TheraTree Pediatric Therapy - TheraTree Blog #speech therapyTheraTree Pediatric Therapy - TheraTree Blog #speech therapyhttps://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/tag/speech-therapyWed, 12 Nov 2025 18:50:12 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Animal Assisted Therapy]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/AATOur Animal Assisted Therapy program has begun with Bo the Certified Therapy Dog!]]>

Animal Assisted Intervention

Our Animal Assisted Therapy program has begun with Bo the Certified Therapy Dog! 


Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI): An alternative or complementary type of therapy intervention that includes the use of animals as a means to deliver therapeutic intervention in a treatment. Animal-assisted interventions are goal-oriented and structured interventions that intentionally incorporate animals into health, education and human service for the purpose of therapeutic gains and improved health and wellness. There are  three specific delivery methods of AAI: 

  • Animal-assisted therapy (AAT)

  • Animal-assisted education (AAE) 

  • Animal-assisted activities (AAA)

Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a complimentary type of therapy intervention; meaning, it’s added and incorporated into the child’s existing therapy plan of care and goals. The therapy clinician determines if using AAT will help forward progress of your child’s current established goals. If the clinician and family agree that AAT could be beneficial for the child, the clinician will create the therapeutic interventions within their scope of practice that are goal-oriented, planned, structured, documented, then invite the certified Therapy Dog and it’s certified handler to the appointment. 

Examples of AAT:

  1. A child learning to button dresses up the dog in a button down shirt.

  2. A child working on speech skills gives the dog commands like “sit” or “stay”.  

  3. A child who is afraid of heights jumping with the dog from a platform. 

Key Features of AAT:

  • Must be overseen by a health and human service provider as part of their profession. 

    • A wide variety of disciplines might incorporate AAT include physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, certified therapeutic recreation specialists, nurses, social workers, speech therapists and mental health professionals. 

  • Must incorporate the animal as part of his or her own specialty. 

    • Clinicians acknowledge and work within their own level of competence, education, licensure, and skill set.

    • Example: A social worker must incorporate the animal in the context of social work. If the same social worker takes the animal to visit a group of children on an informal basis, the visit would be considered AAA, not AAT. 

  • Interventions are planned and goal-directed. 

    • Activities and interactions with animals are goal-specific and measurable, such as improvement in range of motion or fine motor skills. 

    • The goals must be identified and defined in the plan of care before the session or the session can't be considered AAT.

    • The activities may or may not include direct contact with dog. 

    • The focus of treatment is on the therapeutic process and outcomes. This may include the set-up, planning, and organizing of activity, additional preparation for dog, rather than just completion of a task.

  • Documented and Billed. 

    • Each session is documented in the client's record, with the activity and progress noted. 

    • Because AAT is incorporated into an existing skilled therapy treatment (not a separate service) the intervention is billed as usual to insurance reflecting the purpose of the intervention.

Animal Assisted Education

Animal Assisted Education is a goal-oriented, planned and structured intervention directed by a general education or special education professional. The focus of the activities is on academic goals, prosocial skills and cognitive functioning, and student progress is both measured and documented. 

Key Features of AAE:

  • Overseen by a credentialed general or special education teacher.

  • Planned and goal-directed. 

  • While any visit with an animal might be beneficial for a student, unless the goals are identified and defined before the session, the session is not considered AAE.

  • Documented in an educational setting this may mean it is part of a specific lesson plan or has an associated assessment which documents student progress. 

  • In special education, it may be part of an Individualized Education Plan.

Examples of AAE: 

  • Classroom presentation as part of a unit on responsible pet ownership.

  • An elementary school coordinates a reading program for youth with speech impediments to practice reading aloud to animals. The session is supervised by the speech therapist who records student progress.

Animal Assisted Activities

Animal Assisted Activities provide opportunities for motivational, educational and/or recreational benefits to enhance quality of life. Although these activities are more informal in nature, they’re delivered by a specially trained professional, paraprofessional and/or volunteer in partnership with an animal. 

