Dr. Goldstein being interviewed by Child Development Center on

In the Blink of an Eye
A look back at 2007
By Kelly Massucci MS, OTR/L
I can’t believe it’s been over a year since our last newsletter has been published. Where does the time go? 2007 was a year
of change and growth for all of us at the clinic. It presented us with numerous challenges and hurdles that are all too familiar
in growing businesses – developing new programs, accommodating more clients, building out a new clinic, exploring
provider status with additional insurance companies. The list goes on and we continue to surge forward to provide innovative services to our clients,
promote collaboration with colleges and universities in educating future therapists and increasing the education of parents and professionals on topics such
as sensory integration, language development and educational strategies for children with special needs.
While we’ve had many fantastic moments this year, I would have to highlight the following four events as momentous for us all –
Opening our new Farmington clinic – With the addition of our new Farmington office, it has allowed us to provide services to an increased number of
families. In addition, it has improved the quality of our intervention by increasing the number of treatment rooms available, allowing for more treatment
equipment, as well as new modalities.
Talcott Trotters Fundraiser at Murphy and Scarletti’s – This year, we were fortunate enough to partner up with Bill McDougall and Bryan Moffit,
owner’s of Murphy and Scarletti’s, to host an evening fundraising event. With visions of raising $10,000 in our heads, we were elated to have doubled our
goal, exceeding $27,000 in donations! What an exciting event for all!
Insuring Autism – Our center and two of our families were fortunate enough this fall to be featured on NBC 30’s three part series: Insuring Autism. NBC
reporter Andrew Pergam explored the battles fought by parents in securing insurance reimbursement of therapy services for children on the Autism
spectrum. His coverage on the topic was fantastic and we can’t thank him enough for including our center and our families in this wonderful series.
The addition of Rocco Urso, Director of Clinical Operations – We are excited to welcome Rocco as part of our team. Rocco brings with him extensive
management knowledge and experience in the rehabilitation field. In the short four months that he has been with us, Rocco has made some significant,
positive changes to our clinic. He’s developed and promoted staff educational opportunities, provided insight into provider status with additional insurance
companies, and has implemented policies and procedures that have allowed us to shorten our waiting list and provide earlier intervention to more clients.
We all look forward to our upcoming growth together.
With that mentioned, we all eagerly look forward to the events that await us in 2008! Best wishes to a happy and healthy new year!
Year In Review
What’s Inside…
Canton’s First Year
Talcott moves
This past June the Talcott Center for Child Development celebrated its first year
in Canton. We are extremely excited about the success we have enjoyed over the
past year with both children and families. We intend to continue growing in the
valley area and plan to participate in more community events, continue
developing our relationship with specialists and physicians in the area,
developing new and improved programming and continue adding talented new
staff. We look forward to many more years of quality service and to the ever
evolving relationships we continue to form with the most crucial aspect of our
business – you, our clients.
A look at the construction of the new
Farmington office
Staff Updates
Continuing education and collaboration
keeps staff up to date
Beyond 20/20
Seeing the value of Vision Therapy
Proprioception
What it is, how it works and why it’s
always there when we need it
Tuning Into Tone
Helping children with low muscle
tone be successful
Autism & Insurance
A look at what is being done when it
comes to the challenge of insurance
coverage for autism
We have enjoyed an amazing year of serving the needs of children and families
here at our Canton facility. We sincerely thank you for allowing us to be a part
of your lives. Your trust and confidence is of the utmost importance and we vow
to continue to provide quality services for years to come.
Summer Groups – 2007!
Last summer, the Talcott team hit the
pavement running with our Buddy Bunch
groups! Our most popular program, Buddy
Bunch offers social skill opportunities
for children ages 4 -13. Run by diverse
teams of occupational, physical and
speech therapists, our groups are
designed
to
enhance
social
skill
development, target fine motor skills,
gross motor coordination and overall
language skills.
Focusing on problem solving, motor
planning and teamwork, Julia and Sarah
took their group on an 8 week obstacle
course adventure where they swung,
crashed, jumped and climbed their way
through summer!
Summer Camp
Last summer was packed with adventure for all involved in our
annual summer camp. Our campers explored far away planets
and countries, made their own ice cream and even had a
surprise visit from Doug the Llama! We couldn’t think of a
better way to spend our summer vacation.
We were fortunate to have some new members join our team
to create a fantastic summer experience. A huge thank you
goes out to all of our current staff, as well as our new friends:
Megan O’Shea - speech language pathologist
Ernie Doherty & Megan Moyer - OT students
Chris Baker - joined us again, bringing with him his musical
talent, endless energy and passion for our clinic and campers!
Here’s to next year!
The 2007 Greater Hartford Walk for Autism Research was a
tremendous success! Walkers filled Elizabeth Park in West
Hartford on June 10th ready for fun, ready to walk and most
of all ready to show their support for finding a cure for
Autism.
