Taking Your Child’s Potential to New Heights

Young girl from Kidz Therapy Zone holding ribbon awards
Kidz Therapy Zone

Trusted Pediatric Therapy Clinic

At Kidz Therapy Zone, our mission is to help children grow and reach their fullest potential. Located in Chambersburg, PA, our pediatric therapy clinic provides a wide range of programs for children of all ages.

Our Services

Our team of highly trained, experienced, and licensed therapists and assistants evaluate children on an individual basis. We provide comprehensive evaluations for every child, working closely with their pediatrician and specialists to optimize their treatment plan.

By identifying every child’s unique needs, we then personalize a therapy program built around play ‒ because we believe children learn and develop best when they’re relaxed and having fun. Our goal is to help your child achieve their goals and developmental milestones and maximize their functional independence, all while involving the family in their journey!

Occupational Therapy

The main role in a child’s life is to interact and play with other children. Occupational therapy assists children and young adults, with or without a medical diagnosis, develop the fine and gross motor skills they need to function independently. Occupational therapy can teach a child to perform daily activities they find difficult, all while addressing social, behavioral, sensory, motor, and environmental issues.

Physical and mental impairments, injuries, and disabilities can hinder a child’s ability to perform simple, everyday tasks, perform in school, and enjoy life to the fullest. A child who is delayed in reaching their developmental milestones or struggles to hold objects, chew food, or maintain their balance and coordination may be candidates for occupational therapy. Occupational therapy can also benefit children who are easily distracted or struggle to cope with their emotions.

We take a holistic approach to occupational therapy, addressing an array of cognitive, social, behavioral, sensory, motor, and environmental issues through play, socialization, and practicing daily tasks like going to the bathroom, writing, eating, grasping objects, and self-care. Many of our children in occupational therapy focus on developing their eye hand coordination, ability to grasp objects, as well as their fine and gross motor skills through activities like walking, jumping, climbing stairs, and running.

Physical Therapy

Pediatric physical therapy can improve the lives and daily functions of children who suffer from a wide range of injuries and congenital conditions. Our physical therapists will evaluate your child and individualize a plan to enhance their mobility and enable them to move through their environment independently. Our physical therapy programs address an array of mobility issues, including poor range of motion, decreased flexibility, weakness, poor posture/balance/coordination, and difficulty walking.

Every physical therapy program is individualized to the child and their needs. In physical therapy, we focus on developing the child’s fine and gross motor skills through activities like walking, jumping, climbing stairs, and running.

We develop individualized rehabilitation and prevention programs for children with musculoskeletal movement issues. We also assist child athletes in preventing and overcoming injuries.

Social Skills Group

Our social skills group uses the Social Thinking® model to enhance interaction, utilize learned behaviors, strengthen communication, and improve social skills in a safe and interactive learning environment. We strive to help every child adapt to their environment, regulate their emotions, develop problem-solving skills, and nurture strong relationships with family members and peers.

Many children can benefit from our social skills group, including those with learning disabilities and behavioral issues. Our goal is to help every child control their emotions and navigate social interactions positively and confidently, no matter the situation or their peers. This program helps children develop the skills to maintain conversations, respond positively, ask for help when they need it, understand social cues and body language, and overcome communication challenges.

Snoezelen Room

The Snoezelen Room is a multi-sensory environment that is used by therapists and clinics around the world. The soothing and stimulating environment of the Snoezelen room provides a variety of stimuli (lighting effects, colors, sounds, music, and scents) to help children focus, use their senses, develop body awareness, and better prepare themselves for learning. It also promotes the child’s ability to communicate.

ADLs & IADLs

Our occupational therapists work with children who struggle with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)

The six basic ADLs consist of routine, daily self-care activities people do everyday to survive. ADLs serve as a measurement of an individual’s ability to function independently without assistance. They include:

  • Eating
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Mobility
  • Toileting
  • Continence

IADLs consist of money management, shopping, meal preparation, house cleaning, medication management, transportation, companionship, mental support, and more.

Children who struggle to carry out and fulfill the basic ADLs or IADLs can experience physical and cognitive health problems. At Kidz Therapy Zone, we do not stop seeing our patients when they turn 21 years old, and will continue to work with them and support them in their journeys to becoming independent adults.

Concussion Clinic

Has your child recently experienced a concussion, or do you suspect your child may have one?

The concussion clinic at Kidz Therapy Zone combines the expertise of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to evaluate, treat, and help children recover from concussions.

Individuals who’ve suffered a concussion can experience difficulty thinking and concentrating, as well as:

Physical

  • Headache/pressure in the head
  • Balance issues
  • Fuzzy/blurry vision
  • Sensitivity to noise/light
  • Dizziness
  • Lethargy
  • Ringing in ears
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Slurred speech

Emotional

  • Feeling slow
  • Irritability
  • Sadness
  • Emotional
  • Nervous/anxious

Those with concussions can also experience sleep issues.

Speech Therapy

Nothing is more frustrating to a child than the inability to effectively communicate. Whether your child struggles with articulation, stuttering, or has issues with receptive-expressive language, our speech therapists will evaluate your child’s needs and develop an individualized treatment plan that incorporates speech, language, and communication.

Speech therapy involves physical exercises to strengthen the child’s speech muscles. We also practice speech drills to improve the child’s ability to produce sounds and articulate them clearly.

