Pediatric alternatives in creative therapy (PACT)
Call 847-990-5350Advocate Health Care provides award-winning pediatric rehabilitation and therapy services to all of our patients who need them - but we recognize that children with special medical needs can benefit from more specialized rehabilitation care. That's why we offer Pediatric Alternatives in Creative Therapy (PACT), at Advocate Condell Medical Center.
PACT is a unique medical support service in Lake County for children and teens with neuromuscular disorders like spina bifida, cerebral palsy, head trauma, and spinal cord injuries, as well as those with developmental delay and speech-language disorders.
PACT also treats children with genetic and congenital anomalies, structural abnormalities, like cleft palate, and hearing/vision problems, sensory integration dysfunction and those receiving radiation or chemotherapy treatments.
To learn more about PACT, call 847-990-5350.
Visit our space by taking a virtual tour of Advocate Condell Medical Center's pediatric rehabilitation area.
About PACT
Affiliated with Condell's Department of Rehabilitation Services, PACT became the first hospital-based program of its kind in Lake County in 1992. Today, PACT serves approximately 200 families and the demand for its services continues to grow.
Features of the PACT program include:
- Interdisciplinary team of professionals, including physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists
- Partnerships with the family, school, physician and community to provide comprehensive intervention
- Individualized treatment program for each child
- Community leadership as the first hospital-based program of its kind in Lake County serving about 200 families
- Outreach programs in schools, community groups and religious organizations
We know children with unique needs and their families sometimes require special support and attention. Our goal is to help your child and your family meet these challenges, supporting you through every stage of your child's development.
For more information on our services, call 847-990-5350.
Services we provide
- Neonatal assessment
- Developmental assessment and intervention
- Neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT)
- Augmentative communication
- Oral motor assessment and intervention
- Feeding assessment and therapy
- Sensory integration
- Hearing screenings
- Adaptive equipment assessment and recommendations
- Cognitive retraining
- Casting, orthotics and splinting
- Tympanometry
- Myofascial release and soft tissue management
- Aquatic therapy
- Motor/sport groups
- Craniosacral therapy techniques
- Home instruction
- Parent networking
Age-specific care
Newborn to age three
For newborns and children up to age three, we provide developmental screenings and evaluations, as well as on-going interdisciplinary support for your family. Together, we then set functional goals using a wide variety of techniques and approaches, including:
- Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT)
- Instructional home programs
- Assessment of oral-motor function influencing the ability to eat and speak
- Hearing screenings
- Enhancement of your child's self-esteem
Ages three to five
For children ages three to five, we:
- Focus on your child's ability to function independently.
- Provide instruction and home programs to enhance your child's progress outside of the clinic environment.
- Network with others involved with your child's development to ensure coordination of care.
- Recommend adaptive equipment and approaches for eating, communications and mobility.
Five years old and beyond
For children five years of age and older, we:
- Facilitate higher level motor skills, dynamic balance and reinforce skills learned between ages three and five years old.
- Focus on function in your child's environment.
- Introduce the child to adaptive sports.
- Enhance learning strategies.
- Facilitate communication and function into later years of childhood.
Sensory defensiveness disorders program
PACT has experienced registered occupational therapist specialized who will work with your child and family sensory defensiveness and its treatment. An estimated 12 and 17 percent of all children have some degree of sensory integration dysfunction and diagnosis is a critical first step toward successful treatment. If your child has many sensory complaints – about the tags and seams in shirts and, the texture and flavor of certain foods, oversensitivity during haircuts or the sound of someone chewing – consider an evaluation. Over- under-sensitivity to touch, movement or other sensory stimuli are some of the most common issues that parents discuss with therapists associated with sensory defensiveness disorder.
Our specialized occupational therapy program can be an effective means of treating sensory defensiveness.
Unique therapy in the snoezelen sensory room
Using a grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, PACT has created a "Snoezelen Sensory Room."
Produced by a variety of light projectors and wheels, shimmering fiber optic light curtain and calming music cassettes, the interactive sound and light walls of the Snoezelen Sensory Room provide opportunities to enhance children's awareness of their environment through the senses of sight and hearing, while helping stimulate their motor movements. This multi-sensory experience is also effective in helping children block out distractions, remain focused, and achieve calmness, which is optimal to the progress of therapy.
The idea of the Snoezelen Room began in the 1970's with the help of Holland psychologist Ad Verheual. Working in a center for individuals with disabilities, Verheual began studying how people react to their environments. As his study progressed, he introduced smells, music, touch and taste to those with whom he worked within the center. He also experimented with creating active and relaxing environments. It was through this study that the multi-sensory room was developed.
Verheual then published his findings with colleague, Jan Hulsegge, entitling the book "Snoezelen," which comes from two Dutch words that mean, "sniff" and "doze." As a result of his findings and book, The Snoezelen concept was introduced to various centers across the world.
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