How We Help

Tidewater Therapy for Children Offers:

• A staff of experienced, licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists
• Thorough evaluations, individualized and family-centered goals, and specialized treatment techniques
• Coordination and co-treatments between physical, occupational, and speech therapists  

Specialized Treatment Techniques

  

• The Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration - MNRI® Method 
  • MNRI is a technique where primary motor reflexes are integrated into the neurological system. Reflexes are motor responses to an environmental stimulus. When primitive reflexes remain intact past the age where they are functional, they can limit the child’s ability develop new, adaptive methods of interacting with the environment. Therapists using MNRI aim to improve functioning of the child through challenging the underlying neurosensorimotor deficits in the child’s system: https://masgutovamethod.com/
• Interactive Metronome
  • Interactive Metronome (IM) utilizes timing and rhythm of motor actions to increase the brain’s internal timing and functioning. Timing within the brain is hypothesized to increase brain connectivity, resulting in improvements in coordination, attention, and working memory: http://www.interactivemetronome.com/IMPublic/Home.aspx
• Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
  •  Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) is a treatment modality where electric current is applied to the body using controlled electrode pads. The current contracts specific muscles isolated by the therapist. Therapists can use NMES to promote reeducation of muscle fibers, decrease muscle spasms, or facilitate functional use of muscles.
• Group Therapy Sessions
  • TTC offers several social groups per year. These group sessions are aimed at providing sensory, fine motor, and gross motor skill-building activities while engaging children with their peers.  Social groups are great for children who need help to develop social interaction skills, problem-solving techniques, and social confidence.  
• Aquatic therapy (seasonal) 
  • “Pool day” is both a fun and effective way to engage children in therapy tasks. Water provides low impact and slight resistance—a great environment for developing motor skills, practicing movements, incorporating sensory input, and using words to make choices and choose activities.
•  Movement-based Learning
  • Movement-based learning is an approach that uses movement to stimulate brain development. “Developmental movements” are movements made by infants and children as they learn about the world around them. They are thought to influence growth and maturation of the brain in the infant and child. Using these developmental movements, therapists hope to improve neural connectivity, and therefore stimulate the child’s ability to learn from the environment: http://www.movementbasedlearning.com/
• Debra Beckman’s Oral Motor Treatment
  • The Beckman Oral Motor approach targets specific muscles in the oral cavity that may be weak, underdeveloped, or uncoordinated. Therapists use exercises to increase strength, range, and control of movements of the tongue, jaw and cheek in order to improve eating skills. The results of improved oral motor skills include improved ability to manipulate food in the mouth, chew, and swallow: http://www.beckmanoralmotor.com/ 
• Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol
  • The Kaufman Speech to Language protocol is a motor approach to helping children develop a functional speech vocabulary. Therapists using this protocol will identify each child’s expressive strengths and weaknesses, break down language into speech production components, and assist the child to develop motor skills necessary to speak functionally.
• Handwriting Without Tears
  • Handwriting Without Tears is a hands-on, multisensory approach to teaching/improving handwriting in kids. Handwriting Without Tears develops mastery of letters through a set sequence of letter introduction, use of manipulatives and sensory activities, and letter formation practice: http://www.hwtears.com/hwt
• Therapeutic Listening 
  • Therapeutic Listening is a form of controlled auditory sensory input. It is hypothesized to improve behaviors associated with receiving and understanding sensory input, such as motor control, social interactions, sleep-wake cycles, and attention: http://www.vitallinks.net/PDF/TL%20Background%20web%20std.pdf
• Sensory Integration Techniques
  • Disorders of sensory processing and regulation may be partially managed through the use of controlled sensory input. Our therapists often use sensory-based interventions at the beginning of therapy time to calm our clients and prepare them for therapy tasks. 
• Augmentive Communication Training
  • Our therapists are trained in the use of various communication devices from low-tech switches to high-tech communication systems. 
• PROMPTS for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets 
  • PROMPTS for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT) is a holistic approach towards improving speech production. Therapists trained in PROMPT integrate physical, sensory, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional aspects of motor performance to improve communication outcomes: https://promptinstitute.com/index.php?page=history-mission-goals 
• Fast ForWord 
  • Fast ForWord is a language and reading interventions program. It can be used to target skills such as sustained attention, sequencing, auditory processing, and following multi-step directions: http://www.scilearn.com/products/
• Earobics
  • Earobics is a systematic method for teaching children phonological awareness and reading comprehension skills. Therapists can use Earobics to assist children with recognizing and distinguishing sounds and parts of speech which can improve auditory processing skills and increase language fluency.