By: Kelly Nesbitt MOT, OTR/L & Certified DIR Floortime Therapist

DIR Floortime is a multidisciplinary, developmental treatment approach that has profoundly shaped my clinical practice as an Occupational Therapist. I have personally seen a variety of children thrive with this approach. I have been lucky enough to learn all about DIR Floortime at Easterseals. While DIR is a very complex model, I wanted to have an overview of this model that parents can refer to and start off on their journey of learning and growing with their child.

Author’s Note: I use both identity-affirming language “autistic children” and person-first language “children with autism” throughout this post, as these are two schools of thought within the autism advocacy community regarding how to refer to someone with this diagnosis. Generally, I use the language that feels most respectful to each individual family and child. As I am not someone with autism, I don’t have the lived experience to make a judgment on which school of thought is “right.”

Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Dr. Serena Wieder explain their model, DIR Floortime ®

What is DIR Floortime?

DIR, which stands for Developmental Individual Differences Relationship Model, is the theoretical framework that works to promote the relationship between the child and parent, looking at the unique individual differences (sensory processing, motor, neurology, developmental, cognitive, and social-emotional skills) of the child and using playful, child-led strategies to support engagement and development.

All these Individual differences and the Relationship you have with your child all help catapult your child forward Developmentally. Floortime is the practice or application of DIR theory in which you literally “get down on the floor” with the child and “get into their world,” exploring their interests through affective, playful engagement in order to help them grow. The most important part of DIR Floortime is the “R,” which stands for “Relationship;” your relationship with your child drives all the development and meaning they derive from the world. DIR Floortime is, at its core, a parent coaching model.

Growing research is showing that this developmental, multidisciplinary approach is an effective treatment option for working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Multiple randomized-controlled studies have been published since 2011 identifying statistically significant improvement in children with autism who used Floortime versus traditional behavioral approaches.

How Therapists Are Involved

Your therapist will help coach you on how to use your child’s strengths and interests to accomplish your child’s goals. It aims to empower parents, who are the “experts” in their child, to trust their instincts, follow their child’s lead, and fundamentally look at the child’s capacities in a strengths-based approach. Essentially, this model looks at and bases treatment decisions around all the wonderful things a child can do and what strengths they already possess.

What I love about DIR Floortime:

It Respects the Parent’s and Child’s Knowledge

As an OT, I hold the core assumption that every parent and child is trying their best based on their mental, emotional, and physical capacities at that moment. This model coincides with that belief on a profound level. Since DIR Floortime is a strengths-based model that presumes competence of both the parent and child, this approach really helps me go into a session with an empathetic heart and help you use “what is going well” with your child and expand from there.

Because this approach is centered upon relationships, it’s incredibly important that all families feel comfortable with their therapist as a cheerleader and coach and are able to be vulnerable in sessions. Parenting is incredibly complex, hard, and rewarding, and your therapist rides all those ups and downs with you, not as an “expert” in DIR, but as someone who is in your and your child’s corner. Even if a session is really hard, there is always something positive that can be found together, and growth can occur from there.

It is Neurodiversity-Affirming

I also love DIR Floortime, as it is neurodiversity-affirming. Neurodiversity-affirming practice refers to celebrating the unique diversity of neurological functioning that makes humans beautifully complex. It honors the interests and experiences of the neurodiverse child (children with Autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, OCD, anxiety, and more). This approach assumes that children “don’t need to be fixed or cured,” just supported where they are developmentally and accepting their uniqueness; We see the child as inherently good the way they are. This model doesn’t see, as some may say, “unusual interests” in Autism but rather sees a child with a passion that can teach us more about something we may have never thought twice about.

It Encourages Interests and Doesn’t Label

I remember hearing an adult with Autism explain how when he was little, he always saw profound beauty in light reflecting off droplets of rain or in suncatchers on windows. He described how he would flap his hands in excitement as the droplets slid down the window or light danced through the glass and onto the floor, his body unable to contain the excitement at witnessing something so wondrous.

I wonder if, as a child, this boy may have been described as having an “unusual interest” in windows and “stereotyped behaviors” rather than someone with a unique sensory system and neurology who is having a joy-filled sensory experience. I have also heard of some Autistic advocates reporting that it must be sad that “neurotypical” people don’t get to experience the profound joy of stimming and seeing the beauty that surrounds us in everyday experiences.