The Walk for Autism Research is the signature fundraising
walk event of Autism Speaks. It is the largest walk program
dedicated to autism research. With your help the Talcott
Trotters were able to exceed their 2007 goal, raising over
$27,000! As a whole, the Greater Hartford walk generated
over $450,000. The outpouring of support from all of you
has touched all of us.
As the walk continues to grow, The Talcott Center for Child
Development will continue to support and participate in
related activities in order to fund research.
Thanks to Bill McDougall, Bryan Moffit and the entire crew of
Murphy and Scarletti’s for helping us make our walk
fundraiser a complete success!
In October, our Canton center
was transformed into a spooky
graveyard, a sensory “nightmare”
and a sensational glow in the dark
funhouse! Thanks to all who
attended and helped make the
night a complete success.
A view from
what is now
one of the
center’s two
large gyms.
Three
quarters of
the center
was gutted
and rebuilt.
Construction
began in
March 2007
and was
completed in
late June.
Talcott On The Move
New space opens up new possibilities
It began with a few putty knives and some wallpaper
remover. It ended up with sledge hammers and crowbars.
When construction began in early spring, Pat and Chip
Samselski, Sarah White, Sarah Larson, Kelly and a few
other fearless volunteers stepped into what would soon be
the new Talcott Center for Child Development. Eager to
press forward, the scraping tools and wallpaper removing
solution was out in full force…only to find that this stuff
didn’t want to come off!!! Determined, the crew fought
through weekends and nights to conquer the task at hand
so that the construction crew could begin their work.
After months of tearing down and rebuilding walls,
painting, carpeting and re-wiring, our new Farmington
office is up and running. While we still need to add
several finishing touches, our new clinic is both innovative
and exciting!
An after shot of the completed room once it was sheet rocked,
painted and embellished with the signature Talcott Center
spandex, trampoline and ball pit.
“We tried to recycle as much of the materials as we
could. We painted existing cabinets, kept as many
walls as we could and re-used all of the doors and
some of the sound-proofing insulation.”
One of the most useful additions to our clinic space is the innovative grid
system that is built above the ceiling to hold suspended equipment. “This
grid gives us the flexibility to add suspended equipment almost anywhere in
the two large gyms. You can drive a Mack truck on it, that’s how sturdy it
is!” New rubber flooring in each gym makes it easier to clean, offers a better
level of cushion than conventional flooring or carpeting, and provides a
fantastic surface for scooter boarding! Our giant trampoline, suspended
spandex tunnel, and expansive, magnetic, chalkboard rock wall have kept
our kiddos both motivated and challenged to develop their skills. With our
new space, the treatment possibilities are endless and we are excited to
continue developing new equipment. What’s in store for the future? An
outdoor play area and jungle gym!
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Donald Belanger and our very own Fran
Massucci for the extensive energy and time invested in building out the new
clinic, “Papa” Massucci for painting our new space, Jessica and Rick Uliasz,
Megan Moyer, Steve Massucci and Pat Samselski for both moving and
organizing our new space! We couldn’t have done it without all of you!
From left to right: Donald Belenger,
Fran Massucci Sr. and Fran Massucci
Interactive Metronome®
Continuing Ed. & journal club
Latest modality added to Talcott roster
Furthering our effectiveness through continuing
education and collaboration
By Kelly Massucci
Our clinic continues to seek out new modalities, techniques and
clinical certifications in order to remain on the cutting edge of our
professions.
This past winter, Sharon and I attended the
Interactive Metronome® training in Boston, in order to offer a new,
innovative treatment tool to our clients.
Interactive Metronome®, or IM®, is a neurologically based
assessment and treatment tool designed to improve both motor
planning and sequencing skills. When looking at our daily lives,
motor planning and sequencing play a crucial role in our every
move. From climbing up a set of stairs to organizing the words in
a sentence, motor planning and sequencing are there!
Through the utilization of IM®, the client participates in
neurosensory and neuromotor exercises designed to improve the
brains processing abilities through the concept of neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity refers to our brains ability to reorganize neural
pathways as a result of experience.
Developed during the early 1990’s, IM® requires the user to
coordinate and synchronize a series of hand and foot exercises to
a computer-generated reference tone.
Listened to through
headphones, the user strives to match the rhythmic beat of the
metronome with repetitive rhythmical motor actions.
Continued on next page…
This February the Talcott Center for Child
Development clinicians gathered to discuss topics as
part of an ongoing series of journal clubs. One
featured topic was diet and was focused on gluten and
casein free foods. The other topic discussed was early
intervention of autism outcomes to age 4.5 to 5. In
addition, gluten free foods were sampled at the
meeting to give our clinicians a better idea of what to
recommend for foods.
Several staff members also completed courses in
various areas for continuing education credits. Julia
Jesmond and Jennifer Height both attended "Practical
Therapy Techniques for Apraxia and Dysarthria"
presented by Pam Marshalla MA, CCC-SLP. Julia and
Krisi Bayer completed “Listening With the Whole
Body”, a workshop that teaches the fundamentals of
Therapeutic Listening®. Kelly Massucci and Sharon
Pinchera attended a course to become certified in
implementing the Interactive Metronome®.