Key Features of AAA:

  • This does not occur during a healthcare type setting - this is not the type of intervention completed at TheraTree
  • Specific treatment goals are not planned for each visit 
  • Content is spontaneous and may only last a few minutes 
Examples of AAA:

  • Volunteer type situations at events, or meet and greets 

  • Animal interacts with a non-patient in a healthcare setting

  • Although the term “pet therapy” was widely used several decades ago, it should be avoided, because it’s inaccurate and misleading. The currently preferred terms imply that the animal is acting as a motivating force to enhance the treatment provided by a well-trained person. 

  • Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) A subset of animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted crisis response provides comfort to those who have been affected by natural, human-caused or technological disasters. The response environment has the potential to be complex and unpredictable. 

  • Animal-Assisted Workplace Well-Being (AAWW) A subset of animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted workplace well-being incorporates therapy animal interactions in workplace settings, for benefits that range from stress reduction and decreased blood pressure to socialization and community building, along with the potential for increased productivity. 

Benefits

The goal of animal-assisted intervention is to address and improve a patient's goals which may including but not limited to the following: 

The Human-Animal Bond (HAB)

A mutually beneficial relationship between humans and animals. Animal-assisted interventions exist because of the power of the bond which has beneficial psychological and physiological outcomes for participants. While we often focus on the benefit to humans receiving AAl, it's important to remember that animals also experience benefits from their relationship with humans. It has been found that companionship and social support helps pets and animals live longer, healthier lives. 

Physical

  • Fine and gross motor skills

  • Wheelchair skills

  • Standing balance

Cognitive

  • Attention skills

  • Sequence

Empathy

Identifying with and understanding the feelings and motives of others. Studies report that children who live in homes where a pet is considered a member of the family are more empathetic than children who live in homes without pets. Children might see animals as peers. It's easier to teach children to be empathetic with animals than with humans, because most animals have such straightforward body language. As children age, their ability to empathize with animals generally carries over into their experiences with people.

Outward Focus

Bringing individuals out of themselves. Interactions with animals can help people who tend to focus on themselves pay more attention to their environment. Instead of thinking and talking about themselves and their problems, they can watch and talk about the animals.

Educational

  • Increase vocabulary

  • Aid in improving long- or short-term memory

  • Improve knowledge of concepts such as size and color

Nurturing

Promoting the growth and development of another living thing. Nurturing skills are learned. By being taught to take care of an animal, children who haven't learned nurturing skills through other channels can develop them. Furthermore, a person who is engaged in nurturing activities is also, to some extent, fulfilling his or her own need to be nurtured.

Rapport

Building a relationship of mutual trust or a feeling of connection or bonding. In therapy settings, the presence of an animal in the therapist's office can help clear a path through the client's initial resistance and open a channel of emotionally safe, nonthreatening communication between the client and the therapist. Children are especially likely to project their feelings and experiences onto an animal.

Acceptance

Offers favorable reception or approval. Animals have a way of accepting without qualification. They don't care how a person looks or what the person says. An animal's acceptance is non-judgmental, forgiving, uncomplicated and unconditional.

Socialization

Seeking out or enjoying the company of others. Studies have shown that when dogs and cats come to visit a care facility, there's more laughter and interaction among residents than during any other entertainment or therapy time. In an inpatient setting, the presence of animals encourages three types of socialization:

  • 1. Among clients

  • 2. Between clients and staff

  • 3. Among clients, staff, and family members or other visitors

Mental Stimulation

Occurs because of the opportunities that animals provide for communicating with other people, recalling memories and entertainment. In situations that are depressing, the presence of animals serves to brighten the atmosphere, increasing amusement, laughter and play. These positive distractions might help decrease people's feelings of isolation.

Physiological Benefits

Much has been written about the correlation between touch and health. Infants who are touched very little might have difficulty developing healthy relationships with other people and might fail to thrive and grow physically. For some people, the touch of another person isn't acceptable, but the warm, furry touch of a dog or cat is. In hospitals, where most touch tends to be painful or invasive, the touch of an animal is safe, non threatening and pleasant. In many programs for people who have been physically or sexually abused, staff members and volunteers aren't allowed to touch the clients. In these places, having an animal to touch, hold and hug can make a world of difference to people who would otherwise have no positive, appropriate physical contact.

