The Alert Program (How Does Your Engine Run?)
Brain Gym®
Beckman Oral Motor Program
Craniosacral Therapy
DIR ®/Floortime ™
Handwriting and Visual Motor Programs
Integrated Play Groups ™
Interactive Metronome
Kawar Vestibular-Oculomotor Protocol
Kinesio-Taping
The Listening Program
Therapeutic Listening
Reflex Integration
Reiki
Rhythmic Movement Therapy
Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT)
Sensory Processing / Sensory Integration Therapy
Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
Wilbarger Deep Pressure Protocol
The Alert Program (How Does Your Engine Run?)
The Alert Program assists children in developing self-regulation, the ability to change or maintain levels of alertness and activity. Parents and teachers also benefit by learning what they can do to structure activities and environments for success.
www.alertprogram.com
Brain Gym
Brain Gym® is a program that encompasses a series of 26 exercises, which recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when learning to coordinate the whole body. They can bring about improvements in areas such as:
Beckman Oral Motor Program
The Beckman Oral Motor protocol uses assisted movement and stretch reflexes to assess and improve range, strength, variety and control of movement for the lips, cheeks, jaw, tongue and soft palate.
www.beckmanoralmotor.com
Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. Using a soft touch generally no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system.
CST may be effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:
DIR ®/Floortime ™
The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based Floortime (DIR®/FLoortime™) Model is a framework that helps clinicians and parents develop an intervention program tailored to the unique challenges and strengths of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental challenges. The objectives of the DIR®/Floortime™ Model are to build healthy foundations for social, emotional, and intellectual capacities rather than focusing on skills and isolated behaviors.
www.icdl.com
Handwriting and Visual Motor Programs
Handwriting Without Tears
Getting It Write
Write from the Start
Let's Do it Write
First Strokes
Different handwriting and visual-motor programs work for different kids! Our therapists utilize a wide variety to identify the best fit for each client and incorporate it into a broader treatment plan that addresses foundation skills first and foremost.
Integrated Play Groups ™
The Integrated Play Groups model was created by Pamela Wolfberg, Ph.D. An IPG brings together children with autism (novice players) in mutually engaging play experiences with more capable peer play partners (expert players) while guided by a qualified adult facilitator (play guide). Play sessions are tailored to the unique interests, developmental capacities and sociocultural experiences of novice and expert players. An IPG provides a system of support for maximizing each child’s developmental potential and intrinsic motivation to play, socialize and form meaningful relationships with other children. Equal emphasis is placed on guiding the expert players to be more accepting, responsive and inclusive of children who may present differing ways of playing, communicating and relating with others.
www.autisminstitute.com
Interactive Metronome
The Interactive Metronome (IM) is a patented computer technology program that can improve attention, coordination and timing in children with a wide range of cognitive and motor difficulties, including Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. IM helps to train the brain to plan, sequence, and process information more effectively through repetition of precise activities.
The program typically involves 15 - 20 one-hour training sessions over a four to seven week period. A series of hand and foot exercises are performed while IM's patented auditory guidance system progressively challenges children to improve their accuracy as they actively attempt to match the computer generated beat.
Research studies have indicated that IM training (at a frequency of at least three sessions per week) can produce statistically significant differences in:
www.interactivemetronome.com
Kawar Vestibular-Oculomotor Protocol
Also referred to as "spinning", this protocol involves rotary stimulation in various positions to elicit reflexive eye movements, and activate the vestibular receptors located in the middle ear. The intent is to improve vestibular-oculomotor integration, which affects balance, coordination, visual perception and other function.
Kinesio-Taping
Kinesio-Taping is a type of elastic therapeutic rehabilitative taping, developed in Japan over 25 years ago. This method involves taping over and around muscles in order to assist and give support while maintaining range of motion, or to prevent overuse and over-contraction. Kinesio-Taping also can affect the activation of the neurological system (the body's information processor) and the circulatory system.
www.kinesiotaping.com
The Listening Program
The Listening Program® (TLP) is a Music-Based Auditory Stimulation™ method that helps to train the auditory system to accurately process sound.
When auditory perception is distorted-whether through illness, injury, developmental, or other challenges-auditory processing problems can lead to academic, emotional, cognitive and social challenges, including problems with the following:
Each TLP program is tailored to the unique needs of the individual child. TLP listening sessions can be completed at home, 15 minutes per session, twice daily, five days per week.
