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Speech Therapy & Occupational Therapy
What is Neurodiversity & Neurodiversity Affirming Practice?
Neurodiversity is the diversity of human minds, and includes both neurotypical and neurodivergent brains. Neurodivergent people are those whose minds think, learn, and experience the world in a different, yet equally valid way. This includes autism, ADHD, mental illness, epilepsy, and others.
Neurodiversity Affirming practice values individual differences and believe in modifying the environment and providing supports, instead of expecting children to change themselves.
Neurodiversity Affirming Therapists create individualized plan supporting the child’s strengths and unique abilities with the help of families and other professionals involved with the child.
Are online therapy sessions going to be as effective as in-person sessions?
It has proven itself to be just as effective as in-person therapy. Online therapy has the added bonus of being more convenient, increasing parental involvement who play a crucial part in progress.
How long are the sessions and how many times will my child attend sessions?
Our sessions are 45 minutes long. Frequency could be 1-3 times per week depending on the communication and sensory needs.
What if my child does not sit or pay attention on screen for the sessions?
Our focus is connection, sensory regulation and emotional regulation over compliance/sitting tolerance. A child is not expected or forced to sit in the session. Our therapists believe in building connection with the child first and providing fun ways to engage in the session while following the child’s lead and choices.
What is the role of parents in the sessions?
We believe parents are the child’s expert first. Collaboration between the therapist and parent is the key for progress. The parent will Starr incorporating therapeutic strategies and goals into daily routines, everyday interactions and in different set-ups.
Co-Treatment
(Speech Language Therapy & Occupational Therapy)
What is co-treatment and How is co-treatment different from other therapy services?
Sessions conducted with 2 or more therapists from different disciplines (OT, SLP, etc.) to maximize therapeutic collaboration. Co-treatments are utilized when two disciplines share complimentary or similar goals.
Sessions do not focus on only one area of difficulty for the child; instead it combines multiple challenging areas into one session. For example, a speech therapist and an occupational therapist work together to simultaneously treat a child with sensory processing and language difficulties through playing a language based game while incorporating sensory components (swing, movement, heavy work, etc.).
What are the benefits of co-treatment?
The benefits of co-treatment are vast and endless. As co-treatment focuses on the “whole body”, it helps the child stay in an optimal learning zone to engage and have a natural spontaneous language.
- Treatment plans that most benefit the child.
- Generalize skills to different environments, contexts, and communication
- Assist in supporting child’s needs
- Create more opportunities to practice goals
- Increase organization and attention to therapy sessions
- Maximize therapy session
How is the session duration distributed in the session?
Sessions last for 45 mins. OT taking care of support for child’s sensory regulation and emotional regulation while SLP works on modeling the language targets through plan.
What is the role of parents in the sessions?
Parents play a crucial role in co-treatment as a mean to provide support the child in terms of sensory and emotional regulation with the guidance of the Occupational therapist. Parents can also make note of language targets from SLP to incorporate into daily routines, everyday interactions and in different set-ups. We believe parents are the child’s expert first. Collaboration between the therapist and parent is the key for progress.
Delayed Echolalia / Scripting
can my child have echolalia without being autistic?
Gestalt language processing isn’t a disorder and it isn’t a processing style specific to one demographic. Many autistic individuals are Gestalt Language Processors (Who process language in a chunk & communicate through delayed echolalia), but not all GLPs are autistic. Your child can have echolalia without Autism.
what is the process of the therapy?
The first few sessions will go in interviewing the parents, observation, gathering the language sample for the purpose of evaluation. Parents will be trained as well to understand the targets and goals we have for the child. Parents can observe the therapist techniques closely during the sessions to carryout the same in other set-ups. SLP could also suggest sensory support in case needed.
what approach do you follow for echolalia therapy?
We use NLA (Natural Language Acquisition) framework to work with GLPs.
NLA is a detailed description of gestalt language development based on the pioneering research of Ann Peters, Barry Prizant, and their colleagues’ decades of clinical research with neurotypical children and autistic children. NLA embraces the child’s own level of natural language development and supports further development toward self-generated grammar (Blanc, 2012).
Who all professionals need to be involved with the child?
A Speech Language Pathologist who is knowledgeable and trained in NLA framework will work with the child/young adult & the families. Occupational therapist to support sensory needs when required. SLP and OT can collaborate as a part of co-treatment plan if needed.
Early Intervention Program
What is Early Intervention?
“Early Intervention” is an array of services to help infants and toddlers, birth to three with disabilities or delays in their development. Early Intervention Services supports families, through education and family services, to help their children reach their potential.
what is the process of the therapy?
During a multidisciplinary evaluation, your clinicians will look at many areas of your child’s development, including physical, communication, social, emotional, and adaptive areas. During the evaluation, the team might discuss strengths or concerns about your child’s development to build a specialized plan best suited for the child.
Who will be involved in early intervention session
Early Intervention services are participation based, which means that the adult/caregiver will be actively involved in each session. By actively engaging the adults in each early intervention session, key early intervention skills and strategies will be shared by the early intervention service provider and later can be practiced by the parent/caregiver beyond the session.
What is the session duration and who all professionals will help the parents/caregivers?
Sessions will be of 45 mins, 1:1 with the parents/caregivers. A Speech Language Pathologist and an Occupational therapist is involved on calls.
Autism Training Program
What is Autism Training Program about?
Autism Training is a live group Training Program which aims on guiding parent(s)/caregiver(s) about Autism and the right approach for their Autistic child.
What are the benefits on the program?
The benefits are vast. There is nothing more important than understanding how your child’s brain work and how we can support the Neurodivergent person in all ways possible with the help of professions specialized in Autism.
- Learn All The Strategies To Help Your Chilld
- Grab Our Exclusive Resources & PDFs
- Bonus Q & A With Our Experts
- Utilize Our Guide To Build The Future
Our Neurodiversity Affirming Practice team will change your entire perspective for your Autistic child with this program!
What if I want to cancel?
- Full refund is provided if you cancel in 72 hours or more before start of program
- Within 72 hours of start of course – 50% refund
- From the date of the program commencement, there is strictly no refund
- You will be given access to the program content and other resources (does not include live call recording due to protocols) after the competition of each module.
Virtual Sessions
How do you conduct online therapy sessions?
We conduct sessions via Google Meet or Zoom lasting for 45 mins.
what is the process to follow to start sessions?
Once you purchase your plan. Your child’s therapist will get in touch with you within 24 hours to schedule your sessions. First few sessions will be dedicated for a formal and an informal assessment. The presence of parents/caregivers is important in this process.
what approach do you follow for echolalia therapy?
We use Natural Language Acquisition Framework for children who have echolalia. Please refer to our https://starwalkersclinic.com/nla-resources/ page to know more.
Who all professionals need to be involved with the child?
Professionals such as a Speech Language Pathologist and/or an Occupational therapist depending on your purchased plan. Our therapist will recommend you if there is more than one professional’s involvement is required after the assessment and observation.