Motivational

 Positive effects on the basic functioning of the body. Some consider a biopsychosocial framework for AAT, since it affects clients on biological, psychological, and social/environmental levels (Blazina, Boyraz, & Shen-Miller, 2011). An extensive amount of research shows the medical benefits of spending time with animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list some benefits as: Lowered blood pressure, Lower cholesterol, More likely to exercise, Lowered risk of diabetes, Lowered cortisol (Fine, 2019a). In fact, oxytocin (the “love hormone”) plays a large part in our connection to animals. Oxytocin is the hormone that is released to help parents bond with their children and when people fall in love. It helps us feel good and allows us to feel emotionally secure, content, and happy. Oxytocin also increases in humans when we spend time with animals; we naturally feel better when they are around (Compitus, 2021a). Tests have shown that the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure can be dramatic. 

Request Animal Assisted Intervention

If you would like to Animal Assisted Therapy to be included in your child’s therapy: 

  1. Email Contact@theratreepeds.com

  2. Discuss AAT with your child’s therapy clinician at your next appointment. 

Qualifications of Animals & Handlers 

At TheraTree we have a commitment to excellent and evidence based care. Therefore, it’s our policy for clinicians to first complete a 5 hour Animal Assisted Therapy continuing education training which is free, internal, a credit toward required state CEUs, and at their own pace before incorporating AAT into treatment. 

Handler Standards: 

  • Must be the active handler during the dog's certification tests and maintain certifications.  
  • Handlers must be able to act quickly enough to remove themselves and their dogs without assistance from a facility in the event of an emergency. 
  • Must maintain Current Animal First Aid Certification 
  • Must maintain professional liability insurance.

Animal Behavior Standards:

  • Must complete the following standardized behavior certificates.
    • AKC Canine Good Citizen Certified 
    • AKC Community Canine Certified 
    • AKC Urban CGC Certified 
    • Alliance of Therapy Dogs Certified
  • Must pass on site competency by TheraTree’s AAI Coordinator 
  • Affect: enjoyment, relaxed, confident, focused 
  • Interactions: welcomes attention from stranger, interaction in suitable ways, neutral when encountering other dogs, maintains good communication with handler, 
  • Obedient: exhibits self control, reliable, predenticle, controllable, responds to basic obedience cues. 
  • Safe: maintains loose leash, stay close to handler, licks only when cued, doesn’t vocalize, 
  • Equipment: Must have all the required equipment to promote safety and wellbeing. 
  • Leash: Maintains safe and close leash walking behaviors. 


Animal Health Standards:

  • Current on vaccination and certification of health by their veterinarian including: Bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine, Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, +/- Parainfluenza, Canine influenza, Leptospira, Lyme disease, Rabies (Titer levels of 0.5 IU or greater are acceptable and must be measured every two years to ensure levels are acceptable.)
  • Must be free of any signs of ill health while in the clinic. Animals with physical and medical disabilities must have veterinarian approval documentation that their disability does not pose harm or a safety risk to themselves or any other staff or patient in the clinic. Participation must not compromise the animal’s health and wellbeing. 
  • Dogs must be clean and well groomed. (See AAI requirements for specific definitions) 
  • Must be non-shedding.

The goal of animal-assisted intervention is to address and improve a patient's goals which may including but not limited to the following: 

]]>Mon, 29 May 2023 13:08:00 -0500<![CDATA[What to Expect Prior to Your Evaluation ]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/what-to-expect-prior-to-your-evaluation

by: ​Kaitlin Kralj, MS, OTR/L, ACSM-EP

About Our Clinic: 

Before we get started, I want to point out that most pediatric therapy clinics do not look very “clinical.” In fact, our therapy gym looks like a giant playroom! In the therapy gym at TheraTree, we have movement-based play equipment such as swings, monkey bars, a rock wall, and trampoline.  In the clinic rooms, a large range of toys are games will be presented to engage your child. We also have a fully functional kitchen and laundry area that is used with some of our older clients to help them develop independent living skills.

