Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy
Referral Forms
Our program aims to be family centered. We will focus on your child’s strengths, follow your priorities and support you to make informed decisions about your child’s growth and development. We will work together to create strategies to support your child. With your consent we may visit care settings or communicate with other important people in your child’s life. We look forward to working with you and your family!
What to Expect:
Once we have received your referral information, your child will be placed on the waitlist. When an appointment becomes available, we will contact you to schedule an initial visit. Based on the results of the initial visit, we will determine your next appointment, frequency of appointments and goals for therapy. Therapy will involve a combination of hands-on sessions with your child, caregiver education, and providing take-home strategies for daily practice.
Physiotherapy program for children aged 0-5 years
The Kootenay Family Place Physiotherapist assesses and provides strategies for children with developmental delays, neurological, musculoskeletal, and growth-related conditions. Assessments and interventions are play based and include fun games and activities to promote certain postures, strength, movements, and skills. The goal is to assess development early to encourage optimal growth and development.
Depending on the child’s needs treatment may include strategies for:
• Posture and alignment
• Quality of movement and range of motion
• Gross motor skills and motor milestones
• Locomotion (creeping, crawling, walking, running, gait aid and wheelchair use)
• Muscle strength, endurance, and tone
• Balance, stability, and coordination
• Reflexes, righting reactions, protective reactions
• Motor planning and body awareness
• Deformity prevention and advice regarding orthotic, brace, and specialized seating
• Determining the need for specialized equipment (wheelchairs, walking aids, standing frames, seating etc.)
To refer a child to our therapy programs please fill out the referral form at the top of this page (download and print, or fill and sbmit online). Any person directly connected to the child is able to refer. If the referral source is not the caregiver, then verbal or written consent is needed before submitting.
Contact Physiotherapy:
Phone: 778-460-5106
Email: physio@kootenayfamilyplace.org
Occupational Therapy (OT) program for children aged 0-5 years
“Occupations” refer to anything a person does during their day-to-day life. For young children, occupations generally include:
- Self-care (toileting, eating, sleeping, bathing, grooming)
- Work (fine motor skills (e.g. drawing shapes, using scissors), attending to activities preschool, transitioning between tasks)
- Play (using toys, interacting with peers, recreational activities)
To help enable a child to fully participate in their daily activities, the Occupational Therapist may look at some of the following:
- Development of new skills, e.g. fine motor, play
- Which materials are used for a task, e.g. modified scissors
- How the task is being done, e.g. breaking it into smaller steps
- Environmental factors, e.g. decreasing noise
Children may be seen at Kootenay Family Place, at home, or at their childcare center. The Occupational Therapist will educate and support families/caregivers to help them facilitate the development of the children’s skills outside of the therapy sessions.
To refer a child to our therapy programs please fill out the referral form at the top of this page (download and print, or fill and sbmit online). Any person directly connected to the child is able to refer. If the referral source is not the caregiver, then verbal or written consent is needed before submitting.
Contact Occupational Therapy:
Phone: 778-460-5107
Email: ot@kootenayfamilyplace.org
Speech & Language Pathology program (SLP) for children 0-5 years
Pediatric SLPs work with children and their families on a wide variety of communication skills.
- Articulation
- Stuttering
- Expressive Language
- Receptive Language
- Social communication and Autism
- Feeding
- Assistive and Augmentative Communication
- Cleft lip and palate
Strategies are applied in everyday routines and play. Speech therapy sessions happen at home, the clinic or preschool/daycare depending on the needs of the child. The goal is to identify and treat communication difficulties so that children can be active participants in their lives. Therapy is play based and focuses on fun and interaction with the SLP and parents.
To refer a child to our therapy programs please fill out the referral form at the top of this page (download and print, or fill and sbmit online). Any person directly connected to the child is able to refer. If the referral source is not the caregiver, then verbal or written consent is needed before submitting.