The medical community is continuously breaking new ground in the research and treatment of developmental disorders, genetic disorders and diseases. Likewise, science and technology is always advancing our understanding of the human brain, nervous system and child development on a whole. It’s imperative for the staff at any therapeutic facility to continue their education in order to provide up-to-date care and treatment to patients. At Playful Learning Pediatric Therapy, we’re always learning, too. Our staff attends continuing education courses each year to ultimately be more effective in assisting your child.
Beckman Oral Motor Protocol uses assisted movement and stretch reflexes to quantify response to pressure and movement, range, strength, variety and control of movement for the lips cheeks, jaw, tongue and soft palate. This protocol is used with children experiencing a variety of challenges: infants with failure to thrive, excessive drooling, oral hypersensitivity (gagging and tooth brushing difficulty), tooth grinding. Beckman oral motor is also used for transition skills needed to move from the use of the breast or bottle to utensils and to move from pureed foods to regular textured foods.
Learn more at www.beckmanoralmotor.com.
We have 3 therapists who are trained in the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to feeding for picky and problem feeders. The SOS Approach focuses on increasing a child’s comfort level by exploring and learning about the different properties of food and allows a child to interact with food in a playful, non-stressful way, beginning with the ability to tolerate the food in the room and in front of him/her; then moving on to touching, kissing, and eventually tasting and eating foods.
Learn more online, http://www.sosapproach-conferences.com/about-us/sos-approach-to-feeding.
We have two providers who have attended continuing education on the use of kinesio tape. The Kinesio Taping® Method is a definitive rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion as well as providing extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy administered within the clinical setting.
Learn more online, http://www.kinesiotaping.com/about/kinesio-taping-method.
Our physical therapist has been trained in and utilizes, techniques of Cranialsacral Therapy. A component of Physical Therapy, Cranial Sacral Therapy involves only a light, circular touch around specific areas of the body. The practitioner will first focus on the joints of the skull. The manipulation of the joints of the skull is thought to help establish a correct balance of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Other areas of the body will also be frequently included in treatment.
Learn more online, http://cranialsacraltherapy.org/cranial-sacral-physical-therapy/.
Additional reading: Zones of Regulation
The Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) curriculum is designed to make handwriting easy to teach, and easy to learn, in just 15 minutes a day.
The Handwriting Without Tears printing and cursive programs draw from years of innovation and research to provide developmentally appropriate, multisensory tools and strategies for the classroom. Research shows that children learn more effectively by actively doing, with materials that address all styles of learning. According to HWT developers, children who have mastered handwriting are better, more creative writers. The earlier we teach children to master handwriting, the more likely they are to succeed in school, and write with speed and ease in all subjects.
Playful Learning Pediatric Therapy therapists have been educated in the application of HWT to help your child overcome handwriting challenges or to simply become a better writer, at an earlier age.
Learn more online, http://www.hwtears.com/hwt.
We have multiple therapists certified in therapeutic listening. We also have headphones and players available for a home program trial. Parents are required to purchase headphones and players for a long-term, home program if success is noted in the first couple weeks and parents want to continue at home. Playful Learning Therapy has a music loan program so music does not need to be purchased.
Learn more online, http://vitallinks.net/pages/About-Therapeutic-Listening.php
Interactive Metronome can be utilized for pediatric and adult patients with neurological conditions that affect cognitive and motor functioning. IM provides an objective method for not only measuring deficits but also for tracking improvement. Best of all, the program ensures patients recognize progress as it is occurring, and who doesn’t like positive feedback?
Interactive Metronome is use to improve
Learn more online, http://www.interactivemetronome.com/index.php/what-is-imhome.html.
The TummyTime!™ Method addresses the needs of babies during the newborn through precrawling stage of life. The program is specific for attuning to baby’s calm and relaxed state, healthy nervous system function, as well as connecting with a parent during tummy time.
Some of the Benefits of TummyTime!™
Health:
Eases tummy function – helps to reduce reflux and gas, promotes optimal bowel movements.
Posture:
Promotes optimal head shape – most babies sleep on their backs and are often placed on their backs to play. This adds pressure to their head, which can cause a flat spot. Placing your baby on his tummy to play offsets the time he spends on his back and gives the head optimal pressure relief. TummyTime!™ helps ensure a nice round head without flat spots if performed regularly.
Movement:
Connection:
It’s best for baby’s neurodevelopment to have support and connection with a parent, sibling or even the family pet during tummy time. Engaging in back and forth facial expressions, vocalizing, smiling and encouraging touch helps babies feel safe and secure in tummy time. When babies feel safe and secure, they can enjoy the experience of learning to move and play.
Learn more online, TummyTime!™ Method
Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tie, restricts the tongue’s normal movement and can affect the way a child eats, speaks and swallows, as well as interfere with breastfeeding. It is caused by an unusually short, thick lingual frenulum, the membrane connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Our therapist is a trained Ankyloglossia Bodyworker. She is equipped with the skills needed to administer a hands-on assessment and provide the best therapeutic treatment possible for babies with Ankyloglossia.
Learn more online, Ankyloglossia Bodyworkers