Continuing education and professional collaboration
are key components in the success of our clinic. We
will continue to keep you up to date on the expanding
credentials of our staff. In our next newsletter, we will
highlight our collaborative efforts with Canton
Pediatrics.
Looking Beyond “20/20”
Seeing the Value in Vision Therapy
By Sharon Pinchera OTR/L
Reading a sentence, scanning the classroom to
locate the “homework bin”, finding shoes in a
crowded closet, copying from the blackboard,
lining up numbers when writing math problems,
hopping along a hopscotch grid, kicking a soccer
ball into a goal, riding a bike. These are just
some of the common, everyday tasks of a child
and they all rely on the same thing…VISION.
You may be thinking, “Well, my child’s vision was tested and he
has 20/20 vision.” Look further and broaden your knowledge
and understanding of the sensory-motor process involved in
vision. You will be amazed and enlightened to “see” the intricate
and valuable role the visual process plays in learning, moving,
and relating to objects and others within our environment.
As occupational therapists in the clinic setting, we are meeting
and working with an increasing number of children who present
with specific learning challenges, sensory processing difficulties,
and coordination issues. During our assessments and treatment
sessions, we are focused on the many performance components
that underlie a child’s occupations and this inevitably includes
visual components. While we, as occupational therapists, can
administer a handful of standardized tests that involve vision,
perform gross assessments or screenings of oculomotor skills,
and detect possible visual issues through clinical observations
during functional play-based activities, we must refer to the
expertise of an optometrist for specialized assessment and
treatment of visual impairments. Optometrists, rather than
opthalmologists, have training in vision therapy. An optometrist
who specializes in the prevention, remediation, rehabilitation,
and enhancement aspects of visual care is known as a
“Behavioral
Optometrist,”
“Functional
Optometrist,”
or
“Developmental Optometrist.”
During a developmental vision analysis, the optometrist provides
a comprehensive eye exam that assesses visual abilities such as
visual acuity, eye focusing skills, eye teaming skills, oculomotor
skills, visual motor skills, and visual perceptual skills. Visual
acuity, or the clearness of eyesight, is expressed in a fraction
(i.e., “20/20”) and is commonly tested in schools with the use of a
Snellen chart. Eye focusing skills include “accommodation,” or
the eye’s ability to adjust its focus by the use of specific ocular
muscles. In a learning environment, children rely on the proper
functioning of eye focusing skills while engaged in looking at the
teacher or blackboard, then looking down at the paper or book
on their desktop. This ability to focus/refocus is required multiple
times throughout the school day and can therefore significantly
impact academic success.
Eye teaming skills, or binocularity, refers to the ability to use both
eyes as a team. This includes skills such as convergence and
divergence. Convergence refers to the ability to use both eyes
as a team to turn inward in order to maintain single vision up
close. Divergence refers to the ability to use both eyes as team
to turn the eye out toward a far object. Impairments in these
skills lead to symptoms such as blurred or double vision,
headaches, eye strain or fatigue, difficulty concentrating,
comprehension difficulties, and even nausea and dizziness.
Knowing this, the academic implications could be profound.
Doctor Goldstein looks on as Joey completes computer based vision exercises.
Oculomotor skills refer to the sensory motor skills that are
responsible for the ability to quickly and accurately move our eyes.
This includes our ability to fixate on objects (fixation), move our eyes
from point to point in a smooth manner as with reading (saccadic
movements), and track a moving object (pursuits). Visual motor
skills refer to the ability to coordinate the use of our eyes with our
hands, as in the process of processing and reproducing visual
images through writing or drawing. A child with visual-motor
dysfunction can present with symptoms such as poor organization of
written work, poor pencil grip, immature quality to writing, difficulties
with copying and spacing, and excessive erasing. Visual perceptual
skills refer to the ability to organize, interpret, and give meaning to
visual information. These visual processing skills include: figureground (i.e., finding shoes in a crowded closet); form constancy (i.e.,
knowing a cursive “b” and a printed “b” are the same letter, even in
different forms); spatial relations (i.e., writing a sentence starting at
the top of the paper, near the left margin); visual closure (i.e., seeing
only part of a ruler under a stack of school supplies and being able to
identify correctly, without seeing the whole object); visual
discrimination (i.e., distinguishing the difference between an oval and
a circle or the words, “fix” and “fox”); visual memory and visual
sequential memory (i.e., recalling a word as being the previous
week’s bonus on the spelling test or recalling a phone number); and
visualization (i.e., visualizing the route from the classroom to the
cafeteria). Many academic tasks rely on a variety of visual abilities.
Reading, alone, requires good visual acuity, accommodation skills,
convergence, saccadic skills, peripheral vision, figure-ground, form
constancy, spatial relations, visual closure, visual discrimination,
visual memory, and visualization.
Following a comprehensive exam, the optometrist may recommend
vision therapy to correct or improve dysfunctions in any of the above
listed areas of visual abilities. The recommended plan of care may
include the use of specific exercises and/or the use of lenses, prisms,
or patching as necessary. Collaboration between the optometrist
and the occupational therapist usually ensues to maximize the child’s
potential for remediation of these impairments.
For more information on optometry and vision therapy including
journal articles and studies:
Optometric Extension Program
1921 E. Carnegie, Suite 3L
Santa Ana, CA 92635
(714) 250-8070
www.oep.org
Looking Beyond “20/20”
Continued…
Dr. Michael Goldstein, of Rocky Hill Eye Associates, is one of the
optometrists to whom we have made referrals and who has helped
educate us on vision therapy.
Dr. Goldstein sees patients of all ages and for conditions ranging from
eye diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma to visual
impairments including convergence insufficiency, accommodative
difficulties, and oculomotor dysfunction. His focus of treatment centers
around the neurological, perceptual, and muscular components of
vision.
Dr. Goldstein shared that 20% of the population suffer from convergence insufficiency, causing them to see double and
experience the sense that words are moving around a page when reading. He reported, “patients that experience
difficulties with the accommodative component of focusing often complain of frontal headaches due to overfocusing
secondary to the process of trying to align their eyes…patients that experience oculomotor dysfunction experience a sort
of ‘muscle confusion’ in which visual pursuits and saccades are ‘off’”.
Dr. Goldstein sees each patient individually and doesn’t have an office technician carry out the vision therapy in place of
him. Therapy is tailored to each client’s needs and skill level and often includes a variety of sensory-motor games. Dr.
Goldstein taps into the strong neurological connection between movement/balance and vision, so many of his activities
include a vestibular-ocular component, where a patient learns to trust their vision while engaged in “games” such as
throwing a ball at a target while standing on a balance board or playing a video game while standing and wearing
specialized glasses.
Following a thorough visual examination, Dr. Goldstein’s standard recommendation for vision therapy is one 30 minute
session each week for 12 weeks with 10 minutes of home therapy daily. He believes that therapy always works if the
patient completes the recommended visits and home program.
*Dr. Goldstein also serves as Clinical Director of TLC Laser Eye Centers in Fairfield, CT.
To receive a Free Checklist
of observable clues to
classroom vision
problems, email your full
name, address and
telephone to
[email protected]
We will send you a checklist of
observations and symptoms
indicative of visual problems
related to classroom tasks. Use
this as a guide to determine if
vision may be impacting your
child’s functional performance and
overall learning abilities.
Metronome …continued from page 4
IM® was first developed to improve the skills of children with learning and
developmental disorders such as:
• Sensory Integration Disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Cerebral Palsy
• Non-verbal Learning Disorder
• ADD/ADHD
As research and knowledge continued to evolve, IM® became widely utilized
across a variety of new populations including traumatic brain injury, stroke,
Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. In addition, IM® addresses the following
skills:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Focus and attend
Control impulsivity
Coordination
Filter out internal and external distractions
Language processing
Academic performance
So, who else has caught the IM® bug to develop and refine their skills and
abilities?
For more information on Dr. Goldstein, contact his office:
Dr. Michael Philip Goldstein, Doctor of Optometry
Rocky Hill Eye Associates, P.C.
2049 Silas Deane Highway
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Miami Dolphins
Miami Heat
Florida Panthers
PGA golfers
Syracuse University Lacrosse team
Talcott Welcomes Rocco Urso
Director of Clinical Operations
Rocco is one of our newest staff additions to The Talcott
Center. When we phoned Rocco months ago, our intention
was to pick his brain – ask questions about insurance
reimbursement, company growth, policies and procedures.
With over 18 years of experience in clinical operations,
program development and management, Rocco had the
experience, drive and insight that we needed. And, when his
drive caught wind of our growing, innovative clinic, Rocco
didn’t let us just pick his brain; he jumped on board – quickly.
Making Sense
Of Proprioception
Rocco is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University
and the University of Connecticut. He has a BS in Education
& Allied Health and is a licensed physical therapist and
certified athletic trainer. He brings passion, excitement and a
fresh outlook to our clinic and to the families who share it.
We are fortunate to have Rocco join our family and we are
excited to welcome him into all of your lives.
The unseen force in our daily balancing act
By Rocco C. Urso PT, ATC
Proprioception: /pro·prio·cep·tion/ (pro pre-o-sep´shun)
The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation
arising from stimuli within the body itself. (1)
There is a running joke that the medical field tends to use big words
of a Latin derivative to confuse and befuddle the layperson. Well this
word is no different: Latin proprius, meaning, one's own.
Proprioception is an “internal” sense. What is a sense? A sense is
cleanly defined as "a system that consists of a group of sensory cell
types that responds to a specific physical phenomenon, and that
corresponds to a particular group of regions within the brain where
the signals are received and interpreted." (Dorland's Medical
Dictionary 26th edition, under sense)
When our senses are referenced, we quickly recall; sight, taste,
smell, hearing, and touch, otherwise known as the 5 basic “external”
senses. These senses tell us something about our environment; a
plate is hot, a police car is moving toward me, something is burning,
the object is too salty, or he looks angry. We react almost
instantaneously to this information.
