The key to a good evaluation is to know what you are looking for. Our brain-based interventions require that we find the root of the problem where it is happening, in the brain.
That’s the focus of an evaluation at TheraPeeds Family Center, to identify the underlying deficit that may be occurring in the brain that is affecting function.
As parents, we want our children to have the best chance at success in life and that means they must be functional. Functional is defined as having good skills in the following four areas:
Parents call us because there’re concerned or worried about how their child is functioning in one or multiple of these areas. They know when this is happening, their child is off-track from that future they envision for them. They want to help.
We can help and we know that the lack of skill is just a symptom. The trouble with controlling his body, poor coordination, the learning or attention problem, the poor language and communication, the tantrums, picky eating, poor behavior…they are all symptoms. They’re not the problem. That’s just the SOS signals the brain is sending out to say, I’m having a problem, help me.
Help means finding out what the problem is, what’s causing it and addressing it at the cause for a more efficient and successful outcomes. Because, at TheraPeeds Family Center, we want to give you what you want, we go to the source of those skills, the brain.
Our Neuro-Developmental evaluation uses a variety of tools to identify what might be happening in your child’s brain that is affecting their ability to produce skill in one or more of these areas. We provide a thorough evaluation that examines how well the brain is using the information that it is processing to produce function.
We use three forms of testing:
These are combined to give us clear information about how your child’s brain is functioning.
You have probably already been to your pediatrician or neurologist who has told you that your child’s brain is intact and that their Central Nervous System ‘checks out’ as normal. What the doctors are referring to is that there is nothing damaged in the actual structure of your child’s brain, however the actual functioning of the system has most likely not been assessed. At TheraPeeds, using components of functional neurology, we look for how the brain is functioning or processing information.
The brain is designed to take in sensations, process those sensations and then use the information to produce skills. Most likely your child has no difficulty with taking in sensations, that is they are not blind or deaf. It is often perplexing to parents that their child appears healthy, has no obvious neurological disorders, but is having difficulty functioning well or at their potential. To understand why this can occur and where the deficit is occurring we use the tools above to determine processing abilities.
When there is a breakdown of the information on its travels, it results in a processing breakdown sometimes termed a sensory processing or sensory integration disorder. To be effective at treating a processing disorder, the specific level of breakdown must be identified. Traditional therapy approaches focus on treating your child’s symptoms such as handwriting problems, clumsiness or speech delays. At TheraPeeds, we focus on identifying where the breakdown is occurring so that we can treat the underlying deficit rather than just the symptom so that there are lasting results.
Five-year-old Nicole spends most of her time running around the house aimlessly being extremely destructive. Nicole’s parents came to us with a 300-page case history and after seeing several different OTs, doctors and other specialists. After almost exhausting their finances and with a strained relationship, Nicole’s mother wanted to find someone that could help her address her issues in a lasting way. Just from the evaluation, Nicole’s family finally felt they had some answers, they left the evaluation relieved, satisfied and with tangible hope for their daughter. The kind of well-founded hope, they never had before.
The reason they felt this way was because they received common sense information that resonated, applied directly to their daughter’s condition and history, and helped them understand their child’s behavior.
Evaluations begin when the therapist receives your completed paperwork. This is thoroughly reviewed before meeting you and your child.
Our evaluations involve 3 parts:
At TheraPeeds Family Center, we evaluate the entire family. This means that your evaluation includes an evaluation of your parenting strengths and weaknesses using standardized testing, clinical observation and parent interview, so that we can determine appropriate treatment planning for you. Research has indicated that one of the most influential and pivotal components of your child’s brain development is your parenting abilities and it is for this reason, it is included in this thorough, family-centered program.
All of our clinicians have over 10 years of experience and have been trained in the H.O.P.E. method. Because they all bring their specialty training to this model, we are certain that you will be provided with thorough information and a treatment plan that is consistent with the care we offer at TheraPeeds. Our clinical director is involved in the treatment planning for all of our clients.
Our evaluations include:
For families needing a full written report for schools and other professionals; this can be provided for an additional fee and please allow at least 4 months for completion.