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Preventing, Diagnosing and Treating Disabilities
Medical rehabilitation focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disabilities to help individuals live with greater independence. Easter Seals medical professionals work together to restore function lost due to temporary conditions such as lower back pain, or permanent disabilities, such as traumatic brain injury. Easter Seals also promotes quality of life for individuals with disabilities through education and prevention programs.
Early Intervention
For young children with disabilities, Early Intervention can be the difference between a life of struggles and a life of success. This service for children ages 18 months to 2 years old, provides each child and his or her family with an individualized service plan which outlines education and therapy goals with an overall objective of reducing the child's need for services later in life. Early Intervention helps identify un-diagnosed disabilities and refers the family to resources available within their community. Visit the NYC Department of Health for further details on Early Intervention.
Physical Therapy
Children with disabilities whose needs are complex often have mobility impairments that interfere with their ability to participate in traditional physical activities. However, when afforded the opportunity to participate in physical activities as in an adaptive physical education class, children with disabilities benefit in a variety of ways. The physical therapist at The Kessler Center will work directly with students to help restore their functional abilities, increase their range of motion, reduce the amount of pain they feel, and prevent future disability or injury. Often times, adaptive physical education is combined with a student’s existing physical, occupational, or gross motor therapies because the activities promote mobility, flexibility, coordination, and endurance.
Occupational Therapy
The occupational therapist at The Kessler Center will work to enhance a student’s ability to participate in the world around them by offering modifications to the environment that better support their participation. Children with disabilities may need to improve their fine motor, large motor, or visual skills in order for them to develop skills to promote independence. Occupational therapists also work with children who have sensory dysfunctions as a result of their disability. Sensory integration therapy helps children who have difficulty processing the sights, smells, sounds, and tactile sensations of the environment around them by offering modifications to improve their ability to process these sensations.
Visit the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Speech and Hearing Therapy
Visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Service Coordination
Easter Seals Service Coordinators work with families and individuals with developmental disabilities, helping them access needed services such as Medicaid, SSI, respite or clinical services to meet their needs and achieve their personal goals. These services also assist with self-advocacy, self-independence, and life skills.
In-home Respite Services
Caring for an individual with a disability can be stressful. Easter Seals New York helps more families find the time to take care of other needs, relax, and recharge by providing respite workers in the family’s home who are screened and trained in CPR, First-Aid, and care for people with disabilities.
For more information on Medical Rehabilitation Services, please contact Easter Seals New York.
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