I started my company in 2000 and provided services as a physical therapy consultant in NJ public and private schools for over 25 years. I’ve had the good fortune of following students from preschool to high school and gained insights on the factors that support and block a child’s functioning as they move up the grades. I also became very familiar with the education law IDEA and the eligibility process of receiving special services including physical therapy. I introduced a clinical reasoning tool- Determination of Relevant Therapy Tool (DRTT) to guide decisions regarding the dosage (frequency) and model (direct,consultative or monitoring) of therapy services in one New Jersey public school district.
During this journey I earned the respect of district administrators from the Superintendent to the building Principals and the director of Special Services. They trusted me to introduce programs like Brain GymTM , Bal-A-Vis-X, Yoga, The Listening Program, Pairing motor skills with cognitive stimulation by giving me opportunities to provide workshops to teachers and Para professionals during professional days and also during school team meetings. I had the opportunity to conduct a pilot study on the effectiveness of daily movement breaks which incorporated activities that were classroom friendly and help children attend better to instructions and activities.
The outcomes of the pilot study was instrumental in teacher “buy in” of structured movement breaks over unstructured ones. The district superintendent(s) approved my request to send a questionnaire to collect data for my Doctoral Capstone project- “Perception and Experience of Physical Therapy Services in Educational Environments for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders ( ASD): A Survey of New Jersey Education Professionals “. It was during this time that I realized that teachers would benefit from increasing their awareness about “concerning behaviors” that were under a child’s control and those that were not and knowing how they could support their students with ongoing consultations.
I am able to do this by asking investigative questions based on specific signs, symptoms, and previous treatments that lead to an initial intervention tailored to the family’s cultural beliefs and values. With your permission, I will also communicate with other healthcare providers and teachers to ensure team collaboration whenever appropriate. If you decide to work with me , you will have me on your team 100%. I will help you with your struggles parenting your child at home, advocating for their needs/services at school and help you choose appropriate community extra curricular activities best suited for your child. I also offer web-based visits to lighten the burden of coming into the office. I invite you to do the work with me as a nurturing gift to yourself and your family.
Since 2016 I have concentrated on my home based clinic to provide services primarily for children who struggle in school with or without a medical diagnosis. I believe in the Mind Body Spirit connection and my practice offers a blend of eastern and western evidence based programs. I recently added a new tool to my toolkit- a Nasa based neurocognitive program.
My programs are non invasive and outcome based to strengthen executive functioning skills, improve attention, physical skills, processing speed, self esteem and behavior with each session. They are practical and can be seamlessly incorporated into your child’s routine schedule. We empower parents by helping them understand key elements in the intervention plan to make permanent positive changes.
