Able Kids Therapy

Spring Groups 2012

Children's Feeding Group - Starts March 3

This is a new group Able Kids Therapy is offering this spring. It is designed for children who are picky eaters and their parents. It will teach parents and children healthy eating habits and promote a healthy lifestyle in order to make changes that will last a lifetime. An oral-motor and oral-sensory assessment will be done on each child before the group starts, and homework recommendations will be made if appropriate. The group will meet every other week. A dietician will attend 2 sessions. Exercise outings will be incorporated into the group sessions. A progress chart will be provided to track goals. Children will have hands on food preparation experiences. And we will have a dinner party at the end of the session to celebrate. The cost of the group is $300 (can be paid in 2 or 3 installments) for 12 weeks. 

Social Skills Group 4-7 years old

This group will address regulation, engagement and the social skills a child needs to navigate in every day life. The group starts Wednesday, February 8 at 6p.m.,  and will meet at the clinic for 12 weeks. The cost is $250 per child for 12 sessions (can be paid in 2 or 3 installments). Only six children allowed per group, so sign up as soon as possible. 

Social Skills Group 8-12 years old

This group will be focusing on social skills related to developing friendships, and inviting behaviors vs. uninviting behaviors. The group starts Friday, February 10 and will meet at the clinic for 12 weeks. The cost is $250 per child for the full session (can be paid in 2 or 3 installments). Only six children per group allowed, so sign up as soon as possible.

Past Groups

Below are some of the therapeutic groups and camps we have offered through Able Kids Therapy. These are geared toward children on the autistic spectrum, but includes other kids with social skills deficits and/or sensory issues. We strive to provide fun experiences that parallel the types of programs enjoyed by 'typical' kids. Our groups and camps are run by therapists with decades of experience. We strive to balance therapeutic support and as much plain ol' fun as we can fit in!

Camp at the Coop de Ville 2011

This was our third year visiting the Stukey Farm in Carthage, Missouri. The kids we had were some old timers and new comers. We hiked, climbed giant hay bails, swam, rode horses at Mr. Brent's and a fun but spooky night time adventure walk. The favorite activities this year were climbing and jumping on the hay bails (hey they look like giant rolls of toilet paper) and creating our own crazy stories. We look forward to next year! 

ABLE KIDS FITNESS GROUP

This fall group introduced  kids to fitness.  The kids participated in a running program this past fall (2010) and a trail hiking program this spring (2011). This is our effort to introduce outdoor fitness activities that are fun for the kids and their parents. We believe this is very important, especially for children with regulation issues.  

Camp at the Coop de Ville 2010

Our second year...a day and night longer...and we all survived! Stay tuned for details, pics and links to some newspaper articles and a TV spot!

Indy Jones Group

This group allowed our kids to work on creating a story in the tradition of Indiana Jones - from developing 'bad guys' to a side kick for the hero. During spring break we took a day trip up to the Coop de Ville in Carthage, MO for a series of Indy adventures - including shooting, exploring, mud sliding (ok, only a parent did this) and horseback riding. A good time was had by all!

Monsters Inc. Group

This was a play group for all kids interested in monsters, from Sully from Monsters, Inc. to Max and Carol from the movie "Where the Wild Things Are." We included various activities from book readings to acting it out, as long as it was about monsters. The kids in the group led us in the direction they wanted to take in this exploration of monsters  -- it was sometimes a little scary and sometimes just hilarious. 

 Camp at the Coop de Ville 2009 

This past summer we conducted our first away summer camp in Carthage MO. We took 5 boys and 2 mothers with us to the Coop de Ville, a rustic bed and breakfast and working farm. The farm owner, Jan Stukey, treated us to many adventures from archery to fishing. We had an awesome water balloon fight, campfire cookout, and some of us slept out under the stars (that were in abundance). The boys had the opportunity to develop friendships, try their hands at many outdoor tasks, and learn negotiation skills to get along. By the end of the camp on the drive back home we sung songs together for over an hour. All in all, it was a great time and we are planning on going back for additional overnight campout weekends during the school year and again for summer camp 2010. 

Destruction/Construction Week- Summer Day Camp 2009

This summer we hosted a one week camp called Destruction/Construction. Kids came and took apart (destroyed) a plethora of electronic equipment to see what was there. Then we took the pieces and built robots. The kids loved it and so did we! We are planning to bring this camp back next summer as well.

Pirate Week- Summer Day Camp 2009

Yes this week was filled with all things pirate mate! We listened to pirate songs, created pirate garb, read pirate books, built a ship and had many treasure hunts and sword fights (foam swords of course). We had a swashbuckling good time.

Not A Box Summer Group 2009

We conducted a 6-week summer group this summer for a younger crowd of children. This camp was based on the book "Not A Box". We read the book, thought of many uses for boxes other than just a box. Each child made cars out of their boxes and had a great time playing in them.