Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and prolonged hospital stays can lead to multiple difficulties that affect the child’s development and independence. Children undergoing treatment often experience:
Fatigue, weakness, and muscle loss
Regression in fine motor and gross motor skills
Reduced participation in play, school, and social activities
Increased dependence in self-care tasks
Anxiety, fear, sensory sensitivity, and disrupted routines
These challenges demonstrate that leukemia treatment requires not only medical intervention but also comprehensive rehabilitation and psychosocial support to enhance the child’s functional performance and quality of life.
Occupational therapy offers a holistic, evidence-based approach that aligns with each child’s developmental level, medical condition, and personal goals. Occupational therapists design individualized interventions that support multiple areas of functioning:
Promoting independence in dressing, eating, bathing, toileting, and grooming
Re-establishing daily routines disrupted by illness
Teaching energy conservation strategies to manage fatigue
Strengthening exercises to counteract muscle weakness caused by chemotherapy
Improving balance, coordination, and gross motor performance
Enhancing fine motor skills needed for tasks such as writing, cutting, and buttoning
Reducing the effects of prolonged inactivity due to hospitalization
Supporting children who develop sensitivity to light, touch, noise, or movement
Using sensory integration approaches and calming sensory strategies
Providing breathing techniques, deep-pressure activities, and grounding exercises
Creating a safe, playful therapeutic environment to reduce fear and anxiety
Helping children make sense of their treatment through therapeutic play
Supporting emotional resilience, self-confidence, and coping skills
Encouraging imaginative, social, and creative activities to boost motivation
Facilitating social participation during periods of isolation
Strengthening attention, working memory, planning, and executive functions
Improving handwriting, visual-motor integration, and task organization
Assisting with gradual reintegration into school routines
Collaborating with teachers and families to ensure continuity in education
Occupational therapists also provide essential education and guidance for families by offering:
Training on home routines, safe positioning, and activity planning
Strategies to balance rest and activity for children experiencing fatigue
Play and daily activity recommendations suitable to the child’s energy levels
Support for siblings and family role adjustments during treatment
During Childhood Leukemia Awareness Week, experts highlight a unified message: children deserve not only effective medical treatment but also the opportunity to play, learn, create, and participate in daily life.
Occupational therapy plays a crucial role in supporting these rights. By improving functional abilities, enhancing psychosocial well-being, and strengthening coping strategies, occupational therapy helps children reclaim independence and resilience throughout their treatment journey.
This awareness week underscores a vital point: every child battling leukemia needs a care plan that addresses the whole person. Occupational therapy continues to offer meaningful, life-building interventions that empower children to maintain engagement in daily life—bringing strength, hope, and participation back into their routines.
