Our Programs

What programs do you offer?

Our therapists use a variety of treatment techniques and therapeutic programs to help a child achieve his/her goals. The following is a list of complementary treatment modalities and programs we use. Since therapists are always attending continuing education workshops and working to add the very latest techniques to their repertoire, the following list is not meant to be exhaustive or unchanging.

Special programs for which our therapists are specifically trained/certified:

Alert Program for Self-Regulation®

The Alert Program is a program that was designed by two occupational therapists for OTs, teachers, and parents to use in working with children. It is often used as part of a sensory integration approach. The Alert Program can be adapted to use with children of a wide age range, but is ideally suited for children who function at a typical 7 to 13 year old level. The program, outlined in the guidebook How Does Your Engine Run?® uses the analogy of a car engine to explore the concepts of levels of alertness and how each person can use sensory strategies to change their own levels for different tasks.

Children who experience difficulties self-regulating can especially benefit from this program.  Often social, emotional, learning, and even health struggles can be a part of self-regulation problems. Children can be frightened, confused, and overwhelmed by their own responses to the environment; they can feel out of control. This program can be useful in helping children understand their own actions and feelings in relation to levels of alertness, and begin learning to gain control of their own interactions with the world around them.

For more information, see Alert Program.

Astronaut Training

This program uses a variety of  listening, moving and looking exercises to enhance the interplay between the Vestibular, Auditory and Visual sensory systems.  Astronaut training is a program that can be done at home or in the clinic under the supervision of a trained therapist.

For more information, www.vitallinks.net

Computer Skills/Keyboarding

This program uses different high and low-tech solutions when a child is frustrated because he/she has not mastered computer use and is not a functional writer. This program can be integrated into your child’s current occupational therapy program. If your child is not currently receiving therapy, your child can receive this specialized intervention.

Floortime

This approach was developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a well-respected psychiatrist. Floortime is an approach that is usually applied when working with children with Autism or other Pervasive Developmental Disorders, but the theory behind it can be applied in working with other children as well. The DIR (Developmental, Individual-Difference Relationship-Based) Floortime approach focuses on helping a child master the building blocks of relating, communicating and thinking by starting at their developmental level and systematically helping them to climb the developmental ladder.

For more information, DIR/Floortime Foundation

Interactive Metronome ®

Interactive Metronome is an advanced brain-based treatment program designed to enhance neurological performance. It is based on the premise that neural timing difficulties underlie difficulties with learning, cognitive and social skill and interfere with some aspects of motor coordination. Occupational therapists have understood that motor planning and sequencing are key facets in the development of functional skills. They have traditionally addressed these difficulties with sensory integrative techniques.

Interactive Metronome is a PC-based interactive version of the traditional music metronome. It was originally developed to help musicians improve their “sense of timing,” and it was quickly adapted and adopted for use with children with a range difficulties associated with sense and control of timing. By pairing movements, first simple and then more complex, with precisely timed sound cues, individuals actually develop their ability to accurately respond to environmental events.  From existing studies and clinical reports, the most promising areas of use include treatment for persons with difficulties in motor planning and sequencing, language and speech, learning and cognition, and social development and communication. A program utilizing the Interactive Metronome entails 15 hours of treatment. The typical training schedule is 3 times a week.

More detailed review of current research can be found at Interactive Metronome

Social StoriesTM and Sensory Stories

Social StoriesTM is a format for teaching understanding of particular social and behavioral skills, designed by Carol Gray, a teacher for children with Autism.  Social Stories are simple stories that are written for a specific child. Each story will include a situation, skill, or concept in terms of concrete cues that the child will be able to recognize. The hope is that increased understanding of the situation described in a social story will lead to more effective responses, or will reinforce appropriate and successful skills that the child is already using.  Therapists at Integrated Therapy Services can help in the development and use of social stories for your child.

For more information, see The Gray Center

Sensory stories build upon the Social Stories framework with particular focus on situations and difficulties that are common to children with Sensory Processing Disorder. These stories can be modified for the individual child’s situation and needs, and will often reinforce the use of sensory strategies as a way to effectively respond to a situation.

Therapists at Integrated Therapy Services can help identify when the use of Sensory Stories may be appropriate for your child, and help individualize them.

For more information, see Sensory Stories

Therapeutic Listening

Therapeutic Listening is a technique developed primarily by two occupational therapists, Sheila Fricke, OTR and Colleen Hacker, MS, OTR. They have built upon the work of various individuals who used sound as a therapeutic tool, and have incorporated sensory integration and music therapy theories. At their clinic in Madison, Wisconsin and through communication with other therapists, they have experimented for many years with listening as therapy. Therapeutic Listening is the result of their experiences and research. It is important to note that it is meant to be used as one part of a child’s overall sensory-motor therapy program.

For more information, see Vital Links

Wilbarger Therapeutic “Brushing” Protocol

The Wilbarger Deep Pressure and Proprioceptive Technique (DPPT) refers to a specific sensory modulation technique developed by renowned occupational therapist Patricia Wilbarger. The protocol is based on sensory integration theory, and provides a particular type of sensory input that can have a calming and organizing effect on a child’s central nervous system. It is most often used for individuals who have been identified with sensory defensiveness, especially tactile defensiveness.

