PEDIATRIC TREATMENT NOW HITS THE SPOT

When 2-year-old Toni arrived for therapy at the Pediatric SPOT four months ago, she couldn't hold up her head or speak and had no muscle control.

Last week she took her first tentative steps and sang her off-key rendition of "Itsy-Bitsy Spider."

"They have done wonders," said Toni's mother, Louesia Hale of Advance.

Toni was born premature and with a defect in a valve that drains fluid from her brain. Surgery has made Toni healthy. Now she needs help developing the skills needed of a 2-year-old.

The Pediatric SPOT, provided through Southeast Missouri Hospital, offers (S)peech, (P)hysical and (O)ccupational (T)herapy designed for children.

While therapy is offered for children by many hospitals and private therapists, the Pediatric SPOT is the only program in this region designed exclusively for children that offers all three therapies.

Youngsters with speech and hearing problems, orthopedic and neurological problems and developmental delays receive specially-prescribed therapy.

Rather than a sterile hospital environment, the Pediatric SPOT is filled with colorful toys.

Toni's mother said, "The atmosphere here is for kids. They make it look like play. They make her pull and push toys to strengthen her muscles. They get her to crawl after toys."

It looks like play because that's what it is, said the therapists.

"We try hard to use all play here," said occupational therapist Jane Freed. "We don't want to force a child to do anything. They learn best while playing.

"With adults, you can tell them to do six arm lifts. But children learn best when they are not concentrating on what they are doing."

Edith Jones, speech pathologist, said, "We make the play situation work for the child. We help them learn from their play."

Jones said that a hospital setting too often is restrictive because of concerns for other patients.

"There is always the concern that the children might disturb the adults," she said. "Noisy children make you feel you are intruding on the quite atmosphere of a hospital."

But physical therapist Kelly Klosterhoff said the use of toys helps to ease children's anxieties and fears.

"We use toys and play to achieve the goals," she said. "Everything here is kid-sized, so they don't feel as threatened. This is a wonderful atmosphere for children to work in. They feel comfortable."

Suzanne Clayton of Delta agrees. Her 5-year-old son, Trey, receives occupational and physical therapy at the Pediatric SPOT. Clayton said Trey was afraid to go to therapy sessions at a hospital.

"But I have to pull him away from here," she said. "He loves it here. He's learning to tie his shoes. When we first started coming, he couldn't draw shapes. Now he can, and he is also cutting."

The SPOT also offers sensory integration testing and treatment. Two of the 1,000 therapists certified nationwide in the treatment work at the Pediatric SPOT.

The theory behind the treatment is that the many parts of the nervous system work together to allow a person to interact with the environment. Some children have an irregularity or disorder in the brain that makes it difficult for them to process and use information.

"The ultimate goal for many children is to be able to walk," said Klosterhoff. For others it is to learn to communicate or to be able to attend school.

"Sometimes progress is extremely slow, but we do see progress even as slight as it might be," Klosterhoff said. "It amazes us some of the things these kids can do."