How Does Early Intervention Therapy Help Children?

Unleashing the Superpower of Words: The Importance of Reading and Speech Development with MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy

Greetings, heroes of child development! At MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy, we believe every child has a SUPER spark waiting to shine, and there’s no greater way to ignite that spark than encouraging a love of reading. Like a trusty cape, developing reading skills empowers children to soar through life with confidence, connection, and success. Let’s dive into why nurturing these abilities is a game-changer for your little hero’s growth, all while embracing the compassionate, play-based approach that defines MetroEHS!

The Superpower of Reading: Building a Foundation for Success

Reading is more than just decoding words on a page—it’s a superpower that unlocks imagination, knowledge, and communication. For young children, reading acts as a catalyst for cognitive and emotional growth, especially during the critical early years when the brain’s neuroplasticity is at its peak. According to our MetroEHS mission, early intervention is key to leveraging this neuroplasticity, helping kids develop essential skills like speech, comprehension, and social interaction.

When children engage with stories, they’re not just following along—they’re building vocabulary, learning sentence structure, and developing critical thinking. Picture your little one giggling at a silly rhyme or pointing excitedly at a colorful picture book. These moments are more than just fun; they’re wiring their brains for language mastery! Reading exposes children to new words and concepts, fostering a love for learning that sets them up for success in the classroom and beyond.

Speech Development: Giving Voice to Their Inner Hero

Speech development is the megaphone that amplifies a child’s thoughts, feelings, and ideas. At MetroEHS, we know that clear communication is vital for connection and engagement, two pillars of life which enhance quality of life. Through play-based therapy, our therapists create a joyful environment where children feel safe to express themselves, whether through words, sounds, or even playful gestures.

Speech isn’t just about pronouncing words correctly—it’s about building confidence and social skills. When children struggle with speech delays, it can impact their ability to connect with peers or express their needs. That’s where MetroEHS swoops in with intensive, evidence-based interventions. By focusing on consistent, tailored support (think five times a week for maximum impact!), we help children overcome challenges and unlock their ability to communicate effectively.

Reading Fuels Speech Development

Reading and speech development are like two sidekicks working together to save the day. When children listen to stories or read aloud, they practice articulation, rhythm, and intonation. Storytime becomes a playground for language, where kids mimic sounds, learn new phrases, and build the confidence to share their own stories. Our play-based approach at MetroEHS harnesses this magic, using activities like storytelling and role-playing to make speech practice feel like an adventure.

For example, a child might act out a scene from their favorite book, practicing words like “roar” or “zoom” with a therapist’s guidance. These playful interactions not only improve speech clarity but also boost emotional well-being by creating a safe space for self-expression. Plus, reading together with parents or caregivers strengthens family bonds, aligning with our collaborative care model to empower families for long-term success.

Here’s the superhero secret: timing is everything.

The earlier we nurture reading and speech development, the greater the impact. MetroEHS emphasizes intensive early intervention because young brains are wired to learn and adapt. Parents swoop in heroically and read to their little superheroes daily. Therapists address any speech delays or reading challenges, mitigate developmental delays and set children on a path to achieve their full potential. Think of it as giving your child a head-start in their heroic journey!

Unleash Your Child’s Superpowers Today!

Ready to help your little hero soar? At MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy, we’re passionate about revealing the SUPER in every child through compassionate, play-based care. Learn how our evidence-based therapies can empower your child’s reading and speech development. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and join our mission to foster connection, engagement, and success!

History of TheraSuit

Richard and Izabela Koscielny are physical therapists, who have a daughter diagnosed with cerebral palsy and tried out suit therapy with her. After significant improvements with the suit, they modified and created their own suit specialized for therapeutic benefits, called TheraSuit™.

How Does TheraSuit Work?

• TheraSuit worn over a prolonged time will correct proprioception and accelerate progress with functional strengthening
• Skills practiced become more fluent when TheraSuit is worn
• TheraSuit facilitates the development of new gross and fine motor skills faster than typical therapy approaches

Benefits Seen with TheraSuit

• Retraining the central nervous system
• Restores ontogenetic development
• Provides external stabilization
• Normalizes muscle tone
• Aligns the body to as close to “normal” as possible
• Provides dynamic correction
• Normalizes gait patterns
• Provides tactile stimulation
• Influences the vestibular system
• Improves balance
• Improves coordination
• Supports weak muscles
• Decreases uncontrolled movements in ataxia and athetosis
• Improves body and spatial awareness
• Provides resistance to muscles to further enhance strengthening
• Improves speech production and fluency through head control and trunk support
• Promotes gross and fine motor development
• Helps decrease contractures
• Helps improve hip alignment through vertical loading

Patient Populations

• Most major neurological diseases/diagnoses:
  
  • Autism
  • Down Syndrome
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Cerebral Vascular Acciden
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Spinal Cord Injury

