Blog - Page 9 of 10 - Westside Children’s Therapy

pediatric physical therapy room at Westside Children's Therapy in Illinois

What does a Pediatric Physical Therapy session look like?

Pediatric physical therapy sessions are designed to address each child’s individual needs. Physical therapy at Westside will help a child maximize their physical abilities and minimize their physical limitations.

photo of an activity for pediatric occupational therapy in illinois at westside

What does Pediatric Occupational Therapy session look like?

Children Activities, Occupational Therapy

Pediatric Occupational Therapy sessions are designed to address each child’s individual needs. OT helps an individual do the things they need to do (i.e. self-care) and want to do (i.e. play/leisure) daily in order to live a productive life.

photo of a therapist at Westside Children's Therapy in Illinois with a child that has serial casting

5 Reasons to Start Serial Casting Early

Physical Therapy, Serial Casting

Early intervention is important for any therapy. It provides the child the best chance of maximizing outcomes. For example, a child may need speech therapy at a certain age, but the indicators may be overlooked.

7 Common Misconceptions of ABA Therapy

ABA Therapy, Children Activities

ABA therapy has developed into the most popular form of treatment for the symptoms of Autism. While ABA has been put in a negative light in the past, its course of treatment has changed drastically over the years, developing a list of misconceptions about ABA therapy.

picture of a child's serial casting at Westside in Illinois

What is Serial Casting & How Can It Help My Child?

Physical Therapy, Serial Casting

Serial casting is a non-invasive conservative method used to improve joint range of motion for a variety of diagnoses (toe walking, cerebral palsy, arthrogryposis, spina bifida, club foot, traumatic and acquired brain injuries, muscular dystrophy, etc.). It is most commonly used to help correct toe walking.

picture of an aba therapy reading nook, for the Oak Lawn Illinois Westside Children's Therapy

RISE: Westside’s School-Readiness ABA Therapy Program for Kindergartners

ABA Therapy, Children Activities

You child has graduated from IGNITE. Now it is time to RISE to the next level. In IGNITE, your child with autism was given the skills that would allow them to function in a pre-school setting alongside children ages 2-6.

photo of a sensory gym that is used in an aba therapy session in Westside Children's Therapy in Illinois

What does an ABA Therapy session look like?

ABA Therapy, Parent Education

ABA therapy sessions are tailored to each child’s specific skills and interests. The below text is a real example of what part of a child’s session looked like. For privacy reasons, the child’s name, therapists’ names and Westside location will not be named.

Two kids work with their therapists in Westside's IGNITE ABA Program.

IGNITE: Westside’s school readiness ABA therapy program for preschoolers

ABA Therapy, Children Activities

Is your child not quite ready to be in a school setting all day? Let Westside IGNITE your child’s readiness to be ready! Pretty soon, your child will be able to make that transition into a traditional school setting and be able to thrive.

My toddler struggles with talking. Is speech therapy an option?

Speech Therapy

It’s never too early to look into speech therapy for your toddler.

The earlier you can catch any signs of lack of development in certain areas, the better. And when you do catch those early signs, it is important to get them treated right away as leaving them untreated can make it harder to treat in the future.

When To Stop ABA Therapy

ABA Therapy

My child is in ABA Therapy, how long will they be?

The best time to start ABA therapy is early and between the ages of 2 and 6. But there does not need to be a lifelong commitment to ABA therapy. There are several indications that will flag when ABA Therapy should stop.

picture of a therapist and a child during in-clinic therapy, as opposed to in-home therapy. This picture is taken at Westside in Illinois

In-Clinic Therapy vs. In-Home Therapy

ABA Therapy

Your family just learned that your child has an autism diagnosis. Now is the time to decide what your next course of action is, and also if in-home therapy or in-clinic therapy is right for your family

FOCUS: Westside’s Newest ABA Treatment Program

ABA Therapy

Building independence in the community

It’s time to get FOCUSed! As the need for Westside’s services continues to grow, especially in ABA treatment, we are always making sure that we are expanding with it.