How can we help you?

(MINOT, ND) – Trinity Health’s Pediatric Therapists are offering several group programs this summer for children with special needs. The groups, geared to children ages toddler to middle school, are designed to promote social interaction and skill building within a fun, motivating environment.

‘Groups can be very beneficial for many reasons,’ said Krystal Butgereit, MOT, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist. ‘They give children an opportunity to generalize skills learned during individual treatments in a group setting, and to have a peer model to learn from or teach mastered skills to.’

The following sessions will begin the first week of June and extend through most of the summer:

Learning in Action (Ages 4 to 6) ñ Improves skills necessary to be successful in a school environment, including social/language, fine motor, visual motor, and visual perceptual skills. Meets Tuesdays, June 5 ñ August 7.

Self-Regulation (Ages 6 to 9) ñ Fosters independence by encouraging control of emotions and impulses and by gaining the skills necessary to improve self-understanding and self-regulation. Meets Thursdays, June 7 ñ August 9.

Superflex (Ages 7 to 10) ñ Develops social skills such as empathy, anger management, dealing with bullies, conflict resolution, teamwork, and making and maintaining friendships. Meets Wednesdays, June 6 ñ July 25.

Toddler Time (Ages 18 month to 2-1/2 years) ñ Therapeutic play group for toddler and caregiver, where participants focus on communication, play, and social interaction. Appropriate for children experiencing delays in language acquisition, play, and/or socialization skills. (Day and time to be determined.)

Each group will be led by experienced occupational and speech therapists. A referral for occupational therapy or speech-language therapy from a pediatrician or other primary care provider is required.

All Kids Swim (Ages 4-18) ñ In addition, Trinity Health and the Minot Family YMCA have collaborated to teach swimming and water safety skills for children with physical disabilities and/or motor delays. The program will be in a group setting with individualized instruction as needed. Registrations will be accepted May 14ñJune 1 for the classes, which will be held June 4-8 from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Fee is $60.

For more information regarding the group programs, call Trinity Pediatric Therapy at 857-5286. For information about the swim program, call the YMCA at 852-0141.