Sensory defensiveness means simply that the child or adult’s nervous system is overly-defensive; it will respond to a nonthreatening stimulus as if it were threatening.  Some commonly reported traits include extreme “pickiness” in food and clothing, withdrawing from “messy” art/play materials, and need to be in control of when and whom they touch or hug.

The Wilbarger Protocol is sometimes referred to as “brushing” because a specific, soft plastic brush is used. This is a misleading term because the input provided is more akin to pressure to the skin, followed by gentle joint compression, than to a brushing sensation.  The protocol has very precise guidelines and training by a therapist who has been properly trained in the use of this modality is necessary before beginning this therapy.

Therapeutic groups and summer camps offered by Integrated Therapy Services

Jumpstart Handwriting Program

Some children have not learned how to write; others have difficulty with spacing, letter formation, pencil grip, visual motor problems or even fatigue due to weak trunk and hand muscles.  Our specialists identify the problem and either remediate the underlying difficulties or help with compensatory strategies.  The Jumpstart Handwriting program is offered through groups at various times during the school year and through a summer camp before school starts in the fall.

The Manuscript Jumpstart program is designed for Rising 1st and 2nd grade students who need additional practice with the mechanics of manuscript writing.  This program is for the child who is exhibiting difficulty with an efficient pencil grasp, correct letter formation and sequencing and spatial orientation on paper.  A multi-sensory approach is used and the Handwriting without Tears writing program is incorporated. 

The Cursive Jumpstart program is designed for Rising 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students who need additional practice with the mechanics of cursive writing.  This program is for the child who is struggling with the cursive strokes and transitions, speed and copying from text and the chalkboard.  A kinesthetic writing approach is used and The Loops and Groups writing program is incorporated.

Kids In Motion Summer Camp (KIM)

Kids In Motion is a therapeutic, self-esteem building camp designed to develop motor skills, self awareness, self-regulation, social skills, and confidence in children ages 6-14.  KIM incorporates sensory integration strategies, relaxation techniques, social skills training and, self-regulation strategies and perceptual motor skill challenges in a peer group environment.  KIM is held annually at the end of July at Collegiate School.  KIM is offered for two weeks, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. daily.

Learning Strategies Group (C-Gulls) - Connecting Gifted Underachievers with Lifelong Learning Strategies

This group serves the gifted student who may also have a learning disability, attention difficulties or learning differences. This group is co-led by an education team. A teacher who specializes in gifted education teams with a teacher who specializes in learning disabilities to create activities to challenge the student’s strengths as they support them in areas of weakness.  This group is offered for ten week sessions during various times of the year .

Life Skills Group (PAALS) – Preparing for Academics and Adaptive Living Skills

This group is designed to help students develop safety and functional skills for use in the home and school environment. This class consists of some home activities such as cooking and cleaning but primarily teaches social skills while providing leisure skills and a recreational outlet for students. This facilitates peer/parent interactions that develop relationships and social skills, as well as teach organizational skills for greater success in school. The students will have opportunities to role play and develop tools for coping as they play games and engage in leisure activities with their peers. A Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) certified consultant will co-lead this group.  This group is offered for ten week sessions on Saturdays during various times of the year.  This group is targeted to the unique needs of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and PDD/NOS. The children must be able to function in a group environment so that everyone can gain maximum benefit from the class. PAALS times and dates TBA. Contact the office for more information.

Play Skills Group (Play Pals)

Small groups of children are matched based on goals, developmental levels, abilities and opportunities for peer modeling.  Two twelve week sessions are offered.  The first session begins mid-September and the second session begins mid-January. 

The program facilitates increased comfort with transitions, sharing space with others and peer interaction. Opportunities to help each child develop or generalize motor, speech, sensory, social-emotional and cognitive skills  are provided within a group setting of his or her peers. 

Through the small group experience children learn behavioral expectations in group settings, increase confidence and develop a sense of pride by engaging in activities and routines.  This group will meet at the Dominion Blvd location and is a drop-off group.

Social Skills Training and Self-Regulation Groups (Heroes Club/ Teambuilding Groups)

This is a program to build social skills in children who have difficulty making and keeping friends due to sensory, attention and/or language issues.  Two twelve week sessions are offered.  The first session begins mid-September and the second session begins mid-January.  Areas addressed through fun, interactive activities include:

• Developing peer relationships by improving interaction and communication with peers
• Becoming more flexible and expanding interests
• Increasing behavioral understanding of self and others
• Build confidence as communicators and improve self-esteem
• Appropriately identify and express feelings, emotions, opinions and thoughts through the use of language
• Learn how to interpret nonverbal communication in others and themselves
• Learn strategies to monitor and regulate alertness and behavior
• Practice newly acquired social skills in a comfortable environment with peers through the supervision of a facilitator

Participants are screened and grouped with peers based on age, developmental skills and needs. Individual goals will be determined for each child following a review of pertinent assessments, observation of the child in a social situation, and an interview with the parents. General goals for all children in the group might include: turn taking, asking for help appropriately, sharing important and pertinent information, sequencing tasks in a group, problem solving, following rules established by others or as dictated by a particular game, resolving conflict using appropriate language, knowing when to give and receive information, sharing experiences and ideas, maintaining a topic in conversation, and more. Groups begin September 20th 2010! Please contact the office for more information.

Tutoring Support (Kidz Zone)

This after school program offers specialized tutoring support in the areas of spelling, reading and math.