Kids Abilities offers specific programs and classes for children with special needs. The classes take place in a group setting and are taught by individual therapists. » Click here to view/print our 2007 Summer Groups flyer.
 individual. This clinic is held by individual appointment.Gymnastics: The class focuses on building skills and motor development in a fun setting. This class will be taught by therapists with experience in working with children with special needs and gymnastics. Kids will work on gaining strength, balance, motor skills and self-confidence. Children must be able to participate in a group class environment. Classes are typically 45 minutes long for a six week session. Social Group: This group is an opportunity for children to get together in a social setting and communicate with their peers. They will work on their pragmatic skills under the supervision of trained speech and occupational therapists. Sessions will run one and a half hours for an eight week session. Handwriting Without Tears: The Handwriting Without Tears group helps make legible and fluent handwriting an easy and automatic skill for all students. This program offers unique curriculum design and teaching strategies to facilitate this goal. The curriculum uses multi-sensory techniques and consistent habits for letter formation to teach handwriting. This program also provides parents with instructional techniques and activities to help improve self-confidence, pencil grip, body awareness and posture. Interactive Metronome: The Interactive Metronome (IM) is a brain-based rehabilitation assessment and training program developed to directly improve the processing abilities that affect attention, motor planning and sequencing. This, in turn,  strengthens motor skills, including mobility and gross motor function, and many fundamental cognitive capacities such as planning, organizing, and language. Participants work to synchronize various hand and foot exercises to a reference tone heard through headphones and a patented audio or audio and visual guidance system provides immediate feedback. Individuals who have benefited from IM include those with sensory integration disorder, Asperger syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, ADD/ADHD and cerebral palsy.
Animal Assisted Therapy: Using an animal to facilitate therapy can have many benefits including decreased stress and hastened recovery. The presence of an animal has also been shown to have positive results in the development of motivation and self-esteem. At Kids Abilities we are pleased to have Factor and his owner Heather, a registered Occupational Therapist, on our staff. Heather and Factor have completed many hours of intensive training to be able to offer this unique and exciting approach to therapy. |