TheraTree's Mission

Here at TheraTree, we make it our purpose to support the whole child. This includes mind, body, and spirit.


We work to treat minds by sprouting learning and strategies for life, bodies by cultivating strong, agile muscles and motor skills, and spirits by planting the seeds of happiness and confidence to flourish. At TheraTree, we strive to create an empowering context that removes barriers and gives rise to ideas.

Why Does My Child Need an Evaluation?

The purpose of an evaluation is to gain specific information about a child’s current skills and abilities. By conducting a full evaluation, our therapists can gather a more precise measurement of how your child is performing in comparison to their same-aged peers. Evaluations are an essential part of the therapeutic process, as it allows our therapists to gather data, develop appropriate therapy goals, and develop a treatment plan for your child.

Physician Order: Do I need one? 

The answer is yes. Prior to the time of your child’s appointment, a physician’s order is required.  This order will usually come from your pediatrician or family physician. We can certainly get your evaluation appointment scheduled prior to having the order, however, we cannot conduct the evaluation until we have this on file. 

Intake Paperwork: What is it? When Should I Fill it Out?

Prior to visiting our office, you will be asked for your insurance information. You will also be required to complete an intake form. The intake form will be online and is HIPAA compliant (meaning your information is secure!). It will ask you to provide information regarding your child’s medical history, when developmental milestones such rolling, crawling, babbling, and walking were achieved, and your child’s current level of independence with self-care tasks (such as bathing, toileting, dressing, etc.)  If feeding is a concern, you will also be asked to list the child’s food likes and dislikes. This is important for the evaluator to get complete information about your child. 

 

This packet of paperwork will also include your financial information, the treatment consent form, media consent form, and attendance policies. It is important that you pay close attention to this paperwork so that you gain an understanding of TheraTree’s policies regarding attendance,  fees, and so on.


Standardized questionnaires may or may not be a part of the intake paperwork. Some of this paperwork may be completed online (before the scheduled time of the appointment) and some questionnaires may take place the day of the evaluation.

 

In general, we ask that the intake paperwork is returned to us 3 days prior to the evaluation. This allows our clinicians time to review your child’s chart and gain a better understanding of what their needs may be prior to the assessment. We like to have this paperwork in advance so that our clinicians can fully prepare for your evaluation, as it helps us choose which standardized assessments are the best fit for us to utilize during the evaluation.

Insurance Verification and Benefits: What is Covered?

Prior to your evaluation appointment, our Patient Intake Coordinator will take some time to research your insurance policy as a courtesy. They will gather information about your deductible, co-payments, co-insurance, and patient responsibility. This helps us gather an understanding of what is or is not covered under your plan so at the time of you evaluation we can work together to understand your plan.

 

Although we work diligently to gather all the information regarding insurance policies, sometimes the companies do not disclose all of the information to you. If this occurs, please remember that this is the insurance policy that you signed up for. Please ensure you have complete understanding of your policy so we can work together to make a financial plan if needed.

The Day of Your Evaluation: Arriving to the Clinic and What to Expect

When you arrive at the clinic, it is recommended that you call us at 270-688-8449 to check in due to our COVID pre-caution. When the evaluating therapist is ready for you, he or she will come outside and welcome you into the building.

 

Our clinic currently has a COVID-19 health screening at the front door, where the evaluator will ask you COVID-19 related questions, ask you to remove your shoes, and take your temperature.

 

All of our staff members take extra precaution by wearing a face mask, face shield, and gloves. We take extra care in sanitizing our rooms and equipment between clients.

 

Once you are checked in and have passed the COVID-19 health screener, a Patient Intakes Specialist will review our policies and financial responsibilities with you. This ensures that you have a complete understanding of what to expect from therapy.

 

If you have a payment due, it will be collected at the time of the evaluation. You can also set up a payment plan or learn more about financial resources during this time as well.

