Services
Child Development Center (CDC) implements and strongly believes in a multidisciplinary, play-based, trauma-informed, neuro-affirming and child-centered model of intervention, which involves clinicians from various disciplines working together on common goals and supporting the child and the family in a compassionate and holistic way. Our model also places emphasis on training for parents and caregivers as well as supervision.
Speech and Language Therapy
Our Speech and Language Team is committed to helping children find their unique voices as they use language to think, learn, and develop social relationships. We provide speech therapy sessions, consultations, and language assessments for a variety of communication difficulties. We provide current, research-driven therapy by highly trained speech-language therapists.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Our Occupational Therapy team provides intervention to help children meet developmental milestones, overcome sensory challenges, and improve self-care, play and self-regulation skills. The focus of our pediatric occupational therapy team is to strengthen gross motor and fine motor skills, sensory motor skills, visual motor skills, and handwriting skills. We focus on increasing child’s independence in the activities of daily living, academic performance, personal management, social skills through play-based activities.
Sensory Integration
Sensory integration (SI) therapy is an integral part of a multi-disciplinary approach, which can be very helpful in improving the ability to process and integrate sensory information. Being part of OT, it involves the use of various sensory experiences to help your child learn to process and respond appropriately to sensory input. This therapy is particularly helpful for children who present with sensory processing disorders and autism spectrum disorder, but it can also be beneficial for children with ADHD, ADD, Learning Disability among others. Sensory integration therapy aims to enhance the child’s daily functioning by improving his or her ability to process and respond to sensory information better, leading to improved learning processes, skills acquisition, and overall quality of life.
OT Assessments
Our occupational therapists conduct comprehensive evaluations of child's abilities in relation to developmental skills/milestones, academic expectations, sensory processing, fine and gross motor skills, activities of daily living, and other domains of development. We use a variety of standardized assessments as part of our assessments. We offer evaluations and re-evaluations for children with diverse developmental delays, diagnoses, and needs including sensory processing disorders, learning disabilities, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), attention deficit disorders (ADD), developmental delays and birth injuries, cerebral palsy and spina bifida, genetic disorders (Down syndrome/Mosaic etc.), and behavioral problems, among others. Our evaluation and re-evaluation process includes a comprehensive case review, use of standardized screening tools, and detailed reports with recommendations relating to the most appropriate intervention approaches to suit your child's individual needs.
Speech and Language Assessments
Our Speech Therapists offer comprehensive speech and language assessments for children with various speech and developmental delays, and diagnoses including speech delay, autism, apraxia of speech, and concerns relating to articulation, feeding, phonological processing, stuttering, among others.
Each evaluation (and subsequent re-evaluations) includes an in-depth case review, standardized assessment and test scores, detailed report including goals, objectives, and recommendations with regards to the best therapy approach for your child.
PROMPT Therapy
PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) is a specialized, evidence-based approach to speech therapy tailored to specific needs of the child. Our certified PROMPT therapists use tactile cues to guide the movement of oral muscles, ensuring precise speech sound production. Beyond just sounds, PROMPT addresses rhythm, stress, and intonation, resulting in more natural, fluent speech patterns.
PROMPT therapy is dynamic and engaging, incorporating games, activities, and exercises that make the learning process enjoyable and effective. PROMPT will particularly be beneficial for children with articulation and speech sound disorders, and those with apraxia of speech or motor planning difficulties.
Feeding Therapy
At CDC, we specialize in compassionate feeding therapy to help children and their families navigate the journey toward healthier eating habits. Our experienced team of feeding therapists is trained in the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, an evidenced-based method that tailors interventions to address a wide range of feeding challenges. We also incorporate elements of the feeding intervention based on the oral placement therapy (OPT) approach as well as behavioral feeding approaches. We understand that each child is unique, and our goal is to support them in building a positive relationship with food. Thus, the choice of strategies depends on the individual needs of each child.
Feeding therapy is centered around enhancing chewing and swallowing abilities while expanding the range of foods a child accepts. It is a personalized process because several factors come into play when designing a feeding program and choosing the right approach. These difficulties can stem from issues like physical limitations, challenges with the sensory properties of food, oral-motor skills development, behavior components, or medical diagnoses impacting cognition.