Due to a contractual obligation, Children's Theraplay is able to offer at-home TLP by purchase only.
www.thelisteningprogram.com
Therapeutic Listening
Therapeutic Listening® (TL) is an auditory intervention that uses the organized sound patterns inherent in music to impact all levels of the nervous system. Auditory information from Therapeutic Listening CDs provides direct input to both the vestibular and the auditory portions of the vestibular-cochlear continuum. The emphasis of TL is on blending sound intervention strategies with vestibulo-proprioceptive, core development, and breath activities so as to sustain grounding and centering of the body and mind in space and time. Providing these postural, movement, and respiratory activities as part of the TL program is critical.
Therapeutic Listening utilizes numerous CDs that vary in musical style, types of filtering, and level of complexity. The music on Therapeutic Listening CDs is electronically altered to elicit the orienting response which sets up the body for sustained attention and active listening. Therapeutic Listening can impact sensory modulation, attention, behavior, postural organization, and speech and language difficulties.
Each TL program is tailored to the unique needs of the individual child. TL sessions can be completed at home, 30 minutes per session, twice daily, seven days per week.
In order to make TL more accessible, Children's Theraplay offers at-home TL by purchase or rental.
www.vitallinks.net
Reflex Integration
Infants are born with automatic reflexes called primitive reflexes that help them survive during their early months. These reflexes develop in utero and should fully integrate within the first 12 months of life. After birth, postural reflexes develop to help hold us up against gravity, develop motor patterns, speech, hearing and other early development. The postural reflexes should integrate within the first few years of life.
If a child's reflexes do not integrate within the first few years of life, despite normal development in other areas, extra stress is placed on the central nervous system (CNS), leaving less energy and function for other development and learning. Appropriate developmental milestones and skills such as crawling, walking, balance, speech, hearing, vision, and academic skills can be delayed if the underlying reflexes do not integrate. Learning new things is one of the most taxing activities on the CNS and this can easily lead to overload. In the early years of life and school, new learning is a constant and demanding activity. Further demands of growth and development, higher education and other life traumas or stress can add to the overload on the CNS.
An overloaded system may be affected in many ways. As we are complex individuals this will vary from person to person. The most common effected areas are related to growth, health, behavior, concentration, school work, learning, vision, and balance or frequently a combination of these. The complex learning environment causes some children (and adults) to either "switch off" or become disruptive due to their inability to cope with incoming stimuli. By integrating the problem reflexes, a child will have increased ability to cope with life and school/academics.
A child with retained reflexes may have:
www.inpp.org.uk
Reiki
Reiki is a healing practice that originated in Japan. Reiki practitioners integrate simple gentle-touch, no-touch, and visualization techniques, with the goal of facilitating the person's own healing response. In the United States, Reiki is part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Reiki is used to promote overall health, well-being, and pain relief.
www.nccam.nih.gov/health/reiki/
Rhythmic Movement Therapy
Rhythmic movements are active or passive whole body movements done on the floor. They mimic in many ways the developmental movements that babies and infants naturally and automatically make as they grow (commonly referred to as reflexes). These movements/reflexes start before babies are born and help to mature a child's body and brain. If infant reflexes do not mature a child can have poor impulse control, difficulty reading body language/social cues resulting in poor peer relationships, learning difficulties, sensory defensiveness, and/or poor gross motor skills. RMT has been used in Sweden for over 30 years and can be an excellent contribution to traditional therapies.
Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests
The Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) measure the sensory processes that underlie learning and behavior. By identifying how a child organizes and responds to sensory input, SIPT helps pinpoint specific problems associated with developmental delays, learning disabilities, emotional disorders, and brain dysfunction. SIPT measures visual, tactile, and kinesthetic perception as well as motor performance. Developed by A. Jean Ayres, SIPT is widely recognized as the premier sensory-motor evaluation tool.
Maggie Lesher, MA, OTR/L, clinical director of Children's Theraplay, is certified to administer SIPT. Full evaluation is completed over four 1 hour sessions.
Sensory Processing / Sensory Integration Therapy
Sensory Processing (also referred to as Sensory Integration) is the process by which the nervous system receives information from the senses about the environment, and uses this information to make appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Sensory Processing (Sensory Integration) is a normal process that occurs during every activity that a human engages in.
When information from the senses does NOT get organized and does not result in appropriate responses, a condition called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as Sensory Integration Disorder or Sensory Integration Dysfunction) may be present. Children with SPD struggle to "make sense of their senses," and have difficulty processing and acting on sensory information.
