Pediatric Therapy in Rancho Bernardo, CA

What is ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)?
ABA is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior.

How Does ABA Therapy Work?
ABA helps us understand behavior, learning, and how a child’s environment affects both. It aims to increase helpful behaviors and decrease behaviors that are harmful or that affect learning. Clinical oversight and supervision is provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).  

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.

Which Therapy is Right for My Child?
Autism is a complex diagnosis. Our board certified and state-licensed clinicians have extensive training in assessing the individual needs of a child. Our multidisciplinary approach helps identify what’s best for your child and family.

ABA Therapy Can Include:
• 1:1 intensive ABA individualized for all needs + abilities
• Small group instruction with peers
• Pre-K prep steeped in functional communication
• Social + functional living skills: supplementary support with life skills such as self-care, socialization, money management, job prep, household maintenance, and more)

Developing and enhancing communication techniques through verbal language, sign language, or language through assistive technology, speech therapy can help your child effectively interact with family and friends. It can also address the function of facial muscles and structures necessary for speech, feeding, and swallowing.

Speech Therapy Can Include:
• Expressive language/Receptive language
• Auditory processing disorders
• Articulation + phonological processes
• Late talkers, preschool language disorders
• Augmentative + alternative communication
• Childhood apraxia of speech + dysarthria
• Selective mutism
• Pragmatic language disabilities + social skills
• Orofacial myofunctional disorders

Occupational therapy helps children improve sensory, cognitive, physical or motor skills in addition to addressing social, psychological or environmental factors that may affect a child’s development. Occupational therapy focuses on helping children become independent with daily activities such as playing, eating, dressing, practicing handwriting, or maintaining balance.

Occupational therapy can include:
• Pre-writing skills
• Cognitive skills
• Sensory integration
• Fine motor skills (grasping a toy or pencil)
• Balance + coordination
• Assessing or adjusting equipment
• Visual motor skills
• Daily routines (bathing, dressing, brushing teeth)
• Feeding techniques
• Oral motor coordination

The pediatric physical therapists at HealthPRO Pediatrics provide compassionate care to the children + their families. They develop individualized treatments plans to help children gains strength, flexibility, increase range of motion and improve overall movement so that children can complete daily activities with success. Physical therapists identity, diagnose + treat movement impairments to improve quality of life for children of all ages + abilities. Our Physical Therapists can assess and provide treatment in the following areas:

• Gross motor skill progression
• Coordination + motor control
• Balance + posture control
• Strength + endurance
• Gait training + mobility
• Torticollis + plagiocephaly
• Pain management
• Posture + positioning
• Range of motion
• Seating, equipment + orthotic consultation

Individual feeding treatment is typically provided on a weekly basis by an occupational therapist or a speech language pathologist.  The goal of treatment is to address the individual goals of the child as well as to support families, provide resources + help parents / care-givers establish an effective home-based program since feeding disorders often deveople from a combination of medical/physiological, developmental, behavioral, and psychosocial factors, our trained feeding therapists have experience working with children with a variety of medical diagnosis (i.e. gerd, FTT, cardiac, pulmonary, cleft palate/lip), breastfeeding concerns, oral motor delays, sensory-based feeding disorders and other contributing factors that may need to be supported during therapy intervention.  

Autism Evaluations

These evaluations are conducted through use of a specialized battery of instruments designed to thoroughly investigate symptoms and behaviors characteristic of ASD. In conjunction with evaluations of intellectual functioning and adaptive skills, our multi-disciplinary team [Psychologist, OT, PT, SLP] utilizes these diagnostic tools:

• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2)
• Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)
• Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2)
• Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS- 2)