ALS Clinic
Eye link board with ALS patients for non-verbal communication |
Catherine Reynolds is a member of the University of Virginia Health System's multi-disciplinary Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinic. Patients with ALS experience the progressive loss of muscle function. Muscles of the throat and mouth that are important for speech and swallowing can be affected. Catherine teaches patients and families to manage swallowing difficulties and assists with the development of augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) options. Many low-tech and high-tech communication devices and equipment are available to assist patients with ALS. |
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Huntington's Disease Clinic
Julie Pitti and Bizz Glover provide communication and swallowing services at the Huntington Disease Clinic. The University of Virginia Huntington's Disease Program is a Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence which draws patients from all areas of Virginia. The multidisciplinary clinic provides patients with comprehensive medical services with Dr. Madeline Harrison as well as consultation with physical and occupational therapy, speech pathology, genetic counseling, neuropsychology, social work, and psychiatry. The clinic also provides a monthly inservice for patients and families on relevant topics, as well as a yearly conference on living with Huntington's Disease.
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Encouragement Feeding Program
| The Encouragement Feeding program is a pediatric feeding program that is based on the idea that children with feeding difficulties and or tube dependence need to be treated in an environment that exposes them to wellness and holistic treatment. These children need to have improved sensory integration, increased oral competence and internal motivation to learn to eat in the most normal, age appropriate manner. The program goal is to initiate the weaning process or help a child transition to age appropriate eating while promoting normal, age appropriate eating behaviors. This is accomplished by immersing children in sensory integration and oral functional therapy in the most normal and least restrictive manner. All of our children are fed in the cafeteria with parents present and normal for age behavior management techniques are used when appropriate. We teach our families the proper division of eating responsibility; it is the child's responsibility to eat and it is the family's responsibility to provide the right environment, foods and opportunities to eat. We feel that through comprehensive, holistic treatment of sensory integration, oral competence and internal motivation, these children will become independent, normal eaters. Typically the EFP is a 2 week, intensive, day treatment program and has served over 225 children from 32 different states and 3 different countries. Outcome measures reveal strong successes in improvements in eating skills as well as family satisfaction. |