Proprioception provides the internal information to our brain
regarding our bodies movement, position in space, and orientation to
things around us. These sensory receptors, are located in muscles,
tendons, and joints. They quickly analyze length and tension
relationships in order to help grade muscle contractions, make our
movements smooth and purposeful, and allow us to function when
our limbs cannot be in view. Yes, proprioception is at work when we
are chewing gum and walking!
This system begins to develop prenatally; as a child pushes against
the uterine wall and receives counter force. The system is fully
developed and functioning by birth. Elite athletes tend to gather and
process tremendous information proprioceptively. They know how
hard to push off the ground to jump up to a basketball hoop while
avoiding another players outstretched arm and a teammate’s leg.
They can grade their finger tension on a ball and know the exact
release time to generate a 90 mph fast ball.
For the rest of us we are just happy knowing that we can carry 4
bags of groceries, while holding onto a slippery 4 year old, when
walking up a flight of steps, unlocking a door and pushing our way
into the house, all the time avoiding the excited dog which is, of
course, constantly underfoot!
Thank you proprioception!
Signs of Proprioceptive
difficulties in children
Seems excessively clumsy – trips and falls
often, knocks objects over
Pushes, hits, or bangs into other children,
but isn’t an aggressive child
May appear to have weak muscle strength
or have low endurance
Uses either too little or too much force on
objects
Avoids or craves, jumping, crashing,
pushing, pulling and bouncing
Chews on clothing or objects
For more information on how The Talcott Center’s
individual PT,OT, SLP and Group services can
address these sensory issues, call us in Farmington
at 860.674.1824 or in Canton at 860.693.8720
1. (The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by
Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights
reserved.)
Fighting for coverage
Talcott weighs in on the battle for expanded coverage of autism
spectrum disorders
Thursday March 6th 2008 was a very important day. It was the day for
those affected by autism to voice their opinion in front of the state
legislative committee for insurance and real estate on insurance
coverage for autism spectrum disorders.
Many supporters attended and shared their opinions, professional
testimony and real life stories in front of the committee. Among those
were Shannon Knall, mom to a child with autism, founder of the
Autism Awareness Boot Camp and the Autism Speaks Greater
Hartford Walk Now for Autism Co-Chair. In addition, Simsbury Rep.
and author of the bill Cathy Abercrombie, Kelly Massucci, Jessica
Rhodes and Barbara Schwartz offered testimony to the committee.
According to Knall “HB 5696, requiring insurance coverage of autism
specific therapies such as speech, OT and PT passed the House of
Representatives in CT unanimously. The bill is now in the Senate and
due to the fast approaching close of session (May 7), a vote is
imminent.”
Shannon also stated, “If you have not already, contact your senator
to ask for his/her support of autism insurance reform. It is also not
too early to start contacting the Governor's office to ask her to sign
this legislation in to law. If you need help in any of this, don't hesitate
to ask and once again, thank you for making the voice of the autism
community loud and strong.”
Talcott’s Kelly Massucci provides testimony to the
state insurance committee to try and help house bill
5696 move to the senate.
Tuning in to Tone
Helping our children with low muscle
tone be successful
By Kristi Bayer (formerly White)
Muscle tone is the level of muscle contraction present within our
muscles during a resting state. When children present with
increased tone there is typically stiffness and rigidity. When they
present with decreased tone, also known as hypotonia, there is
looseness or floppiness of their limbs and trunk. Children with low
tone have muscles that are slow to initiate this muscle contraction.
In turn, they cannot maintain a contraction for as long as children
with normal tone. Since these low-toned muscles do not fully
contract before they relax again, the muscles often remain stretched
and loose.
Find your child’s motivators (we all need them) and incorporate them
into your daily activities. We want to encourage participation at all
times; keeping in mind each child’s level of participation will vary.
Perhaps your child is at the level of watching others participate in
play activities, before shutting down. If this is the case, then we
want to encourage watching for longer periods of time with the
possibility of getting physically closer to the activity. When your child
can then get closer to the activity….SUCCESS! Now find his or her
next “just right challenge.”
Children with low tone will present with numerous concerns that
affect gross and fine motor coordination, balance and postural
control, mobility, endurance, speech, feeding, attention and
motivation, as well as learning. Many children with low tone have a
tendency to watch those around them participate in physical
activities for a long while before they attempt to imitate or participate
in the activity. This may possibly be due to frustration over earlier
failures. In addition, they may demonstrate task avoidance, poor
socialization with peers, and even develop behavioral issues, all due
to the fact that they are experiencing decreased success with age
appropriate activities. We as parents and care givers want to
promote positive experiences for our children by finding their just
right challenge.
