"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13
Therapy Clinic
The Children
At Apparo Academy, children who may benefit from speech, occupational, or physical therapy are those who experience challenges in communication, daily activities, or movement. Children needing speech therapy may struggle with articulation, expressive or receptive language, or social communication skills, impacting their ability to engage with peers and express their needs effectively. Those requiring occupational therapy might have difficulty with fine motor skills, sensory processing, or self-care tasks such as dressing, eating, or using classroom tools. Physical therapy is beneficial for children who have trouble with balance, coordination, strength, or mobility, which may affect their ability to participate in play and learning activities.
Early intervention through therapy at Apparo Academy provides children with the support they need to build confidence and independence. By incorporating personalized strategies and engaging, play-based techniques, therapists help children develop the skills necessary to thrive in both academic and social environments. With a collaborative approach that includes families and therapists, Apparo Academy ensures that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential, fostering growth in a nurturing setting.
Therapy Services
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Feeding Therapy
- Occupational / Sensory Integration Therapy
- Physical Therapy
Aquatics Therapy
Apparo Academy is excited to be the only therapy clinic in Augusta, GA that offers children an opportunity to receive aquatics therapy.
Aquatics therapy integrates the unique knowledge, skills, and training of a physical or occupational therapist within another medium, water. The uniform support and fluid resistance of the water provides stability to the child and the near zero gravity and buoyancy effectively reduce the child’s body weight, making it easier to move.
Benefits of Aquatic Therapy for Children
Aquatic therapy combines the expertise of physical and occupational therapists with the unique properties of water to support a child’s movement and development.
Why Water Helps
- Buoyancy & Near Zero Gravity: Reduces body weight, making movement easier.
- Uniform Support & Fluid Resistance: Provides stability and balance.
- Constant Pressure on Muscles & Skin: Enhances body awareness and brain-body connection.
- Multi-Sensory Stimulation: Can either calm or increase alertness, depending on the therapist’s approach.
Additional Advantages
- Allows children to perform movements they may struggle with on land.
- Trains multiple systems efficiently in a single session.
- Encourages competitive play and teamwork.
- Supports speech development in anxious children.
- Teaches social skills like sharing and interacting with peers.
- Boosts confidence and overall well-being.
Key Benefits
- For Children with Hypertonicity:
- Reduces muscle tone.
- Improves flexibility of soft tissue.
- Promotes relaxation.
- For Children with Respiratory Challenges:
- Hydrostatic pressure improves heart and lung efficiency.
- For Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder:
- Encourages calmness.
- Enhances socialization, especially in group aquatic programs.
Constant pressure to the muscles and skin surface supports body awareness to improve the brain-body connection and depending on how a therapist uses the aquatic environment, the multi-sensory environment can stimulate alertness or calming. Research shows aquatic therapy promotes a reduction in muscle tone, improved extensibility of soft tissue, and global relaxation in children with hypertonicity. For children with respiratory impairment, the hydrostatic pressure of the water redirects blood flow from the extremities to the chest to improve efficiency in the cardiorespiratory system. Children with autism spectrum disorder have experienced calming and an improvement in socialization when participating in a group aquatics exercise program.
There are also additional benefits that provide opportunities for movement the child may otherwise be unable to perform and allowing for efficient training of multiple systems during a single session. Performing exercises and games in the pool can improve competitive play, encourage speaking in children who have anxiety, and learn how to share toys. All these exercises can result in better social interaction and more confidence.
Apparo Academy is an inclusive preschool where we believe that all children should be provided with access to language as early as possible to help them interact with their family and peers.
Access at Apparo was created out of a desire to give all children a voice and access to language.
Access at Apparo is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Lab in Augusta, Georgia. AAC refers to all the ways a person can communicate other than speaking.
At Access, we provide a skilled, multidisciplinary language assessment using a variety of Speech Generating Devices (SGD) to determine if your child is a good candidate, and what type of SGD would benefit him or her.
What is the process to obtain a Speech Generating Device (SGD)?
- Obtain a referral from your child’s physician for speech and occupational therapy assessments to determine the appropriateness of an SGD device for AAC.
- Call to make an appointment with us at Apparo, where your child will receive an extensive, multidisciplinary evaluation. During this appointment we will help determine which SGD might be the best fit for your child.
- Our Apparo therapist will provide you with a loaner device to take home for practice until your child’s device comes in.
- Our Apparo therapists will complete the necessary paperwork to acquire funding for the SGD from the appropriate payor.
- We’ll order your SGD, which you can pick up at Apparo Academy. You’ll also receive a one-hour training session for both you and your child to learn how to program and use your new device.
- The SGD goes home with you, and you can begin therapy with a provider of your choice.
Therapy Funding
We are excited that the clinic-based therapy program has been sponsored by many local foundations through our grant writing program and the RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program. As a result, if your child needs therapy services but does not have an insurance plan that will cover therapy, Apparo Academy will still provide therapy services through these funds and other philanthropic donations in our community.
Process for Funding:
- Referral from your Primary Care Physician
- Evaluation with therapeutic need from a staff speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist and/or physical therapist.
- Schedule therapy services.
- Submit financial documents that show that therapy services will present a financial hardship for your family. A sliding scale will be applied based on your family's need to all co-payments and/or deductibles.
- After exhausting all other funding resources, therapy services will be covered through grants that have been submitted and received.
Meet Our Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Physical Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
