Fall 2021 Newsletter
Clinic Closures
Our clinic will be closed on September 6 in observance of Labor Day and November 25 and 26 for Thanksgiving.
If you child has a session or two to make up MEA break is Oct 21 to 22nd and we will be OPEN.
Looking for a schedule change for the school year? Contact Monica at our office via phone, text or email.
Like and Follow us on Facebook
Did you know Metro Therapy is on Facebook? Like and follow our page for important updates such as weather closures, fun photos of therapy in action, announcements about upcoming events and community activities, and useful information about topics related to speech and occupational therapy.
Continuing Education
Lindsey Brown completed the course 2-Day Intensive Certificate Training: Neuroscience and Self-Regulation Techniques for Kids with Autism, ADHD & Sensory Disorders
Sarah Hetz completed the course Strengthening Our AAC Therapy for Minimally Verbal Students with ASD
School Services
With the school year getting underway, school-based therapy services will also be starting back up for many children. School districts provide valuable therapy services to students to help them achieve their educational goals. Parents, caregivers, and others involved in a child’s life may wonder about the relationship between those school services and those provided at Metro Therapy. Here are some answers to some common questions:
Q: My child was evaluated through the school district and they said he/she didn’t qualify for speech therapy and/or occupational therapy. Will we qualify for services through the clinic?
A: School districts have very specific criteria that must be met for students to qualify for special services. For example, they must score a certain amount below average on a standardized test, or sometimes in multiple areas. Sometimes kids don’t meet that criteria but still have areas of need. At our clinic, the eligibility criteria for services is different, so we may be able to provide services to children who didn’t qualify in the school.
Q: My child does get services through the schools, why might we need more than that?
A: Supplementing your child’s school therapy services with additional treatment through our clinic can help them achieve their goals faster and generalize their progress through increased frequency and duration of treatment. Additionally, we are able to help with areas that may be more relevant to their home and community life, as well as impact their ability to learn in school.
Q: Will you collaborate with my child’s school team?
A: As long as we have parents’ permission to share information, we do our best to stay in touch with school therapists regarding our shared clients. We take into consideration a child’s current IEP goals as we develop our treatment plans and try to support and enhance the work that is being done in school.
School District Services Before Kindergarten
Did you know that school districts provide therapy and other intervention services for children before they reach kindergarten age? These services fall into two broad categories: Early Intervention services for qualifying children age birth to 3 years old and Early Childhood Special Education for qualifying children age 3 to 5 years old. Many of our clients and families benefit from involvement in both services at Metro and through their school district programs.
In addition to special education services, many families enjoy and benefit from Early Childhood Family Education programs that are also provided by school districts The Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program offers fun, interactive and educational activities to parents and children ages birth to five years. The goal of the program is to strengthen families and help parents and children grow and develop within a circle of support. Parents and children participate in fun activities that encourage learning. Parents participate in discussions led by a parent educator while their children play, learn and socialize with other children.
*The word “parents” includes all individuals who function in a parenting role – mothers, fathers, partners, grandparents and other relatives, foster parents, etc.
Contact information for these programs for Metro Therapy’s surrounding school districts can be found below.
Birth to 3 services are provided in-home or at the child’s daycare. To begin the intake process for birth-3 services, contact Help Me Grow at 1-866-693-4769 or http://helpmegrowmn.org/HMG/Refer/index.htm
Fridley Public Schools:
Early Childhood Special Education: 763-502-5126
Early Childhood Family Education: 763-502-5143
Columbia Heights Public Schools:
Early Childhood Special Education: 763-528-4431
Early Childhood Family Education: 763-528-4426
Spring Lake Park Public Schools:
Early Childhood Special Education: 763-600-5900
Early Childhood Family Education: 763-600-5900
Anoka-Hennepin Schools
Early Childhood Special Education: 763-506-7924
Early Childhood Family Education: 763-506-1275
More specific information about each district’s programs can be found on the district websites.
Back to School After COVID-19
It’s not unusual for children (and parents!) to experience some anxiety about the new school year. After the previous challenging school year, this may be more prevalent than ever. The Child Mind Institute has an extensive article on coping with back-to-school anxiety. We share some highlights here, but encourage you to visit their website for the full article for more information.
https://childmind.org/article/back-school-anxiety/
Caregivers should try to check in on and manage their own feelings of worry and anxiety as kids can be sensitive to stress within the family.
Listen to children’s concerns. Rather than dismissing these fears, (“Nothing to be worried about! You’ll be fine!) listening to them and acknowledging your child’s feelings will help him feel more secure. And if he wants to, you can bolster his confidence by helping him strategize about how to handle things he’s concerned about.
Do some test runs. If you anticipate that your child will be seriously nervous on the first day, it helps to give her time to get used to the new school or new classroom in advance. Go to the school several times before school starts, and do as much walking the halls as you can, to locate her classroom, the lavatory, the cafeteria, the playground. Repetition is good; going by again just to ask a question at the office, or drop off a form, gives her more chances to get comfortable being there.
Arrange for a handoff. If you think your child will be reluctant to separate, it’s very helpful to have someone primed to meet and engage her when you arrive. The teacher may be too overwhelmed to pay special attention to your child, Dr. Busman notes, “but maybe she has a buddy in the class, or you could ask an aide, the nurse, the school psychologist, to plan for a handoff.”