There are still some spaces available in our Spring 3 - 6 year old sessions the first one begins on March 15th 2010.

An athlete requires  more than occasional practice to become good at their sport just as it takes far more than a few hours per week of traditional  therapy for children to reach their true potential.

You may notice that there are no children in wheel chairs in our classes and some may assume that we only work with very high functioning children however, this is not the case. Many of our children come in wheel chairs, we just don't use them!

In the class children move from place to place by walking, with assistance if necessary but it is important to work on these skills as most will not learn it on their own.

Time passes very quickly and when we  help children improve their basic skills it allows them to refine those skills, apply them to their own surroundings and continue to learn more challenging skills.

Some parents have expressed a concern about taking their child out of preschool or kindergarten, however I can assure you that children will learn far more during their time here

Families from the U.S. have had success with some insurance companies reimbursing part or all of their fees including families covered by U.S. Military insurance. 

Some of the families from Canada have been able to get assistance from a number of 
Canadian charities.
  
For the past 15 years families have travelled here from all over the world to have us work with their children and many return because they have seen that it is possible for their child to make gains in a relatively short period of time.

We would like to have the opportunity to help you as well, so please call with any questions.

I will try and help any way that I can.

Sincerely,

Kevin Hickling,
Director,
Ability Camp Inc.
1-800-442-6992
www.abilitycamp.com

January 2010 Newsletter  3 to 6 year olds
Santosh Starts to Develop Independence
Our son Santosh (has a developmental delay) had turned six and was still not yet walking. His main method of mobility was creeping and he could pull himself to stand and cruise around a bit with the support of furniture. He was still going to a nursery school so come grade one the thought of getting him into a wheelchair was very overwhelming and we were quite desperate to do something about it!  We live in Ottawa and had never heard about Ability Camp nor did the therapists whom we worked with.

We initially drove down to see the place, liked what we saw and got our son into the program in May 09.(conductive + hyperbaric).  Our five weeks away from home was pleasant although Santosh had to get used to the demands that were put on him.  
We could hear most children cry during the first week but by the 2nd week they had all more or less settled into a routine. At the time we initiated the program Santosh was just learning to use the walker and it was a lot of effort to get him to do it, by the third week at the camp he was pushing the walker independently!

Today three months after the camp he is now able to take 25-30 steps on his own and is able to stand for brief period of time. We have pretty much got rid of our stroller which used to be his only means of commuting. Now he holds my hand when we get down from the car and we do a lot of walking either this way or by using his walker...the stroller is used very rarely now...In September when school opened he got a student of the month for using his walker so well .and being a pro at it....    We would definitely like to go back to the camp next year,  we made some great friends. To all the parents who want to try the camp its worth the money, its not easy or a quick fix but if you work at it everyday I am sure the results would pay off!   Sincerely Aparna.

Ella starts walking Independently!

Ella first arrived at Ability Camp preferring to crawl but she did have a walker which she pulled behind her. She could also hold onto furniture and move around and could pull herself up to stand.

We first started working with her with a walker but felt that she had potential and we chose to concentrate on teaching her how to walk independently. She was quite resistant and would drop to her knees at every opportunity however with persistence on our part and a great deal of work Ella became more cooperative over time and did very well during her stay.

By the time the five week combined Conductive Education and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy was finished she was walking over 100' independently, not only in good Orthopedic shoes but also in bare feet (which is much more difficult).
When a child is learning to walk there are many different skills that must be mastered for walking to become a functional part of their life. With Ella we practiced many different skills such as walking up and down a slope and on low stairs, how to stand up from the floor and from a seated position. We also helped  improved her balance and walking skills by having her stop while she is walking and bending down to pick up objects, placing them in a basket and standing up again.

Children with Cerebral Palsy are given traditional Physical and Occupational therapy however our 5 week sessions allow us to practice new skills and refine them in a way that one hour therapy sessions cannot do. We work on building the child's basic skills required for daily living and also teach the parent how to change their routine at home so that every minute of the day can be an opportunity for learning.

Parents, do not rely on therapists alone to help your child. You are the one who spends the majority of the time with them and the consistency provided by your day to day activities, when done right, can make a very large difference in your child's continued development!
Lauren learns to sit independently!
Lauren was not able to sit up without support, she did not have a good grasp and would use a Pony walker which supported her full weight.

Over the five weeks of Conductive Education and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Lauren made progress in many areas including learning how to sit on a stool and hold a chair for support. This was a large accomplishment for her as she learned to grasp and hold on as well as keeping her balance and improving trunk strength and control.

Sitting in a wheelchair or reclining chair does nothing to help the child build strength or coordination. When we can teach a child to hold on and maintain their sitting this can be carried on at home on a daily basis and this consistency will help her strengthen muscles and build coordination every day.
Children need to work on a wide variety of basic skills and Lauren  practiced rolling over, holding a kneeling position, standing, squatting down etc.

Things that we take for granted in an able bodied child must be taught to a child with CP or brain injury. Many parents will feed their child without requiring them to participate or neglect trying to potty train them because they are disabled and have difficulty sitting. Our programs teach parents how to help feed their child in a way that will help them learn to do it for themselves. We will also work on potty training if necessary as this is a very important skill as you do not want to be changing diapers on a ten year old if they could have learned to be potty trained.
 
As Lauren's grasping improved it allowed her to hold on while sitting, standing and stepping. At first it required two people to help her coordinate her movements in a walking position but by the time the session was over she had improved to the point where only one person was required to assist her take steps while pushing the walker.

It is very important for a child to learn to bear their own weight while stepping as this is the way that we learn to walk. There are several walkers that support the child's weight however many children have poor body alignment and position when using this type of walker which can be detrimental to their long term progress.

The skills we practice are designed to help the child not only now but in the future. Teaching them to stand and take steps while holding the walker puts them in the proper body position to later learn how to transition to quad canes, single canes and independent walking.