How a scar may impact occupational performance

Occupational therapists are concerned about scars as:

• they can look, feel and act differently to unaffected skin

• they can form contractures over joints, which can restrict and impair the quality of a child’s occupational performance through reduced soft tissue mobility and impaired joint range of motion [1]

• in some areas they do not grow and stretch well with a child’s normal growth contributing to further loss of movement and cosmetic deformities

• they impact on a child’s ability to play, grip, feel objects/toys and interact with their surrounding environment

• they can impact on a child’s socialisation, self-confidence and school/community engagement

• they can itch and cause a child discomfort, which can impact on their self-regulation, quality of sleep, concentration and attention at school.