Sensory Issues for New Diagnosis and New Residents on Cleveland’S West Side
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Connecting for Kids: Resource Guides Sensory Issues For new diagnosis and new residents on Cleveland’s west side Whether your child is newly diagnosed, you have recently moved to the west side, or you are looking for more information to augment your child’s services, we’re here to help. This resource guide will help you connect with some of the most critical information, services, and support you’ll need when dealing with sensory issues. TIP: Click the links or globe icons to go directly to provider web pages. About Sensory Issues Local Medical Resources Typically, our senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, Sensory issues are often treated by licensed hearing, vestibular and proprioceptive) work occupational therapists (OT), but the treatment together to give us all the information we need to team may include physical therapists (PT) and live, work and play. But in some people, certain speech/language pathologists (SLP) as well. senses are too intense (hyper-sensitive) or not When choosing an OT to work with your child, be intense enough (hypo-sensitive). The result of sure to ask if s/he has experience with SPD and one or more senses being over or under-tuned how that experience drives the therapy plan leads to problems processing sensory (often called a “sensory diet”). information. The SPD Treatment Directory Children with hyper or hyposensitivities can have Online directory of professionals and services problems with some of the following: maintained by The SPD Foundation. Also includes OTs who have completed the SPDF mentorship Over-sensitive to touch, noise, smells, program. other people 1-303-794-1182 Difficulty dressing, eating, sleeping www.spdfoundation.net and/or toilet training Clumsy; poor motor skills; weak Frequent or long temper tantrums Easily distracted, fidgety, craves Organizations movement; aggressive SPD Foundation Easily overwhelmed World leader in research, education and Always on the go; impulsive; awareness for sensory processing disorder. The distractible SPD Foundation provides hope and help to Lethargic and slow individuals and families living with sensory issues. Note: There are many other red flags; for a 1-303-794-1182 more complete list, click here. www.spdfoundation.net While the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric SPD Parent Zone Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Parent-run resource with information on Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does not currently diagnosis, treatment and other resources on recognize sensory issues as a stand-alone sensory issues. diagnosis, there are therapies and treatments to [email protected] help with the symptoms. www.spdparentzone.org Connecting for Kids (connectingforkids.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and support for families with questions or concerns about their children’s development. The services and groups listed in this guide are a sampling and are for informational purposes only; providers, methodologies, or companies listed are not endorsed or recommended by Connecting for Kids. For more information, or to have your organization added to this guide, please contact Sarah Rintamaki at 1-440- 250-5563 or [email protected] © Connecting for Kids 2014 Connecting for Kids: Resource Guides Sensory Issues For new diagnosis and new residents on Cleveland’s west side Early Intervention (birth to 3) County-Specific Services Ohio Help Me Grow (cont.) Available at no cost to all Ohio families with Educational Service Center (ESC) of qualifying children under three years of age. Ask Cuyahoga County your pediatrician for more information or click the Offers parent and professional seminars and free Referrals tab on the Help Me Grow website. monthly drop-in service to review IEPs. 1-216-524-3000 Cuyahoga County [email protected] 1-216-698-7500 www.esc-cc.org helpmegrow.org Lorain County Educational Service Center (ESC) of 1-440-284-4443 Lorain County loraincounty.us Offers parent and professional seminars and parent mentors to help with the IEP process. 1-440-324-5777 [email protected] County-Specific Services www.loraincountyesc.org Applewood Centers (Cuyahoga, Lorain) Nonprofit agency providing The Nord Center mental health services, social services and (Lorain) Nonprofit offering behavioral healthcare education to children, adolescents and families. services for school-aged children and Services include The Eleanor Gerson School and adolescents, including: an array of community-based services including Individual and group counseling psychiatry, in-home therapy, school-based Family counseling counseling, prevention and consultation services. Community psychiatric support services 1-216-696-5800 (Cuyahoga) Parenting groups 1-440-324-1300 (Lorain) Family team meeting approach www.applewoodcenters.org Dialectical behavior therapy Psychiatric care The Centers Trauma-focused cognitive behavior (Cuyahoga) Nonprofit, offering services in early therapy learning, health & wellness, workforce 1-440-204-4161 development, youth and family services and www.nordcenter.org emergency food distribution. 1-216-432-7200 OhioGuidestone www.thecentersohio.org (Cuyahoga, Lorain) Formerly Berea Children’s Home & Family Services, this nonprofit offers County Board of Developmental services for families ranging from early childhood Disabilities and school-based mental health services to Both Lorain and Cuyahoga counties offer services parenting classes and a respite care connection. through departments of developmental 1-440-234-2006 disabilities ranging from therapy and educational ohioguidestone.org services to camps, transportation, assistive devices and financial support. Cuyahoga County 1-216-241-8230 www.cuyahogabdd.org Lorain County (Murray Ridge Center) 1-440-329-3734 www.murrayridgecenter.org Connecting for Kids: Resource Guides Sensory Issues For new diagnosis and new residents on Cleveland’s west side Ohio Department of Education Education Advocacy (cont.) Unfortunately, most school districts do not Wrightslaw recognize stand-alone sensory issues as a Accurate, reliable information about special disability requiring an individualized education education law, education law, and advocacy for program (IEP). However, your child may qualify children with disabilities. for services within the school district (under www.wrightslaw.com either an IEP or a 504 plan) if other disabilities are present or if academic progress is Note: The Westlake Porter Public Library’s significantly impaired. special-needs section also keeps a print copy of “Wrightslaw.” To check availability, search for The resources below can help you get an idea “Wrightslaw” here. where to begin the process of setting up services or accommodations for your child. “Whose IDEA is This?” Guide Alternate Education Resources Prepared by the Ohio Department of Harrison Center for Children Education, this guide helps parents (Westlake) Offers center-based pre-K and understand the language of the Individuals with kindergarten along with speech and occupational Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 therapies, intervention services and tutoring. (IDEA). 1-216-938-5093 [email protected] Education Advocacy www.harrisoncfc.com 504 Accommodation Check List List of accommodations that may be Education Materials covered under a 504 plan for children with sensory issues. Many families choose to augment formal sensory therapies by offering incidental sensory iAdvocate experiences at home. One of the best resources Free mobile application, developed by the for sensory activities is Pinterest. The following Syracuse University School of Education groups have some great boards with sensory containing strategies, a compilation of activities: approaches that parents can pursue as advocates and resources. Available for iOS and Android. Connecting for Kids iadvocate.syr.edu pinterest.com/connectforkids National Center for Learning Disabilities PediaStaff (NCLD) Parent’s Guide to IDEA pinterest.com/pediastaff Covers important topics under IDEA in easy-to- understand question/narrative format, from Sensory Basic requesting an evaluation to handling discipline pinterest.com/sensorybasic and disputes. www.ncld.org SPD Blogger Network (SPDBN) pinterest.com/spdbn Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) Offers programs to help parents become Do2Learn informed and effective representatives for their Provides thousands of free pages of social skills children in all educational settings. One-to-one and behavioral regulation activities and guidance, support available. songs and games, communication cards, 1-800-374-2806 ext. 20 academic materials, and transition guides for www.ocecd.org employment and life skills. www.do2learn.com Connecting for Kids: Resource Guides Sensory Issues For new diagnosis and new residents on Cleveland’s west side Services, Camps & Recreation Sensory-Specific Websites Connecting for Kids (cont.) Online directory of professionals, programs, SPD Support summer camps, recreational activities and social National network of volunteer parent support skills groups on Cleveland’s west side. Available hosts formed in order to share information, to members only; however, membership is free. resources, awareness and support to SPD 1-440-250-5563 families. Includes an online forum where parents [email protected] can post questions and resources. www.connectingforkids.org spdsupport.org AMC Theatres: Sensory Friendly Films Sensory Resources Provides a special opportunity for families to Helping people understand