| When 4-year-old Connor was enrolled in a three-month sensory training program to deal with his developmental delays, his father was skeptical at first.
But he was won over when Connor was pedaling his bike for the first time after only a few days in the program, conducted by the Center for Sensory Training and Research in Feeding Hills. He was even more impressed when, at the end of the first month, Connor was able to write his name.
“He’s just more connected,” Connor’s father said. “He plays more, he interacts with his siblings, and he engages now.”
Recently, parents whose children have completed the Sensory Training Program — for developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, ADD, and ADHD — gathered at an open house to talk about the non-chemical, non-invasive program, and to hear testimonies from parents whose children have graduated.
“Not all sensory training therapy is the same,” said Laurie Cecchi, an occupational therapist and one of the facilitators of the Sensory Training Program. “What works for one doesn’t always work for others, but so far we’ve had a 100{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} success rate with our kids. It is truly exciting to see.”
The Sensory Training Program differs from other therapies and treatments by simultaneously stimulating the auditory, visual, and vestibular systems. The protocol was first developed and tested by John Steinert, founder of the SIRRI clinic in New York. The Center for Sensory Training is the only facility in Western New England to offer the program.
During treatment, the child lies on a gently undulating padded table. The room is darkened, and a soft light overhead gradually changes through all the colors of the spectrum. All during treatment, the child listens to specially programmed sounds and music through a headset. This phase of the program requires two 30-minute treatments daily for 12 days.
Following the initial phase is an 18-day home treatment period during which a special light box is used. Next is a prescribed 30-day rest period followed by five more days at the clinic, another 30-day rest, and a final five days at the clinic. The program aims to improve the child’s ability to intake information and use higher levels of cognitive skills like expressive language and reading comprehension, as well as improve balance and hand-eye coordination.
Parents of the recent graduates were quick to share their children’s accomplishments. “He is able to tell us what he wants for the first time,” Connor’s mother said. “It seems as though he’s made several gains at one time since beginning the program.”
The mother of 30-month-old T.J. did not hold back her emotions. “I waited for this for a long time. He now says, ‘I want a hug’ and ‘I love you.’ I waited all this time just to hear him call me Mommy.”
T.J.’s father also noted the progress his son made over the three months, including knowing people’s names, not fixating on one thing anymore, improved fine motor skills, even eating better. “Things are totally different than they were six months ago,” he said. “Now we can do things with T.J. and not around him.”
One mother beamed as she described the simple task of being able to go into a mall with her 4-year old son.
“I bought shoes for him like any other mother does, but for me, it was the first time.”
Another boy’s father shared how, after only 12 days in the program, his developmentally delayed son, who suffered extremely poor hand-eye coordination, “hit every ball off the batting tee like a pro.”
Meanwhile, 8-year-old Kevin, who completed the Sensory Integration Program this summer, returned to school ready to read for the first time in his life.
According to his mother, herself a speech therapist, “Kevin has been in specialized programs since he was a very little boy, but this is the most extraordinary progress he has ever made in terms of motor skills and literary readiness. My entire family is amazed at how much happier he is now and how much easier it is to direct his attention.”
As the parents described the dramatic gains their children made after just three months, common themes emerged, such as improved motor skills, improved eye contact, better awareness, increased socialization, more frequent smiles, and more shows of affection.
Marianne Joyce, OTR/L, co-founder of the Center for Sensory Training, maintained that every type of help given to children with sensory disorders is important to their development, including speech therapy and occupational therapy. “This Sensory Training program seems to turbo-boost their progress,” she said.
For more information about the Center for Sensory Training and Research, call (413) 786-1114.
The Center for Sensory Training is located at Children’s Therapy Center, 1285 Springfield St., Feeding Hills. |
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