Specialty programs at Thrive Pediatric Clinic:

Sensory integration therapy was developed in the 1970s by Occupational Therapist,  A. Jean Ayres. Sensory integration is child led and designed to help children with sensory-processing problems (including possibly those with ASDs) cope with the difficulties they have processing sensory input. Therapy sessions in our multi sensory-motor gym is child led, play-oriented and we always include each child's own ideas to be planned and executed independently. 

Our sensory-motor gym is designed to  increase independence, ease stress in social situations, and raise tolerance to new stimuli. Eventually, these reactions become more natural for the child, which will help them participate in various activities both academically and socially. 

Our sensory integration program helps children with sensory processing  learn to regulate and respond appropriately to sensory input. We use a variety of techniques to help children develop the skills necessary to thrive in their environment.

Developed by Vital Links, Therapeutic Listening is research based tool for treating people of all ages who have difficulty with processing sensory information, listening, attention, and communication. Therapeutic Listening is a sound-based intervention often implemented as part of a comprehensive, multi-faceted therapy program, which encompasses much more than just the ears but the whole-body. Like other sensory systems, the auditory system does not work in isolation. Neurologically it is connected to all levels of brain function and as a result has a vast range of influence. How we listen impacts not only our overall physiology, but also our behavior.

Handwriting Without Tears  (HWT) is largely a curriculum aimed at students in K-6. It is a skill-based program more than one intended for a particular age or grade range.

Students who have had a hard time with traditional copy-work handwriting programs benefit from this multi-sensory approach to handwriting. With fun and engaging songs and top to bottom and left to right orientation, students typically always want more HWT time. 

Our Handwriting Without Tears program uses a fun and engaging approach to teach proper letter formation and improve overall handwriting skills.

Sensory and oral motor-based pediatric feeding therapy is comprised of 3 components:

1. Sensory Deficits
   Examples of sensory deficits in feeding can include:  poor food tolerance, food avoidance, overstuffing, only eating whole food groups based on texture, gagging on various textures, tactile deficits or inability to touch various textures or new food items, temperature rejection and or the inability to tolerate or try food items due to sensory overstimulation.
2. Oral Motor Deficits
   Examples of oral motor deficits can include: poor tongue lateralization which can impede a child’s ability to get a solid food item to their posterior molar to begin to chew, immature chewing pattern, over stuffing, poor bolus formation, gagging on food items, pocketing of food items in cheeks and/or food residue post swallow.
3. Behavioral
   All feeding sessions look different and are individualized based on your child’s needs, there are many main characteristics that are carried across all feeding sessions.

Some self-regulation programs we use in our clinic include: Zones of Regulation, The Alert Program and Social SKills programs.   These programs aim to help a child identify their feelings and utilize coping strategies to achieve the appropriate level of arousal needed for daily life.

We utilize cooking in our clinic for cognitive skills , executive functioning skills, social communication skills  as well as sensory processing overall!

Can't make it to our clinic? No problem! When appropriate, our virtual therapy sessions can allow you to receive therapy from the comfort of your own home. We use secure and HIPAA-compliant video conferencing to provide the same high-quality care as in-person sessions.