Action for Kids

Developmental Therapy:

Providing Developmental Foundations

Developmental Therapy addresses a child's overall development. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy focus on a specific area of development such as gross and fine motor skills or communication, whereas developmental therapy helps with the development of skills such as, personal-social, motor, self-help, problem solving, concept development, and memory skills.

Developmental therapists identify specific skills that will help each child reach the next step in their development. Developmental therapy is broken down into five areas which include behavior, communication, socialization, motor skills, and pre-academics/cognition.

The developmental therapist will look at how your child's vision and hearing are helping them to explore the world, what kinds of communication your child is using (crying, babbling, pointing to objects, using words or sentences), how your child solves problems (such as activating a mechanical toy or finding a hidden block), your child's activity level, and attention span. Most activities will be play-based, since play is the work of a child. The therapist will look to the parent to let them know what their child's typical behaviors are. Parent input will further help the therapist determine what activities to focus on, and how to interpret the child's development. Developmental therapists work with children both one-on-one and in small group settings, which are ideal for developing social, and personal skills.

Kids are patients too:

      Our pint-sized patients have special needs, from the special therapy required to help them to simply overcoming the lowered self-esteem caused by their condition. Effective results for both are accomplished by helping kids overcome the fear and uncertainty of their treatment and guiding them toward small, kid-sized goals.
      Not every child grows and matures at the same rate. If you are concerned about your child crawling, walking, talking, understanding, responding, seeing or hearing, your family may benefit from our services. Action for Kids specializes in working with children in the formative years. Our professional staff offers the individualized and personalized attention your child deserves.
      We also recognize that infants need special care. We offer infant massage, which is shown to offer relaxation, enhance bonding, aid growth and development, promote communication and improve baby's sleep.

Speech Therapy

Developing and Restoring Communication

Speech Pathologists work with children who have disorders of speech, language, voice, fluency, feeding or swallowing. Beginning speech therapy early in a child’s life can oftentimes be of critical importance to a child’s development, especially to those children who have had a traumatic birth or hearing loss. Some of the disorders Paradigm’s speech pathologists specialize in are:

	Dysphagia (feeding or swallowing disorders)
	Apraxia
	Developmental delays
	Hearing loss
	Traumatic Birth
	Language disorders
	Brain Injury
	PDD/Autism
	Cerebral Palsy
	Down Syndrome
	ADD/ADHD

Speech pathologists integrate their treatment well with other types of therapy for those children who require multiple types of services. Thus, helping each child reach their maximum potential.

Physical Therapy

Building Strength, Improving Function

Physical therapy focuses on improving gross motor skills, such as rolling, sitting, standing, crawling, and walking. Therapists implement specific therapeutic exercise and mobility training to help children accomplish their goals and overcome any physical challenges they may be facing.

Physical therapy can make dramatic changes in children’s lives. Sometimes it is just a little physical therapy the child needs to get them to those essential milestones such as walking, crawling, jumping, and other important physical skills.

Who can Benefit from Physical Therapy?

Physical Therapy can benefit children of any age who have:

	Orthopedic conditions
	Connective tissue disease
	Neurological conditions
	Sports injuries

Conditions treated include (but are not limited to):

	Brain injury
	Spinal cord injury
	Cerebral Palsy
	Disabilities related to trauma or infection
	Fractures
	Sprains & strains
	Decreased strength & endurance
	Muscular Dystrophy
	Spina Bifida
	Congenital anomalies
	Developmental delays
	Down Syndrome
	Torticollis

Occupational Therapy:

Acquiring Essential Life Skills

Occupational therapy helps children develop or restore essential life skills, such as brushing their teeth, playing with toys, and feeding themselves. Since most children are not in the work force, their “occupation” refers to their specific life skills and tasks they need in their everyday activities. Occupational therapists use specific exercises and task-related activities to help children further develop or regain their skills to help improve the quality of their life and increase their independence. Occupational therapists can help children who have:

	Delayed fine and gross motor development
	Neurologic dysfunction
	Decreased range of motion and strength
	Disabilities related to trauma or infection
	Sensory dysfunction
	Orthopedic and muscle injuries
	Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
	PDD/Autism