Interdisciplinary Assessment
The Glovinsky Center provides a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary assessment of the child and family. Our assessment process begins with the psychologist or social worker conducting an extensive review of the developmental history of the individual. This includes an assessment of the familial attachment relationships. Children are then seen together with their parents in an unstructured play session. Older children are seen together with their family for a comprehensive interview. The clients then receive psychological testing and speech and language assessments, when indicated to develop an understanding of the child or adolescent’s intellectual and learning skills. School observations and/or a Home Visit may comprise additional aspects of the evaluation. The results of these comprehensive assessments are then discussed with parents and recommendations are offered.
Individual Psychotherapy
Individual work with a child, adolescent, or adult one-on-one to explore individual concerns.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts. The goal of family therapy is to help family members improve communication, solve family problems, understand and handle special family situations (for example, death, serious physical or mental illness, or child and adolescent issues), and create a better functioning home environment.
Parent-Child Therapy
When both parent and children work together simultaneously with a therapist.
Parent Education
Parent Education groups are designed to cover special topics in child and adolescent development. Such topics include (1) the transition into parenthood (2) infant/toddler development (3) temperament (4) developmental challenges. These groups may involve a small number of parents interested in a specific topic or a larger group. They may be for one or more sessions depending on the needs of the group.
Home Visits
Home Visits are available by a staff Early Childhood Specialist.
A Home Visit may be recommended by the therapist (Psychologist, Social Worker) as part of the Interdisciplinary Assessment. A Home Visit gives the Early Childhood Specialist an opportunity to observe and understand how the child functions in his /her individual natural home environment. Feedback from the Home Visit is shared with the therapist about the child and the family. This helps in the assessment process to make a long term plan to support the child and the challenges she/he may be experiencing at the current time. The information gained during a Home Visit assists in the collaborative effort of strengthening the Home-Clinic-School connection as well. Home Visits are fun, relaxed and unstructured play in the child’s home setting.
Home Visits can also be self referred. A parent is welcome to schedule a Home Visit with the staff Early Childhood Specialist. This gives parents an opportunity to get a professional perspective and to ask and get answers to: “do you see what I see?”. The Early Childhood Specialist will collaborate with the family and suggest parenting strategies and best practice methods of techniques to implement in the home to support the child and his/her challenges. If desired by the family a therapist from The Glovinsky Center team will be consulted.
Parent Support
Parents have the opportunity to participate in a parent support group in which they can discuss their feelings and experiences with other parents who have similar children. These groups include up to five couples. The groups offer the opportunity to discuss specific patterns of behaviors and to learn different strategies to help understand and mange behaviors. These groups are run by either one or two therapists.
Speech and Language Treatment
The Glovinsky Center offers comprehensive Speech and Language Assessments and Intervention. A formal assessment of an individual’s communicative profile is conducted following an intake of the speech and language developmental history. Treatment is recommended based on the results of the formal assessment. Our treatment is relationship based, and tailored to the individual needs and developmental and communicative goals of the clients.
School Observation
and Support
School observations are done by a member of our group who first meets with the parents of a child and the child’s therapist. The staff member will have the parent set up the meeting(s) with the child’s teacher and other members of the school staff if necessary. After observing the child in the school setting, a report will be written describing the observation and making recommendations to parents and teachers. Out staff member will be available for further consultation with the parents and/or school staff.
Social Skills Groups
Social Skills groups are offered for the purpose of building relationships in the context of having fun. Our focused goals include ability in initiating and maintaining conversations, thinking of and relating to others, respecting personal space and regulating behavior within active play. We strive to promote acceptance as well as empathy. We welcome polite manners. Dyad pairs as well as larger groups are offered for various ages.
PLAY Project
The PLAY Project is an Early Intervention, Parent Implemented, Home Based program for young children with autism. The PLAY Project addresses social interaction, the core deficit of autism spectrum disorders.
The PLAY Project is a relationship based model of intervention, it is evidence based and is delivered by the parents.
In PLAY, parents receive coaching and education by a trained PLAY Project Home consultant. Parents learn techniques and the methods of PLAY so they become empowered to engage their child in a playful way and to make every interaction with their child a fun interaction.
Laurie Leeb is a certified, licensed and an experienced PLAY Project Home Consultant at the Glovinsky Center. She is available to share her expertise and knowledge with any family struggling with social issues with their young child with autism.