Kit Cat's Therapies

We a variety of therapies for Kit Cat's early intervention.  We do a combination of PLAY Project (www.playproject.org) through our local County Board of Developmental Disabilities, PT, OT, speech, hippotherapy, and her school's play based program called PALS (Program for Autistic Learners).  We have found great success in using a combination of these therapies.  99% of her therapy takes place during the work day so I have had to use a lot of FMLA in order to take Cat to PLAY Project visits, speech, OT, PT and hippotherapy.  When she turns three this fall, her therapies will all switch with the exception of one (hippotherapy/therapeutic horse back riding) will be based at her school and will enable me to resume a fairly normal work schedule so that we can start paying down our expensive therapy bills that we have incurred since Cat's diagnosis, which has been incredibly worth it. 

"The P.L.A.Y. Project® (Play & Language for Autistic Youngsters) is an evidence-based developmental intervention for families of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The P.L.A.Y. Project is the pragmatic application of the theory of DIR® (Developmental Individual Differences &Relationship-Based)/Floortime™ and emphasizes the importance of helping parents become their child’s best PLAY partner." (Taken from the following website: www.playproject.org) We do PLAY Project everyday, seven days a week.  It is the basis of how we interact with Cathleen and we break it up into many 15 minute intervals for 2-3 hours a day.

PT, OT, and speech are 30-45 minutes each and she does each of them once a week.  Hippotherapy/Therapeutic horseback riding is 30 minutes once a week as well.  The PALS program at school(http://www.sensationalkidsdaycare.com/) is a play based, peer socialization (including typical and non typical in the classroom) and classroom work.  They also do play drills and some individual pull outs modeled after ABA (but its not as rigid as true ABA) and music therapy, sensory diets and structured routines. The main goal of the program at Sensational Kids is to help kids on the learn and cope with the things that can autism can make difficult or affect their socialization, communication and learning. (conversation with a teacher at the school).  

I would love to hear what other families do in regards to therapies and intervention for their children on the spectrum.