Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy focuses on developing the ability to perform every day activities such as dressing, feeding or bathing. Our experienced and licensed occupational therapists develop fine motor skills and underlying sensory motor skills through exercise, therapeutic play, assistive devices and special, caring techniques that promote independence in self-care, school, work and play.
Interactive Metronome
Children with Asperger Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADD/ADHD among others have benefited from Interactive Metronome. This therapy measures and improves attention and concentration, behavior and academic performance.
What is IM? How does IM work? Benefits? Who can benefit? click here.
For more information, contact the Therapy Department at (386) 255-4568 ext. 333.
Sensory Integration Dysfunction is the inability to process information received through the senses of touch, movement and body position. This disorder causes difficulty in adaptive learning (such as learning new things), in gross and fine motor learning (such as walking, jumping and sports), and in pre-academic and academic learning (such as having the correct posture to sit at a desk and the visual motor skills required to write). Although these senses are less familiar than vision, hearing and taste to most people, they are critical in helping to function in daily life. Sensory Integration Dysfunction affects children's behavior, influencing the way they learn, move, relate to others and feel about themselves.
Sensory Integration Therapy involves the use of suspended equipment (such as swings) and activities to help children interact with their environment more effectively by improving motor and speech development, motor planning and body awareness in space. Children who benefit from Sensory Integration therapy include those learning disabilities, autism, developmental disabilities, attention deficit disorder and those who are hypersensitive to touch.
As part of a comprehensive sensory integration program, two modalities that have been shown to improve attention and focus, control aggression and impulsiveness, improve language processing and coordination are included: Interactive Metronome and Therapeutic Listening. The Interactive Metronome has taken the concept of the musical metronome and combined it with modern computer technology to create a training program that can accurately measure and systematically improve a person's timing. Therapeutic Listening uses unique audio tapes to help the child focus his or her attention therefore increasing the positive effects of therapy.
Additional sensory integration therapy information:
Handwriting Without Tears
The goal of Handwriting Without Tears is to make legible and fluent handwriting an easy and automatic skill for all students. The unique and compelling curriculum design and teaching strategies facilitate this goal.
The curriculum uses multi-sensory techniques and consistent habits for letter formation to teach handwriting to all students Pre-K through Cursive. In addition, HWT provides parents and teachers the instructional techniques and activities to help improve a child’s self-confidence, pencil grip, body awareness, posture and so much more!
“Handwriting Without Tears is intuitive and fun. It makes handwriting second nature so kids can focus on content and creativity. In the face of new academic standards, kids must be able to communicate what they learn.” Rhea Vogel, Board Member, New York State Parent-Teacher Association
“The curriculum equips teachers to analyze and remediate most handwriting problems themselves.” Jacque Schaafasma, OTR, Sequim School District, Sequim, WA
“It is effective for all children, whether disabled or not. It is very kinesthetic and tactile which is reinforcing to the children.” Ivymount School, Potomac, MD
