Cortica’s developmental therapists assess how children sense information from the surrounding environment, how they process that information, and how they plan and coordinate movements.
Developmental therapies (DT) are complementary to one another and often achieve greater success in combination. For example, occupational and music therapy may help lay the foundation your child needs to communicate and may be recommended in addition to speech therapy.
Speech Therapy
At Cortica, speech-language therapists integrate your child’s unique sensory and motor profile into relationship-based activities to improve your child’s functional communication.
Goals of Speech Therapy
Speech-language therapy uses daily activities and play-based techniques to improve:
•Expressive language through gestures, speech, and/or alternative communication
•Speech sound production
•Language and comprehension
•Speech fluency (stuttering)
•Social pragmatic communication
•Organizing, planning, and problem-solving
•Feeding and swallowing
Occupational Therapy
At Cortica, occupational therapists aim to improve everyday skills, which allows your child to become independent and participate in desired activities.
Goals of Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy uses play-based techniques to support:
•Regulation and arousal
•Creating, planning/organizing, and executing movement patterns for everyday activities
•Independent dressing and grooming
•Eating and meal participation
•Using the bathroom
•Fine motor skills like drawing, painting, writing or using scissors
Developmental Therapies
At Cortica, services are provided by an integrated team of therapists who deliver the same standard of high quality care. Your child will work with a number of different therapists within the same discipline and across different disciplines.
Working with different therapists ensures continuity of care, helps your child generalize skills, builds greater flexibility, and enhances the ability to adapt to change.
Music Therapy
At Cortica, music therapists promote well-being and developmental progress through the therapeutic relationship and by offering music as a means of personal expression and engagement.
Goals of Music Therapy
Music therapy uses the tools of music (like rhythm, pitch, and instrument play) to support:
•Task attention
•Body awareness and coordination
•Emotion awareness and regulation
•Speech and vocalization
•Organization, planning, decision making, and flexibility
•Social connection and trust-building
Physical Therapy
At Cortica, physical therapists aim to help your child build muscle control and strength so they can navigate their environment safely and engage in a range of recreational and athletic activities with peers.
Goals of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy uses activities and exercises to improve:
•Increased balance and motor coordination
•Increased hand-eye coordination
•Improved posture and strength
•Functional mobility (walking and running)
•Body safety and awareness
Therapies DevelopmentalRoadmap
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1
Evaluation
For each developmental therapy your child receives (OT, PT, SLT, MT), you’ll complete some questionnaires and your child will take part in an interactive assessment.
2
Personalized Plan
The recommended frequency of sessions, the type of sessions, the goals to target, and strategies to be used will be determined based on assessment results.
Tracking Progress
Every six months, you’ll be asked to complete a set of questionnaires as part of your child’s reassessment to help track their progress and set new goals.
4
Starting Services
Your child may start with co-treatment sessions or one-to-one sessions, and your therapists will let you know how often to attend your child’s sessions and what skills to practice at home.
3
6
5 Graduation
Fading Services
With your active support and participation in sessions, your child’s abilities will grow and the frequency of services will reduce.
Our therapists will support you and your child to access community sports, recreation, music, arts, and other enriching experiences where your child’s ongoing skill growth and learning can take place.
Getting to know your Team
Services
One-to-One
Therapy provided by one therapist to one child.
Co-Treatment
Sessions provided by two therapists of different therapy types to one child.
Group Sessions
Sessions provided by one or more therapists to multiple children.
Caregiver Coaching
An interactive process between clinician and caregiver that involves observation, reflection, and action to directly promote the caregiver’s ability to support their child’s participation in family and community activities.
Developmental Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
•Master’s or doctoral degree
•Conducts evaluations and re-evaluations
•Designs and supervises speech-language therapy programs
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)
•Conducts speech-language therapy sessions
•Supervised by SLP
Music Therapist (MT)
•Bachelors or master’s degree
•Board certified
•Conducts evaluations and re-evaluations
•Designs and supervises music therapy programs
Occupational Therapist (OT)
•Master’s or doctoral degree
•Conducts evaluations and re-evaluations
•Designs and supervises occupational therapy programs
