LAUREN'S INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION

THERAPY DEPARTMENT: WE HAVE MULTIPLE THERAPY DISCIPLINES ALL UNDER ONE ROOF WHICH IS CONVENIENT FOR CAREGIVERS AND ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE A TRUE TEAM APPROACH TO THERAPY. OUR THERAPISTS SERVE CONSUMERS THAT COME TO L.I.F.E. EXCLUSIVELY FOR THERAPY SERVICES AS WELL AS CONSUMERS ENROLLED IN OUR ACADEMY AND OUR ADULT DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM. WE PROVIDE MUSIC THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY, AND FEEDING THERAPY. SEE MORE DETAIL ON THESE SERVICES IN SCHEDULE O.MUSIC THERAPYMUSIC THERAPY ADDRESSES FUNCTIONAL GOALS IN THE AREAS OF COMMUNICATION, SOCIALIZATION, MOTOR MOVEMENTS, ATTENTION SPAN, AND EMOTIONAL AWARENESS THROUGH USE OF MUSICAL INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS CREATING, SINGING, MOVING TO, AND/OR LISTENING TO MUSIC. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A CONSUMER WITH A GOAL TO INCREASE THEIR NUMBER OF SPOKEN WORDS, THE MUSIC THERAPIST MAY USE SONGS THAT PROMOTE VERBAL PARTICIPATION AT SPECIFIC TIMES IN A SONG. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPYOCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS LOOK AT WHAT ELEMENTS SUPPORT OR HINDER SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION FOR A CONSUMER, WHICH OFTEN INCLUDES THE ENVIRONMENT, SENSORY PROCESSING, BEHAVIOR, MOTOR SKILLS, LANGUAGE, AND COGNITIVE SKILL DEVELOPMENT. THEY THEN CREATE INDIVIDUALIZED ACTIVITIES FOR EACH CONSUMER TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE AND WELL-BEING. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY MAY WORK ON HAND MUSCLE STRENGTHENING USING PUTTY SO THAT A CONSUMER CAN SUCCESSFULLY BUTTON A SHIRT.PHYSICAL THERAPYPHYSICAL THERAPY HELPS CONSUMERS IMPROVE IN THE AREAS OF GROSS MOTOR SKILLS. PHYSICAL THERAPISTS LOOK AT WHETHER A CONSUMER IS FUNCTIONING AT AGE-APPROPRIATE LEVEL IN PHYSICAL SKILLS SUCH AS MOBILITY, COORDINATION, AND STRENGTH AND THEN DETERMINE INTERVENTIONS TO HELP ADDRESS AREAS OF CONCERN. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY MAY USE THERAPY BALL ACTIVITIES TO STRENGTHEN A CONSUMER'S CORE MUSCLES SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN TO ROLL OR MAINTAIN THEIR BALANCE WHEN RIDING A BIKE.SPEECH THERAPYSPEECH/LANGUAGE THERAPY FOCUSES ON REMEDIATING SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION. A SPEECH DISORDER INVOLVES DIFFICULTIES PRODUCING SOUNDS IN WORDS, WHEREAS A LANGUAGE DISORDER INVOLVES DIFFICULTIES UNDERSTANDING WORDS/SENTENCES AND COMMUNICATING WANTS AND NEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE, A SPEECH THERAPIST MAY PRACTICE WITH A CONSUMER ON DIFFERENT WAYS TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO OTHERS IF THEY HAVE A GOAL OF IMPROVED SOCIAL COMMUNICATION. FEEDING THERAPYFEEDING THERAPY IS PROVIDED BY OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS OR ASSISTANTS OR SPEECH THERAPISTS OR ASSISTANTS THAT HAVE OBTAINED ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN THE SPECIALTY OF FEEDING THERAPY. THESE THERAPISTS USE CAREFULLY CHOSEN INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS SUCH AS ONLY EATING A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OR TYPE OF FOOD AND/OR TO IMPROVE ORAL MOTOR SKILLS TO REDUCE CONCERNS LIKE GAGGING, CHOKING, OR ASPIRATION.

PRIVATE ACADEMY: WE HAVE CLASSROOMS THAT SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF COGNITIVE, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS FROM AGES 3-21. WE DEVELOP INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING PLANS AND USE RESEARCH SUPPORTED CURRICULUM. MANY OF OUR STUDENTS RECEIVE ON-SITE THERAPY AND BEHAVIOR SUPPORT AND ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS WORK TOGETHER IN A TRANSDISCIPLINARY APPROACH. WE ARE ALSO FORTUNATE TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS AND MULTIPLE CLINICAL ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMS AND ENVIRONMENTS. WE HAVE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, ADAPTIVE MUSIC, ADAPTIVE ART, AND ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION WHICH ARE RUN BY OUR CLINICAL ENHANCEMENTS TEAM. WE ALSO HAVE OUTREACH PROGRAMMING THAT INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS TO ASSIST IN EDUCATION OF STUDENTS. WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE RECEIVED A 5-YEAR ACCREDITATION IN 2021 FROM COGNIA.