We believe that every child is precious, and treat our pediatric patients as if they were our own.

Any child from 0-18 years old who has difficulty moving or balancing because the child:

	was born prematurely
	has "low" or "high" muscle tone
	has a developmental delay, sensorimotor problem, speech or feeding problem, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or has had a stroke, aneurysm, brain tumor, or meningitis
	had an injury such as head injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, or other injury interfering with movement
	has movement problems related to Down Syndrome, failure to thrive, burns, arthritis, cardiac or pulmonary problems, Rett's Syndrome, arthrogryposis, achondroplasia or other problems

 
 

Physical Therapy

Our pediatric physical therapists help children learn to move well and safely in ways which promote continued gross motor development and prevent contractures and deformities throughout the growing years. Pediatric occupational therapists help children develop sensorimotor control, integration of sensory information and control of fine motor muscles so that the child can fully participate in the "job" of living. Pediatric speech therapists help children develop speech language skills and oral motor skills and respiratory control, which supports speech and feeding. Balls, bolsters, swings, scooters, balance boards, rolls, floor mats and toys are the pediatric therapists' equipment.

The treatment session looks like "play" because the pediatric therapist uses play activities to encourage your child to move and interact in ways which help develop better movement, sensory integration, coordination, language and oral motor control. In pediatric therapy, the family, child and therapist work closely together in sessions. Each child is always seen individually by his or her therapist for the entire session.

Speech / Feeding Therapy

Other Innovative Treatments
Do you have a child with cerebral palsy or another kind of disability?
Have you been told that there is nothing more that can be done to help you or your family member?
 

There are many new and effective treatments based on the most up to date research and technology available for children with cerebral palsy, head injury, sensorimotor problems, feeding and speech problems, balance disorders, spina bifida, ataxia, incoordination disorders, muscular dystrophy, and other nervous system and developmental problems.



What is Therapeutic Listening?

When you hear, it is a passive act. Listening, however, is very active. Listening involves the whole body: eye contact, leaning forward toward the sound, focusing attention and concentration, orienting with one ear, and discriminating and interpreting sounds with the brain. Listening helps us know about our environment, time and space, and helps us to understand and to interact with our world. The Therapeutic Listening Program, as developed by Sheila M. Frick, OTR/L, incorporates sound based methods and techniques into Occupational Therapy treatments. The program uses equipment designed to produce specific effects on listening skills following a prescribed program. Listening difficulties are often part of other perceptual motor, attention, and learning difficulties that affect children and adults who have sensory processing problems. This program helps the brain organize and use sensory information more effectively. Our certified occupational therapists create individualized listening programs. These programs have been shown to help improve sleep/wake cycles, attention and focus, balance and midline control, postural and body awareness, coordination and articulation, emotional expression, social skills and more. To see if this therapy can be beneficial to you, please contact our office.

Electromyographic (EMG) Biofeedback

One of these treatments is the use of Electromyographic (EMG) Biofeedback. Usually, we are not aware of how our muscles contract while we are moving, breathing, walking or talking. We do not think about being able to control these activities and it is important that we do not pay attention to every little movement because this would distract us from more important things like thinking and driving. However, when we have trouble making our muscles work after a head injury or stroke or with cerebral palsy, it is very helpful to "see" the activity of these muscles so we can learn how to control that activity. This is exactly what our NeuroEducator II system does. Along with the help of our trained therapists, you learn to use this feedback to control movements, for example, which allow you to reach with an arm, walk, move facial muscles, etc.

Lite Gait Trainer

Like any girl her age, Sarah likes to do things on her own. As a second grader, she was involved in Brownies and in helping with her soccer team. She works hard in school and also works hard in physical and occupational therapies. Sarah has cerebral palsy that effects her arms, legs and her trunk, making it difficult to walk and to balance on her own. She would like to be able to walk everywhere she goes but uses an electric wheelchair for long distances because her legs are not strong enough to support her weight for long walks. The advent of a new therapeutic device which has shown great promise in research studies is helping Sarah to gain the strength and endurance she needs to walk longer and longer distances and develop the walking pattern which is most efficient to conserve her energy. The Walkable Lite Gait Trainer is used to partially support Sarah's weight so that the pressure on her legs is lessened. While using the Walkable, Sarah is able to practice walking on the treadmill to build her endurance, strength and to teach her a normalized gait pattern. As her strength increases and as her learning progresses, Sarah gradually supports more of her own weight until she is able to support her weight fully and walk with a walker or less support.

If you have a concern about your child's development or ability to move well, talk or perform daily tasks, speak to your child's doctor. A screening to assess the need for physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy can be done without a prescription, but a prescription or referral is needed for treatment. It is very important that you, your child's doctor and the pediatric therapists work as a team for your child's benefit. 
 
 

See what we have to offer in our Early Intervention Services.

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