|
YOGA
Yoga for the
special child is a comprehensive program of yoga techniques
designed to enhance your child’s development. Our classes and
individual yoga sessions target children with dysfunction in
sensory integration, autism/PDD, attention deficit disorders,
learning disorders, mood disorders, motor coordination
challenges and learning disabilities. Our yoga therapy
programs include:
-
An
integrated series of balanced yoga poses to increase body
awareness, strength and flexibility
-
Specialized breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to
improve concentration and decrease hyperactivity
-
Group
dynamic movement opportunities to enhance peer awareness and
socialization
Jennifer,
the occupational therapist who is a certified instructor for
the child with unique needs, will choose a specific yoga
routine to meet your child’s needs. She will assess attention,
general organization, self-regulation, motor ability and
activity level in order to individualize your child’s
program. Visit our related link at
www.specialyoga.com to learn more about the benefits of
yoga for your child.
BIKE
RIDING INTENSIVE
This
program is offered throughout the year with one-week
sessions lasting for two hours. Bike riding is an essential
developmental skill, which enhances sensory processing,
motor planning and sequencing movement of arms and legs. It
allows the child to build self-esteem, gain a feeling of
mastery and enhances socialization and peer interaction. In
addition, balance, coordination, following simple directions
and postural ability are also incorporated. Different levels
will be offered based on your child’s ability.
Each
child is required to bring their own bike and safety
equipment. Helmets are required. Some activities of the bike
intensive may include safety awareness, obstacle courses,
bike races and other social interactions both on and off the
bike.
SENSORY
MOTOR GYM INTENSIVE
This
program involves a strong sensory diet and body work with a
focus on sensory processing, self-regulation/attention,
motor planning and sequencing as well as upper body
strengthening, bilateral integration, visual motor
development, balance and peer interaction. Some of the
therapeutic activities may include: basic gym skills (beam,
trampoline, foam pit, rings, bars), obstacle coarse,
movement to music, social group games, animal walk races,
motor sequencing, scooter board relays, weight bearing
activities and trampoline sequencing.
Social Body Work Group
(Libertyville Location)
The focus of the Social Body Work Group will be
to develop an awareness of the “core” center of the body,
strengthening the postural muscles with emphasis on improving
self regulation/modulation in order to participate in social
interactions Activities will include structured body work
exercises and sensorimotor activities via social games.
Handwriting and Phonetics Intensive
(Libertyville Location)
Amy Zier & Associates, Inc. (O.T.) and Kids
Therapy, Ltd. (Speech) will offer a new handwriting and
phonetics intensive. This intensive will be individualized to
focus on your child’s individual needs. This is a program
that aims to enhance and improve your child’s fine motor
strength, dexterity, handwriting (neatness, accuracy,
endurance) and attention during seated activities. This
intensive will also combine these skills with activities to
increase phonetics and pre-reading/reading skills. Phonetics
and pre-reading/readings skills will be facilitated through
auditory processing of sounds in a meaningful way, processing
and decoding of words, phrases and sentences for increased
understanding of written language, and phonetic awareness.
Activities to facilitate these skills will include body work,
sensorimotor, fine motor, music/rhythm and auditory
processing/phonetic activities.
Handwriting Intensive
(Chicago at Tuesday’s Child, 4028 W. Irving Park Rd.)
The Handwriting Intensive will be
individualized to focus on your child’s individual needs.
This is an intensive program that aims to enhance and improve
your child’s fine motor strength, dexterity, handwriting
(neatness, accuracy, endurance) and attention during seated
activities. The program will focus on bodywork and
sensorimotor activities to ready your child for handwriting
and other seated activities. Fine motor exercises, writing
and letter formation will take place in the context of
movement and sensory experiences.
How Does Your
Engine Run? – The Alert Program for Self-Regulation Group
(Libertyville
& Chicago Locations)
Through the
“Alert Program”, children learn what to do if their engines
are running on high when they need to sit down and
concentrate. Each individual’s formula for self-regulation is
unique. Children learn that simple strategies or changes in
daily routine, such as marching to music before school,
packing crunchy food for lunch, or jumping on a trampoline
after school, may be all that is needed to maximize
functioning and keep engines running “just right”.
|
 |
