We encourage parents, carers and teachers to watch a child’s therapy session to better understand what is being worked on. In any given treatment session you may see a number of the following techniques being used purposefully by our therapists who have specifically designed that session to meet certain goals in the child’s treatment plan. 

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy/ Focussed Psychological Strategies (CBT/ FPS) 

Focussed Psychological Strategies are specific mental health care management strategies, derived from evidence-based psychological therapies that have been shown to integrate the best research evidence of clinical effectiveness with general practice clinical expertise.

Sensory Integration Therapy - AJ Ayres

Uses the neurological process of integrating sensory information from the body and the environment that contribute to emotional regulation, learning, behaviour, and participation in daily life. It was developed by Dr Jean Ayres who was both an OT and a psychologist.

Sensory Modulation

Efficient sensory modulation is the ability to effectively regulate the degree to which one is influenced by various sensory inputs. Sensory modulation can be impacted by both external environmental conditions and/ or internal variants.

Remedial Massage

Remedial Massage is the systematic assessment and treatment of the muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues of the body to assist in rehabilitation, pain and injury management. The deeper pressure is beneficial in releasing chronic muscle tension. The focus is on the deepest layers of muscle tissue, tendons and fascia (the protective layer surrounding muscles, bones and joints).

Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT)

Bobathfollow the normal developmental patterns as a treatment approach for children affected by Cerebral Palsy, to improve range of movement and to enable the active, practical and functional use of the limbs in play and daily activities, to reduce/ limit the advancement of contractures and to maintain and enhance all possible levels of function.

Behaviour Management

Behaviour management skills are of particular importance to teachers in the educational system as well as for parents at home. Behaviour management includes all of the actions and conscious inactions to enhance the child's choice of behaviours, which are personally fulfilling, productive, and socially acceptable.

Positive Behaviour Support 

An evidence-based approach to supporting people with intellectual disabilities who use challenging behaviour. Being an evidenced based practice means that Positive Behaviour Support has been proven to be successful.

Cognitive Skill Development

The process of growth and change in intellectual/mental abilities such as thinking, choices, reasoning and understanding 

Visual Perceptual Skill Development

Types of visual perceptual skills: 

1. Form Constancy – the ability to identify a form even if it is different in size, orientation, color, or texture
2. Figure Ground – the ability to distinguish a form from the surrounding background
3. Spatial Relations/Position in Space – the ability to understand the position of objects in relation to each other and to one’s self
4. Visual Discrimination – the ability to perceive the differences and similarities in forms
5. Visual Closure – the ability to identify a form even though part of it is not visible
6. Visual Memory – the ability to remember what one sees. 

Posture, Motor coordination, endurance and balance 

Fine motor & gross motor developmentFine motor skills are small movements that use the small muscles of the fingers, toes, wrists, lips, and tongue. Gross motor skills are the bigger movements that use the large muscles in the arms, legs, torso, and feet for activities like climbing and running

DIR Floortime Model - Greenspan

A direct intervention that encourages you to follow your child's lead, challenge their creativity and optimise moments of sensory, motor and emotional motivators. The DIR model is based on the assumption that the core developmental foundations for thinking, relating, and communicating can be favourably influenced by working with children’s emotions and the effects on their behaviour, through play.

Play Therapy

A form of counselling or psychotherapy in which play is used as means of helping children express or communicate their feelings.

Attention Training

Play Attention - is a computer-based attention training system that measures brain activity using an armband and biofeedback. It is designed to create awareness and ability to train active attention skill development through self-monitoring techniques.

Relaxation Therapy

A form of FPS in which children are taught how to use relaxation as a means to manage their stress/ anxiety, it can also be used for sleep training

Social Skill Training

We use these skills to communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language and our personal appearance. They include the ability to identify and ‘read’ emotion, greet one another, take turns, wait for a turn, ask and answer questions, respect others personal space, share toys etc. Social skills for older children involve making and keeping friends, bullying, conflict resolution and cyber safety etc. which are also part of our programme development. 

Equipment prescription

Assessment for and prescription of reasonable and necessary equipment/devices to enhance a child’s developmental or educational skills. These can be anything from trampolines, climbing frames & wheelchairs to computers, toilet/sleep aids and much more.