FARMINGTON -- Students at Kids Unlimited Learning Academy in Farmington don't have to leave their preschool to receive therapy and medical services.
The learning academy provides day treatment for children age six weeks to kindergarten, according to director Chloe Saffold. Student's physical and occupational therapy is integrated into their daily routine and extended into their time in the classroom, she said.
The on-site services are not only convenient for parents, but offer children stability and therapeutic services integrated into their daily routine. The goal is to get students ready for kindergarten and if possible for students to progress until they no longer need therapy.
"We see such huge progress in an inclusive environment," Saffold said.
There is a big need for integrative services in the community and Kids Unlimited Learning Academy draws students from across Northwest Arkansas, Saffold said. The learning academy celebrated its second anniversary in February. Over the past two years it has grown from just two students to more than 30, Saffold said.
To qualify for services at Kids Unlimited, children must be in need of at least two therapies, Saffold said. The learning center is equipped to take care of any type of need, she said. Staff members do developmental testing on all students and sets goals for them to meet in the classroom at at therapy, she said.
The learning academy has two speech therapists, an occupational therapist, an occupation therapy assistant, two physical therapists and one nurse on staff. The team of therapists are employees, not just contractors who work a few hours a week, so they are able to spend more time with students and build relationships, Saffold said.
Another bonus is that all of the teachers on staff have bachelor's degrees in early childhood education or development, she said.
"The teachers are wonderful," Saffold said. "We couldn't do what we do without them."
The learning center started with leased space, but moved into its own building, located at 120 Southwinds Road, Suite 2 in Farmington, in November 2015. The new facility has three classrooms, therapy rooms and a sheltered outdoor playground. It also features a sensory room where students can calm down and play with safe toys or watch a bubble wall.
The classrooms for preschool age kids are very structured so that students feel secure. Teachers keep a visual schedule on the wall so that students know what to expect next. They also keep cards with pictures of emotions so that non-verbal kids can point to the picture that shows how they are feeling, Saffold said.
The school uses a program called Handwriting Without Tears to teach students handwriting skills and letters that not only teaches the alphabet, but also helps students develop fine motor skills, Saffold said. Even the youngest students can participate in handwriting, which is broken down into developmentally appropriate stages.
They learn that letters are comprised of big curves and little curves, and big lines and little lines, Saffold said. They begin to make letters out of wooden pieces and progress to drawing their letters on their personal chalk boards or forming them out of roils of play-dough, she said.
With all of the support that Kids Unlimited Learning Academy provides children, several students have gotten back on track developmentally and grown out of the school, Saffold said. For students that are behind developmentally, early intervention is critical, she said.
"It's so important for parents to be proactive and get (their children) the help they need," Saffold said.
Kids Unlimited Learning Academy also has locations in Cabot, Searcy and Fort Smith. For more information, visit mykidsunlimited.com or call 479-300-6400.
General News on 04/27/2016