New pediatric therapy centres in Westmount and Pointe Claire

• In 2006, more than 390,000 children under 15 were affected by developmental delays, including language and learning in Canada
• According to the Autism Canada Foundation, 1 in 150 children are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Canada (2008)
• The average wait time for an assessment in Canada is generally believed to range between 6 months to one year

Parents know the joy when their child begins to lift their head, starts to turn over, say their first word and begins to read. For the family of a child who suffers from a developmental delay or disorder what happens after this discovery is not always simple. In many cases seeing a professional can be challenging. Collage Pediatric Therapy launched private pediatric therapy centres in Westmount and Pointe Claire to provide families with this additional resource and means of accessing the expertise and answers they need to be able to intervene at the earliest stage in their child's development.

"When parents notice their child is not meeting important developmental milestones or simply that something just isn't right, it naturally causes distress and worry," says Jennifer Sailofsky, BSc PT, lead physiotherapist with Collage Pediatric Therapy. The team of licensed professionals provides therapy services in a multidisciplinary setting exclusively for children in centres located in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. "The most common reaction parents have is to look for answers by seeking help from professionals.  In fact, we cannot emphasize enough how important it is to intervene early and have your child seen by a therapist. Unfortunately, in many cases having a child assessed and treated in the public system can mean a considerable amount of time on a wait list."

With a location in Westmount and the recent opening of another centre in Pointe-Claire, Collage Pediatric Therapy is staffed with speech language pathologists, child psychologists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists. The practice's multidisciplinary approach allows families to benefit from a coordinated team of experts working together to provide family-centered and evidence- based care. Collage therapists offer assessments of specific delays and disorders as well as individualized therapy sessions in order to best suit each child's needs.

Costs for the private therapy services are based on an initial assessment followed by individual treatment plans. In additional to flexible payment options, families meeting certain household income requirements may qualify for funding from certain foundations.

The Centres are experienced in assessing and providing treatment for a number of childhood disorders and disabilities including ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fine and Gross Motor Delays, Reading Disorders, Global Developmental Delay, and Learning Disabilities, among others.