Foundation for Blind Children
INDEPENDENCE
MASTERY
THERAPY SERVICES

THERAPY SERVICES

Although therapy services at FBC are an adjunct to the infant and preschool programs they are essential for providing complete services for the young child.  Ninety percent of motor development in the first year of life is driven by vision.  With limited or no vision, facilitation of this through therapy becomes very important.  This is one of the roles of the therapist.

Therapy services are provided under two different models at FBC. 

Infant/Toddler therapy is provided under more of a medical model and is funded primarily by DES-DDD (Division of Developmental Disabilities), private insurance and AzEIP (Arizona Early Intervention Program). 

Preschool therapy is delivered under a school based model.  The therapy that the children receive is in place to enhance and support the child’s educational program.  Therefore, services are both direct and consultative so that ongoing activities and programs occur in the classroom even though the therapist may not be present. 

In both settings, the goal is to improve the functional skills of the child as well as provide information, resources and demonstrations to the caregivers (parents, early interventionists or preschool staff) to enhance their skill level and confidence when working with the child.  The entire staff at FBC believes that collaboration among team members is essential for the greatest benefit of the child.  Therefore, efforts are constantly made to integrate activities among disciplines and with the families.

Occupational Therapy

hand graphicOccupational therapy helps children function at their best in their major life roles (or occupation).  This could be learning to sit, to play with a new toy, to feed themselves or to understand the sensory input (touch and movement primarily they are receiving from the world around them.  OT with young children tends to focus on play skills, hand skills, self care skills (such as eating and dressing), sensory modulation, and motor skills (both gross and fine).

 

Physical Therapy

wheel chair graphic

The physical therapist tends to focus on large motor abilities such as mobility and balance, gross motor skill acquisition, postural alignment and appropriate use of adaptive equipment.  Activities are provided in the context of functional play/school activities as well as providing the child with the appropriate sensory and motor experiences to enable them to develop or enhance their skills and develop their maximum level of independence.

 

 

Speech and Language Therapy

mouth graphicThe ability to communicate is a vital part of a young child’s development and subsequent interaction with the world. Speech and language pathologists in pediatrics work with children to enhance their expressive and receptive language, feeding and oral motor functioning, cognitive and augmentative communication, such as sign language, high and low tech adaptive devices or tactile and/or textural communication boards.

 

 

 

therapist with childCurrently there are 13 different occupational, physical and speech therapists with an average of 15 years experience each—much of that with children with visual impairments.  Expertise is varied and includes advanced training in Neurodevelopmental Treatment(NDT), Cranialsacral treatment techniques, Infant Massage, Sensory Integration, CCDT (Chronologically Controlled Developmental Therapy) and TAMO (Tscharnuter Academie of Movement Organization), Augmentative Communication, Sign Language, and Oral Motor and Feeding Therapy.  All of these people and techniques come together to give our children the widest range of possibilities for growth and achieving their fullest potential.

For additional information,

please contact Mimi Pruniski at

mpruniski@seeitourway.org or call her at 602-331-1470.

 

 

 

 
PROGRAMS/SERVICES

Services for Children of school age (K through 12th grade) or younger:

Services for Transition Age Youth and Adults:

Services for All Ages: