Therapy

The aim of occupational therapy within Inspire is to promote and  enhance independence in the client’s own environment and in  the community. Occupational therapy practitioners are skilled  professionals who typically work as part of a team of professionals working with all individuals at the Foundation. Liaison with the other team members, especially the key-workers is essential. They deliver a wide range of services to children and people who experience a variety of physical, psychosocial and psychological problems that lead to a limited functional performance and decreased life satisfaction.

Furthermore therapy aims to better the lives of individuals who have problems related to atypical development and other disabilities that hinder their level of independence. Since every individual is unique, evaluation is fundamental to determine how physical and psychological problems are interfering with the performance of the client in everyday life. Adequate treatment follows to maximize and improve the individual’s abilities to perform what is purposeful and meaningful to them. Therapy can be offered on a one to one basis or as part of a group.

Physiotherapy is a therapeutic service offered to all our programmes, at Inspire. Our therapists assess the referred clients and develop a plan that focusses on their particular needs.

Particularly in our development programmes, physiotherapy is an essential service and is offered on a regular basis in order to help babies and children develop their milestones and physical abilities.

These one-to-one or group sessions are carried out on site or in the home according to need. In our educational programmes, where physical therapy is not the main focus, children still receive input from the physiotherapists and are monitored regularly.

Physiotherapy may also be offered to a wide range of disabilities and/or orthopaedic conditions to clients that are not following any of our programmes. These clients receive stand-alone therapy according to their initial assessment.

Run by professionals specialised in speech and language development, the department provides guidance, diagnostic assessment, intervention, support and information for both clients and carers. Our team works in collaboration with other professionals working with the individual and prevention programmes. Therapeutic activities vary according to the nature of the need and the client group. Sessions are offered on a one to one basis or as part of a group according to the client’s need.

The Creative Arts Department seeks to bring about durable, positive change in the direction of physical, sensory, emotional and social well-being, and to assist the child achieve his/her potential through the use of therapeutic media such as arts, crafts and pottery sessions.

Another multidisciplinary approach to therapy can be found in the state of the art multi-sensory theatres which are specifically designed environments, enabling people with a disability to enjoy a very wide range of sensory experiences, be it therapeutic, recreational, educational or just fun. The concept is to create events, which focus on particular senses such as touch, vision, sound, smell, taste, and movement.

These theatres offer a unique service as part of Inspire’s diverse programmes for individuals with physical, intellectual, emotional or behavioural disabilities regardless of age.
The Multi sensory theatre may also be accessed by individuals who do not form part of any of Inspire’s programmes. A tailor-made programme implemented by an Occupational Therapist is also availabe. For more information about the above, including costs kindly contact Philip Wade on philip.wade@inspire.org.mt or call ( 356) 21 636 526.

Inspire takes this concept a step further by providing an environment to facilitate the development of cognitive and sensory skills in a structured and interactive manner. It gives people control, possibly for the first time in their lives. It enables people with any degree of disability to change and influence their environments in a a positive way. The key feature of our multi-sensory theatres is that the clients carry out sessions in an environment free from the pressure to perform.

A multi-disciplinary approach to therapy, where a team of Speech and language pathologists, physical and occupational therapists work together providing equine therapy. Therapeutic horseback riding has proven to be beneficial to many people with special needs. The most obvious and often the most immediately recognizable benefit is physical, because riding is a very physical activity. The horse provides a dynamic base of support, making it an excellent tool for increasing trunk strength and control, balance, building overall postural strength and endurance, addressing weight bearing and motor planning. It also facilitates coordination and timing, grading of responses, respiratory control, sensory integration skills and attention skills.

Working with the THR instructor, our professional team of therapists formulate an activity plan specifically aimed toward achieving the therapeutic goals as outlined by the therapists. The activities may include throwing beanbags to a particular target whilst sitting on the horse, clipping small hair-grips to the horse’s hair, verbal commands to the horse, amongst others. Such activities can help to address goals related to sitting balance, eye-hand coordination, pincer grasp and communication respectively.

Research shows that children who receive intensive early intervention services are more likely to have improved long-term outcomes.

With this in mind, Inspire has developed a Diagnostic Centre, the purpose of which is to enable parents, who feel that their child might not be developing as expected, to have a place where to go without having to endure long waiting lists; to seek informatin and assistance.

The Diagnostic Centre offers assesments for the following conditions :

• ADHD  – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Specific Learning Difficulties
• Sensormotor Dysfunction
• Autism

There is no single test that can provide all the information needed to make an accurate diagnosis for the above conditions. A diagnostic evaluation, therefore, has many different potential components. It consists of a careful and detailed history of a person’s current symptoms (onset and progression), his medical and developmental history, any current medications that may affect the condition, and a series of tests to assess various aspects of the disorder or impairment.

Furthermore, once a diagnosis has been established, Inspire will be able to offer the client a programme or service that would be able to support the child in maximizing his/her potential.

The aim of the Diagnostic Centre is to provide Early Individualised and Specialist intervention, without the waiting times experienced when attempting to access services through Government systems.