As part of this initial visit, you will begin to coordinate care with speech, occupational,

Question

respiratory, and physical therapists, as well as a dietitian and a psychologist.

Describe the role that each of these professionals will play in T.H.'s treatment.

Answer 1

Physical and Occupational Therapists
• Assess what he can do and his need for specific devices, such as splints or braces.
• Assess his safety while standing, walking, or transferring.
• Develop a program of exercise to maintain range of motion of his limbs.
Speech Therapist
• Assess T.H.'s swallowing and cognitive abilities.
• Speech therapy will initially focus on teaching techniques to maximize speech clarity.
• Later, the focus will be on assisting with alternative communication devices (e.g., note pad,
communication board, and computer-based voice synthesizer).
Dietitian
• The registered dietitian (RD) would perform a complete nutritional assessment and recommend
appropriate diet to maintain body weight.
• Teach chewing and swallowing strategies to improve swallowing function.
Respiratory Therapist
• As the ability to breathe declines, the respiratory therapist will focus on ways to help the patient
get O2 into the lungs through supplemental O2 and ventilator support.
Psychologist
• The psychologist can recommend or prescribe antidepressants.
• The psychologist or counselor can address concerns that T.H. is a burden to his family, both
emotionally and financially. The professional can help him come to grips with the condition and
develop solution-oriented strategies for coping.