It’s important to provide multiple opportunities for success
throughout the day. Make activities fun, sometimes it just takes
adding a silly voice. Comment on success, “You did it.” “Look what
you did.” “Good job with__________.” My observation, some
children do not like adults being excited while giving praise and then
for other children…the bigger the better! In order to promote
success you may have to modify a child’s environment (i.e. fully
support their trunk and have their feet flat on the ground during table
activities) so they can best use the appropriate muscle group to
complete activities, while not feeling exhausted from having to
compensate. Some biomechanical modifications that we can provide
for our children are; cool temperatures, hard surfaces and high
intensity environmental stimuli. These are all alerting and, therefore,
may increase muscle tone.
Tune in to tone - Put your detective goggles on - Where is your
child’s comfort zone and where are you seeing signs of shut down
during everyday activities? Some activities that promote increased
muscle tone are jumping, climbing, crawling, pulling, pushing,
swinging and basic roughhouse play, which is actually great for that
child who tends to be passive. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
Finally, according to the Occupational Therapy Biomechanical
Frame of Reference, affect may actually influence posture and
movement. Affect, in this case, being our children’s state of mind
and emotional responses. Strong affectual responses increase tone;
so pull out your clown nose, tickle fingers, share some knock knock
jokes and help your child’s body get ready for their next activity!
The Book Nook
An alternative glimpse of what’s out there for books relating to Sensory
Integration
Jessica Woodworth OTR/L
The idea of the Book Nook came to me as a new therapist seeking information. All
of us must begin somewhere, seeking professional opinions, truths, and latest
research to help our children grow into fabulous functioning adults. This edition of
Book Nook features books on Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). One in twenty
children is known to suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder and that is seen as a
conservative estimate. Because SPD is little-known and little-understood, these
“sensational kids” are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other childhood
disorders, such as ADHD or Autism, and may receive the wrong treatment as a
result. I have not personally read all of the books mentioned below, however, I
have interviewed those who have and they appear to be trustworthy, notable. In
addition, many of there books were written by renowned SPD researchers and
Occupational Therapists. Enjoy!
Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing
Disorder
By: Lucy Jane Miller, Ph. D., OTR/L
This novel discusses perplexing world of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) -a
complex brain disorder affecting one in twenty children. Dr. Miller identifies the
disorder and its four major subtypes, providing insight into assessment and
diagnosis of SPD, and suggesting treatment options and strategies, including the
importance of occupational therapy and parental involvement. Cases of five
children are noticed in different ways in which SPD may present itself as well as
how families cope, while offering hope and advice to parents on how to be the best
possible advocates for their children.
Sensory Secrets: How to Jump-Start Learning in Children
By: Catherine Chemin Schneider, OTR/L
Sensory Secrets is an easy to read book including examples, ideas, and strategies.
It talks about the importance of processing information from all the senses to
develop the foundational skills required for growing, learning, decision making,
and communication. This book is a great guide to promote successful learning and
positive behavior in people of all ages. Included, is, The Foundational Skills
Inventory, a tool to assist educators and empower parents while locating possible
areas of need to facilitate learning.
Love, Jean: Inspiration for Families Living with Dysfunction of Sensory
Integration
By: A. Jean Ayres, OTR
Fitness Focus
Marine Corps Marathon
By Kelly Massucci
Yes, I know. I said that I would never do it
again – run another marathon that is.
However, being a fanatic for fitness and
having the opportunity this year to run for a
great cause, brought me back to spending
hours with my feet hitting the pavement,
slugging back gallons of Gatorade, and
swallowing down those ever so tasty Power bars. With my running
partner Matt dragging me out of bed at the wee hours of the morning,
and our very own Jessica cheering me through the training, I found
myself shaking with excitement as I stood at the starting line the
morning of October 28th.
Running as part of Team Semper Fi, an organization dedicated to
raising funds for injured Marines, I felt a significant amount of pride
as I supported my country and the men and women who bravely fight
to protect us. It was an emotional experience as the jets roared
overhead, as we ran by Arlington Cemetery and as we were cheered
on by hundreds of military personnel along the course. I shed tears
of gratitude (and yes, some tears were from pain and relief), as I ran
through the finish line where a Marine draped a medal around my
neck. As he thanked me, I looked at him in bewilderment. What was
he thanking me for – being outrageous enough to push out another
26.2 miles on foot? “No,” I said, “Thank you for everything you have
done for me, for us.”
As I hobbled to the Iwo Jima memorial for my finish line picture, I
knew immediately. I would be back next year. This experience was
like no other. The excitement, the emotion, the pride, the cause. In
the past, I ran for myself, for a new challenge, for a new goal. This
year, my feet pushed forward not for my own victory, but to help
someone else achieve their own. A portion of the funds raised
through Semper Fi are allotted for home accommodations,
customized wheel chairs, and prosthetics to name a few. With these
factors in place, these Marines can regain independence, accomplish
their goals and achieve their own victories.