SPD is sometimes misdiagnosed as ADHD or ASD. SPD can also remain undiagnosed, with a child being labeled clumsy, uncooperative, belligerent, disruptive, or "out of control." SPD can affect children in just one or in multiple senses, so SPD can look very different in individuals. Children with SPD might experience:
www.spdfoundation.net
Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
The SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding, developed by Dr. Kay Toomey, PhD, incorporates a structured developmental progression, to encourage playful interaction with food, increased variety and balance to food repertoire, and more successful, less stressful mealtimes.
The SOS Approach is non-invasive, and focuses on teaching basic food rules and increasing comfort level with all aspects of food exploration, including sight, smell, texture/consistency, and eventually, taste. An important component is parent education, so that food exploration sessions can be successfully replicated outside the clinic.
Appropriate candidates for the SOS Approach may:
Wilbarger Deep Pressure Protocol
Commonly referred to as "brushing", this technique uses a specific method of tactile and proprioceptive stimulation to help the brain organize sensory information.
Brain Gym®
Beckman Oral Motor Program
Craniosacral Therapy
DIR ®/Floortime ™
Handwriting and Visual Motor Programs
Integrated Play Groups ™
Interactive Metronome
Kawar Vestibular-Oculomotor Protocol
Kinesio-Taping
The Listening Program
Therapeutic Listening
Reflex Integration
Reiki
Rhythmic Movement Therapy
Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT)
Sensory Processing / Sensory Integration Therapy
Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
Wilbarger Deep Pressure Protocol
The Alert Program (How Does Your Engine Run?)
The Alert Program assists children in developing self-regulation, the ability to change or maintain levels of alertness and activity. Parents and teachers also benefit by learning what they can do to structure activities and environments for success.
www.alertprogram.com
Brain Gym
Brain Gym® is a program that encompasses a series of 26 exercises, which recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when learning to coordinate the whole body. They can bring about improvements in areas such as:
- Physical Coordination
- Concentration and Focus
- Memory
- Relationships
- Self-responsibility
- Organization skills
Beckman Oral Motor Program
The Beckman Oral Motor protocol uses assisted movement and stretch reflexes to assess and improve range, strength, variety and control of movement for the lips, cheeks, jaw, tongue and soft palate.
www.beckmanoralmotor.com
Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. Using a soft touch generally no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system.
CST may be effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:
- Autism
- Motor-Coordination Impairments
- Learning Disabilities
- Infantile Disorders
- Emotional Difficulties
- Central Nervous System Disorders
- Colic
- Migraine Headaches
- Chronic Neck and Back Pain
- Orthopedic Problems
- Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
- Scoliosis
- Chronic Fatigue
- Stress and Tension-Related Problems
- Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders
- Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ
- Neurovascular or Immune Disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Post-Surgical Dysfunction
DIR ®/Floortime ™
The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based Floortime (DIR®/FLoortime™) Model is a framework that helps clinicians and parents develop an intervention program tailored to the unique challenges and strengths of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental challenges. The objectives of the DIR®/Floortime™ Model are to build healthy foundations for social, emotional, and intellectual capacities rather than focusing on skills and isolated behaviors.
www.icdl.com
Handwriting and Visual Motor Programs
Handwriting Without Tears
Getting It Write
Write from the Start
Let's Do it Write
First Strokes
Different handwriting and visual-motor programs work for different kids! Our therapists utilize a wide variety to identify the best fit for each client and incorporate it into a broader treatment plan that addresses foundation skills first and foremost.
Integrated Play Groups ™
The Integrated Play Groups model was created by Pamela Wolfberg, Ph.D. An IPG brings together children with autism (novice players) in mutually engaging play experiences with more capable peer play partners (expert players) while guided by a qualified adult facilitator (play guide). Play sessions are tailored to the unique interests, developmental capacities and sociocultural experiences of novice and expert players. An IPG provides a system of support for maximizing each child’s developmental potential and intrinsic motivation to play, socialize and form meaningful relationships with other children. Equal emphasis is placed on guiding the expert players to be more accepting, responsive and inclusive of children who may present differing ways of playing, communicating and relating with others.
www.autisminstitute.com
Interactive Metronome
The Interactive Metronome (IM) is a patented computer technology program that can improve attention, coordination and timing in children with a wide range of cognitive and motor difficulties, including Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. IM helps to train the brain to plan, sequence, and process information more effectively through repetition of precise activities.
The program typically involves 15 - 20 one-hour training sessions over a four to seven week period. A series of hand and foot exercises are performed while IM's patented auditory guidance system progressively challenges children to improve their accuracy as they actively attempt to match the computer generated beat.
