Our services are offered in homes, schools, daycares, preschools, and in the community, utilizing The OT Bus™

The Beckman Oral Motor Protocol uses assisted movement and stretch reflexes to quantify response to pressure and movement, range, strength, variety and control of movement for the lips, cheeks, jaw, tongue and soft palate. The assessment is based on clinically defined functional parameters of minimal competence and does not require the cognitive participation of the individual. Because these components of movement are functional, not age specific, the protocol is useful with a wide range of ages and diagnostic categories.

The goal of Handwriting Without Tears® is to make handwriting an automatic and natural skill for children of all ability levels. Children and teachers enjoy HWT because it makes handwriting easy and fun to learn. With less than 10 minutes of instruction a day, children can learn to write well. This program is unique in that it is developmentally based, works for children of all abilities, uses multi-sensory teaching aids and methods, and is easy to teach and fun to learn. For more information www.hwtears.com

Once children with SPD have been accurately diagnosed, they will benefit from Occupational Therapy utilizing a Sensory Integration approach. The goal of Sensory Integration (SI) is to facilitate the development of the nervous system’s ability to process sensory input in a more typical way.

Through integration, the brain pulls together sensory messages and forms coherent information upon which to act. Sensory Processing Therapy uses neurosensory and neuromotor exercises to improve the brain’s ability to repair itself. When successful, it can improve attention, concentration, listening, comprehension, balance, coordination and impulsivity control.

During treatment, a child is guided through activities that challenge his or her ability to respond appropriately to sensory input by making successful, organized responses. Therapy typically involves activities that provide vestibular, auditory, proprioceptive, tactile, and oral stimulation.

: The Wilbarger Protocol (Wilbarger, 1991) is a specific, professionally guided treatment regime designed to reduce sensory defensiveness. The Wilbarger Protocol has its origins in sensory integration theory, and was developed by Patricia Wilbarger, M.Ed., OTR, FAOTA, an internationally recognized expert who specializes in the assessment and treatment of sensory defensiveness.

Deep-touch pressure, compression or traction to the joints, and heavy muscle action combined together to provide a special combination of input that reduces or eliminates sensory defensiveness (a summation of sensation that is neurologically experienced in a short period of time over a large body space).

Is an innovative program that supports children, teachers, parents, and therapists to choose appropriate strategies to change or maintain states of alertness. Students learn what they can do before a spelling test or homework time to attain an optimal state of alertness for their tasks. Teachers learn what they can do after lunch, when their adult nervous systems are in a low alert state and their students are in a high alert state. Parents learn what they can do to help their child's nervous system change from a high alert state to a more appropriate low state at bedtime. Please see www.alertprogram.com for further information.

Astronaut Training is a sound activated vestibular protocol for moving, looking, and listening. It was created by Mary J Kawar MS, OTR and Shiela M Frick, OTR. Astronaut Training provides precise input to all five vestibular receptors, along with auditory and visual input to create a comprehensive treatment protocol that integrates these three sensory systems. Core activities provide opportunities for an adaptive response to sensory input, which completes the sensorimotor neurological circuits underlying all function. Guidelines are provided for safe, effective use of this protocol with clients of all ages and diagnoses.

Integrated Listening SYstem (iLs) is a Tomatis-based sound therapy that trains the ear, brain and auditory pathways to better process sensory input and function more efficiently. By combining an auditory program with specific visual and balance activities, iLs strengthens neurological pathways and improves the ability to learn and process information. Please visit www.integratedlistening.com for further information on this innovative and powerful program or speak with one of our trained therapists at Star Threrapy.

A sensory diet is a diet of specific activities prescribed based on your child’s individual sensory needs. These activities are completed at certain times during the day to assist your child to feel calm, alert, and organized. A sensory diet is designed with input from family, teachers, and/or other caregivers.

The SOS Approach to Feeding is a Play-Based program that teaches children to eat at a pace that respects their readiness to progress through learning the 32 different steps involved in the task of eating. We teach the children the skills they need in order to eat a wide variety of food types and textures using the natural, social reinforcement of playing with the food and interacting with adults.