THERAPY SERVICES

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Therapy services are available to students attending the Early Intervention and School Programs, as well as students attending mainstream schools in the community. Developmental assessments are performed on children from infancy up to 18 years of age. According to the results, children are offered therapy intervention in an interdisciplinary approach in any one or more of these disciplines: Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech-Language Therapy (ST), Physical Therapy (PT) and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Speech-Language Therapy

If your child:

  1. Does not seem to be understanding spoken language;

  2. Is not following verbal instructions well;

  3. Is delayed in verbally expressing their needs and desires;

  4. Has articulation difficulties or stutters;

  5. Is lagging behind in language development;

  6. Is behind in social interaction development;

  7. Is displaying a combination of any of the above, or any other speech and language and communication related issues;

then a speech and language consultation is warranted.

Communication is an essential part of interactions during the daily life of children at home, at school and in the community. Speech-language therapists focus on improving communication skills by assessing and treating the various areas associated with communication. These include speech production, receptive and expressive language skills, cognitive-communication skills, social communication, voice and fluency.
 

Group therapy sessions for development of social skills are also provided when appropriate.

 

Occupational Therapy

 
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If your child:

  1. Is showing delay in play skills compared to their peers;

  2. Is showing unusual reactions to certain sensations;

  3. Is showing difficulties in controlling utensils and tools such as: spoons, scissors, pencil/crayons, etc.;

  4. Appears clumsy in gross motor control;

  5. Is facing challenges in acquiring pre-academic skills;

  6. Is displaying a combination of any of the above, or any other issues related to daily life activities;

then consulting an occupational therapist will be of value.

The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable children to participate in daily living activities as independently as possible. In a child’s life, these activities are related to school performance, self-care and play activities.

 

Occupational therapists offer evaluation and intervention services for developing the underlying skills required for functioning in daily life activities. The targeted skills include fine and gross motor skills, visual perceptual, visual motor skills and sensory integration. Functional living skills and prevocational training are also areas targeted by occupational therapists.

Physical Therapy

 
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If your child:

  1. Is not mastering their gross motor skills (sitting, walking, running, jumping, etc.) at the expected age;

  2. Seems to have unusual muscle tone (i.e. muscles are very tight or very loose)

  3. Has one side of their body weaker than the other;

  4. Seems generally weaker and/or less coordinated and balanced in their movements than children at their age;

  5. Is displaying a combination of any of the above, or any other issues related to physical development;

then a physical therapy consultation would be recommended.

Physical therapists are specialized in evaluation, treatment and management of a variety of acquired disorders or neurological, orthopedic, congenital and sensory integration disorders. Treatment focuses on achieving functional independence and gross motor skills by improving ambulation and mobility, postural stability, balance, coordination, strength, endurance and sensory processing/integration.

Behavior Therapy: Applied Behavioral Analysis

 
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If your child:

  1. Is exhibiting developmental delays;

  2. Exhibits behaviors interfering with their learning and acquisition of skills;

then a behavioral approach will be most suitable to address their developmental needs.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior. ABA therapy can help your child develop new skills, shape and increase existing skills and decrease behaviors interfering with their learning or development.

 

We strive to create a collaborative environment, which includes our experts in behavior principles, your family and your child. By working together, we will build a plan that is tailored to your child’s unique needs, maximizing growth in communication and overall development, and building adaptive skills at homes, schools and community settings.

 

Our ABA therapy team involves therapists or registered behavior technicians (RBT) who are trained and supervised by a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA). They work directly with your children to practice skills and shape behaviors directed towards their individual goals prepared by the BCBA. The BCBA is a person with a certification in applied behavior analysis. BCBAs receive this certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

At Al-Masar, play is a fundamental tool in therapy

 

Children access these services on a session-based model, the intensity of which varies depending on the individual needs of the child. To optimize progress, children need to be active participants in their therapy. Therefore, therapeutic activities are chosen to be fun, engaging and highly motivating for each child. Therapists use play to engage children in child-led activities, and then modify the activities to provide appropriate challenges in order to achieve therapeutic goals with the child.

Intervention approaches and strategies are employed in an eclectic approach

 

Therapists are updated and trained on the best and latest research-evidenced approaches in their various disciplines, then guided to use the most suitable ones for the demands of the teaching/training situation, as well as for the learning style and needs of the child.

Following are some of the intervention approaches that Al-Masar therapists are trained to use: