OSF Saint James Center for Rehabilitation and Occupational Health is the primary provider for early intervention speech and language, audiology, nutrition, social service, fine motor (occupational therapy) and gross motor (physical therapy) assessments and treatment in Livingston County. We serve most children with developmental disabilities in the county from birth through three years of age, at which time they may be transitioned into the school system.

To better meet the special needs of children, traditional pediatric assessments have been replaced with transdisciplinary play-based assessment (TPBA). Traditional assessments include a separate evaluation for occupational, physical and speech therapy. The parents have to repeat developmental and medical history three different times and often have to bring their child to the evaluations on three different days. Many evaluations use standardized assessments involving inflexible administration standards. Administration includes asking questions and asking the child to do and say specific things at specific times in a specific manner. Responses that may be reasonable or appropriate for a given child/situation may not be acceptable by the inflexible standards of the assessment tool.

Transdisciplinary play-based assessment, however, is an assessment of a child's strengths and weaknesses through play facilitated by a trained professional. The child's abilities are assessed by a staff of specialists. The staff looks at the child's play reflecting development in areas of speech and language, cognition, social/emotional and motor development. The parents are involved in the observation/assessment as facilitators and reporters, identifying what they feel are strengths and weaknesses of the child as it relates to their family.

"TPBA is a natural, functional approach to assessment," according to author Toni Linder, an expert in the field. "Developed to enable a team to create an accurate, intricate, dynamic portrait of a child, TPBA allows cross-disciplinary analysis of development level, learning style, interaction patterns and other relevant behaviors."

Following an assessment, we will discuss your child's strengths and opportunities for growth. If therapy is unwarranted we will work with you to provide an intervention schedule that fits your family's needs. We accept insurance, Illinois Department of Public Aid, private pay and State of Illinois Early Intervention funding.