Occupational therapy (OT) assists individuals in achieving greater independence in all areas of life. “Occupations” include any meaningful activity of an individual’s everyday life. An OT’s role is to assist people in performing these activities with the greatest extent of independence possible, which will facilitate satisfying and productive living.

One of the activities that occupational therapists can address to meet children’s needs is working on fine motor skills so that kids can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills. Occupational therapists also address hand-eye coordination to improve play skills, such as hitting a target, batting a ball, or copying from a blackboard.

An occupational therapist can also:

• help children with severe developmental delays learn some basic tasks, such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves
• help children with behavioral disorders learn anger-management techniques (i.e., instead of hitting others or acting out, the children would learn positive ways to deal with anger, such as writing about feelings or participating in a physical activity)
• teach children with physical disabilities the coordination skills required to feed themselves, use a computer, or increase the speed and legibility of their handwriting
• evaluate each child’s needs for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, or communication aids
• work with children who have sensory and attention issues to improve focus and social skills

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Is your child experiencing any of the following?

• Poor fine motor skills
• Immature gross motor skills
• Decreased motor control
• Decreased eye hand coordination
• Overly sensitive to sensory input
• Under responsive to sensory input
• Touches people or objects constantly (seeking sensory input)
• Crashes and/or bangs into people or objects
• Poor attention/difficulty sitting still
• Difficulty calming self
• Difficulty with sleeping
• Difficulty with eating and food choices
• Difficulty with sitting still, attention, and/or behavior
• Emotional reactivity
• Reactive to feel of clothing, baths, haircuts, nail cutting, or tooth brushing
• Limited play skills
• Poor social development
• Limited independence in self care skills
• Difficulty transitioning or accepting change in environment or routine

Any of the above examples could be signs that your child could benefit from an Occupational Therapy evaluation and/or treatment.

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Our Occupational Therapy Program offers services for:

Physical Therapy (PT) focuses on helping individuals develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout life. Physical Therapists are experts in human movement who examine, diagnose movement impairments and treat individuals with conditions that limit their ability to move and perform functional activities.

Physical Therapy is often only perceived as rehabilitation for adults, sports injuries, and broken bones. Pediatric Physical Therapists play an essential role in the development of children by providing treatment for children who have motor skills problems.

Your child might need Physical Therapy to help with developmental delay, a birth defect, chronic illness or an injury. Physical Therapy helps develop the strength and range of motion children need to move through their environment easily and effectively. Physical Therapy goals often include help with developmental milestones like sitting, standing, crawling and walking.

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Is your child experiencing any of the following?

• Delayed Milestones:
  • Infants – rolling, sitting up, crawling, standing walking
  • Toddlers – climbing stairs, running, jumping, riding a tricycle, galloping, skipping, hopping
  • Adolescents and older – tripping, frequently loosing balance, difficulty coordinating both sides of the body for an activity (skipping, riding a bicycle, etc.)
• Weakness:
  • Overall weakness, specific muscle weakness, poor posture, torticollis
  • Poor strength of abdominals/back muscles
  • Specific weakness following surgery or casting (broken bones, knee surgery, etc.)
  • Generalized strengthening
• Abnormal Muscle Tone:
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Down Syndrome
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Hypotonia-low muscle tone
  • Hypertonia-high muscle tone
• Poor Balance:
  • Difficulty transitioning between different surfaces
  • Difficulty maintaining balance on uneven surfaces
  • Difficulty maintaining balance to perform skills like hopping, jumping, skipping
• Orthopedic Abnormalities: (Scoliosis, Club Foot, Hip Dysplasia etc.)

Any of the above examples could be signs that your child could benefit from a Physical Therapy evaluation and/or treatment.

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Our Physical Therapy Program offers services for:

Speech Therapy (ST) focuses on receptive language, the ability to understand words spoken to you, and expressive language, the ability to use words to express yourself. In addition, Speech Therapy offers treatment to many speech/language disorders.

Speech disorders include the following problems, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA):

• Articulation disorders include difficulties producing sounds in syllables or saying words incorrectly to the point that other people can’t understand what’s being said.
• Fluency disorders include problems such as stuttering, the condition in which the flow of speech is interrupted by abnormal stoppages, repetitions (st-st-stuttering), or prolonging sounds and syllables (ssssstuttering).
• Resonance or voice disorders include problems with the pitch, volume, or quality of the voice that distract listeners from what’s being said. These types of disorders may also cause pain or discomfort for the child when speaking.
• Dysphasia/oral feeding disorders, including difficulties with eating and swallowing.
• Language disorders can be either receptive or expressive:
• Receptive disorders refer to difficulties understanding or processing language.
• Expressive disorders include difficulty putting words together, limited vocabulary, or inability to use language in a socially appropriate way.

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Is your child experiencing any of the following?

• Articulation/Phonological Processes:
  • Problems pronouncing words correctly
  • Using incorrect consonants from words, such as saying wabbit instead of rabbit
• Receptive/Expressive Language Delay:
  • Difficulty following directions to complete a task
  • lack of words/vocabulary
  • Inability to communicate basic wants and needs
• Fluency Issues:
  • Repeating words or parts of words
  • Twitching and blinking eyes while speaking
  • Frustration and embarrassment which often decreases child’s desire to speak
• Voice/Augmentative and Alternative Communication:
  • Child has a very nasal sounding voice
  • Loses voice for days after excessive use
  • Unable to use vocal communication
• Pragmatic Delay:
  • Child doesn’t make eye contact
  • Child doesn’t use greetings
  • Child doesn’t respond to questions
  • Child doesn’t express emotions
  • Child doesn’t interact appropriately with adults or peers
• Oral Motor/ Feeding Issues:
  • Underweight with coughing
  • Vomiting or tearing eyes while eating
  • Picky eaters
  • Trouble chewing certain foods
  • Trouble swallowing food
• Reading Problems:
  • Unable to read and spell words at same level as peers
  • Teacher have suggested child might be dyslexic or learning disabled
  • Trouble hearing the difference in words that are similar

Any of the above examples could be signs that your child could benefit from a Speech Therapy evaluation and/or treatment.

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Our Speech Therapy Program offers services for:

The Child Development Specialist (also known as Early Interventionist or Infant Stimulation) represents a discipline that uses an approach to therapy which encompasses both prevention and intervention. This specialty includes evaluating a child’s developmental status, planning and coordinating an intervention program, providing direct counseling for children and their families, advising parents, and collaborating and consulting with other child service providers.

Our Child Development Specialists create a nurturing and supportive environment to foster childrens’ capacity to explore and learn. Through games, play, music, art exploration and family education, the Child Development Specialists facilitate the child in reaching his or her highest potential across the 5 developmental areas of cognitive, social, gross motor, fine motor, and language skills.

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Our Child Development Specialists assist:

children that are experiencing the following challenges:

• Behavioral issues
• Poor attention span and difficulties in focusing
• Difficulties with following directions
• Listening skills
• Comprehension and cognitive challenges
• Delayed language skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Social Skills challenges with communication and interaction
• Difficulties with coordination
• Body awareness and sensory differences

parents and families that are experiencing the following issues:

• Parenting insecurities
• Difficulties in family dynamic
• Difficulties dealing with a special needs child
• Struggling to establish healthy routines for the family
• Advocacy and resources