Research studies have indicated that IM training (at a frequency of at least three sessions per week) can produce statistically significant differences in:
- Focus and Attention
- Control of Aggression and Impulsivity
- Coordination
- Language Processing
- Academic Performance
www.interactivemetronome.com
Kawar Vestibular-Oculomotor Protocol
Also referred to as "spinning", this protocol involves rotary stimulation in various positions to elicit reflexive eye movements, and activate the vestibular receptors located in the middle ear. The intent is to improve vestibular-oculomotor integration, which affects balance, coordination, visual perception and other function.
Kinesio-Taping
Kinesio-Taping is a type of elastic therapeutic rehabilitative taping, developed in Japan over 25 years ago. This method involves taping over and around muscles in order to assist and give support while maintaining range of motion, or to prevent overuse and over-contraction. Kinesio-Taping also can affect the activation of the neurological system (the body's information processor) and the circulatory system.
www.kinesiotaping.com
The Listening Program
The Listening Program® (TLP) is a Music-Based Auditory Stimulation™ method that helps to train the auditory system to accurately process sound.
When auditory perception is distorted-whether through illness, injury, developmental, or other challenges-auditory processing problems can lead to academic, emotional, cognitive and social challenges, including problems with the following:
- Attention and concentration
- Listening
- Speech and language
- Memory
- Communication
- Social skills
- Reading
- Sensory integration
- Balance and coordination
- Vocal performance and musical ability
Each TLP program is tailored to the unique needs of the individual child. TLP listening sessions can be completed at home, 15 minutes per session, twice daily, five days per week.
Due to a contractual obligation, Children's Theraplay is able to offer at-home TLP by purchase only.
www.thelisteningprogram.com
Therapeutic Listening
Therapeutic Listening® (TL) is an auditory intervention that uses the organized sound patterns inherent in music to impact all levels of the nervous system. Auditory information from Therapeutic Listening CDs provides direct input to both the vestibular and the auditory portions of the vestibular-cochlear continuum. The emphasis of TL is on blending sound intervention strategies with vestibulo-proprioceptive, core development, and breath activities so as to sustain grounding and centering of the body and mind in space and time. Providing these postural, movement, and respiratory activities as part of the TL program is critical.
Therapeutic Listening utilizes numerous CDs that vary in musical style, types of filtering, and level of complexity. The music on Therapeutic Listening CDs is electronically altered to elicit the orienting response which sets up the body for sustained attention and active listening. Therapeutic Listening can impact sensory modulation, attention, behavior, postural organization, and speech and language difficulties.
Each TL program is tailored to the unique needs of the individual child. TL sessions can be completed at home, 30 minutes per session, twice daily, seven days per week.
In order to make TL more accessible, Children's Theraplay offers at-home TL by purchase or rental.
www.vitallinks.net
Reflex Integration
Infants are born with automatic reflexes called primitive reflexes that help them survive during their early months. These reflexes develop in utero and should fully integrate within the first 12 months of life. After birth, postural reflexes develop to help hold us up against gravity, develop motor patterns, speech, hearing and other early development. The postural reflexes should integrate within the first few years of life.
If a child's reflexes do not integrate within the first few years of life, despite normal development in other areas, extra stress is placed on the central nervous system (CNS), leaving less energy and function for other development and learning. Appropriate developmental milestones and skills such as crawling, walking, balance, speech, hearing, vision, and academic skills can be delayed if the underlying reflexes do not integrate. Learning new things is one of the most taxing activities on the CNS and this can easily lead to overload. In the early years of life and school, new learning is a constant and demanding activity. Further demands of growth and development, higher education and other life traumas or stress can add to the overload on the CNS.
An overloaded system may be affected in many ways. As we are complex individuals this will vary from person to person. The most common effected areas are related to growth, health, behavior, concentration, school work, learning, vision, and balance or frequently a combination of these. The complex learning environment causes some children (and adults) to either "switch off" or become disruptive due to their inability to cope with incoming stimuli. By integrating the problem reflexes, a child will have increased ability to cope with life and school/academics.
