Studies show that children are more successful in school and life if given a strong foundation in the earliest years of their lives.
April is the Month of the Young Child and an opportune time to ensure your child is on track developmentally. However, RiverView Health pediatric therapists don’t wait for special designations; every day is about enhancing the abilities and lives of children.
“At RiverView Health, our goal is to support the children and parents in our community,” shared Rehab Services Director Caitlyn Michno. “Our pediatric therapists work to improve a child’s physical, emotional, social, sensory-processing, and/or communication skills, depending on the child’s specific needs. The team provides a broad range of skill sets and many years of experience to customize interventions for each child that they treat.”
Great Therapists, Four Locations
RiverView’s Pediatric Therapy Team comprises occupational, physical, and speech-language therapists with special training and certifications to work with children. Team members are
Occupational Therapy
- Maddie Engelstad, MOTR/L
- Olivia Pemberton, OTR/L
- Stacy Spray, OTR/L
- Marrisa Jevne, COTA
- Joan Bohm, COTA
Physical Therapy
- Christine Loff, PT, DPT
- Lily Ngwe, PTA
- Speech Therapy
- Marissa Eback, MS, CF-SLP
- Erin Jore, MS, CCC-SLP
Pediatric therapy services are available in Crookston, East Grand Forks, Fertile, and Red Lake Falls. All four locations feature pediatric gyms and private treatment rooms. Multi-sensory rooms – controlled environments to stimulate a person’s senses to help reduce anxiety, agitation, and more – are located in Crookston, East Grand Forks, and Fertile.
Thanks to assistance from the RiverView Foundation, RiverView Auxiliary, and Rydell Cars, an infant/toddler treatment space is now available in Crookston to target the needs of younger pediatric patients. The space incorporates equipment that is the appropriate size to increase participation and optimize safety as infant and toddler patients interact with the environment, Michno reported.
Invested in the Community
Getting out into the community and participating in area events for children is also important to the pediatric team. RiverView Occupational Therapist Stacy Spray is on the Crookston Young Child (CYC)
committee, for which Michno said she is grateful because it allows RiverView’s team to participate in CYC events and connect with the Early Childhood Family Education committee to help create opportunities for young children.
Members of RiverView’s Rehab Services Team also participate in outside events like the recent Autism Walk and Community Celebration in Grand Forks, where team members provide fun activities for kids and information for parents and guardians.
Working with Highland Elementary staff to bring an inclusive playground to the Crookston community, the team has recommended equipment that encourages all levels of play for children with and without special needs.
Free Developmental Screenings
Another way RiverView supports families in the community is by offering free pediatric therapy screenings for children from birth to age five. The screenings allow parents to have their child participate in a 20-minute session with pediatric therapists to determine if the child would benefit from skilled therapy services. No physician referral is required to participate in the screenings.
Approximately one in six children in the US has a developmental delay, disorder, or disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Early identification of developmental delays can help families access services that empower children and families and improve child outcomes.
“A pediatric screening is truly an opportunity for parents to bring their children in and ask our pediatric therapists questions,” stated Michno. “Helping to identify a child’s needs early in their development helps to set them up for success in the future.”
Screening provides a benchmark for tracking children’s development over time. Intervention and support services provided in early childhood can support children’s development and help them to be ready for school.
For more information on screenings and services offered at a RiverView Rehab location near you, call Crookston, 281.9463; East Grand Forks, 773.1390; Fertile, 945.5620; or Red Lake Falls, 253.4606. Services Available
Diagnoses and symptoms treated
- ADHD
- Apraxia
- Aphasia
- Articulation Disorders (sound production)
- Auditory processing Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Balance and Coordination difficulties
- Birth deformities
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cleft Lip/ Celt Palate
- Developmental Delays
- Down Syndrome
- Dyslexia
- Feeding Disorders
- Fluency Disorders (stuttering)
- Gross Motor Delays
- Hip dysplasia
- Language Disorders
- Learning Disabilities
- Post-injury and Post-Surgical recovery
- Reading and Writing Delays
- Sensory Integration and Processing Disorders
- Social Skills
- Spina Bifida
- Toe-walking
- Torticollis
- Visual Processing and Perception Disorders
The team also provides assistance with
- Adaptive Equipment, communication, and positioning needs
- Augmentative Alternative Communication devices-
- Feeding and Dressing devices
- Manual and Power wheelchair assessments
- Pediatric Standers
- Utensil modifications (feeding, self-care, handwriting)
- Pediatric Walkers
