Before your child gets to NAPA, we know a lot about them. Our team reviews all of the paperwork you’ve turned in prior to your arrival. Patient intake, reports and evaluations, and anything else you’ve sent along will help us get a picture of your kiddo before they walk in the front door.
Parent and patient goals direct our treatment approach; we ask you what you want to work on and will design a treatment plan that meets your child where they are at on their journey towards those goals. Want to work on walking? We’ll help you identify the steps to get there whether it be more weight-bearing in the legs, using a gait trainer for the first time, or treadmill training in our cage. Better use of arms to support communication access? We’ll choose activities that promote upper extremity motor control and work with the speech team to help identify seating options and switch placements.
Our sessions are fast paced, packing in a lot of exercises each hour. We use modalities such as electrical stimulation, whole body vibration, the Neurosuit, and Spider Cage which may be new to some families. Sometimes the exercises are hard and children may cry. Despite the novelty and challenge, our goal is to make therapy fun; we incorporate play, singing and snuggles into each session.
Our team of OTs, PTs, and SLPs come together to address your child as a whole being. We communicate regularly throughout the intensive with one another and you to discuss goals and therapy plans. This support team extends to you and your at home providers. Every child who attends an intensive session at NAPA is given a home exercise program to continue to build upon their progress. Throw on your sweats mom, dad, grandma or caregiver, because at the end of the intensive, we tag you in and give you hands-on practice.
What makes the NAPA intensive experience truly magical is the tribe that you will be surrounded by. Parents and children on similar journeys, therapists cheering on your child’s successes big and small, and support staff who check in and say hi each day bring a sense of special community to NAPA. Make sure to get to know your fellow intensive comrades, ask questions, and feel the support of your new NAPA family.
Lisa, an occupational therapist, is NAPA’s Global Director of Rehabilitation and a 10-year NAPA veteran. When she’s not treating or mentoring, you can catch her exploring her new hometown Denver and hiking with her family.
