Frequently Asked Questions

Language delays and processing disorders usually have a physical cause with medical underpinnings. Speech pathologists are trained in identifying children who are “at risk” for having delayed speech and language problems or processing disorders continue to be problematic without direct therapy intervention. Some issues such as hearing loss from chronic ear fluid or sensory processing dysfunctions may need medical attention along with speech therapy to correct the underlying cause as well as remediate the outward symptoms. Read more

We work with many children and adults who have ADHD or ADD. We find that the majority of them have abnormal auditory processing. About 75% of the ADHD individuals we have seen in our practice have ineffective listening systems that interfere with their ability to focus, concentrate or make sense of what they are hearing. Some are misdiagnosed and are inattentive to language with symptoms that mimic ADHD. Others are ADHD in addition to auditory processing issues.

Providing a more accurate diagnosis of why an individual has attention deficit symptoms is a starting place. We can evaluate language processing, listening and timing skills, and working memory abilities and recommend strategies that address underlying issues, coping strategies, and retrain the auditory system to think in a more calm, focused, and organized manner.

We use strengths to improve weaknesses. Read more

We know many families who have spent thousands of dollars on very good strategies that produced limited results because they were not in the correct order to address the most foundational issues first.

Our founder, Jane Shook, has vast experience working with top experts in processing disorders from various professional and educational fields. This enables CTS to be uniquely qualified to make recommendations on which order of strategies will have the most beneficial and cost-effective outcomes.

The order of each therapy strategy is critical to the effectiveness of the outcome. Read more

Our evaluation will be based upon your child’s symptoms and his or her case history you submit. Read about our evaluations here

There are many numerous diagnoses for the same or similar conditions. Each has various treatment modalities that are effective for some, but not all, people. Sorting through the maze of options and ways of looking at conditions can be overwhelming. And, the order of addressing sensory processing issues is unique to each individual.

Our clients are grateful that we are here to create a plan that is customized for each individual’s needs.

In order to identify the root issues underlying the behavioral and functional challenges your child is facing, an evaluation is absolutely necessary. It is the only way accurate treatment strategies can be implemented.

A diagnostic label may or may not be necessary for you to acquire the most cost-effective educational or therapeutic options available. In our experience, a label of delayed language or a processing disorder won’t follow someone forever if the disorder is remediated. The label is removed, and the child is expected to compete with typical peers.

A child that is keeps himself together at school but not at home is probably using a lot of intentional energy to keep the lid on during the day. Often these children run out of steam and fall apart at home. Using a sensory diet before going to school to help ease the load during the day, then intensifying the sensory activities when arriving at the car to come home can be helpful.

Where developmentally appropriate, discussing the child’s need for sensory input to help him stay calm, organized and focused at home engages the child in the process of self-care. This enlists his cooperation in finding the best combinations to help him feel better in his own skin.

Sensory Processing Dysfunction is an inflammatory condition that has complex physiological roots. If your child has an untreated but mild condition, some of the more overt symptoms may decrease over time. However, it is more common to find the situation worsens with age. Read more

SPD is a condition on a wide spectrum of degrees of severity. It is likely that up to 25% of the American population is somewhat affected by it due to environmental toxins, fast food choices, and stressful lifestyles. Everyone has a sensory system that is adversely affected when the nervous system is compromised for any reason.

We all make sensory choices based on individual needs and preferences. Knowing the principles of utilizing sensory input to calm and organize the system will help anyone create a calmer, more organized environment to function by being more intentional with a broader repertoire of appropriate sensory choices.

We have seen children with very mild symptoms benefit significantly from just a few months of sensory integration therapy that jumpstarts their system.

We have seen others that with mild focusing problems benefit from a home therapy listening program. The choice is up to each family and the degree of difficulty the child has engaging in normal activities.

We all have a sensory processing system that responds best when adequate exercise and fresh air are provided on a regular basis. Research shows that regular exercise makes our brain function better and keeps our circulation and lymph systems working more optimally. Read more

First, recognize that this is usually the result of an inflammatory condition that can be treated medically and nutritionally. Provide safe opportunities for movement like ample time to run, jump, climb, play outside and tumble with peers.

If these activities don’t seem adequate and hypo/hypersensitivities still is hindering the normal development of motor strength, coordination, eating habits, speech or language, or social skills, then an evaluation is probably the next step. Read more about our evaluations here.

It can be overwhelming as a parent of a child with special needs, to determine which of the many resources available really provide the best choice for your child’s needs. Many therapy options are excellent and effective when the child is ready physically, mentally, and cognitively. Those same options may be a waste of money and time if the child is not ready to acquire the task of the activity.

It was this dilemma that inspired our founder, Jane Shook, to create Center for Therapeutic Strategies.

We inventory your child’s functional behaviors, evaluate speech and language developmental skills, and determine a single goal based on your expressed desires for your child.

We then make recommendations for a comprehensive therapy plan with prioritized goals and objectives for you to use as a guide along with suggested practitioners that are in your area and their contact information.

We provide this in a written report and explain all of it in a lengthy conference with you where you can ask questions regarding your child’s specific needs.

Blowing and sucking activities help low energy children perk up and higher energy children calm down with greater organization and purpose. Blowing activities of all kinds are normalizing for everyone. Playing with blowing toys of various degrees of difficulty can be a regular afternoon activity. Eating a crunchy or chewy snack or sucking a thick smoothie through a straw also utilizes the powerful integrator we have in our mouth.

Often this makes passive and sedentary children more open to movement activities such as jumping on a mini-trampoline (rebounder), crawling through a cloth tunnel or simply taking a walk with mom and dad. Doing activities together that include your children in meaningful relational ways also is also an effective way to get your child to move.

Only occupational therapists and physical therapists can be certified in sensory integration. The original SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Test) certification based on Jean Ayres work was available through SI International, which is no longer in existence. The four-course certification process is now available through Western Psychological Services that trains therapists in test administration and interpretation as well as intervention strategies and techniques.

The amount of treatment time per week varies according to the severity of your child’s issues, your child’s age and endurance, your family’s time and monetary resources, as well as the policy of the treating practitioner. Some practitioners prefer to see the child initially very frequently (even daily) initially and at regular stages to create intensity with the hope of creating more possibility of change.

Others prefer to see children of a younger age for shorter sessions two to three times a week. Other therapists prefer an hour to an hour and a half one time a week.

What works best for your child’s developmental needs is up to you and your therapist.

Numerous workshops are available throughout the year that gives helpful information on the needs of SPD children as well as practical suggestions for the classroom.

Check out our workshops here.