Services

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Social Work

The Social Worker is a member of the Ontario College of Social Worker and Social Service Workers. Their role at the NEO Kids Children’s Treatment Centre consists of offering counselling and support services for the children, youth and families that we serve. Having a child(ren) with special needs sometimes brings significant challenges for the whole family. The Social Worker can help families navigate through the complex system of children services. The Social Worker is a member of the multidisciplinary team and offers a variety of services including the following:

• Intake Coordination and provide help to families for navigating through children services.
• Psychosocial assessment to determine the needs for the child and family and help access these services.
• Short-term counselling sessions for children and families dealing with a new diagnosis.
• The Social Worker participates in the transition plans for children who will be starting school as well as teens transitioning to adult services.
• Parent education/discussion groups
• Assists parents in completing paper work and applications to access services.
• Collaboration with other community agencies to ensure that a child’s needs are being met.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists (OT) provide assessment, treatment, and consultation to enable a child's participation in everyday activities with as much independence as possible.  These activities may include areas of self-care (dressing, toileting, feeding, gross and fine motor skills), productivity (learning through play), and leisure (play preferences).  OT’s are also involved with assessment, prescription and modification of equipment (e.g. bath chairs) and recommendation for accessibility within different environments.

Occupational Therapy in Schools

Occupational Therapy (OT) assists children to develop skills required at school. Occupational therapists work with teachers and parents in developing school skills, modifying and adapting school tasks, adapting the environment and integrating assistive technology into learning. In the schools, occupational therapists provide assessment and consultation services, as well as determine if direct treatment is warranted from an occupational therapist or rehabilitation assistant.  A focus is placed on:

• school accessibility (making adaptive changes to the school environment, transfers, mobility, and positioning)
• equipment recommendations (i.e. grab bars, adapted toilet seats)
• activity of daily living skills (toileting, feeding, dressing skills)
• fine motor difficulties due to a physical limitation (i.e. challenges with written output, visual perception and visual motor skills)
• building arm and hand strength
• maintaining/improving range of motion
• sensory processing skills
• assistive technology/environmental modifications (i.e. pencil grips, adapted paper, special seating/positioning)

*  Please note that OT services are shown to be most effective when family and school actively participate in the treatment program.  Without ongoing practice and program completion outside of occupational therapy treatment sessions, long term success is unlikely.

* For more information about services, call 705-523-7120

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists are regulated health professionals, licensed with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, who work with infants, children and adolescents with a variety of neurological, orthopaedic and cardio-pulmonary difficulties to help them achieve their maximum level of functional independence and mobility.

Physiotherapists work with the family and other caregivers to incorporate exercise and activity into the child’s daily routine in order to:

• Develop gross motor skills such as rolling, sitting, crawling, standing and walking
• Develop strength
• Stretch tight muscles
• Gain endurance, promote balance, coordination and fitness
• Improve their walking pattern
• Foster independence and increase participation in daily activities and routines at home, school, daycare and in the community

Practical suggestions may be given regarding:

• positioning for activities of daily living
• adapting toys for play
• expanding mobility options
• using equipment effectively and safely

Physiotherapy Services at the NEO Kids Children’s Treatment Centre may include the following:

• Direct therapy, either individual or groups, offered by a therapist or therapy assistant
• Home programs for use by parents, caregivers, day care staff
• Education and support
• Pool Therapy
• Prescription of equipment such as mobility aids, walkers, crutches and standers
• Assessment and consultation services for children in licensed childcare and schools

Our Physiotherapists and Physiotherapist Assistants use special equipment such as therapy balls and rolls, free weights, exercise equipment, parallel bars, walkers and standers. The type(s) of intervention chosen will depend on the needs of the child, parents and caregivers.

Speech Language Pathology

What Is A Speech Language Pathologist?

Speech Language Pathologists are regulated health professionals, licensed with the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). At the NEO Kids Children’s Treatment Centre, Speech Language Pathologists work with children from 0-19 years experiencing difficulties in the areas of speech, language and/or communication as well as feeding and swallowing, to help them achieve their maximum potential. Speech Language Pathologists complete an evaluation that can include an assessment of language components such as vocabulary and sentence structure, speech components such as articulation and dysfluency (stuttering), overall communication which includes the effectiveness of the child’s communication attempts as well as feeding and swallowing skills with a variety of foods and textures.

The Speech Language Pathologist may then provide suggestions to promote speech and language, foster more enriched communication and increase participation in daily activities and routines at home, school, daycare and in the community. Speech Language Pathologists also work with Communicative Disorders Assistants (CDA) or Rehabilitation Assistants who carry out therapy plans set out by the therapist.

Types of Speech Language Pathology Services

The type(s) of intervention chosen will depend on the needs of the child, parents and caregivers.

• Direct therapy
• Monitoring in which the therapist trains someone else involved with the child on a more regular basis to carry out the therapy plan. The therapist is in regular contact with the person who carries out the program.
• Consultation with parents, caregivers, day care staff, school staff, etc.
• Collaboration with children and their families, caregivers, daycare and school staff, paediatricians and other agencies to provide individualized treatment plans suited to the child and family’s strengths and needs.
• Development of home programs for use by parents, caregivers, day care staff, school staff
• Parent/caregiver education and training