I think this is a wonderful way to look at neurodiversity- what can these children show us about experiencing the world with a newfound sense of wonder and excitement. How can we reframe pathologizing neurodiverse children and instead amplify their voices and experiences to learn something exciting and new?

DIR Floortime looks at a child as a human being, not a diagnosis or label, who has great ideas that should be honored.

DIR Therapy at Easterseals

Lucky for us all, Easterseals has many certified DIR Floortime Therapists in the Occupational Therapy, Social Work, and Speech Therapy departments! You can request a therapist who has this specialization. However, if one is not currently available at the time your child needs therapy, don’t worry! Easterseals has an environment of constant collaboration and clinical supervision, so a non-certified Floortime therapist can still provide a strengths-based, child-led approach with mentorship and consultation from a certified DIR Floortime therapist.

Easterseals provides an environment that celebrates neurodiverse children’s experiences and, through the DIR Floortime model, allows parents to help their children gain skills and grow!

If you are interested in getting started with DIR therapy for your child at Easterseals, we have many qualified therapists to guide you through the process!

Learn more here to get started.

Where can I learn more? DIR Resources

Websites:

Profectum Parent Toolbox (this is a wealth of videos, webinars, worksheets, and educational materials to help walk parents through all aspects of this model. Available in English and Spanish)

Profectum.org and ICDL.org are the two large organizations of DIR Floortime. Both websites have a wealth of information and training opportunities for professionals and parents.

ABA vs. DIR Floortime? This is a look at these two different approaches to help you decide which is a better fit for your family

 DIR Floortime Quick Fact Sheet   (This link is a list of clinical research and evidence supporting this model)

Affect Autism Podcast What is it? – Affect Autism: We chose play, joy every day (this is one of my favorite podcasts about DIR Floortime, exploring a range of topics within this model)

Books about DIR Floortime and Related approaches:

• Brain-Body Parenting by Mona Delahooke PhD (2022)
• Beyond Behaviors by Mona Delahooke PhD (2019)
• Visual/Spatial Portals to Thinking Feeling and Movement by Serena Wieder PhD and Harry Wachs O.D. (2012)
• Engaging Autism by Stanley Greenspan, M.D. and Serena Wieder, PhD (2007)
• The First Idea: How Symbols, Language and Intelligence Evolved from Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans by Stanley L. Greenspan, M.D. and Stuart G. Shanker, D. Phil (2004)
• The Secure Child by Stanley Greenspan, M.D. (2001)
• The Irreducible Needs of Children by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. and Stanley L. Greenspan, M.D. (2000)
• Building Health Minds by Stanley Greenspan, M.D. (1999)

By: Kelly Nesbitt, MOT, OTR/L

One of the trickiest parts of a child’s daily routine for families is sleep, going to sleep, staying asleep, and finding consistency in the bedtime routine. Below are some helpful tips to make your child’s bedtime restful and not stressful.

Author’s Notes: I use both identity-affirming language, “autistic children,” and person-first language, “children with autism,” throughout this post, as these are two schools of thought within the autism advocacy community of how to refer to someone with this diagnosis. Generally, I use the language that feels most respectful to each individual family and child. As I am not someone with autism, I don’t have the lived experience to make a judgment on which school of thought is “right.”

Also falling asleep and staying asleep is a complicated process. Both environmental modifications as well as your child’s physiological processes impact sleep. Don’t be afraid to bring up sleep to your child’s pediatrician if you are worried that even with good sleep hygiene, your child is still not sleeping well.

