8200 Homer Drive, Suite E
Anchorage, AK 99518
Phone: 907-345-0050
Fax: 907-344-5103
Speech Therapy Services
Our Speech Language Pathologists provide support to children in the areas of language acquisition, articulation, oral motor stimulation, feeding issues and communication skills. These areas may include improving and working with production of sounds, communication skill development (including sign language and PECS), increase the range of sounds, quality of language use, increase in feeding skills, improve oral motor functioning and development of oral motor muscles to improve language use.
We look at the quality of a child's speech/language such as their pronunciation and articulation, their ability to communicate their needs, their ability to chew and swallow food properly and their family’s concerns. Speech Therapists are concerned with helping children reach their full developmental potential and realizing their full range of sounds and communication abilities to improve their quality of life.
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Occupational Therapy Services
Our Occupational Therapists work with families to assist their children in learning functional skills such as: the development of hand-eye coordination, oral skills for eating, coordination of the whole body; and feeling comfortable with the positioning and movement of their body during daily activities. These skills are reinforced by progressive work on their ability to pay attention, remain calm and learn self-care techniques such as, personal grooming, personal hygiene, and dressing themselves. Our goal is to work with the whole family to develop successful cooperative behavior patterns and affective problem solving skills.
Physical Therapy Services
Our Physical Therapists work with families to provide support in the areas of gross motor development, motor planning and visual motor skills. These may include improving and working with muscle tone, strength and development, range of movement, quality of movement, hand-eye coordination, attention to tasks and sensory integration. We see children from birth through adolescence with health problems related to injury, disease, or congenital conditions.
We look at the quality of a child's movements such as their pace and gait when they learn to walk, their balance and coordination skills, regaining range of motion after an injury or from trouble during birth, or the pressure they are able to use during play. Our Physical Therapists are committed to helping children reach their full developmental potential and realizing their full range of motion to improve their quality of life.
Therapeutic Listening
Therapeutic listening is a sensory integration modality sometimes used to treat children with autism and other sensory processing disorders. It uses sound to assist children challenged by difficulties with movement, auditory perception, language and learning difficulties. Therapeutic Listening uses electronically altered music to affect a child's vestibular-cochlear function. The music is specifically transmitted through a high pass filter to allow specific high frequencies to be accentuated and low frequencies to be muted. By using the vestibular-cochlear mechanism in the inner ear, the brain becomes trained to filter low frequencies of sound and tune in higher frequencies, such as the human voice. Therapeutic Listening is often used by Occupational Therapists in treatment as part of a sensory diet. Therapists who use this technique must be specifically trained in a Therapeutic Listening protocol. The goals of Therapeutic Listening usually support the previously established goals for the children. Goals may include: decrease auditory defensiveness, increase receptive language, increase expressive language, increase vestibular function and decrease sensory seeking behaviors. Other effects of Therapeutic Listening can include establishing sleep patterns and calming behaviors.
Sensory Integration Therapy
Sensory Integration is the ability to take in information through the senses of touch, movement, smell, taste, vision, hearing, and to combine the resulting perceptions with prior information, memories, and knowledge already stored in the brain.
Sensory Integration Therapy is usually done by Occupational Therapists. They assess developmental levels and determine whether sensory-motor processing is impaired. Sensory Integration Therapy looks like play, because play is the child's way of learning and developing. Activities are carefully chosen to stimulate development in deficient areas. Children with lower sensitivity (hyposensitivity) may be exposed to strong sensations such as stroking with a brush, vibrations or rubbing. Play may involve a range of materials to stimulate the senses such as play dough or finger painting. Children with heightened sensitivity (hypersensitivity) may be exposed to peaceful activities including quiet music and gentle rocking in a softly lit room. Treats and rewards may be used to encourage children to tolerate activities they would normally avoid.
Aquatic therapy
Aquatic Therapy is therapy performed in a pool setting. The water in the pool helps children increase strength and relaxation, which can improve flexibility and tone. The pool is also used for regulating sensory input. The buoyancy of the water assists with weight bearing, and can allow children to walk that are not able to walk on land. Children with neurological, orthopedic, or sensory problems are just some of the types of children seen in the pool. Most of all, the pool is fun!
Our therapists hold certifications in a variety of areas, depending on their areas of interest and specialty. Some of these certifications include: sensory integration (including certifications in Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests), Therapeutic Listening, PROMPT, The Alert Program (How Does Your Engine Run?), Beckman Oral Motor Training, DIR/Floortime, It Takes Two to Talk and craniosacral therapy. (not an exhaustive list)
Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT)
We have four therapists who are certified in administering the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT). The Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) are comprised of 17 individual tests designed to evaluate motor-free visual perception (the ability to visually perceive and discriminate form and space without involving motor coordination); somatosensory (the ability to “feel” one’s environment through tactile, muscle, and joint perception); praxis (the ability to figure out how to use our hands and body in skilled tasks); and sensorimotor (activities that include both motor skill and a level of sensory integration). The SIPT are available for children ages 4 years through 8 years, 11 months, who demonstrate normal cognitive ability, the ability to follow directions, and the motoric ability to complete test items. Referral by a qualified therapist is recommended.