 

As you speak with the Patient Intake Specialist, your child will go back to an evaluation room with the evaluator to begin the evaluation process. Each therapy specialty has a different process to evaluate which is why we have a article for each one!

Learn more about Occupational Therapy Evaluations here: [To be posted soon!]

Progress and Success at TheraTree

 It is understandable that you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. We want to reiterate that we are here to support you and your child! Our staff is more than happy to assist you and answer any questions that you may have. We are excited to serve you and your child. It is our goal to see your children thrive. So many children meet their therapy goals and demonstrate amazing progress. Many kids also “graduate” from therapy!

 

You don’t have to take our word for it… Check out a few of these patient testimonies below!

 

“… She has made so much progress that it amazes us. She is starting to sleep through the night, and she appear more in touch with, and able to regulate, her emotions better. She just seems happier! Scarlet is doing so much better than I thought she would with telehealth.”

 

“If he is in a mood, by the time telehealth is done, he is happy, his confidence is raised, and he just overall is a different child.”

 

“Our daughter has improved so much with understanding and regulating her emotions and knowing when she’s reaching sensory overload.”

Get Started Now!
]]>Thu, 04 Mar 2021 16:52:04 -0600<![CDATA[What You Need to Know About Speech & Language]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Speech-Languageby Taylor Wathen M.S. CF-SLP Could my child benefit from speech therapy? On the surface level, the process of speaking seems very simple. However, it is ]]>

by Taylor Wathen M.S. CF-SLP

Could my child benefit from speech therapy?

On the surface level, the process of speaking seems very simple. However, it is actually a very complex process. Breakdowns in speaking can happen at many levels. When breakdowns happen, a child may have difficulty developing age appropriate speech or language skills. Often this causes children frustration and even sadness when they are not understood. Speech therapy can help children meet their age appropriate goals in what we call the “Big 9 Areas”.

1. Speech Sound Production - This is the area most individuals think about when they think about speech. Speech sound production is how we use the motor movements needed to make a sound. For example, to make the “f” sound you must touch your top teeth on your bottom lip. If these movements do not occur, then the “f” sound would not sound correct. Speech sound production can also be impacted by a child’s phonological system. A child’s phonological system includes the skills necessary to use different sounds to make words. It also includes the natural process of speech development patterns that a toddler goes through. For example, it would be completely normal for a young toddler to say “da” for the word “dad”. This is called final consonant deletion. When a child gets older it could become increasingly difficult to understand their speech if some of their words did not have the final consonant.

What to look for?

  • Sounds are replaced by different sounds. Ex: The word “cat” sounds like “tat”
  • Syllables are missing. Ex: “Banana” sounds like “nana”
  • Sounds are missing Ex: “pan” sounds like “pa” or “top” sounds like “op”


2. Language - The area of language includes how an individual understands spoken speech, how an individual puts words together for speech, and literacy. A child may have difficulty understanding what is being said to them. For example, they may have difficulty following directions or answering yes/no questions because they do not understand what was said. Speech therapy can work to improve these receptive language skills. On the other hand, a child may understand what was said to them but have difficulty forming phrases to respond. Some children have difficulty putting together sentences with noun, verbs, and adjectives. Vocabulary and sentence structure are also included in these expressive language skills. Children with language disorders sometimes also have difficulty with literacy, reading, and writing.

What to look for?

  • Difficulty answering yes/no or “wh” questions
  • Difficulty following directions
  • Difficulty telling age appropriate stories
  • Difficulty combining words into age appropriate sentences
  • Difficulty with reading, writing, and spelling


3. Social Communication - To have effective communication you share a message with a communication partner. When you speak with a communication partner it will likely follow a pattern of speaking and listening. There are a set of rules established by a culture that everyone follows in order to communicate. When a child has difficulty understanding and following this pattern of rules then they may have difficulty with social communication or social skills.

What to look for?

