ATR centers is a pediatric rehabilitation organization, and we base our intervention on the principles of positive, individualized intervention, working from each student’s strengths to improve their more difficult areas of learning. Students participate in up to three sessions weekly, with sessions lasting 45 minutes for the youngest children, 60 minutes for the older children, and up to one hour and a half for the teens. Each session includes a physical activity and a table top activity with social skills embedded in both activities. In addition, older students can bring homework assignments. We will facilitate completing homework in a timely way, and we offer our consulting services to the schools for IEP modifications designed to increase the student’s school success.
Our teams work in small therapy groups (4-6 students per group), supervised by a qualified and registered therapist. Together with each family, we set individual short-term and long-term goals for communication skills and fine and gross motor skills development. We also work on behavioral issues, with an emphasis on using positive reinforcement to establish good social skills, both for the home and the school environment.
For our youngest children we work on school readiness skills, such as being able to sustain attention and focus in a structured environment, and following directions in a positive way. We provide skill development for fine and gross motor development and speech and language through play activities and social skills games.
For our early school support program we add pre-reading skills, book orientation, and drawing, writing and cutting skills activities. We work mostly in an informal way, but with some table top structured tasks.
Our school support program for grade school students includes formal reading and writing activities, using sensory integration techniques and multi-modal programs designed to help students who have difficulty learning in a mainstream classroom environment. Fine and gross motor activities continue to be integrated into the program, appropriate to the ages and abilities of the students.
Our teen program includes an individualized fitness program or other sport activity that includes time for table games and group discussions.