New Horizons Rehabilitation Services Inc.
1100 Wallace Avenue North N4W 1M5 Listowel, ON, Canada

Melissa Fussell. Mike Boneschansker Nicole Boneschansker

What do you know about Primitive Motor Reflexes? Did you know that this is something our Occupational Therapist, Ashley, is highly knowledgeable about? This is ...a really wonderful summary from www.toolstogrowot.com: A Reflex is a stereotyped response to a sensory stimulus. The Primitive Tonic Reflexes appear in infancy and are integrated into normal movement patterns as the infant develops during the first 6-12 months of life. These reflexes are thought to help the infant learn to organize motor behavior. Integration refers to the inhibition by higher centers of neurological control which modify the reflex in such a way that the pattern of response is no longer stereotypical. The reflex does not disappear; it may reactivate under stress or during activities requiring great strength. If these so called primitive reflexes are persistently displayed beyond the expected or typical developmental time period, their presence has been considered an indication that underlying developmental or neurological issues may exist. When these reflexes do not integrate, they may interfere with a child’s development of more advanced motor skills. If such a delay or disruption in motor skills exists, there may be an impairment in the child’s occupational performance. That is where an Occupational Therapist’s skillful assessment and intervention will make the difference for the child! Please call us at 519-291-5402 to book your child’s appointment with Ashley!

What do you know about Crossing the Midline? Here’s a great summary of an awesome exercise for paediatric Occupational Therapy, found on www.yourkidsot.com: Rainbows are everywhere in preschool and school craft activities and projects. This is a special one as we look at how the whole body works in crossing the midline. The "midline" is the imaginary line which can be drawn from your head to your toes through your belly button, dividing your body left from right.... Some children have difficulties integrating the left and right sides of their body. They may adjust by moving their work to one side, shifting their body position on a chair or neglecting to use one side of their bodies. When encouraging "crossing the midline", we look at a child's ability to rotate at the trunk to use their right hand in the sphere of the "left side of the body" and their left hand in the sphere of the "right side of the body". For more information, and to book an appointment with Ashley, our Paediatric Occupational Therapist, please call 519-291-5402.

As of April 8, 2021, the Government of Ontario has issued a stay at home order to curb the spread of COVID-19. As an essential business, our doors will continue to remain open. We are committed to protecting our staff, clients, and community with our safety precautions as we navigate this unprecedented time. If you would prefer a virtual appointment instead of attending in person, please do not hesitate to contact us at (519) 291-5402. Stay safe and we look forward to assisting you!

We can provide in clinic care, appointments virtually or by telephone, or a combination. We work hard to meet our patients’ needs

Treatment virtually, or both directly in home or clinic, can guide you successfully to your rehab goals as we prepare for second wave. We at New Horizons Rehabilitation Services Inc. are prepared to continue providing our patients with exceptional care during the second wave of COVID-19. We want you to know that we are here for you during this exceptional time, including in clinic and virtually. ... Virtual appointments are still available and can be a valuable component to any rehab program. There is a lot that we can do virtually in terms of education, injury management, and exercise prescription. Virtual appointments can be essential to care when a patient is in quarantine, or has a child at home and cannot attend in person. It also allows us to stay in touch with you and keep assisting with your rehabilitation, no matter what is happening in the world. To book your appointment with us now, please call us at (519) 291-5402. We look forward to working together with you.

Paediatric Occupational Therapy with Ashley! The Other 5 Senses We have discussed proprioception, vestibular and interception. Scroll back if you missed them!... Children can also have challenges with visual perception, hearing, touch, taste and smell. If the nervous system doesn’t register and interpret incoming sensory input accurately it can make functional tasks challenging. Some kids have hypersensitivity - they can hear a fly in the next room, taste the spinach you tried to hide in their smoothie, and the feel of their clothing might be a constant irritant. Kids can also be under-responsive to a sensation- they may not hear you talking to them, might like spicy sauces on their food, or may seem not to feel pain when they are injured. Occupational therapy can help by assessing sensory integration skills to determine what a child’s sensory needs are and identify how their daily activities may be affected by their difficulties with sensory processing. Contact us at 519-291-5402 or at [email protected] to book an Occupational Therapy appointment with Ashley for your child.

