OUR THERAPIES
TELEHEALTH
Teletherapy, using technology to deliver virtual care, is an effective alternative to in-person sessions for speech, occupational, and physical therapy. Teletherapy services are offered through Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), insurance or cash payment. This approach is especially beneficial when in-person care is challenging due to distance, compromised immunity, or other limitations. Teletherapy sessions often involve caregivers who play a vital role in supporting and engaging the child. Overall, teletherapy offers increased access to services, convenience, flexibility, and enhanced engagement.
FEEDING
Feeding therapy is a specialized therapy that helps babies, toddlers, and children develop or improve their eating habits and behaviors. Occupational and speech therapists work with their patients to teach them how to eat and make mealtimes more enjoyable.
Feeding therapy can make eating both physically easier and mentally less stressful by targeting difficulties with eating, such as extreme pickiness or physical limitations. We identify the underlying causes of picky eating, such as oral-motor difficulties and/or sensory aversions, and provide individualized strategies for both therapy and home.
Once your child’s issues are identified, a speech or occupational therapist can work with your child to address them by:
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Exploring new foods, especially when it comes to textures
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Improving coordination when it comes to swallowing and eating
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Improving oral motor skills
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Tasting foods your child normally wouldn’t on their own
For very young babies who are having trouble feeding, therapy could be more intense to ensure that your child is getting the nutrition that they need. When working with newborns, a feeding therapist will use technology and techniques in multiple sessions each day to help you and your baby learn how to feed together.
SPEECH THERAPY
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is skilled in research, prevention, evaluation, treatment and counseling of the full range of human communication and its disorders. These disorders may include congenital, developmental, and acquired disorders of speech, voice, resonance, fluency, phonology, swallowing, language, and cognitive-communication. SLPs work with individuals of all ages from infants to the elderly.
A Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLP-A) may execute specific components of a speech and language program as specified in treatment plans developed by a SLP. Under supervision of a SLP, goals and objectives listed on the treatment plan are implemented by the SLPA when the SLP has determined the SLPA has the training and skill to perform.
Our Speech-Language Pathologists provide evaluation, treatment, and consultation in the following areas:
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Expressive Language
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Receptive Language
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Articulation (Sound Production)
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Social Skills
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Oral Motor Skills
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Feeding Therapy
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Voice Disorders
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Fluency Disorders
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Phonemic Awareness
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Cognitive Training
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
An Occupational Therapist (OT) empowers families to create opportunities for their child with special needs to function as independently and successfully in their daily routine as is possible. A child's "occupation” is play, sleeping comfortably, eating to meet their nutritional needs, and learning to take care of themselves. It is our goal to be sure the child can be a successful contributing member of their family and community. Occupational Therapists utilize behavioral, sensory, and therapeutic interventions to teach the family to address the functional needs of the child and their family.
Our Occupational Therapists provide evaluation, treatment, and consultation in the following areas:
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Motor Skills
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Sensory Processing
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Motor Planning
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Neuromuscular Function
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Strength/Endurance
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Oral Motor Skills
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Self Help Skills
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Visual Perception
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Visual Motor Development
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
An Occupational Therapist (OT) empowers families to create opportunities for their child with special needs to function as independently and successfully in their daily routine as is possible. A child's "occupation” is play, sleeping comfortably, eating to meet their nutritional needs, and learning to take care of themselves. It is our goal to be sure the child can be a successful contributing member of their family and community. Occupational Therapists utilize behavioral, sensory, and therapeutic interventions to teach the family to address the functional needs of the child and their family.
Our Occupational Therapists provide evaluation, treatment, and consultation in the following areas:
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Motor Skills
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Sensory Processing
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Motor Planning
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Neuromuscular Function
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Strength/Endurance
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Oral Motor Skills
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Self Help Skills
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Visual Perception
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Visual Motor Development
PHYSICAL THERAPY
A pediatric Physical Therapist (PT) works with children 0-18 years old and their families to assist children of all abilities to fully participate in activities at home, school and community, and play. A pediatric therapist is skilled in examining, evaluating and diagnosing in the areas of movement dysfunction and motor development. The PT will then tailor specific interventions to meet the needs of the child and family.
Our pediatric PTs focus on the following:
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Independent Mobility
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Increasing participation in all activities of the child and family
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Promote motor development
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Promote health and wellness through addressing:
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Strength
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Endurance
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Balance
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Coordination
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Flexibility
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DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONISTS (DSI)
Special instruction is complementary, not duplicative, to other early intervention services (Childress, 2004). The services provided by a DSI go beyond child-centered teaching and general parent education and require a distinct set of knowledge, skills, and experience.
DSIs have knowledge of the following:
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Typical and atypical patterns of infant/toddler development and learning in all domains
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Functional assessment of development across domains
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Developmental disabilities in the birth-to-three population
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Specialized instructional strategies to help young children learn
Our DSIs focus on the following:
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Promoting caregiver-child interaction
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Facilitating the capacities of families to adapt routines and activities to support child learning and interaction
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Integrating all areas of development for a holistic view of the child
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Utilizing adult learning approaches to support the caregiver’s competence and confidence in meeting the child’s needs
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Understanding how cultural diversity affects family interactions and intervention practices
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Using effective teaming practices to collaborate with families and other professionals within and across agencies.
SERVICE COORDINATION
Service Coordinators work with families and teams in the process of determining eligibility in the Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP). They assist families with assessing supports and services for their child birth to 3 years of age and provide on-going support to families and children during service delivery through transition out of early intervention at age 3.
Our Service Coordinators support their teams and families by:
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Coordinating the process of evaluations and assessments to determine eligibility.
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Assisting families in identifying available agency and community supports and services.
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Coordinating and monitoring the delivery of available services.
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Coordinating with community resources, medical and health providers.
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Facilitating the development of a transition plan for preschool services, if appropriate.