• Western week
• A day at the circus
• Life on the farm
• Jungle Safari
• A day at the beach
• What’s out there in outer space
• Let’s go camping
• Disney adventure

Cost: $120
Additional Children - $110
Cost includes $15 non-refundable registration fee

To register, call (314) 567-4707.

St. Louis, MO, April 3, 2006 – Sensory Solutions, LLC, provider of physical, speech and occupational therapy for children and adults, has opened a second location, this time in Jefferson County to better serve the St. Louis and surrounding areas.

For five years, partners Sheree Behrndt, OTR/L and Tracie Smith, MPT provided in-home therapy for children in the St. Louis area. Last summer, they opened their first clinic location in Creve Coeur, experiencing steady growth. “Our Creve Coeur clinic offers a central location that is easily accessible to most of our clients,” says Behrndt. “However, we realized that we were still providing quite a bit of in-home care in Jefferson County for patients that could possibly visit a clinic if one were nearby. So, we opened the Festus clinic to better serve the entire St. Louis area.”

For adults, Sensory Solutions offers therapy services for patients suffering loss of mobility, strength or balance due to injury, accident, surgery or even a neurological condition. They also provide rehabilitation for burn victims, chronic pain, spinal dysfunction, stroke victims, cardiopulmonary issues and more.

Sensory Solutions’ pediatric services include therapy for Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, sensory integration, communication delays, developmental delays, feeding issues, and much, much more.

“My son, Jeffrey, received Sensory Integration therapy administered by an occupational therapist at Sensory Solutions,” says Angela Schaefer, mother of a four-year-old with sensory defensiveness. “Some people thought I was crazy when I told them what we were doing with Jeffrey – but it is working. Last summer we took our son to a pediatric ophthalmologist because of his severe reaction to sunlight, camera flashes and even birthday candles. In a letter to our pediatrician, the ophthalmologist described Jeffrey as having ‘extreme photophobia with no physical explanation.’ Jeffrey also suffered from extreme constipation do to his inability to initiate a bowel movement without medication. With the help of his occupational therapist, Jeffrey has had tremendous success with both of these issues as well as several other extreme defensive behaviors.”

Many of Sensory Solutions’ original clients were referred through the First Steps program and the clinic continues to be a provider for the program, providing in-home care when necessary.

Sheree Behrndt, OTR/L and Tracie Smith, MPT founded Sensory Solutions, LLC in April 2000. The two recognized the need for personalized, in-home care for pediatric Occupational, Physical, Speech and Developmental therapy services. With the significant growth of the program over the past five years, Behrndt and Smith decided to open a therapy clinic that patients more options when deciding on a treatment plan. All therapists at Sensory Solutions have a strong work ethic and a desire to help patients reach their highest potential.

Sensory Solutions, LLC Offers Creative Solutions for Children with Developmental Delays
Therapists help a wide range of children from picky eaters to those with speech delays and others who have had a more severe diagnosis such as Autism or Down Syndrome

St. Louis, MO, June 6, 2005 – Sensory Solutions, LLC has launched several unique group sessions at its new clinic in Creve Coeur, MO. Sensory Solutions specializes in Sensory Integration therapy – teaching children how to use all their senses to organize information in the brain. The therapy is administered by a physical or occupational therapist who provides activities that will teach the child how to process information.

“My son received Occupational, Speech and Physical therapies from Sensory Solutions,”says Malinda Terreri, mother of a three-year-old with Autism. “As the parent of a nonverbal, special needs child, it was a relief to have Sensory Solutions as his single therapy provider. Their team approach and dedication to solving the riddle of what treatments were most effective for him, helped him become the talkative little boy he is today.”

The new group sessions focus on a variety of conditions. Feeding Groups offer help for children with a limited diet who exhibit hypersensitivities to food. Communication Groups assist children with speech delays. Sensory Integration Groups target children with delays in sensory processing – these children may have a short attention span, exhibit sensitivity to light sound or touch, may dislike haircuts or nail clippings or demonstrate other “over-sensitivities.” Gross Motor Groups help children improve strength, balance and coordination. Handwriting Groups offer therapy for children who may complain that writing is difficult or who may have extremely poor penmanship.

“Every meal, every day ended in tears,” says Lisa, mother of a 15 month old who refused to eat. “The therapists at Sensory Solutions have taught us creative ways to help our daughter and she is learning how to overcome her sensitivities to food. Sensory Solutions has made mealtime more peaceful and more importantly, the therapists have made my daughter feel better.”

Sheree Behrndt, OTR/L, co-owner of Sensory Solutions, says the groups offer a valuable solution for many children. Behrndt says, “During the sessions, children are encouraged to challenge themselves, and their peers help them achieve maximum participation. We always offer the option of one-on-one therapy, but the benefits of peer support are extremely effective for most children.”

Many of Sensory Solutions’ original clients were referred through the First Steps program and the clinic continues to be a provider for the program, providing in-home care when necessary.

Therapeutic Listening
“Eyeglasses for the Ears”

Laura Burch-Krone, OTR/L and Sheree Behrndt, OTR/L, both of Sensory Solutions, LLC recently completed their certification in Therapeutic Listening. The program is designed by Sheila Frick, “Listening with the Whole Body” and is a modality for treating children with Sensory Integration Dysfunction.

Sensory Integration Dysfunction effects thousands of children, mild to severe impairments are associated. Occupational Therapists are the experts in this area and impact the lives of many children. Sensory Solutions, LLC is a pediatric therapy company with over 30 therapists working throughout St. Louis and surrounding counties. Some characteristics of Sensory Integration Dysfunction are:

• Hyperresponsive/ hyporesponsive or lability in response to sensory stimuli.
• Unusual patterns of sensory seeking and / or avoidance
• Emotional deregulation evidenced by anxiety, depression, hostility and /or lability
• Attention difficulties including distractibility, disorganization, impulsivity and/ or hyperactivity
• Reduced social participation, occasional poor self esteem
• Difficulties in functional performance: communication, dressing, play, meal time, bathtime and/or social interactions

These children will often be:

• Picky eaters or overstuff their mouths
• Picky about clothing textures
• Over or underactive
• Have speech/ language delays
• Gross/fine motor delays
• Have difficulty paying attention and/or become overstimulated in loud environments (i.e. restaurants)
• Dislike grooming activities (cutting hair, nail trimmings, washing face)

If your child displays 2 or more of these characteristics they could be having difficulty organizing sensory information. One form of treatment for these children is Therapeutic Listening. This modality must be provided from a Therapist that has been certified in this particular program. It has been described as “The eyeglasses for the ears”. The children listen to modulated music 2 times per day for 30 minutes each session. They progress through a series of CD’s that best fit their needs. The program usually takes 12 weeks and needs to be followed on a consistent basis. The most progress has been achieved when a program is established that is rich in sensory input utilizing the therapeutic listening as one modality in the child’s sensory diet. This program must be established by an Occupational Therapist. If your child is currently receiving Occupational Therapy with a focus on Sensory Integration, adding this program can facilitate progress.

Therapeutic Listening is appropriate for:

• Children with a history of chronic middle ear infections or chronic fluid in the middle ear.
• Children with disturbances in sleep/wake cycles, hunger/thirst patterns, bowel/bladder control.
• Children with sensory defensiveness
• Children with inappropriate social skills or lack of social skills (i.e. decreased eye contact, decreased awareness of surroundings)

If you are interested in learning more about this program, please feel free to call Sensory Solutions, LLC at 314-567-4707.