Steps for a Child’s Bedtime Success

First, ensure your child’s room is set up in an optimal sleeping environment. Physical set-up includes:

1. A Quiet Room: If it can be helped, having children not share a room so that if one child wakes up in the household, it does not wake up your other children. If you have two children sleeping in the same room, you can try having music or a white noise machine playing in the background so that the children can get used to having noise present in the room.
2. A Dark Room: Also, ensure that the room is dark (with the exception of a nightlight if a child needs it), which helps a child’s brain know it is time to sleep. Trial blackout curtains if a lot of light creeps in the windows, if your child is going to bed when the sun is setting, or if there is ambient street light coming into the room.
3. A Cool room:  A cool room is optimal for sleep. A room between 60 and 68 degrees is cool enough for children to sleep well. (Best Temperature to Sleep: Research and Sleep Tips (healthline.com)

Consistency is Key

One of the biggest keys to having good sleep hygiene is having consistency every night. This means a consistent bedtime, routine, and expectations for sleep. Give yourself and your child about 30-45 minutes to start the whole bedtime routine and keep it consistent every night.

As a family, you can decide what activities are calming for your child that you can work into your routine for bedtime (taking a warm bubble bath, changing into PJs, and listening to quiet music for a few minutes before you tuck them in).  It will take some trial and error to find what makes your child feel calm and sleepy.

 I recommend keeping a journal or note on your phone on what time you started the bedtime routine, what activities you chose, and what time your child got to sleep. This will help you find patterns of what worked in the routine and what did not work.  

Limit screen time to 1 hour (at least) before bed

This is a big one. Screen time is often very overstimulating for kids and sends signals to a child’s brain to stay awake! In fact, a review of many studies from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that “In >90% of these studies, more screen time was associated with delayed bedtimes and shorter total sleep time among children and adolescents.” So how do we reduce screen time around bedtime?

About an hour before bed, turn off the electronics! That means tablets, iPhones, laptops, and televisions. There are parent control apps (check them out here: How to Check Screen Time on Different Devices (guidingtech.com). These apps can turn off children’s apps or even password lock the device at a certain time. It’s also recommended that children do not have access to devices in their rooms (no televisions or tablets in their rooms). You want your child to associate their bedroom as a calm space for sleep, not for sitting and watching shows.  Replace screen time with reading time, unstructured playtime with their toys, or quiet music and drawing time. This hour before bed can be explained to older kids as “a time to quiet our bodies and minds.”  The activities you do before bed with your child (discussed more below) should be quieter, organizing, and not high-energy activities.

This change to limiting screen time will likely be a tough adjustment for kids, as it’s difficult to beat the immediate gratification and fun of visually stimulatory ipads, iphones and TV. But consistency is key, and kids are resilient, so they will accommodate over time. Make it a challenge for yourself, too- take a break from electronics with the kids at night and don’t get them back out until they are asleep!

Find Out What Activities are Calming

Play around with what activities you try an hour before bedtime. Here are some quieter activities that can promote settling kids’ bodies for bed:

Heavy Work/Proprioceptive activities: Heavy work/proprioceptive input is compression to joints that sends calming signals to the central nervous system. Any activity that has “pushing, pulling or carrying” contains proprioceptive input. The trick with heavy work input around bedtime is selecting activities that are not going to be too active. Do these activities for about 10-30 minutes or until you notice that your child is looking tired or their body is regulated.  These activities could include:

• Doing wall push-ups
• Pushing a toy container around to pick up toys
• Pull a weighted blanket with their stuffed animals on it
• Lay on bellies on hardwood or linoleum floor and pull with their arms (you can put a towel on the floor for the child to lay on to get less resistance when they pull).
• Have the child fill a fabric bag with what bedtime stories they want to read that night and carry it to their room

Calming Bath time: Draw a warm bath for your little one with calming bubbles if your child enjoys that. There are also some cute light-up bath toys to play with along with having the overhead lights turned down (if it’s safe to do so). Always make sure that your child is supervised when in the bathtub.

Additional Sensory Supports

Here are some additional sensory supports that could be added to bedtime to help your child prepare their body for sleep:

OLFACTORY/SMELL:

• Use gently scented lotions with soothing scents (chamomile, lavender, vanilla, for example) for an olfactory signal for your child to get ready for bed.
• Trial essential oil diffusers (that are out of reach of children in their room) with calming scents

TACTILE/TOUCH:

•  Trial using a weighted blanket at bedtime or during quiet time. See this blog post for more information: The Benefits of Weighted Blankets – Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley Blog (wordpress.com). To sleep with, a child’s weighted blanket be no more than 10% of their body weight!
• Rub your child’s back while they lay in bed with deep pressure, which is calming.
• Cuddle with deep squeezes to their body (think of swaddling a baby to sleep)
• Allow children to have access to their security blanket or toy (often children use these items to remind them of their parents’ love and literally take that with them as they look at that toy)

VISUAL/LOOK:

• If you can, dim the lights in your house or turn off a few lights so the house is a little darker before bed.
• Again, limit screen time
• Have a soft, warm night light in the child’s room
• Have the child’s toys “out of sight and out of mind” during bedtime. They can have their preferred stuffed animal if they are old enough, but other tempting toys should be put away.

