What is an Occupational Therapist?

An occupational therapist (OT) is a licensed medical professional who evaluates and treats children and adults who have difficulty participating in meaningful activities (or "occupations") relevant to their daily lives. This can include self-care, play and leisure activities, and work. For a child, "work" often involves playing, learning, and going to school. Treatment often focuses on improving a child's development in the areas of fine motor skills (e.g., stringing beads, cutting with scissors, buttoning buttons), play skills, social skills, and self-care skills (e.g., dressing, bathing, grooming, and feeding).
 
Generally, occupational therapists provide treatment to clients who have been diagnosed with a specific medical condition by a physician. Diagnoses may include learning disorders, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), genetic disorders, and developmental delays.

What is a Speech language Pathologist?

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a highly-trained licensed professional who evaluates and treats children and adults who have difficulty acquiring speech or language skills.

Speech Disorders

- Articulation - the way we say our speech sounds
- Phonology - the speech patterns we use
- Apraxia - difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed to make speech sounds
- Fluency - stuttering
- Voice - problems with the way the voice sounds, such as hoarseness

Language Disorders

- Receptive Language - difficulty understanding language
- Expressive Language - difficulty using language
- Pragmatic Language - social communication; the way we speak to each other

Other Disorders

- Deafness/Hearing Loss - loss of hearing; therapy includes developing lip-reading, speech, and/or alternative communication systems
- Oral-Motor Disorders - weak tongue and/or lip muscles
- Swallowing/Feeding Disorders - difficulty chewing and/or swallowing

What is the difference between speech and language?

Although people often think of speech and language as the same thing, the terms actually have very different meanings. If your child has trouble with speech, he struggles with the coordination of the muscles and movements necessary to produce speech. If your child has trouble with language, she struggles with understanding what she hears or sees. Your child may struggle to find the right words and/or organize those words in a meaningful way to communicate a message or hold a conversation.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Pediatric physical therapists work to help children reach their maximum potential for functional independence through evaluation, and implementation of a wide variety of interventions and supports. Pediatric physical therapy promotes independence, facilitates motor development and function, improves strength, enhances learning opportunities, and supports families working with a child with a motor delay.

What is Alta California Regional Center?

Alta California Regional Center assists persons with developmental disabilities, including infants at risk and their families by providing and securing those services and supports necessary to maximize opportunities and choices.
 
www.altaregional.org

What is Extended School Year? (ESY) Does my child qualify for ESY?

Extended School Year (ESY) is a way to keep progress going for children who would regress without school over a long summer break. A provision of IDEA, ESY may involve actual school classes; speech, physical or occupational therapy; payment for private speech, physical or occupational therapy; programs out-of-district; or other arrangements specified in the IEP. The general standard applied when determining a student's need for ESY is whether that student will regress significantly without services, or will require a longer than usual time to recoup lost skills when school starts again in the fall. Despite what your district may tell you, though, regression and recoupment are not the only criteria for ESY eligibility. Other possible reasons for providing ESY services may be a lack of progress toward goals, services missed during the year (as when a therapist is out for a long period without replacement), or severe disability.
 
*To read more about ESY click here

Should I teach my baby to use sign language or gestures to communicate?

Please attach the "baby sign" pdf handout (free handy handout from superduperinc.com)

What is a cassein/gluten-free diet?

GFCF stands for "gluten free cassein free." Gluten is found in wheat, cassein in dairy. So a diet free of wheat and dairy products is a GFCF Diet. In addition to eliminating gluten and cassein, some practitioners recommend eliminating all soy, artificial dyes and sugar.
 
For more information about a GFCF please click here

What is sensory integration? Does my child have sensory needs?

The process of organizing sensory input. When the functions of the brain are whole and balanced, body movements are highly adaptive, learning is easy, and good behavior is a natural outcome (Ayres, 1979).

Signs that a child may have Sensory Integration Dysfunction:

- Over-responsive: may react negatively to sensory stimuli.
- Under-responsive: requires intense sensory input in order to reach their threshold.
- Sensory seeking: seeks out sensory stimulation in order to reach their threshold.

What is a Sensory Diet?

A sensory diet is a carefully designed, personalized daily schedule of sensory enriched activities, equipment, and strategies to help a person to stay focused and organized throughout the day. Children with a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) may have a difficult time adjusting to everyday stimuli. Some children are overly responsive to some types of input in their environment, while other children are under responsive. Many children are under responsive to some inputs, such as movement, and overly responsive to other inputs, such as touch.

What is Hanen?

For more information regarding the Hanen Program please visit: http://www.hanen.org/ Jabbergym employees have been trained using Hanen techniques to utilize during their therapy sessions.

What is PROMPT (Prompts For Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets)?

For more information regarding PROMPT please visit: https://promptinstitute.com/ Jabbergym employs several PROMPT trained speech language pathologists.

What is the SIPT (Sensory Integration Praxis Test)?

The Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) by A. Jean Ayres is the most complete and flexible assessment of sensory integration on the market. The SIPT allows you to evaluate sensory integration and praxis functions.
 
For more information regarding SIPT please click here
 
Jabbergym employs SIPT certified occupational therapist.

What are PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)?

PECS was developed in 1985 as a unique augmentative/alternative communication intervention package for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and related developmental disabilities. PECS does not require complex or expensive materials. It was created with families, educators, and resident care providers in mind, so is readily used in a range of settings.
 
For more information regarding PECS program please click here