Intensive Therapy
At Hummingbird Pediatric Therapies, our Intensive Therapy Program is all about you and your child’s unique needs and goals! These multidisciplinary intensives can include a mix of occupational, physical, speech and feeding therapy, as well as counseling.
Research has indicated children with motor delays, especially children with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions, respond better to intensive therapy as opposed to the traditional therapy format. Children with genetic disorders, spina bifida, or those recovering from traumatic brain injuries, also respond well to intensive therapy. This approach is becoming widely recognized for its incredible benefits!
The repetition of a structured intensive program, followed by an extended break, will give your child time to process, practice and utilize the new skills they learned, before introducing additional new skills and challenges. The break between intensives should ideally last between 3-4 months, giving your child time to explore their new skills and feel more confident.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Multidisciplinary intensives can include a mix of physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapy, as well as counseling.
Physical and occupational therapies support gross and fine motor goals through various modalities such as Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI), bodyweight suspension cages, reflex integration, functional electrical stimulation, non-invasive spinal electrical stimulation, postural bodysuits (like SPIO or Kyrios), and whole body vibration.
Speech therapy can support language, articulation, oral motor skills, breath support, AAC integration, and/or feeding goals.
To maximize Hummingbird’s multidisciplinary approach, therapists may overlap times with one another to “co-treat”, as appropriate.
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Why Intensive Therapy?
Intensives offer exceptional progress in a short amount of time. Many children achieve more progress in three weeks of intensive therapy than they do in an entire year of a traditional therapy program. Intensive therapy is based on the principle of neuroplasticity, which states that the brain’s connections can adapt to new demands given high repetition. That means that with the high repetition in intensive therapy, the brain will re-wire allowing the child to better execute specific motor tasks.
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What does an intensive at Hummingbird look like?
Intensives run from two hours to four hours a day, four days a week, for one to three weeks. The number of hours per day will depend on the therapist’s recommendations and take into account the parents’ preferences.
Where are Hummingbird's intensives offered?
We offer our intensives at our Elmhurst and Woodridge locations, depending on what the intensive plan looks like. Families come to us for intensives from across the country, and we’re happy to recommend nearby hotels or Ronald McDonald Houses for your accommodations.
At what age can a child start participating in intensives?
Children of all ages, from as young as one month old through young adulthood, can benefit from our Intensive Therapy Program.
What happens after an intensive is over?
During the last couple of sessions, the therapist will select specific exercises that should be incorporated as part of your child’s home exercise program. You are welcome to take videos of the therapists working through each exercise for reference when you get back home. You will even have the chance to practice the exercise with your child in front of the therapists to make you have it down. Many families continue to see additional gains for several weeks after the intensive when they keep practicing at home.
Does Hummingbird accept insurance for intensives?
Yes! Our incredible insurance team will guide you through the entire process. They will study your plan, share what questions to ask when you call your insurance to verify your coverage, and make sure you understand how to utilize your plan to maximize your benefits for your child’s needs. If we aren’t in your network, we provide all necessary invoices with codes for you to submit to your insurance plan.
Additionally, we can help direct families to grants and other financial assistance options to support the costs of intensives.
Get Started Today
Share your child’s specific needs, and we’ll let you know all we have to offer. Contact our team to start the journey!