Some find that their speech & language has been affected, while others may find that they have lost the ability to walk or move their limbs as well as they used to. They will subsequently require very different treatments and therapies. By creating a personalised care plan for each individual, their exact needs can be identified and managed in a way that is best-suited to their specific circumstances.
For the NHS – and often despite the best of efforts – limited resources and overworked staff can prevent this from being properly implemented. Adding Local Education Authorities to the equation can also make the situation much more complicated. Many parents of children with autism have reported how difficult it is to coordinate services relating to their child’s health, education and social-emotional wellbeing. While the services are available on the NHS, they are often in separate departments; an occupational therapist, speech and language therapist and physiotherapist may not be able to share relevant information as easily as they might like. Even pooling together to share the cost of mutual (and often expensive!) resources such as Talk Tools or Colourful Semantics is practically unheard of.
I.T.S. takes a multi-functional approach, ensuring that all areas of the client’s needs are met. Assessment and therapy is integrated – meaning that professionals from speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology and creative-expressive therapy can be involved if necessary. This integrated approach ensures maximum communication between each speciality – and that the client is receiving the best care possible. An integrated approach like this is particularly beneficial for individuals with complex conditions such as autistic spectrum disorder, where a number of different professionals may be involved at any one time.
Visit ITS’ Contact page for more information about how ITS may be able to support you or your family.
