The Center for Childhood Development: Specialized Therapies

Specialized Therapies

Auditory Based Therapies

Berard Auditory Integration Training (AIT)

Auditory Integration Training (AIT) is an intervention that uses specially modulated and filtered music to retrain an individual’s ability to process sound input. Dr. Guy Berard, a French ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor, developed the Berard method of AIT in the 1960’s. The intervention was first provided in the US in 1991. Dr. Berard believes that distortions in ‘hearing’ causes auditory processing problems.

Interactive Metronome

The Interactive Metronome is a cutting-edge neurological assessment and treatment tool used with pediatric and adult clients. It was developed in the early 1990s to help with Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Non-Verbal Learning Disability, and ADD/ADHD. With years of clinical research and use with innovative therapists, it is also being implemented for clients with Traumatic Brain Injury, Balance difficulties, and a variety of other sensory and motor challenges.

Therapeutic Listening

Therapeutic Listening is type of sound, or listening therapy, designed by Sheila Frick, OTR. It is based on the work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis and Guy Berard. Listening is an active process that involves motivation, intention, and the ability to focus the ear on certain sounds selected for interpretation. It requires accurately perceiving, processing, and responding to sounds in the environment.

Craniosacral Therapies

Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral therapy in America began with the development of osteopathy by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in the mid-1800’s. Osteopathy was originally focused on restoring good blood supply to all the tissues and organs of the body, which enhanced the body’s self-healing mechanisms. Cranial osteopathy then specialized in restoring good circulation to the fluids around the brain and spinal cord. This further evolved into the craniosacral therapy approach popularized by Dr. John Upledger, which emphasizes directing mobility of the cranial bones and the sacrum at the base of the spine.

Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) Therapies

DIR / Floortime

Floortime is a vital element of the Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR) model. The DIR / Floortime approach involves meeting your child at his current developmental level and building upon his particular set of strengths. The approach suggests following the child’s lead: tuning in to his interests and desires in interactions and play to harness the power of his motivation and to help him climb the developmental ladder. It involves tailoring these interactions to the child’s individual differences in sensory processing, speech and language abilities, emotional regulation, and motor planning.

HWT Therapies

Handwriting Without Tears

Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) was developed by an occupational therapist. It is a curriculum that uses multi-sensory techniques and consistent habits to teach handwriting to all students. The goal of HWT is to make legible and fluent handwriting easier and more automatic from pre-kindergarten through cursive writing. The curriculum uses auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic methods to help improve self-confidence and ability in the handwriting process. This curriculum is fun and interactive for students at any level. Get more information at www.hwtears.com

Sensory Processing Therapies

Sensory Processing

Sensory Processing begins with our ability to take in information through our senses. This includes the five basic senses, as well as our sensations of movement (vestibular) and body position (proprioception).

Speech and Language Therapies

Auditory and Language Processing

We utilize a multidisciplinary, comprehensive approach to evaluation of auditory and language processing as we consider the whole child and the development and maturation of their auditory system. We look at auditory and language processing as a hierarchy of skills, one that needs careful examination to know where to begin and utilizing the appropriate therapies to achieve these goals in the most streamlined, efficient manner possible.

Speech and Language

The speech-language therapists at the CCD offer services unique to each child based on their developmental level. This includes services for articulation impairments related to dysarthria (weakness), dyspraxia (impaired coordination), dysphonia (impaired voice/breath support), as well as phonological processing impairments. In addition, we offer services for language difficulties related to delayed development, neurological disorders, social-emotional disorders, or other related disorders including autism spectrum. We also have therapists that are specialized in assessing and treating auditory processing difficulties.

Lindamood Bell Programs

Lindamood Bell programs are critically acclaimed programs that use stimulation of sensory functions to teach children skills necessary for academic success. Their programs focus on: reading, spelling, math, processing information and verbal/written expression. These programs are being utilized nationwide with amazing results. Their website provides more information along with research articles available for parent review.

PROMPT

PROMPT PROMPT (PROMPTS for Restructuring Oral Muscular Targets) This well-researched program is a multidimensional approach to speech production disorders. It examines how the motor system develops and focuses intervention on motor planes. It utilizes tactual-kinesthetic-proprioceptive input to change speech targets.

Read Naturally

The Read Naturally program focuses on reading fluency. Children that read slowly and haltingly focus mostly on decoding and struggling to figure out what each word is. When we read as fluently as we speak, we enjoy what we read and can focus on overall meaning and comprehension. We utilize this program mainly as a home program to supplement our individual and group reading instruction. This CD program is fun, interactive and utilizes interesting non-fiction stories.

Talk Tools®

Our therapists are skilled in using Talk Tools® programs which offer oral motor-speech therapy exercises as an adjunct to other speech therapy programs including PROMPT. Talk Tools® exercises use a tactile teaching technique to improve muscle awareness, placement, and strength/motor memory which are prerequisites for the development of speech clarity.

SOS Feeding Therapy

Feeding groups at the Center for Childhood Development follow the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach developed by Dr. Kay Toomey, Ph.D. This is a developmental approach to feeding that helps children learn to interact with and eventually eat foods, in a playful and non-stressful way.

The Center for Childhood Development