• Posture/alignment asymmetries

Intensive Physical Therapy Schedule

• Intensive physical therapy is meant to be done 3 hours/day, for 5 days/week for 3-5 weeks
• Recommended to complete 3-4 intensive bouts of therapy throughout the year
• Breaks between the bouts have been shown to be more beneficial for the patient vs continuously pushing for months on end
• Recommended to complete HEP 1-hour/day to compliment exercises done in intensive, allowing the patient to not only maintain, but improve their functional abilities
• The schedule of 4  weeks was created specifically in order to change the neuro-pathways, and allow for increased improvements

In General

• Week 1 works on correct muscle activation and beginning to complete basic concentric exercises
• Week 2 works on solidifying concentric movements and working into eccentric movements
• Week 3 solidifies the eccentric movements and introduces isometric holds
• Week 4 focuses all on isometric holds, working into more complex exercises, as well as creating POC and HEP for time off between bouts of intensive

Work to decrease primitive reflexes and general movements that are present → goal-directed movements → selective effective strategies → refining skills → maintaining through practice

Brittany: Hello! My name is Brittany, I am the bilingual Speech Pathologist at Metro EHS in Sterling Heights and Detroit.

Mallory: Hi! My name is Mallory, and I work in the Human Resources Department at the administrative office in Plymouth.

B: And we are so excited to announce that MetroEHS now offers speech therapy in Spanish and English!

M: That’s great! We can service Metro Detroit kids in their native language! But Brittany, can you tell me how to know if my child needs speech therapy?

B: Sure! If you have concerns about the language or articulation development of your child, it is possible that he/she might benefit from speech therapy. For example, if your child cannot pronounce certain sounds, does not say a lot of words or combine words to form sentences, or if you cannot understand him/her, we can do an evaluation to see if he/she qualifies for speech therapy.

M: That sounds great! What happens next?

B: After the evaluation, if therapy is necessary, we are able to initiate therapy in English, Spanish, or both languages to help your child communicate with family, friends and all of the people in the child’s life using their preferred language.

M: So cool! Are any other therapies offered?

B: Of course! We also offer therapy for feeding difficulties, stuttering, problems with social language secondary to autism, and the use of augmentative and alternative communication for children who are not able to talk using verbalizations. Here at MetroEHS we also offer occupational and behavior therapy at all of our centers. We have a phenomenal team of therapists that provide individualized services for your child. And Mallory, you can assist Spanish-speaking families get started, right?

M: Of course! We accept most insurances. I would be happy to answer any questions that families might have. Call our office to see if your child might benefit from speech therapy or other therapies in Spanish, English, or both languages. Our telephone number is 313-278-4601. We would love to talk to you!

Brittany: Hola! Me llamo Brittany y soy la terapeuta bilingue de habla en MetroEHS en Sterling Heights y Detroit.

Mallory: Hola! Me llamo Mallory y trabajo en el departamentro de recursos humanos en la oficina administrativa en Plymouth.

Brittany: Estamos emocionados de anunciar que MetroEHS ofrece la terapia de habla en ingles y espanol.

Mallory: Que excelente! Podemos proporcionar la terapia de habla a ninos en MetroDetroit en su idioma nativo. Brittany, me puedes explicar como saber si mi hijo necesita la terapia de habla.

Brittany: Por supuesto! Si tiene preocupaciones del desarrollo del lenguaje o de la articulacion de su hijo es posible que se beneficie de la terapia de habla. Por ejemplo,  si su hijo no puede pronunciar ciertos sonidos, no dice muchas palabras ni combina palabras para hacer oraciones, o si no le puede entender a su hijo, podemos hacer una evaluacion para ver si califica para la terapia de habla.

Mallory: Suena muy bien! Que pasara despues?

Brittany: Despues de la evaluacion, si las terapias son necesarias, podemos iniciar las terapias en ingles, espanol o ambos idimos para ayudar a hijo a comunicarse con la familia, los amigos y todas las personas en su vida usando su idioma preferido.

Mallory: Guau(wow)! Ofrecen otras terapias?

Brittany: Tambien ofrecemos terapias para dificultades con la alimentacion, el tartamudeo, problemas con el lenguje social secundario al autismo, y el uso de comunicacion aumentativa y alternativa para ninos que no puede hablar con verbalizaciones. En MetroEHS, ofrecemos la terapia ocupacional y la terapia de comportamiento (ABA). Tenemos un equipo fenomenal de terapeutas que proporcionan servicios individualizados para su hijo. Mallory, tu puedes ayudar a las familiar que hablar espanol en la oficina, verdad?

Mallory: Por supuesto! Aceptamos muchos seguros medicos. Yo estaria encantada de responder a cualquier pregunta que tenga. Llame nuesta oficina para ver si su hijo se podria beneficiar de la terapia de habla en espanol, ingles, o ambos idiomas. El numero de telefono de la oficina es 313-278-4601. Nos encantaria hablar con usted.