Current Needs:

We always need supplies for our therapists working with needy children and for our lending library. To make a donation, please call our office and we will make arrangements to pick up items in good condition.

Current specific needs:

Communication Devices
Boppy Pillows
High Chairs
Bumbo seats and trays
Nesting Cups
Stacking rings
Doctor Kits
Timers
Laminating sheets
Paper
Wooden Puzzles
Lacing Beads

School Aged Children

School Age (K-12) intervention refers to therapy services provided for children ages 5 and up. Speech and language therapy is provided in conjunction with public, private, or home schooling. Therapy takes into account what the child is working on in other areas of their lives (academics, athletics, friendships, etc.) and incorporates therapy strategies around the child's interests and needs.

Reasons Parents Pursue Private Therapy

To obtain medically relevant services.
To address communication disorders for families who choose private school, home school, home education, or otherwise prefer not to use school based services.
To supplement what the school district is already providing. Children benefit from intensive, individualized therapy strategies applied during their daily routines. Florida Pediatric Therapy collaborates with the educational team and family to meet the child's communication goals and advocate for the child's needs.

When to seek help

Information Processing/Auditory Processing: When your child seems to hear what you say but does not seem to understand or "get it" you should pursue an evaluation.

Difficulty following directions: Very bright children with receptive language and/or auditory processing challenges often are successful until sometime between 1st and 3rd grade when the child's ability to compensate for their lack for receptive language through visual cues and classroom routines is no longer able to keep up with the amount of auditory/verbal input being given. Teachers and parents who are unfamiliar with receptive language disorders often mistake this for a behavior/discipline problem when in fact the child's compensation strategies are just not longer working. When a child is having difficulty following directions, it is important to evaluate why that is happening and provide the child with tools and strategies to improve their comprehension.
Autism and Related Disorders: Autism is a challenge for the whole family. Finding the pieces to the puzzle and unlocking the social/communicative door are critical to a child's success. If your child is "on the spectrum" a review of their strengths determines how to proceed in goal setting and achieving the broader long term goal we all share for our children (establishing and maintaining a fulfilling, healthy, happy life). Ms. Bias has extensive training and experience with children with autism and their families. This is a puzzle we don't have all the answers to yet. In the meantime, let's look at what combination of techniques will best help your child.

Difficulty communicating verbally: By age five, your child should be communicating smoothly, clearly, and effectively in complete, and often lengthy sentences. If your child's speech is choppy, unclear, infrequent, or you are otherwise concerned an evaluation should be pursued.

Down Syndrome: Whether your child needs help with a few specific stumbling blocks or is still learning to communicate, we have the expertise to help.

Articulation/Speech/Fluency/Voice challenges: If your child exhibits tongue thrust, lisps, incorrectly produces sounds regularly, is dysfluent, or has an unusually harsh/hoarse/quiet/loud voice, a consultation should be pursued.; Caroline Bowen PhD CPSP, ASHA Fellow, shares information on normal and disordered speech development through her comprehensive public website including normative data for articulation and phonological development.

Inclusion Statement: It is the position of Florida Pediatric Therapy that it is beneficial to every child to be included with their peers in life. Inclusion is most successful when appropriate supports are in place. With time, commitment, and effective strategies a child can develop a network of friends who are involved in day to day experiences and learning and become the child's strongest advocates during ARD/IEP meetings and life planning. When inclusion is well thought out, all children involved benefit.