Children's Therapy

Occupational Therapy

For children, occupational therapy focuses on developing specific life skills rather than job-related functions. Occupational therapy helps children further develop or regain skills through specific exercises and task-related activities. Individualized therapy programs address fine motor skills such as using hands for drawing, cutting, writing, grasping and daily living skills such as eating, dressing and playing.

When skill and strength cannot be developed or improved, OT offers creative solutions and alternatives for carrying out daily activities. 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.

Occupational Therapy will identify and improve difficulties that interfere with the child's potential to perform functional daily living skills and peer activities. Direct treatment is provided along with consultation for carry over at home.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy is also available to those children who display delays or difficulties with gait and mobility. They are able to address the specific needs unique to children. We evaluate orthotic and equipment needs in addition to gross motor delays associated with Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, neuromuscular diseases, genetic syndromes, torticollis, athletic injuries and others.

Our therapists use positive approaches and age-appropriate activities and techniques to improve a child's motor skills, balance and coordination, and strength and endurance.  We work with other health professionals to enhance fine motor skills, as well as cognitive and sensory processing.

Physical therapists are often able to relieve pain and help kids resume daily activities. After an injury, physical therapists teach kids exercises designed to help them regain strength and range of motion, and also show them how to prevent a recurring injury.

Physical therapists use a variety of treatments to help build strength, improve movement and strengthen skills needed to complete daily activities. Physical therapists might guide kids through:

• developmental activities such as crawling and walking
• weightlifting to build strength around an injury
• flexibility exercises to increase range of motion
• balance and coordination activities
• adaptive play
• safety and prevention programs
• instruction on how to avoid injuries
• improving circulation around injuries by using heat, cold, exercise, electrical stimulation, massage, and ultrasound

Speech Therapy/Pathology

Speech Therapy will identify and improve abilities with expressive/receptive language and functional communication skills. Treatment includes family priorities along with therapist recommendations for a complete program.

The speech therapy program provides a full range of services for children with speech, language and oral-motor disorders. These include initial screenings, parent consultations, comprehensive evaluations, schedules of individual therapy sessions and collaboration with schools, physicians and other paraprofessionals. Examples of delays and disorders we treat are:

• Autism Spectrum/ Pragmatic Language Disorders Articulation
• Apraxia / Dyspraxia
• Phonological Disorders
• Cognitive Communication
• Language, Learning, Literacy Disorders
• Oral–Motor Disorders
• Fluency Disorders / Stuttering
• Central Auditory Processing Disorders
• Feeding/Swallowing and Myofunctional (Tongue Thrust) Disorders
• Voice Disorders
• Augmentative Communication
• Poor articulation

Lactation services available.