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Written by Mabelle El Koreh, Psychomotor Therapist at The Valens Clinic, Dubai.
One of the most frequent questions I have been asked by parents and healthcare professionals since I started working in the UAE is “what is the difference between Psychomotor Therapy and Occupational Therapy”?
They are two healthcare professions that might sound similar but are different in their approaches. They both have common objectives but address them differently depending on the patient’s needs.
What is Psychomotor Therapy?
Psychomotor therapy is a healthcare profession that is based on a holistic view of the person and is involved in the treatment of different disorders.
Who can benefit from it?
People of all ages presenting global developmental delay, ASD, DCD, ADD/ADHD, learning disorders, genetic disorders, behavioral and emotional disorders, anxiety, sensory processing disorders, and psychomotor disorders that may not be caused by neurological or intellectual disorders.
As it improves the balance between the body and mind and enhances the global development of the individual to reach better mental health, physical wellbeing, social integration, and academic performance by means of different mediations and techniques.
What is the difference between PMT and OT?
Psychomotor therapists take a more holistic approach by incorporating psycho-affective and tonic-emotional dimensions in addressing psychomotor disorders, they work on emotional, cognitive, and motor spheres for good psychological and physical development. They often use the body as a mediator and use games to develop different skills (balance and coordination; planning skills, relaxation; etc.)
On another hand, the occupational therapist focuses on making the patient more comfortable in their environment with functional interventions and environment adaptations. They using different activities that resemble more to ADLs (activities of daily living) such as cooking, ergonomics; etc
They also accompany patients with functional impairments in implementing palliative measures to enable adaptation and compensation for the disability. They are authorized to implement computer tools for patients with dysgraphia, for example.
Can a person undergo PMT and OT at the same time?
Of course, especially if the patient has diverse needs.
PMT and OT complement each other effectively in addressing various aspects of an individual’s well-being and functioning.
Effective coordination between both therapists is crucial to maintain consistency, prevent duplication of goals and optimize the efficacy of the treatment strategy.
What are the domains that a psychomotor therapist assesses and reeducates?
Body schema : Body perception, body organization and orientation and body image representation.
Muscle tone: Muscle tone control, tonic-emotional regulation and breathing regulation.
Laterality: Knowledge of left/right concepts, acquirement of the lateral dominance of hand, foot and eye.
Space: Knowledge of spatial notions and orientation accordingly, visual-constructive and visual-perceptive analysis.
Time: Knowledge of time concepts, time orientation, time organization, time management, and rhythm.
Handwriting: Pencil grip, perceptive decoding, body posture, pencil pressure, precision, quality and speed of writing.
Gross motor skills: Dynamic and static coordination, balance, bimanual coordination, eye-hand coordination, association/dissociation of hands.
Fine motor skills: manual dexterity, manual praxis, fine grip, digital individuation.
Attention and executive functions: Attention, memory, problem solving, planning skills, inhibition and mental flexibility.
In conclusion, while both therapies aim to enhance the patient’s well-being and functional abilities, they differ in their approaches and areas of focus.
Psychomotor therapy addresses the connection between the body and the mind, emphasizing emotional, cognitive, and motor development through physical activities and play. While occupational therapy focuses on helping the patient in participating in functional activities and adapt to their environment, employing different methods of interventions to promote independence and quality of life.
Understanding these differences help in choosing the suitable therapeutic approach to the specific needs of each person.