Everyday, we as clinicians and you as caregivers fight for our own
causes and strive to achieve our own victories. Most of us are
fighting for our children, their education, their services, their
independence, their future. We seek out the best services, the best
providers and the best opportunities. Our battles are both exhausting
and exhilarating, but we need to remain focused and strong.
Persevere always, even during the toughest times. Keep lifting those
feet and pushing forward. Keep your focus strong and vision clear.
Your victory is right around the corner.
Leisure
Dr. Jean Ayres, the pioneer in Sensory Integration, reveals in letters to her nephew
Philip Erwin whom, she diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction, her
thoughts about her research, her own sensory needs, and her family relationships.
Amidst Dr. Ayres's letters are Erwin's emotional and touching stories about what it
felt like before, during, and after his aunt diagnosed his condition.
The Out of Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory
Integration Dysfunction
By: Carol Stock Kranowitz
Do you know a child who plays too rough, is uncoordinated, hates being touched,
or is ultra-sensitive to noise? Kranowitz, a teacher who has worked for 20 years in
the field of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID), writes insightfully about a
puzzling topic. Kranowitz carefully details many suggestions, strategies, and
routines that will help children--and the parents of children--who exhibit the
behaviors described. Also included in the text are checklists and sidebars
throughout the text comparing a typical child in various situations to the child with
Sensory Integration Dysfunction and explains in lay terms the difference in
behaviors.
Wellness
The Goodenoughs Get in Sync
By: Carol Stock Kranowitz
From the author of The Out of Sync Child, Kranowitz writes another book written
in “kid language” to help children with sensory processing disorders understand
their senses! It is a fun, illustrated "chapter book," geared for eight-to-twelve year
olds, that tells the tale of five family members (each with a different sensory
processing challenge) and their naughty dog, how they get “in sync” after a tough
day.
Tea Trade
Type| Black
Variety | Earl Grey
Caffeine level | Most
M
ost of us know Black tea as the tea we find in several storebought tea bags. These tea bags generally contain the “crumbs”, so
to speak, from the actual leaves of tea. In recent years however,
Black tea’s popularity has spawned many higher quality bags and
many different flavor infusions. One of the most popular black teas
flavors is Earl Grey. While it’s origin is from China, it gets it’s name
from the second Earl Charles Grey of Britain.
Process: Making black tea involves withering, rolling, oxidation and
drying of the leaves.
Benefits: Black tea contains several antioxidants called
polyphenols that are known to fight free radicals in the body which
can cause heart disease, cancer and increase the risk of strokes.
Earl Grey is infused with Bergamot, a small round yellow citrus fruit.
Bergamot is known to aid digestion and relax the nervous system
Suggestion: Mighty Leaf Earl Grey
2008 Autism Walk updates
Talcott Trotters hit the pavement again
June seems like a long way away but not when there is a lofty goal to
be met. The Greater Hartford Walk for Autism Awareness was a
complete success two years in a row. With the amount of participants
growing by leaps and bounds each year, this year’s walk will be hosted
at Walnut Hill Park in New Britain, rather than Elizabeth Park. Along
with the growing number of walkers, the fundraising continues to grow.
With last year’s walk raising over $400,000, the goal this year is to
surpass and perhaps even double that number.
The Talcott Center is poised to begin fundraising for the event through
its walk team “The Talcott Trotters.” Talcott is hosting the 2nd annual
walk fundraiser at Murphy and Scarletti’s on May 15, 2008. Details
will be posted on our website. In addition, the center will be accepting
donations shortly and will also have items that will be given away in
exchange for donations. In 2007 The Talcott Center for Child
Development raised over $27,000. This year our goal is to significantly
increase that number in order to help find a cause and a cure for autism.
For the latest updates on the Talcott Trotters and the fundraising
mission, go to www.thetalcotttrotters.com.
Save the dates…
The annual Walk Kick-off is April 30th at 6:30 at Hartford Country
Club
Autism Awareness Day at the Rock Cats is May 3rd at 6:35 p.m.
Walk Now for Autism is June 8th Walnut Hill Park in New Britain;
9:00 registration, 10:00 Walk
Talcott speaks out
Taking our seminars on the road
Clinical treatment of Sensory Integration Dysfunction and Autism is a
tremendous piece of the puzzle. However, it is only one of many factors
that go into improving the lives of children and families who are affected
by these disorders. Carry over of such services by parents in the home,
school and extra curricular activities are also key components. To
make a bigger impact on a child’s treatment, parents must be informed
in order to assist professionals who are providing services after their
session is over.
Here at The Talcott Center for Child Development we take the privilege
of educating parents seriously and strive to present as much on these
topics as we can. In years past, our in-house seminars on SI have
been helpful in bringing parents up to speed on the basics of
understanding the disorder as well as some strategies and resources to
help with home carry over. From time to time, we have had the
opportunity to present for schools, professionals and organizations.
