Overcoming Developmental Delay
Equipping the Child, Empowering the Parent
When Andrew came to A Total Approach, what he wanted most of all is not to be put in a new and novel learning situation. Through careful use of Floortime principles and an environment in which he would feel safe, his program was crafted according to his strengths and weaknesses. A Total Approach strongly follows the hierarchy of typical development when planning an intervention for children. The team also follows the basic principles of brain neuro-plasticity in that: “What fires together, wires together”. Andrew went through a series of interventions of high frequency and high intensity paired with break periods of 4 weeks to three months in-between. Traditional therapies such as occupational therapy were added to the mix.
Andrew participated in Tomatis Sound Therapy, a therapy that is very suited for children and adults struggling with sensory processing and regulatory disorders. The initial intervention was followed by a combination of therapies including Interactive Metronome. This latter program assists greatly in re-setting the time delay in coordination, the timing needed for conversational turn taking, and the timing needed for reading and active working memory, amongst other things. Amidst of these latter programs, Andrew also completed the Cellfield Reading Breakthrough Program that allowed him to start understanding the printed word for the first time. Andrew grew from strength to strength. Our continuous consultations with his mother proved invaluable to affect a team approach.
The program was aimed at treating the whole child. Andrew became a boy who could verbally express himself, ask in-depth questions, started to be able to organize himself, and also became a child who could learn alongside his peers educationally. While he was making these important neural changes, he was supported emotionally. His family received multiple DVD’s, showing his progress as well as adding narration from Maude Le Roux, the Clinical Director and Owner of A Total Approach.
When his parents were asked for permission to use Andrew’s information for this article, his mother stated: “After your evaluation, I, for the first time felt like someone who actually understood Andrew and knew exactly what to do, and that’s essentially when it all began…” For the team at ATA it is all about finding what each child needs. It is not a “perfect” situation for everyone, but it is a learning journey that is completed a step at a time in a way that is acceptable for the child to grow into all the he or she can be. Maude Le Roux published a second book in 2012 “Our Greatest Allies”, which she co-wrote with a mother about their joint journey with Matt.
Maude Le Roux, OTR/L
Date: October 7, 2013 – MetroKids