Therapeutic Services

Physical Therapy

The goal of Physical Therapy is to maximize independence through gross motor, balance, and coordination activities in order to encourage self-sufficiency while interacting with peers in school settings. Clelian Heights’ Physical Therapy Room is also equipped with an elliptical machine, and universal weight equipment for strengthening and endurance training. Knowledge of this equipment enables students to utilize a community fitness center.

 Speech and Language Therapy

Using a Total Communication approach—verbal language, sign language, assistive technology and picture exchange programs— the goal of Speech and Language Therapy is to increase functional communication skills for all students and help with appropriate social skills with peers, staff, and community members. Our experienced Speech and Language Pathologists support students both within the classroom environment to work on pragmatic and social skills (push-in sessions) and within an individual and/or small group setting (pull out sessions) in our Speech Therapy Rooms.

Occupational Therapy

Our Occupational Therapists assist with sensory processing for students with sensory integration disorder (SID). Many children with developmental disabilities have some sensory integration difficulties. Clelian Heights is equipped with a Sensory (Integration) Room allowing the Occupational Therapists a wide range of sensory integration materials with which to observe, evaluate, and then teach each child “adaptive responses” so that the students can learn to balance sensory input and can then be more productive, maintain concentration, and organize their thoughts throughout the day.

The therapists focus on providing the children with different sensory experiences which will improve their ability to tolerate the daily overload of sensory information. They accomplish this by evaluating and then giving each student a Sensory Diet: an individualized, carefully designed schedule of sensory activities that will produce the sensory input they each need to better handle the activities of daily living. These sensory activities will be done with school staff in the Sensory Room, OT room, classroom, while out in the community, as well as at home with family members—according to the individual’s needs at the time.