*Complex feeding difficulties often require a team of professionals, in which case appropriate referrals to specialists will be made.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is a form of intervention based on the science of learning and behavior, which aims to improve socially significant behaviors and reducing problem behaviors. ABA therapy is also very helpful in improving language and communication skills, developing play and social skills, imitation skills, attention, focus, and academic skills. It can also help decrease challenging behaviors. ABA therapy can be particularly effective for young children who present with symptoms of autism, although it has also been found helpful for children with other diagnoses such as developmental delays and speech delays, as well as typically developing children who present with challenging behaviors.
CDC does not support classic, behaviorist, outdated ABA approaches. Instead, CDC uses play-based, child-centered, and trauma-informed ABA model, which is responsive to the global shift in autism acceptance in the context of neurodiversity, as well as trauma-informed service provision.
BCBA Supervision
Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) are US-certified professionals who are trained in the field of behavior analysis at a supervisory level. BCBAs develop and supervise all aspects of child’s ABA therapy. As per US best practices and BACB guidelines, every child receiving ABA therapy at CDC is provided with ongoing BCBA supervision.
Early Intervention
Following internationally recognized best practices, the Early Intervention Program (EIP) at CDC offers 25 hours per week of individualized therapy sessions (1:1) and group-based sessions for children with autism and related disorders aged 18 months - 6 years of age. Our program employs a multi-modal approach, which incorporates a variety of interventions from across the multi-disciplinary teams including speech and language, occupational therapy, ABA therapy, music therapy, feeding therapy ensuring the student has a comprehensive and balanced therapy program that meets their individual needs.
Home-Based Behavioral Consultations
Home-based consultations and parent training sessions offer a specialized intervention for children with autism and other developmental disorders that take place in the comfort of their own homes. Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) work one-on-one with the child and his/her parents and caregivers to implement behavior modification techniques, to improve language and communication, social skills, life skills, etc. This therapy involves creating structured learning environments and using positive reinforcement to teach and reinforce appropriate behaviors, while reducing challenging ones. Home consultations and parent training sessions are highly personalized, targeting the specific needs and goals of the individual, and it provides the advantage of familiar surroundings for effective learning and skill development. Family involvement is encouraged to promote consistency and generalization of skills to daily life.
School and Nursery Consultations
School and nursery consultation services are valuable resources for parents and educators seeking to provide the best educational experiences for children. These consultations are provided by our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), who are experienced educational consultants offering support and guidance in various areas of educational provision for various profiles of learners. For schools, this might include evaluation of behavioral issues, curriculum development, teacher training, and creating a supportive learning environment. In the case of nurseries, the focus may be on designing age-appropriate programs, ensuring the child has the right support, and promoting early childhood development. These consultations aim to enhance the quality of education and childcare, tailored to the specific needs of each child, fostering their growth and well-being in a nurturing and educational setting.
Parents and Caregivers Training
Parents and caregivers training is an integral element of therapy at CDC, which aims at empowering you to be an active participant in your child's therapy program, improve your child’s language, communication and social skills, help you learn how to effectively manage challenging behaviors, and enhance the quality of life for your entire family. Parent training sessions are conducted by one of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), and can be conducted at the center, in the community or at home, depending on the family’s needs. We also encourage parents to attend their child’s sessions in order to learn the strategies that are used by our therapists in order to use them outside of the therapy room.
Social Skills Groups
Our social skills groups offer a supportive and engaging program designed to help children improve their social interaction and communication skills. Social skills groups employ an interactive and structured approach that targets essential social skills and behaviors. Children in our groups will learn, practice, and apply these skills in a fun and collaborative setting. Our skilled and compassionate speech and language therapists conduct a variety of activities and tasks designed to enhance social and emotional competence as well as boosting confidence in children. Our groups usually include 4 children with 1-2 speech therapists. The program is based on specialized evidence-based approaches and have targeted personalized goals. The groups provide interactive learning, and we focus on age-appropriate targeted skill development as well as inclusivity.
Professional Development
For almost 10 years, Child Development Center has been at the forefront of professional development training on topics related to early education, special needs, and inclusion. Our highly qualified staff is able to customize our presentations to suit your goals and target audience. Workshops can be conducted at your location or at CDC.