GUSTATORY/TASTE:

• Have warm milk prior to bed
• Avoid a big meal or snack right before bedtime, as it’s hard to sleep when you are digesting a lot of foods.

AUDITORY/HEAR:

• Use a quieter, softer tone of voice to help signal to your child that it’s time to settle down.
• Play a white noise machine in the bedroom
• For children 3 and up, there are Children’s bedtime podcasts to listen to during getting ready for bed. Select stories that are slow-paced, and the narrators have a calming voice.
• Play soft music in the background during the bedtime routine

VESTIBULAR/MOVEMENT:

• If your child is soothed by being rocked, you can make a blanket swing with 2 adults holding the ends of the blanket and your child climbing in. Give your child slow, rhythmic movements which are calming.
• Read bedtime stories in a rocking chair

You can also talk with your child’s Occupational Therapist about what other activities and sensory supports can work for your child.

Cuddle and Connect

Once your little one is all settled into bed, use this opportunity to connect with your child with a special routine or routine that is important to you as a family. This can be reading a bedtime story, saying prayers together, reviewing the best parts of the day, saying what you are grateful for, or singing a bedtime song.

Feeling safe and connected with their parents is a good way to bond and send them to sleep. That being said, sometimes separating from mom and dad in order to go to bed is really scary and a normal childhood fear. Having this consistent shared time can help a child feel safe and secure prior to going to bed. You can also read some separation-themed stories to help them to ease this anxiety.  (Children’s Books about Separation Anxiety – Sleeping Should Be Easy)

A Note on Autism

I would be remiss not to mention that even with immaculate sleep hygiene, some autistic children still have difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep. There is a higher prevalence of insomnia in autistic children than in their neurotypical peers. There are some theories that gastrointestinal issues, possible sleep apnea, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, epilepsy, medication side effects and/or hormone imbalances can contribute to more sleep issues in children with autism (Wide Awake: Why children with autism struggle with sleep). It is recommended that parents who have concerns with their child with Autism’s sleep discuss this with their therapy team as well as the pediatrician. Their pediatrician may refer them for a sleep study to evaluate the quality of their sleep and what barriers contribute to them not sleeping well.

Wishing all a good and restful night!

References:

• “Digital Media and Sleep in Childhood and Adolescence” by Monique K. Le Bourgeois, PhD, Lauren Hale, PhD, Anne-Marie Chang, PhD, Lameese D. Akacem, PhD, Hawley E. Montomery-Downs PhD, Orfeu M. Boxton, PhD.  November 1, 2017. Link: Digital Media and Sleep in Childhood and Adolescence | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)
• Wide awake: Why children with autism struggle with sleep | Spectrum | Autism Research News (spectrumnews.org) by Ingfei Chen (Oct 7, 2015)
• Best Temperature to Sleep: Research and Sleep Tips (healthline.com) by Bethany Fulton (Dec 13, 2019)
• Children’s Books about Separation Anxiety – Sleeping Should Be Easy
• How to Check Screen Time on Different Devices (guidingtech.com)

By: Valerie Heneghan, M.A. CCC-SLP/L, C/NDT

As a mother of two young children, having your child eat more fruits and vegetables is always the goal. If you are like me, when my children were starting to eat solids, I could easily offer them various fruits and vegetables.  They would typically take the food offered on their highchairs, explore it and even take bites of it.  But as they got older, they became more selective.

There are many reasons why a child may be unwilling to try new food on any particular day. Maybe the presence of a new food made them panic, and they were never introduced again. Some children may recall a negative experience with a particular food that made them gag or throw up. Now they don’t trust any similar association with that food, such as color, shape, or specific packaging.

