FAQWhy Does East Contra Costa County Need "Special Kids"?
Why here? Why now? The time is past due for "Special Kids" in East Contra Costa County. The population in the eight East County cities is growing reaching over 226,281 in 2005. So are the statistics of the children afflicted by some sort of disability with those numbers escalating to over 4,753 children from the ages 2-22 years. These are the numbers of children receiving services from public schools, and does not reflect the children who are either being served privately, are under the age of two, or those yet undiagnosed.
The quality of the lives of the families hit by the devastating effects of a child, or in many cases, children with disabilities, has dropped dramatically, as the resources available to them has diminished. The ability to get to any resources for these kids has become a grueling and horrific task. Families are suffering. Kids are also suffering, both the special needs children and their siblings. Families are falling apart due to insurmountable stresses caused by the basic principle that they cannot access the therapies and facilities their children need to succeed, to excel, to progress, to remain healthy... without traveling for hours in commute traffic after an already challenging day at school. These kids are often over-stressed just by the car trips to and from their therapies alone.
Building "Special Kids" will restore a semblance of a more normal family life to these already overburdened families. Our facility will house the therapies and specialists needed, all in one, close to home location, to serve the families who live here in East Contra Costa County. These families will then be empowered to work on revitalizing their over-stressed lifestyle, and will be able to restore the relative calm that would otherwise have prevailed in their homes.
Having one or more special needs child within the home is an enormous challenge. It is our hope that by offering "Special Kids" as a resource to these families, East County families will benefit, the whole family... as well as each "Special Kid".
Why Aqua-Therapy?
Water provides buoyancy, resistance in all planes, and a soothing environment. The water does not discriminate, it allows for all to feel the possibility of conquering new tasks. Treatment activities may be selected to help address physical needs such as range of motion, flexibility, strength, endurance, edema, decreased weight bearing status, perceptual needs, motor planning, problem solving, body scheme and coordination.
Functional skills such as transfers, ambulation, dressing, social skills, speech, language and breath control can be also be part of the program. The water is a unique place. The temperature of the water can help decrease or increase tone. Gentle movements allow tight or spastic muscles to relax and accept soft tissue and joint mobilization. More speedy movements use the resistance of the water to help children organize their systems, improve their body scheme, and produce more coordinated movements. The water's support and fun naturally encourage independent movements that help build strength and endurance. The water lends itself naturally to socialization and language use.
The water is a great medium to address the physical, cognitive, and psycho-social needs of children. The water can offer freedom of movement without the restrictions placed by gravity. It can offer opportunities for increased self confidence, risk taking, learning, socializing, and having lots of fun while addressing therapy goals.
Why Hippotherapy?
No, a hippopotamus is not involved, the word is derived from the Greek word "hippos" meaning horse. Hippotherapy is a treatment that uses the multidimensional movement of the horse to improve neurological function and sensory processing. The horse's walk provides sensory input through movement that is variable, rhythmic, and repetitive. It can improve balance, posture, mobility and function. It may affect psychological, cognitive, behavioral, and communication functions for people of all abilities. Using activities on the horse that are meaningful to the client, specially trained physical, occupational, and speech therapists use this treatment in a controlled environment where this graded sensory input can elicit appropriate adaptive responses from each client. Those participating in Hippotherapy respond enthusiastically to this enjoyable learning experience in a natural setting.
Why Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy deals with strengthening fine motor skills like writing, cutting, shoe-tying, and using utensils. Therapists that work with children typically use techniques that seem like play, but are designed to target areas of delay and difficulty. Some therapists are also trained to work with a sensory integration approach, which helps children better process and tolerate the information they get through their senses.
Why Physical Therapy?
Physical Therapy focuses on gross motor skills like walking, kicking, jumping and climbing. Like Occupational Therapy, the techniques used with children look like play, but are designed to target areas of delay and difficulty. Activities such as riding on a scooter, walking a balance beam, crawling through a tunnel, swinging from a trapeze, perching atop a large ball, riding on a swing, catching and throwing, all help stretch, strengthen, reinforce, and push in a non-threatening way. Physical Therapists also may integrate those techniques that aid with sensory integration approaches into their therapies as well.
Why Speech Therapy?
Speech Therapy focuses on receptive language, or the ability to understand words spoken to you, and expressive language, or the ability to use words to express yourself. It deals with the mechanics of producing words, articulation, pitch, fluency, and volume. The therapists will use fun activities to strengthen your child's areas of weakness.
Why a Multi-Sensory Room?
Research shows how rooms full of lights, textures, sounds and smells can relax people with severe intellectual disability. It has also proven to reduce aggression as well. These rooms are designed to isolate the user from any distractions, and focus their attention on a wide range of sensory "experiences". Repeated exposure to these experiences can help to ground and generate responses from those who otherwise have difficulty in any of the sensory areas.