Paediatric Occupational Therapy - Why Do We Do That? Why use a swing during Occupational Therapy sessions? The vestibular system is our sense of balance and motion. It is located in the inner ear and it tells us whether we are upright and if we are moving or still. As you can imagine, it is important that our brain is correctly interpreting this information. Have you ever gotten off a boat and still felt like you were rocking with the waves? It is hard to ignore this sensatio...n! If a child’s vestibular system is not working well, they may slouch when seated, have difficulty maintaining a still position, have poor balance, be fearful of heights or having their feet off the ground, hate to spin or love to spin (easily get dizzy or don’t seem to get dizzy at all). The vestibular system is also closely related to the limbic system, which tells our nervous system whether we should be relaxed or on high alert. Individuals who don’t process vestibular input well tend to be on constant high alert, in fight or flight mode. This makes it difficult to participate fully in any activities such as school work, play, or family events. By using a swing to provide carefully controlled vestibular input, occupational therapists work to improve the function of the vestibular system, allowing for improved regulation of arousal levels, improved emotional regulation and improved motor coordination. Contact us to book an Occupational Therapy appointment with Ashley for your child at 519-291-5402 or [email protected]

WE’RE HIRING - ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Please see the job description and if you think you’re a fit, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected]

Paediatric Occupational Therapy - Did You Know? The 8 senses - that’s right, we have 8 senses, not 5 like your elementary teachers told you. Our 8 senses are: Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, Hearing, Vestibular (motion and balance), Proprioception (awareness of body position and muscle force) and Interoception (awareness of internal sensations).... All day long our body takes in and interprets sensations from each of these 8 sensory systems. Sometimes our nervous system gets it wrong and puts too much importance on a sensation. Think about when you first put on your watch; you notice how it feels against your skin, but soon your body realizes this is not a sensation that needs attention and you no longer notice it. Have you ever had a tag on your clothing or seam on your sock that you just couldn’t ignore- this is an example of your nervous system not being able to accommodate the sensation. This can happen with any of our sensory systems and can lead to agitation and increased time spent in a fight or flight state with a heightened state of arousal. Being in this state makes it nearly impossible to learn, focus, problem solve or communicate effectively with others. Many of our kids today struggle with correctly interpreting sensations in order to use the information from the environment and their bodies to complete functional tasks. This could present as difficulty focusing, difficulty sitting still in a chair, picky eating, emotional outbursts, clumsy movements, or challenges with fine motor skills, such as printing. Occupational Therapy using a sensory integrative approach can help! Ashley Simmons completes individual assessments to determine how best to help each child do the activities they need, want or are expected to do. Contact us to book your child’s assessment at 519-291-5402 or [email protected]!

All about Paediatric Occupational Therapy, with Ashley Simmons! It’s Back to School time! There are so many neurological foundations that are required before a child can sit still to learn and write. A child needs strong postural muscles, shoulder stability, proper wrist and finger position and precise motor control. A child’s sensory systems need to be taking in and interpreting information from the world around them, as well as from their own body. A child also needs to ha...ve the skills to regulate their emotions and attention. Occupational therapy using a sensory integrative approach can help a child to develop more efficient neurological processes to allow the child to perform everyday activities that they need to do, want to do or are expected to do. Contact New Horizons to learn more about OT services in our Listowel and Kincardine clinics.

We are looking to hire: CLINIC ASSISTANT New Horizons Rehabilitation Services Inc. is seeking an energetic individual to fill a Clinic Assistant Position to assist Physiotherapists in treatment and exercise prescription, as well as clinic support.... Key Responsibilities: - Reporting to the Owner and Physiotherapists, your main responsibilities will be to set up and apply modialities, assist clients with exercises, clinic maintenance, and some office duties. - Compliance with COVID19 policies and procedures is required. Experience & Qualifications: - You may have a Diploma as a Physiotherapy Assistant, a Degree in Kinesiology, or other related field. - Experience in working in a health related area, and exercise background is beneficial. - Facility with computers is an asset. Interested applicants may submit their cover letter and resume in confidence by August 28, 2020 to: New Horizons Rehabilitation Services Inc. Attention: June Williamson, PT, C.A.F.C.I. 1100 Wallace Ave N, Listowel, ON N4W 1M5 Fax: 291-4640 Email: [email protected] Website: www.newhorizonsrehab.com We thank all applicants for their interest; however only qualified candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please.

We are so excited to announce our new location for our Occupational Therapy patients! Located at 381 Lambton Street in Kincardine, patients can meet with Ashley on Monday afternoons. Patients can also meet with her at our Listowel clinic, or for home visits. To book your appointment with Ashley, please email her at [email protected] or give us a call at (519) 291-5402.