Northwest Texas Healthcare System’s (NWTHS) Children’s Hospital hosted an art and garden show, featuring work by its young patients, Friday at its main campus on Coulter Street.
According to NWTHS, specialized therapists use art and gardening as therapy for the children in their care. This program encourages children’s communication skills.
Kimberly Miller, the supervisor of the outpatient pediatric therapy program, spoke about the art and garden show, which highlighted the program’s patients’ artwork and its aim.
“For speech therapy, it can be a social language activity. For occupational therapy, it can be a fine motor activity, and for physical therapy, it can be an adaptive activity, where we have some of the kids that are not able to use any of their limbs, but they’re able to adapt the work so that they’re able to create a piece of art as well,” she said. “Some children that use adaptive therapy use objects like bubble wrap as an art instrument or attach an instrument to the child’s head to assist them.”
Miller said over 100 children participated in the art program displayed on the walls and corridors of the children’s hospital in the therapy section. She said that one of the physical therapists, Amanda Lawson, came up with the idea that led to this first-time event.
“She just wanted to let the community know about the important work that we do and showcase some of the opportunities that children can have here,” she said. “From there, it was a team effort to continue to grow. Our best responses have come from the children who see their work displayed on the wall. They feel seen and celebrated seeing their work.”
Miller says the response to art from families, children, and the community involved has been very positive, and she would like to continue the program for years to come.
“It has been really fun to see how the kids respond,” she said. “At times, we get stuck in routines or focused on our big goals for therapy. Whenever we do the art, it allows us to do a more social group activity with the kids. We all end up at a table together creating the art together, and we’ve had a positive response from the kids doing these things together.”
According to Miller, parents have enjoyed seeing what their children can create.
“Well, with the help of their therapist, it is an excellent opportunity for the parents to have some of that work stripped away and see their child for who they are,” she said. “It is a well-rounded pediatric therapy program; I think that’s what the purpose is for our community, to know that this is a resource for our families and that they need to call and ask questions if they’re concerned about something.”
To find out more about the services offered at pediatric therapy services at NWTHS, go to https://www.nwths.com/services/children/pediatric-therapy .