The Children's Center

Speech-Language Pathology

The Children's Center is a Speech-Language Pathology practice in Franklin, VA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in preventing, assessing, diagnosing, and treating speech, language, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders arising from illness, injury, deficiency, or congenital birth defect. Speech-Language Pathologists at The Children's Center perform testing, evaluation, and treatment of disorders relating to how patients form words, communicate, and process the speech of others. Speech-Language Pathology is a medical specialty that deals with disorders related to how patients form words, speak, and understand what others are saying to them. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Speech-Language Pathology practices include speech disorders like stuttering and dysarthia, language disorders like articulation and phonological processing disorders, social communication disorders, cognitive-communication disorders, voice disorders, and swallowing disorders that may arise from conditions like stroke, dementia, brain injury, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, autism, hearing loss, or congenital birth defects. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Speech-Language Pathology practices include speech and language assessment, hearing assessment, developing treatment plans based on assessment and test results, developing communications strategies for patients and caregivers, working with patients to achieve communication goals, and providing patient and parent education.

The speech-language pathologist is the professional who engages in clinical services, prevention, advocacy, education, administration, and research in the areas of communication and swallowing across the life span from infancy through geriatrics. Speech-language pathologists address typical and atypical impairments and disorders related to communication and swallowing in the areas of speech sound production, resonance, voice, fluency, language (comprehension and expression), cognition, and feeding and swallowing.

Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

The Children's Center is a Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology practice in Franklin, VA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in diagnosing and treating mental disorders that affect young patients. Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologists at The Children's Center perform psychological assessment, therapy, and research regarding abnormal childhood mental health. Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology is medical specialty focused on diagnosing, treating, and researching childhood mental disorders. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology practices include autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, eating disorders, and learning disabilities. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology practices include mental health assessment, parent and child education, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), play therapy, psychotherapy, and referral to other medical specialists as needed.

A psychologist who develops and applies scientific knowledge to the delivery of psychological services to infants, toddlers, children and adolescents within their social context. Of particular importance to the specialty of clinical child psychology is an understanding of the basic psychological needs of children and adolescents, and how the family and other social contexts influence the socio-emotional adjustment, cognitive development, behavioral adaptation and health status of children and adolescents.

Pediatric Physical Therapy

The Children's Center is a Pediatric Physical Therapy practice in Franklin, VA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in diagnosing, treating, and managing a variety of developmental, neuromuscular, congenital, skeletal, and acquired diseases and disorders in infants, children and adolescents. Pediatric Physical Therapists at The Children's Center perform medical diagnosis and treatment of balance and coordination disorders, impaired motor skills, strength and endurance disorders, and cognitive and sensory processing disorders. Pediatric Physical Therapy is a medical specialty dealing with children's musculoskeletal, spinal, neurological, balance, and cognitive disorders. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Pediatric Physical Therapy practices include multiple sclerosis (MS), orthopedic and skeletal dysfunction, spina bifida, athletic or traumatic injury, congenital physical impairment, spinal cord injury, neurological disorders like stroke, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and Parkinson's disease. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Pediatric Physical Therapy practices include diagnostic imaging, practical development of motor and mobility skills, adapting toys for play, therapeutic strength and endurance exercise, balance and coordination activities, parental care education, water therapy, and applying assistive technology.

A licensed physical therapist, including but not limited to an individual who is a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy, who has demonstrated specialized knowledge and skill in anatomy, histology, including embryonic development, genetics, biomechanics, neurological function, neuroscience, and pathology, behavioral sciences, and understanding of diseases or conditions that necessitate physical therapy care, that affect systems that in turn necessitate physical therapy care (comorbidities), and that influence the type of intervention that can be given.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

The Children's Center is a Pediatric Occupational Therapy practice in Franklin, VA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in helping physically or mentally disabled children develop cognitive, motor, social, and self-care skills. Pediatric Occupational Therapists at The Children's Center perform educational and physical learning exercises with children disabled by injury or illness. Pediatric Occupational Therapy is a medical specialty dedicated to helping disabled children gain personal independence by improving sensory, motor, visual perception, and social interaction skills. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Pediatric Occupational Therapy practices include impairments resulting from birth injuries or defects, sensory processing disorders, traumatic injuries, autism, childhood arthritis, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, and many other conditions that affect children's motor and learning skills. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Pediatric Occupational Therapy practices include play therapy, handwriting exercises, motor planning, gross motor coordination, sensory modulation, visual perception skills, and parental education.

Occupational therapists provide services to infants, toddlers and children who have or who are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. Occupational therapy is concerned with a child's ability to participate in daily life activities or "occupations." Occupational therapists use their unique expertise to help children with social-emotional, physical, cognitive, communication, and adaptive behavioral challenges and to help children to be prepared for and perform important learning and school-related activities and to fulfill their rule as students. Through an understanding of the impact of disability, illness, and impairment on a child's development, plan, ability to learn new skills, and overall occupational performance, occupational therapists design interventions that promote healthy development, establish needed skills, and/or modify environments, all in support of participation in daily activities.