This fall, we felt it was time to step our community education up a bit
and head out to even more organizations. Things kicked off with a
fantastic talk by Sarah Graham and Sarah White for the CT Adoption
Resource Center in Glastonbury. Kelly Massucci and Sharon Pinchera
presented for the Learning Disabilities Association in Hartford. Our tour
continued with a presentation for the Avon Special Education PTA
where Kelly and Sarah White spoke on SI and language delays. In
January, Rocco Urso and Sharon Pinchera traveled to Branford to
present “Building a better understanding of Sensory Integration
Dysfunction to the CT Family Support Network - South Central Region.
Perhaps the largest crowd we will present to will be in Rhode Island
where we will speak to Special Education Teachers, School
Administrators, School Principals and Vice Principals, School
Counselors, Psychologists and Attorneys on the topic of Legal Aspects
of Managing Autism Spectrum Disorders at School. Kelly Massucci
and Rocco Urso will open this conference with “Defining and
Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders”. Other topics to follow will
be about case law, best practices, due process and more. The
conference is February 25, 2008. Find more information on this and all
other conferences at www.thetalcottcenter.com.
Pups Place
Talcott Bids Farewell to a Favorite
Friend
Every year since we’ve opened, one of our
goals has been to provide the best possible
group programs that appeal to a vast
population with a number of different needs.
2008 will be no different! January will kick off
our second winter group session in high gear.
New ideas are constantly being incorporated
into groups and the fun has never been more
intense!!!
Summer camp at the Talcott Center is always
special and fun! “Talcott Summer Fun” will be
here before you know so we’re offering summer
camp 2008 registration beginning February 5th,
2008. Log onto our website for details or stop
in to sign up.
Also this summer, we will be ramping up
services in order to carry over progress through
the summer. Week-long intensives, additional
1:1 sessions, Therapeutic Listening, Interactive
Metronome and tons of social skills groups will
be offered throughout the summer months.
Call either Canton or Farmington for details!
It is with
tremendous
sadness that we
bid farewell to one
of The Talcott
Center’s first
therapy dogs,
and our best
friend, Porter. Adopted at the spry age of 8, Porter
shared his golden years with us, touching the lives of
all of those who were fortunate enough to meet him.
He has been missed sorely by all of us.
Winslow new addition on the doggie front
This 6 year old friend joined our family last September
and has quickly proven to be Talcott material!
Winslow’s silly, obedient and adventurous personality
proves he has what it takes to be the next Talcott
Center therapy dog! We look forward to the many
smiles he will bring to the clinic and the goals he will
help all of our clients achieve.
Welcome Winslow!
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Grilled cheese
Q: What is your favorite baseball team?
A: Boston Red Sox
Q: What is your favorite thing to do
at The Talcott Center?
A: Jump on the trampoline
Q: What is the silliest thing you’ve ever done
at The Talcott Center?
A: It was silly when I rolled off of the big orange pillow
Q: What is one of your favorite things to do at home?
A: I like to play baseball with my dad
Q: What do you like the most about The Talcott Center
A: I like to come here because it’s fun to play
with Ms. Kelly
Meet Gannon!
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A NASCAR Driver
Gannon Facts
We were fortunate to have met Gannon this summer when we began working together. Over the past
few months, Gannon has demonstrated a significant amount of determination, motivation and
enthusiasm! His amazing drive and tremendous achievements have really stood out to us. We are
excited to feature Gannon in this edition of The Talcott Tale. Great work Gannon and keep
laughing!
The Talcott Center
for Child Development
In Farmington:
Talcott Plaza
230 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06032
860 | 674 | 1824
In Canton:
Canton Gateway Office Park
50 Albany Turnpike
Canton, CT 06019
860 | 693 | 8720
www.thetalcottcenter.com
Autism Boot Camp Schedule
Feb. 27 New Britain City Hall 7 p.m.
March 6 Squadron Line Elementary School
Simsbury) 7 p.m.
March 26, Huntington Learning Center10 a.m.
May 13 Simsbury Public Library 7 p.m.
Favorite Band:
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Favorite Baseball Player(s)
David Ortiz, Jacoby Elsberry
& Mike Lowell
Autism Boot Camp
Shannon Knall brings the world of autism to the mainstream
“I ask you to try to understand my world. The world Jack and I live in. I’d love to
live in your world, but I cannot. I choose to stand by my son and help him to
cope as best he can in a world that he endlessly seeks to understand himself.”
The Autism Awareness Boot camp was founded by Shannon Knall, mom to a
child with autism and the Autism Speaks Greater Hartford Walk Now for
Autism Co-Chair. The boot camps are geared towards educating parents of
neuro-typical children about autism, supporting other families in their
communities, teaching their children tolerance and acceptance, and supporting
others dealing with autism. Pictured below are Walk Now for Autism Co-Chair
Noreen Simmons, Creative Hearts owner Angela Antonelli, Shannon Knall and
Simsbury's District wide Autism Consultant Janet Haley. Boot camps are being
presented throughout the state based on requests to [email protected].
The group is currently looking for a sponsor to expand their message to a
broader network of people.
If interested, please email Shannon at
[email protected].