This type of assessment will pick up aspects of a baby/toddler’s development which are problematic or affecting his/her functioning in terms of meeting developmental milestones or other areas of difficulty e.g. fussy eating, difficulty sleeping, difficult behaviour, socialising problems, separation anxiety, school refusal/phobia. Depending on the presenting problem this type of assessment is done by either the educational psychologist or occupational therapist or both.

Occupational therapy with this approach is usually indicated for children aged 4-12 years of age who are experiencing difficulty with gross motor, fine motor and or perceptual development. This usually affects their performance at school.

This approach is used in occupational therapy with children who struggle with sensory modulation either over sensitivity to sensory input (e.g. fussy eating, tactile defensiveness, auditory defensiveness) or under-responsiveness to sensory input. This may affect concentration, social interaction, behaviour, or other difficulties which may stem from a difficulty with sensory processing. Should this affect performance in the classroom, this approach is combined with the motor and perceptual occupational therapy outlined above.

Psycho-educational assessment provides estimates of the client’s intellectual, or cognitive, abilities and educational achievement levels. It also yields recommendations relevant for educational planning. Sources of assessment data include background information, educational history, and records and data from tests of intelligence and educational achievement and, at times, ratings tests of attention, behavior/emotions, and adaptive behavior.

Psycho-educational assessment is designed to answer these questions: Does the client have a learning disability(ies)? Mental retardation?

Attentional problems? What are the client’s academic and cognitive abilities, strengths, and weaknesses? What are appropriate educational recommendations? Accommodations? While learning, not emotional problems, is the focus of psycho-educational assessment, behavior/emotional and medical issues may need to be addressed in psycho-educational assessment. Compiling, integrating, and analyzing all assessment data yield educational and other relevant recommendations.

What is emotional therapy?

Emotional therapy is a means of helping people who are suffering emotional turmoil in their lives, whether brought about by a crisis, a long term problem, persistent unhappiness, depression, apathy or difficulties in relating to others. Emotional therapy holds the belief that emotional well-being is a key to a happy fulfilling and healthy life. Its aim is to bring clients to a wholeness of mind, body and spirit.

What is play therapy?

Play therapy is generally employed with children aged 3 through 11 and provides a way for them to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. As children’s experiences and knowledge are often communicated through play, it becomes an important vehicle for them to know and accept themselves and others.

Group therapy simulates a “safe” group environment where skills that have been learnt in individual occupational therapy or play therapy can be consolidated. Thus group therapy often follows from individual therapy but in some cases the therapists can advise that a child starts the therapy process in a group.

Group consists of 4-8 children of children nearly the same age. The groups are conducted by a psychologist and an occupational therapist. The group meets once a week for 45 minutes. One formal parent feedback will be schedules per term by the therapists in order to discuss progress or other intervention options. Parents are however welcome and encouraged to contact therapists at any times should they have queries or concerns to discuss. Group therapy lasts at least two terms but in most cases for about 12 to 18months depending on each individual’s needs.

Group therapy focusses on:

Work habits within the group context e.g. concentration, organisational skills tasks completion and work speed
Emotional well-being (dealing with sadness, anger, loneliness) (building self-confidence and assertiveness etc.)
Social skills
Develops emotional intelligence

DIR is the Developmental, Individual-differences, & Relationship-based model that has become the foundation for understanding child development and providing support and intervention that helps children reach their fullest potential.

Six basic developmental levels (AKA: stages, milestones, or capacities) lay a foundation for all our learning and development. Children without special needs often master these skills relatively easily. Children with challenges often don’t, not necessarily because they can’t, but because their biological challenges make the mastery more difficult. By understanding these skills and the factors that influence them and by working direction on them, caregivers, educators, and therapists often can help even those children with what are thought to be chronic disorders master many of them. Appropriate emotional experiences during each of the six developmental levels help develop critical cognitive, social, emotional, language, and motor skills, as well as a sense of self.

Level 1: Self regulation
Level 2: Engagement
Level 3: 2-way communication
Level 4: Problem solving
Level 5: Emotional ideas
Level 6: Emotional and logical thinking

Speech therapy addresses all issues related to language, speech and auditory processing skills. Language issues include poor understanding and use of grammar and vocabulary, including young children who are not talking when they should be. Speech issues include articulation, stuttering, speech clarity and planning (apraxia) difficulties. Auditory processing skills are the underlying auditory (sound processing) skills that are vital in the development of reading and writing, ultimately what your brain does with the sounds it hears.

All of the above and more can be helped by a speech therapist. The earlier the therapy starts and the more intensive the therapy is, the better the progress.