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Services Provided at Simoneon
Sensory Integration Therapy
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Dr. Jean Ayres, an occupational therapist, working with
children and adults with neurological impairments was the first to offer the
model of sensory integration.
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Dr. Ayres defined sensory integration as "the
organization of sensation for our use". Information about our
environment and our body comes to us through our senses at all times of the
day - our sense of vision, our olfactory and gustatory senses, our auditory
sense, our tactile sense, and our proprioceptive and vestibular senses.
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Our
brain receives this sensory information, interprets its meaning, organizes
the information and then sends instructions to the rest of the body as to
the action that should be taken regarding the information. What action or
actions do we take when we feel the heat or the cold, when we stub a toe,
when we're hungry, or when we are uncomfortable in the presence of a certain
individual?
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Sensory integration allows us to put all this sensory information together
and respond in a way that will make us happy, productive and well
coordinated individuals.
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No
one possesses or exhibits perfect sensory integration. That's why
some of us are more athletic, or more artistic than others. Some people may
be better communicators, better dancers, or have better perspectives of how
cars or computers work. Perhaps what is more important for us as educators,
therapists and caregivers to remember, is that at one time or other we have
all had sensory integration difficulties. But, as individuals who possess
typical sensory integration abilities, we have learned to exhibit behaviors
which are socially and culturally acceptable.
Occupational Therapy
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What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy is about helping individuals (relative to their age
and choices) reach their potential and achieve maximum independent
functional ability in their daily occupations of self-care, work and leisure
activities. For a child these daily occupations are involved with
self-care, being a student and being an effective player in life (mentally,
socially, emotionally and physically).
- Simoneon provides Occupational Therapy consultation, screening,
comprehensive evaluation, individual (direct occupational therapy
intervention), typical peer mentoring during individual treatment as
appropriate, interventions for home with consultation and monitoring.
- Frame of Reference and Modalities:
- Who is served? Children (medically stable) aged 3
months-through teen years with delays in one or more areas of development.
- Issues Addressed:
- Strength of large and small muscles,
- physical endurance,
- postural control,
- motor planning,
- gross and fine motor skills,
- self-help skills (activities of daily living),
- attention skills,
- sensory processing (vestibular, tactile, proprioceptive,
visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory),
- visual-perceptual skills,
- language,
- academic and
- social-emotional skills (if related to a sensory
processing or motor issue).
Neuro-Developmental
Treatment (NDT)
An advanced
therapeutic approach, practiced by experienced Occupational Therapists,
Physical Therapists, and Speech-Language Pathologists. NDT is a hands-on
approach to help individuals who have experienced neurologically based
disorders. NDT trained therapists work together with the family and other
providers to develop a comprehensive treatment program to to assist an
individual in becoming as independent as possible and as efficient as
possible in their postural control and movement patterns. NDT is based on
human neurology and physiology. It is appropriately used with individuals
having minor to major motor difficulties. The individuals at Simoneon
Center, who having minor motor difficulties, tend to benefit from NDT
combined with the other approaches employed at Simoneon Center.
This
hands-on approach is used in working with people who have central nervous
system insults that create difficulties in controlling movement. Therapists
using NDT treatment have completed advanced training in NDT and work closely
with individuals with neurological challenges (e.g. cerebral palsy, stroke,
head injury), helping them to become as independent as possible. NDT-trained
therapists work collaboratively with individuals, family, caregivers and
physicians to develop comprehensive treatment programs based on the
principles of human neurology and physiology. Individuals who have minimal
to severe motor difficulties can benefit from the NDT approach.
Developmental Sequence
An approach
which considers foundational requirements in order to progress to a higer
level of development. This approach assists with generalization of
abilities versus just learning one skill (splinter skill). This approach is
applicable across the domains of development. A developmental sequence
approach is typically applicable for all ages but may be less practical for
some ages or severe disabilities.
Handwriting Without Tears
Handwriting Without Tears is a
respectful, practical and methodical process employing a tactile,
kinesthetic and visual/perceptual technique approach to teach manuscript and
cursive writing skills to children having difficulty learning how to write.
Wilbarger
Protocol
The Wilbarger Protocol
with over 30+
years in research has led to the development of the Wilbarger Protocol which
has been found to be helpful for children with sensory regulation
difficulties (to diminish their over-reactivity to adverse stimuli and cope
better with sensory inputs). The procedure involves specific techniques of
firm brushing to limbs and back, followed by joint compression to specific
joints. The procedures are frequently updated, based on the latest
research.
The Alert
Program – How Does Your Engine Run?
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The Alert
Program
is based on the book,
How Does Your Engine Run? A Leader's Guide to the Alert Program for
Self-Regulation
(Williams &
Shellenberger), describes an innovative program that supports children,
teachers, parents, and therapists to choose appropriate strategies to change
or maintain states of alertness.
Sensory Diet
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Sensory
Diets are programs individually designed for people experiencing difficulty
coping with and/or responding appropriately to sensory inputs from their own
bodies or from the environment.
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A sensory
diet typically involves some modification of the individual's environment to
a small or significant degree, which will allow the individual to function
better in that environment. A diet also is also concerned with helping an
individual maintain an appropriate alertness/arousal state and appropriate
emotional tone to function better.
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Persons
needing a sensory diet may be unable to self-regulate responses to internal
or external sensory stimuli without regular and individual specific sensory
inputs throughout the day.
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A sensory
diet typically involves activities which either dampen or arouse sensory
responsiveness. All or some of the sensory systems (tactile,
proprioceptive, vestibular, olphactory, gustatory) may be addressed with a
sensory diet, relative to an individual's needs.
Peer Mentoring
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Peer Mentoring
is a
method used to facilitate the development of typical emotional-social skills
in clients with emotional-social lags. Typically developing peers interact
and participate in enjoyable structured activities. Creativity is encouraged
among all participants and constructive feedback from mentors to clients is
encouraged to assist, in a typical way, the development of appropriate
emotional-social skills.
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We
provide no-fee community in services on atypical development to groups of
parents, professionals and schools.
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We also
facilitate parent networking, encourage and facilitate play dates, provide
resources to parents for supportive doctors, dentists having skills with
special needs kids, better speech therapists, other professionals, private
schools, suggestions of fun/beneficial community activities for their
children
Our Staff
Listening Therapies Offered by Simoneon
AIT: Auditory Integration Training
Samona's Sound Therapy
Volunteer Opportunities
at Simoneon
- We invite after-school, typically developing children
(ages 5 - 9 years to mentor our kids). There is a minimum 1 month/45 minute
per week commitment, (holidays excluded).
- This is a wonderful opportunity for young children who
have good attention spans, follow instructions well and are eager to be in
service to others. At a young age they can develop leadership skills, expand
their world view, learn to embrace differences and feel the joy of being in
service while truly making a difference in another child's life.
- Child volunteers will be given a certificate of
recognition after completing a minimum of 1 month of service. (To protect
the health of the children and staff, volunteers must always cancel their
arranged mentoring day, should they have a contageous illness).
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