Pediatric Rehab Program

Occupational Therapy

Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Implement sensory integrative techniques, family education and environmental modification to facilitate the child's ability to interact adaptively with others and his/her environment,as well as ability to perform self-care tasks.

Cerebral Palsy:

Use client centered activities accompanied with facilitory strategies to include physical handling to enhance postural control and balance as well as sensory development.Addressing problems with functional performance,such as with feeding,dressing,toileting,educational activities and functional mobility.Compensatory strategies include providing adaptive equipment,modifying the physical environment and helping the client select an alternative meaningful and attainable functional goal.

ADD/ADHD:

Emphasize the acquisition of developmental skills and adaptations to promote functional performance in natural environment. Focusing to improve attention and activity level,sensory integration and perceptual skills,motor function,memory and cognition and social/emotional behavior.

Developmental Delay:

Promoting play, learning and self-care abilities to an age appropriate level through implementation (as appropriate) of sensory integration, neuro-developmental treatment, visual perceptual, psychological skills development and consultation with family and child care providers.

Sensory Processing Disorder&Learning Disorders:

Focusing to improve executive skills processing and ability to perform age appropriate tasks at school, home and with peers at play, in children with average or above average intelligence (no neurological deficits), through improvement of foundational sensory processing(vestibular, tactile,proprioceptive,visual,auditory,gustatory and olfactory) with production of adaptive responses within child's context and enviornment.

Speech Therapy

Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Implement TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children) Behavioral Method,Applied Behavior Training, Picture Exchange Communication System. Implement visual schedules for organization and predictability, which makes for a set routine. Include visuals for choices and for answering questions.

Cerebral Palsy:

Use oral-motor exercises to increase tongue strength and mobility, swallowing exercises to decrease drooling. Implement icons for expressive language and for making requests for wants/needs.

ADD/ADHD:

Implement the TEACCH Behavioral Method for structure and organization. Set time and space bounderies for the child or student.

Sensory Processing Disorder&Learning Disorder:

Oral-motor exercises, sensory integration techniques,for example, allowing the client to chew gum during the therapy session, bouncing on a therapy ball during activities to decrease over-stimulation of sensory input.

Developmental Delay:

Direct the therapy techniques to the age of client, implement phonemic awareness activities, artculation therapy, possibly implementing a behavior plan,using motivators to increase positive behaviors.

Physical Therapy

Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Designing and implementing activities that would meet the optimal sensory needs and help optimize the motor behavior caused by autism.

Cerebral Palsy:

Tone inhibition to improve posture. Neuro-Developmental Approach to improve posture, muscle coordination and developmental milestones.

ADD/ADHD:

Activities to improve gross motor skills. Postural control activities and task simplification in conjuction with parents to improve focused and planned motor activities.

Developmental Delay:

Sequencing and developmental exercise to normalize posture,balance and dynamics.

Facts about Dysfunction in Sensory Integration

1. DSI is a complex disorder of the brain that affects developing children. They either feel overwhelmed by sensory information or seek out intense sensory experience
   
2. It is estimated that 5% of all children have sensory integration dysfunction.
   
3. Children with DSI are misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mislabeled as "aggressive", "disruptive", "out of control", "loners" or "painfully clumsy".
   
4. The children can have significant behavioral problems and difficulties with balance coordination and posture.
   
5. They are at high risk for social isolation, poor self esteem and academic failure.
   
6. The children are often driven to switch schools before first grade.

Effective treatment is available for children with Sensory Integration Dysfunction.

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