises and custom splints or orthotic devices.
Our hand therapists use play-based, age-appropriate techniques to keep your child engaged in therapy. They make every effort to keep sessions fun and motivating.
Coordinated Care
Our hand therapists work alongside your child’s Hand and Upper Extremity team to provide coordinated care.
When possible, a hand therapist will attend your child’s first visit at Scottish Rite. This allows therapy planning to begin early and align with your child’s diagnosis.
They also work with you to continue a home exercise program designed to help your child get the most out of therapy.
Benefits of Hand Therapy
Hand therapy helps your child improve hand and arm function, including fine motor skills. It can help:
- Build strength
- Improve flexibility, coordination and endurance
- Reduce pain and stiffness
Our therapists combine specialized hand therapy training with expertise in child development. This helps support your child’s unique needs and goals.
Hand therapy can also help your child return to daily activities with greater independence. It supports your child’s participation in play, school and social interactions.
What to Expect With Hand Therapy
During your child’s first visit, a hand therapist will review your child’s health history and goals.
They’ll ask questions about how your child’s injury or limb difference impacts their ability to:
- Dress
- Bathe
- Eat
- Use the toilet
- Participate in school or sports
- Play with their friends
This visit allows your child’s hand therapist to develop a treatment plan designed around their needs.
The plan may include:
- Creating a custom splint or orthotic device
- Serial casting to improve range of motion
- Constraint-induced movement therapy to help your child with daily activities
Hand Therapy Sessions
Your child’s hand therapy sessions typically include engaging activities, exercises and simple measurements to track progress, all tailored to your child’s age and needs.
Our hand therapists may also work on specific activities that your child may be struggling to perform. This could include tying their shoes, buttoning a shirt or zipping a backpack.
You will receive guidance on home exercises to support progress between visits.
Follow-up appointments allow the plan to adjust as your child improves.
Why Choose Us?
Child-focused care: Our hand therapists are part of our Occupational Therapy team, who are highly experienced in working with children. Everything we do, from therapy techniques to equipment we use, helps children feel supported through their therapy.
Integrated hand care: Our hand therapists work side by side with Hand and Upper Extremity experts. This ensures that your child is receiving seamless, coordinated care that addresses their needs at every level.
Flexible access for families: If you live far away, our hand therapists can help coordinate therapy services with a specialist closer to your home, if a local specialist is available.
-
Some children are referred to hand therapy by their Scottish Rite provider as part of their treatment plan.
-
We offer hand therapy at our Scottish Rite locations in Dallas and Frisco.