The good news is that it’s never too late to try new foods!

Helpful strategies to start exploring new foods

1. Building Trust Around Food

This idea may not be top of mind when you think about getting your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, but it is critical. We need our children to be calm and ready to learn when introduced to new foods. This process starts with a trusting and nurturing relationship between the child and the caregiver.

A great place to start is being true to your word regarding food. As a parent, there is a strong temptation to sneak in vegetables in a meal. Or tell your kids it’s a fruit snack instead of these are your vitamins.

However, Trying to “sneak in” healthy foods doesn’t always lead to long-term good habits, especially with selective or “picky” eaters. Children know their foods, and if you alter it without them knowing, they will likely believe that you will do it again in the future and may reject that particular food or develop more habits that make them more selective such as watching you open the package, only eating foods when they are a specific temperature, etc. Instead, have them change foods or cook with you if they choose to and call foods by their actual name.

2. Supportive Seating and Environment

When possible, offer your child a secure place to eat where their pelvis is upright, and their feet are grounded into a surface. Think about an environment that is inviting to focus on a new task. 

For example, limit distracting sounds, have a clear table, a predictable setting, etc.

3. Offers Not Demands

When trying something for the first time, or food they once ate and no longer have been eating, encourage exploration and positive experiences with that new food rather than the amount of consumption. The first interaction with a new food may be smelling it, touching it with a utensil, passing it to someone else, etc. You can talk about how it looks, make funny faces with it, do actions with the food like dancing or telling jokes, etc. 

As a mother, I do understand at the end of the day, all you want is for your child to eat the dinner you prepared for them, and when they refuse it, that can be frustrating. As a child, however, I remember being served foods I had never eaten before and told I couldn’t leave the table until I ate everything on my plate. So I sat at the table trying to hide foods under other foods, sneaking little bits to the dogs under the table, any trick I could try to make it look like I complied with the rules. Trying new foods cannot be an all-or-nothing process for children. This is simply ineffective for both the child and the parent.

As an adult with that experience, I try to problem-solve how to make new food more approachable. Is it by playing a familiar game, such as playing basketball with blackberries, do we turn the celery stalk into a paintbrush? Do we offer that the food can stay on the table but doesn’t have to go on their plate until they are ready to learn more about it? Be creative and have fun with it!

4. Exposure to Variety

Keep offering those new foods!  It will likely take repeated exposure before kids are willing to try something new. Food is not wasted if not eaten because initial exposure to new foods is just as important, so children can learn more about it and increase their willingness to try it later.

5. Family Mealtime Routines

Whenever possible, try to have family meals together where kids and adults eat the same food and can take how much they would like on their plates. This simple practice can keep exposure to new foods more consistent. Keep the conversation light and positive during mealtime (Ex: If you could be any animal at the zoo, what would you be? etc.) With a routine, kids will know what to expect. And seeing someone else eat the same food, will give them a chance to observe that it is safe to try it too. And don’t “yuck someone’s yum.” Normalize if a child decides they like a certain dip with the food or want to mix foods together.

Feeding Support at Easterseals

Nearly 90% of children with special health care needs are at risk for some type of nutrition-related problem.

If you need additional support for your child’s feeding needs, our multi-disciplinary therapy team offers comprehensive support through our nutrition services, feeding clinic, speech-language feeding specialists and our fun with foods group.

To learn more about services at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley, call us at 630.282.2022 or email info@eastersealsdfvr.org.

By: Anne O’Dowd, Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, CF-SLP

What does Speech Therapy Include?

Perhaps your child or another child you know is referred to see a speech-language pathologist from their doctor. When you think about the areas a speech-language pathologist treats, it is easy to assume we work only in the areas of speech and language, as our title implies. This is a common misconception.

In fact, our field is much larger than our title offers it to be. To provide a better view of the areas we treat, below is an extensive list of our scope or service delivery areas. A speech pathologist can help a child in nine key development needs. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, not all service delivery areas are offered at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley, and individual speech-language pathologists can specialize in one or several areas. Areas in which we practice vary in development, some continuing to evolve (e.g., literacy) and others emerging.

Learn more about our speech services here.