  • Difficulty staying on topic/ inappropriate topic for a given situation
  • Difficulty starting or ending a conversation
  • Inappropriate conversational turn taking (interrupting frequently)
  • Inappropriate volume
  • Inappropriate conversation with teacher vs. peer
  • Difficulty understanding body language and emotions


4. Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) - Sometimes children have difficulty with verbal communication. When a child has difficulty with verbally producing language, they may need another method to communicate their thoughts, wants, needs, and ideas. A SLP can help a child and his/her family find an alternative way to communicate. Some examples include sign language, picture exchange system, or electronic “talking” devices. SLPs also help with augmentative communication. This means they establish a way to communicate that aids the child’s verbal speech. For example, if a child wants a soda they may say “want” and then use a picture of a soda to hand to their caregiver.

What to look for?

  • Your child may have a motor disorder that results in making the muscle movements necessary for speech challenging
  • Limited verbal speech


5. Fluency - Stuttering is when a child has difficulty with the flow of speech. They may repeat sounds, syllables, or full words when speaking. The child may pause during a word or insert um or uh frequently in speech. A child having difficulty with fluency may have a facial grimace when speaking or other indicators that they are struggling to speak.

What to look for?

  • Ex. The word baseball may sound like “b-b-b-baseball”
  • Sentences may sound like “I um like uh uh soccer practice.”
  • Facial grimace while speaking


6. Hearing/ Aural Rehabilitation - If a child has hearing loss, or chronic otitis media (chronic ear infections), this can affect their speech and language development. Hearing the sounds in a child’s environment promotes speech and language growth. Aural rehabilitation can also assist a child who has recently received hearing aids or cochlear implants. SLP’s can complete hearing screenings. (However, full hearing evaluation would need to be completed by an audiologist.)

What to look for?

  • Hearing loss
  • Chronic otitis media (ear infections)
  • Difficulty with speech production due to hearing loss


7. Cognitive - SLP’s can assist children with cognitive communication disorders. These are language difficulties as a result of an underlying cognitive difficulty. Examples of things SLP’s could work on with your child include problem solving, attention, memory, orientation, executive functioning, planning, reasoning, and many more.

What to look for?

  • Difficulty problem solving age appropriate situations
  • Short term or delayed memory difficulty
  • Difficulty telling stories with events in the correct order
  • Difficulty providing a reason to “why” questions


8. Voice - Voice is the sound we produce when we speak. It is how we sound including pitch and tone. A child’s voice could sound harsh, hoarse, too quiet “lost voice”, or sound as if to much air is coming out of their nose. Children can have a voice disorder due to an organic cause or due to overuse and misuse.

What to look for?

  • Loss of voice without apparent cause
  • Hoarse or harsh voice for more than a few days
  • When the child speaks does it sound nasally or as if air is coming out of the nose inappropriately?
  •  When the child speaks does their voice sound as if they have a stuffy nose (without present of sickness or sinus concerns)?


9. Swallowing and Feeding – SLPs are also trained to evaluate and treat swallowing disorders. A swallowing disorder is when you have difficulty chewing or swallowing. Sometimes food “goes down the wrong way” and travels towards the airway and not the esophagus (food tube). SLPs can also work on feeding skills. Some children have difficulty with new foods or sensory feeding difficulties.

What to look for?

  • Very limited diet
  • Your child may become very upset about trying to foods or refuse new foods.
  • Coughing with food
  • Coughing with liquids
  • It appears “food goes down the wrong way” frequently


What can I do if I think my child needs speech therapy?

A great first step to help decide if your child needs speech therapy would be to complete a developmental checklist. Although the categories listed above are great things to look for, every child is different, and every age is different. You can complete the checklist here.


You can also call Theratree today at 270-688-8449. We can help you get paired with a great Speech-Language Pathologist!

Who is a Speech- Language Pathologist?

  A Speech-Language Pathologist is an individual that is trained and licensed to evaluate and treat speech and language difficulties. They are experts in communication development and disorders. Speech-Language Pathologists are often called speech therapists or SLPs for short. SLPs commonly work in private practice, schools, and hospitals. They can work with newborns to adults. When SLPs work with individuals it is called speech therapy. At Theratree, SLP’s use strategies tailored to each child to help them reach their speech therapy goals.

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