A child with retained reflexes may have:
- Dyslexia or Learning Difficulties
- Poor posture and/or awkward gait
- Poor written expression
- Poor spatial awareness
- Bedwetting past 5 years of age
- Poor handwriting
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Difficulty learning how to swim/ride a bike
- Poor gross and fine motor skills
- Quick temper/easily frustrated/short fuse
- Depression, anxiety or stress
- Clumsiness/accident prone
- Motion sickness
- Confusion between right and left
- Reversals of letters/numbers and midline problems
- Behavioral, self-esteem and motivational problems
- Slow at copying tasks
- Speech problems and Language delays
- Motor, co-ordination and balance problems
- Hypersensitivity to sound, light, or touch
- Poor visual function/processing skills
- Hyperactivity
- Poor sequencing skills
- Attention and concentration problems
- Easily distracted and/or impulsive
- Slow in processing information
- Poor sense of time
- Poor organizational skills
- Inability to sit still/fidgeting
www.inpp.org.uk
Reiki
Reiki is a healing practice that originated in Japan. Reiki practitioners integrate simple gentle-touch, no-touch, and visualization techniques, with the goal of facilitating the person's own healing response. In the United States, Reiki is part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Reiki is used to promote overall health, well-being, and pain relief.
www.nccam.nih.gov/health/reiki/
Rhythmic Movement Therapy
Rhythmic movements are active or passive whole body movements done on the floor. They mimic in many ways the developmental movements that babies and infants naturally and automatically make as they grow (commonly referred to as reflexes). These movements/reflexes start before babies are born and help to mature a child's body and brain. If infant reflexes do not mature a child can have poor impulse control, difficulty reading body language/social cues resulting in poor peer relationships, learning difficulties, sensory defensiveness, and/or poor gross motor skills. RMT has been used in Sweden for over 30 years and can be an excellent contribution to traditional therapies.
Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests
The Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) measure the sensory processes that underlie learning and behavior. By identifying how a child organizes and responds to sensory input, SIPT helps pinpoint specific problems associated with developmental delays, learning disabilities, emotional disorders, and brain dysfunction. SIPT measures visual, tactile, and kinesthetic perception as well as motor performance. Developed by A. Jean Ayres, SIPT is widely recognized as the premier sensory-motor evaluation tool.
Maggie Lesher, MA, OTR/L, clinical director of Children's Theraplay, is certified to administer SIPT. Full evaluation is completed over four 1 hour sessions.
Sensory Processing / Sensory Integration Therapy
Sensory Processing (also referred to as Sensory Integration) is the process by which the nervous system receives information from the senses about the environment, and uses this information to make appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Sensory Processing (Sensory Integration) is a normal process that occurs during every activity that a human engages in.
When information from the senses does NOT get organized and does not result in appropriate responses, a condition called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as Sensory Integration Disorder or Sensory Integration Dysfunction) may be present. Children with SPD struggle to "make sense of their senses," and have difficulty processing and acting on sensory information.
SPD is sometimes misdiagnosed as ADHD or ASD. SPD can also remain undiagnosed, with a child being labeled clumsy, uncooperative, belligerent, disruptive, or "out of control." SPD can affect children in just one or in multiple senses, so SPD can look very different in individuals. Children with SPD might experience:
- motor planning challenges (clumsiness)
- oversensitivity to input such as clothing, touch, light, sound, or food
- under-reaction to input
- a craving for input that cannot be satisfied (continually "on-the-go")
- anxiety, depression, aggression, or other behavior problems
- difficulty functioning at school, school failure
- social problems (difficulty making and keeping friends)
- poor self-concept
www.spdfoundation.net
Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
The SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding, developed by Dr. Kay Toomey, PhD, incorporates a structured developmental progression, to encourage playful interaction with food, increased variety and balance to food repertoire, and more successful, less stressful mealtimes.
The SOS Approach is non-invasive, and focuses on teaching basic food rules and increasing comfort level with all aspects of food exploration, including sight, smell, texture/consistency, and eventually, taste. An important component is parent education, so that food exploration sessions can be successfully replicated outside the clinic.
Appropriate candidates for the SOS Approach may:
- have poor weight gain or even weight loss
- arch away and cry frequently during breast/bottle feedings
- choke, gag, cough, or vomit during feeding
- have a history of feeding difficulties, including difficulty transitioning to purees, mixed textures, solids, or breast/bottle to cup
- be transitioning from tube to oral feeding
- avoid a specific texture/consistency or food group
- eat fewer than 20 foods
- eliminate foods over time, and refuse to try new foods to replace eliminated foods
- battle or fight during family mealtimes
Wilbarger Deep Pressure Protocol
Commonly referred to as "brushing", this technique uses a specific method of tactile and proprioceptive stimulation to help the brain organize sensory information.