Speech

Speech refers to the production of speech sounds, individually and in words. Children produce several typical speech errors that decrease over the first few years of life, resulting in adult-like speech. Intelligibility, how well an outside listener without context can understand an individual’s speech, is one quick tool we can use to measure speech development. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding speech:

• Articulation: errors in individual speech sounds
• Phonological: errors that follow rule-based, predictable patterns (e.g., phonological processes of stopping, final consonant deletion, or weak syllable deletion)
• Motor planning and execution: developmental or acquired disorders at a motor/neurological level characterized by difficulty producing consistent, predictable speech patterns

Language

Language refers to expressing and comprehending words through multiple modalities, including speech, writing, reading, speech-generating devices, picture symbols, and gestures. We use language for various intents, including sharing ideas and ensuring our needs are met. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding language:

• Phonology: system of speech sounds and how we combine them to make meaningful words
• Morphology: use of word forms to create new words
• Syntax: combining words to create grammatically correct sentence structures
• Semantics: appropriate use and identification of word meanings
• Pragmatics: social aspects of communication and language use
• Literacy: spelling, reading, writing
• Prelinguistic communication: (e.g., intentionality, communicative signaling, joint attention)
• Paralinguistic communication: (e.g., body language, signs, gestures)

Fluency

Fluency refers to the rhythm of our speech. Typical speech is characterized by occasional disfluent moments (e.g., pauses and repetitions), although a higher frequency of these may be a cause for concern. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding fluency:

• Stuttering: disfluencies in speech, including repetitions, blocks, and prolongations
• Cluttering: abnormally fast and/or irregular rate of speech

Voice

Voice refers to the quality, pitch, and volume of an individual’s voice. A voice disorder is present when one or more of these voice qualities are perceived as different or inappropriate for an individual’s gender, age, culture, and geographic location. Causes for variation in voice can be organic (e.g., structural changes due to aging, vocal fold paralysis) or functional (e.g., vocal fatigue). Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding voice:

• Pitch: how “high” or “low” one’s voice is
• Loudness: the volume of one’s voice
• Alaryngeal speech: speech production utilizing a substitute for the vocal folds in the larynx

Resonance

Resonance in speech refers to the production of a filtered sound, beginning at the vocal folds. The sound travels through the pharynx and oral and nasal cavity. As it passes through, it is filtered and enhanced based on the shape and/or size of an individual’s vocal tract. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding resonance:

• Hypo- and hypernasality: not enough or too much sound energy in the nasal cavity
• Cul-de-sac resonance: when sound energy is “trapped” in the oral, nasal, or pharyngeal cavity due to an obstruction

Auditory Habilitation

Typically, when discussing the pediatric population, Auditory Habilitation instead of rehabilitation is used as rehabilitation refers to restoring a skill that was lost. Often, a young child who presents with hearing loss or is Deaf has not yet developed age-appropriate auditory skills and therefore is not restoring the skill. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding aural habilitation/rehabilitation:

• Auditory processing: comprehension and interpretation of auditory information
• Speech, language, communication, and listening skills: as affected by deafness, hearing loss

Learn more about our audiology services here.

Cognitive-Communication Disorders

Speech-language pathologists also provide services for individuals with Cognitive-Communication Disorders.  In the pediatric population, the most common etiologies for cognitive-communication disorders are autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and traumatic brain injury. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding cognitive communication:

• Executive functioning: includes working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility
• Attention: ability to attend to someone or something
• Memory: includes episodic, semantic, procedural, short-term and working, sensory, and prospective memory
• Problem–solving: obtaining, processing, and collaborating the information needed to find a solution to a simple or complex issue

Feeding and Swallowing

Feeding and swallowing refer to how individuals transport food and drink from their environment into their bodies. Speech-language pathologists are involved in the parts of this process that involve the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus. We collaborate with other specialists, such as nutritionists, occupational therapists, and gastroenterologists, to meet each child’s individual feeding and swallowing needs. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we treat regarding feeding and swallowing:

• Oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal phase of swallow: components of the swallow that occur in the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus; abnormal swallow can occur in one or multiple phases
• Atypical eating: (e.g., food refusal, food sensitivity, negative physiological response)

Learn more about our feeding clinic here.