Here is a breakdown of some of the common issues we address in speech therapy:

Articulation focuses on producing sounds so they are clear and understood by others. Children who struggle to articulate sounds and words can also struggle to express themselves and convey their needs and wants. Articulation issues can eventually hinder a child’s reading, writing, and spelling skills.

Stuttering occurs when a child stumbles over their words, interrupting their flow of speech. Children can also struggle with prolonging sounds. Some may not be able to convey certain sounds or pronounce specific syllables clearly. Not only does stuttering affect a child’s ability to communicate but can also affect their self-esteem and social relationships.

Expressive/Receptive Language is a common developmental language disorder. Children can struggle to express themselves, understand what others are saying, or a combination of both.

Swallowing/Feeding Therapy

Our feeding clinic integrates a play-based program to teach picky or problem eaters that food can be fun. Food therapy helps a range of children with varying feed difficulties, including those with autism and sensory integration issues. When evaluating children for swallowing/feeding therapy, we focus on sensory, motor, oral, and behavioral/learning factors. The sooner families address their child’s feeding issues, the sooner it will benefit the child’s relationship with food and their associated behaviors and physical growth.

Here at Kidz Therapy Zone, we take the SOS Approach to Feeding. This play-based program teaches children the various ways food can be fun. While eating and engaging with food, we look to see which sensory, motor, oral, and behavioral/learning factors may be contributing to their feeding difficulties.

Because it’s a learned process, some children can struggle to swallow properly or without difficulty. Dysphagia is also a common swallowing condition that can make it difficult to swallow certain foods and liquids, or any at all. Children with dysphagia may also spit up their food, cough, or choke while eating and drinking. Developing the child’s oral motor skills is essential in developing their ability to not only swallow and feed, but also to speak and communicate.

Galileo® Therapy

Galileo Therapy helps children develop and retain muscular strength and improve their posture, coordination, and balance. Galileo Therapy supports children with various disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, degenerative muscular ailments, and neurological problems.

This type of therapy utilizes a machine that emits high-frequency vibrations and triggers reflex reactions in the muscles. The movements of the Galileo mimic the natural human gait motion. As the child’s pelvis tilts in unison with the machine, their muscles contract and develop strength.

Sensory Processing

Early on in life, children can develop aversions to certain textures, sounds, sights, smells, and tastes. It’s not uncommon for these children to respond extremely to stimuli in their environment by throwing tantrums or exhibiting clumsiness, poor body awareness, hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity (under-sensitivity), or a high/low tolerance to pain.

Kidz Therapy Zone takes a play-based approach to addressing sensory processing issues. We individualize the program to every child’s unique needs. It’s also common for us to integrate occupational therapy or other forms of therapy to help children learn to cope with noise, tactile, texture, or visual stimuli.

Communication Devices (AAC)

Children experiencing a delay or halt in their language and communication development may be eligible for communication devices, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). These speech-generating devices support individuals who do not have the ability to speak as their primary means of communication. They are designed and programmed to speak for the child and help them develop the ability to interact and communicate with others.

Children with language development issues are more prone to behavioral and social problems. Frustrated with their inability to speak and express themselves, these children will often throw tantrums or become combative. AAC therapy addresses language development issues head-on, decreasing inappropriate behaviors in the process.

Whether your child needs short or long-term AAC, our LAMP Certified and trained staff will assist our patients with all of their communication device needs. As a center of excellence for AAC, we offer assessments for AAC, as well as support in helping families secure their own communication devices.

Astronaut Training

Our Astronaut Training program targets the vestibular, visual, and auditory systems. It is designed to help children improve body control, spatial awareness, perception, academic performance, and ability to locate sound.

Kidz Therapy Zone

Our Facility

Our staff of speech, occupational, physical, and specialized therapists regularly undergo Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ACC) trials to better connect with our patients. We work closely with other specialists and doctors to maximize every child’s care plan.

Our facility is adaptable for a wide range of needs. We are the only clinic in the region to offer Galileo®Therapy, and one of few pediatric centers to feature both a feeding clinic and Snoezelen room.

Kidz Therapy Zone therapist working with a young girl
Child playing a carrot into a shape-sorting game
Kidz Therapy Zone

Why Outpatient Therapy?

There are a lot of myths surrounding outpatient therapy. Kidz Therapy Zone wants to try to put some of those common myths to rest. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us!

“My child already gets therapy at preschool or school, so my child doesn’t need outpatient occupational or speech therapy, too.” FALSE

My child won’t benefit from both outpatient and school therapy.” FALSE

“ My child doesn’t qualify for occupational or speech therapy at school, so my child won’t qualify for, need, or benefit from outpatient therapy, either.” FALSE

“My child had early intervention outpatient therapy and/or school therapy. He/she no longer qualifies, so my child no longer needs therapy.” FALSE

“Outpatient occupational and speech therapy is the same thing as occupational and speech therapy at school.” FALSE

Contact us at 717-446-0439 to schedule an appointment for your child!

Phone
717-446-0439
Fax
717-312-8998
Email
info@ktherapyzone.com

Business Hours
Monday ‒ Thursday 8 AM ‒ 8 PM
Friday 8 AM ‒ 5 PM
Saturday ‒ Sunday Closed