Augmentative and Assistive Technology

Augmentative and Assistive Communication (AAC) includes all forms of communication that are used to supplement or replace oral speech to express thoughts, needs, wants and ideas. AAC allows children to communicate more easily and, in doing so, reduces frustrations for the individual and his or her family. There are several forms of AAC ranging from light tech to high tech. Below are some examples of the service delivery areas we provide in AT services:

• Diagnostic Therapy – working with a child to explore access methods that are consistent and least restrictive to a robust communication system
• Assistive Tech/ Speech Therapy – building language skills and learning how to operate the communication system to be able to express wants and needs
• Customization of systems – setting up, maintaining, or generalizing communication systems to all environments
• Consultations – may work with other providers/school team members to ensure consistency of aided language partners
• Parent training – provide parents the tools to implement operations of communication systems and to be a language model

Learn more about our Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) services here.

Speech-Language Therapy at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley

If you are concerned about your child’s language or other development, take our free online developmental screening tool for children birth to age five. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) will showcase your child’s developmental milestones while uncovering any potential delays. Learn more at askeasterseals.com. 

To learn more about Speech Language services at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley, click here or call us at 630.282.2022.

by: Theresa Forthofer, President & CEO

This past summer, Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley successfully completed the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) re-accreditation process. As a highly respected and recognized third-party organization, CARF performs rigorous evaluations of service-based providers seeking accreditation. We are honored to be one of very few freestanding pediatric outpatient facilities in the area with CARF accreditation. 

Their audits ensure that top service providers are easily recognized by the public when looking for providers who follow internationally accepted standards. We are proud to say that for more than 40 years, Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley has achieved the highest possible recognition from CARF, acknowledging our commitment to quality services and continual improvement.

“This achievement is an indication of our organization’s consistent dedication and commitment to improving health equity in our communities” said Theresa Forthofer, President & CEO of Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley. “Our CARF accreditation signifies that each child is receiving state-of-the-art services from our collaborative team of experts.”

CARF Observations

Among the observations made by CARF in its survey of Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley at our three center locations (pictured below, left to right, Villa Park, Naperville, and Elgin):

• The organization’s leadership values the staff members and has provided opportunities for them to develop through certifications and other educational experiences.
• The chief executive officer has many years of experience and is enthusiastic and dedicated to making a difference by presenting a series of lectures on diversity.
• During the last year, the organization recruited a bilingual clinical psychologist. This has expanded the organization’s capacity to serve a greater number of patients.
• The implementation of the early intervention program for persons with autism has made a big difference in children’s quality of life and the development of real-world skills.
• The development of the patient portal allows patients to book appointments and make payments in advance, so there are no delays in the clinic.

About CARF and Our Survey Process:

As a pediatric specialty program, we are required to demonstrate compliance with over 1800 standards.  Prior to the two-day survey, the survey team reviews clinical documentation samples, outcome and compliance reports, and thousands of policies.  During the survey, the team interviewed Center Leadership, Key Process Owners, Medical Advisory Board members, funders, and most important, clients and families.

CARF uses the ASPIRE to Excellence Quality Framework to guide their survey. Their framework operates on a continuous improvement model which “provides a logical, action-oriented approach to ensure that organizational purpose, planning, and activity result in the desired outcomes.

The entire CARF survey lasts two days, but accredited centers such as ours must demonstrate we have upheld standards over the last three years, as surveys are conducted every three years.

About Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley

Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley is a CARF accredited outpatient rehabilitation center with comprehensive services including occupational, physical and speech-language therapies, mental health, assistive technology, medical nutrition, audiology, autism services and inclusive childcare. With 80 therapists and professional staff specialized in early intervention, and further certified in Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT), Developmental, Individual-differences, & Relationship-based (DIR/Floortime) methods, Sequential Oral Sensory Approach, Sensory Integration and Praxis Test, feeding, motor, speech and sensory areas of specialties. Additionally Easterseals has a medical advisory board and affiliations with local hospitals and medical partners through our vision, orthotics, mobility, seating and diagnostic clinics. Learn more at https://www.easterseals.com/dfv/programs-and-services/.