Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation

Children sometimes require special help as they grow and develop. We can provide expert help to children ranging from newborns through age 16 for physical, sensory, motor, speech, language, cognition and academic difficulties.

Our programs are family-centered, so parents and siblings can participate in therapies and learn how to best enhance their loved one’s strengths. We coordinate each child’s treatment program with their family, appropriate community resources and physician.

Families start by meeting with an experienced case manager to discuss their concerns. Evaluations and service options are reviewed at that time. Once a child begins treatment, progress is continually reviewed and re-evaluations are done every six months.

We emphasize setting realistic, attainable treatment goals and work toward helping children in our programs access appropriate community resources.

To learn more about the Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation services we provide, please call us at 303-415-4450. Services are offered at our new home in the Erie Medical Center. A physician referral is often required and generally recommended. Services are covered by most insurance plans. Please check with your insurance company for more information.

Our Outpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation Team

Our multidisciplinary treatment teams coordinate your child’s care and ensure that treatment goals are being met in a timely manner. You and your child may work with any or all of the following specialists:

• Augmentative communication specialist
• Case manager
• Feeding specialist
• Occupational therapist
• Physical therapist
• Psychologist
• Speech-language pathologist

Conditions We Treat

We can help infants who have difficulty with:

• Breastfeeding or eating
• Movement, coordination and balance
• Floppy or stiff muscle tone
• Sustaining controlled movement

We provide a range of therapies for children who:

• Have difficulty with fine and gross motor coordination
• Are overly sensitive to movement, sound, or being touched
• Are easily overstimulated by their environment
• Can benefit from therapies emphasizing sensory modulation and sensory integration
• Are impulsive, distractible and have difficulty maintaining focus on one activity
• Have academic and writing difficulties
• Have trouble forming sentences or speaking clearly
• Have trouble understanding and following directions

Autism Spectrum Disorders

At BCH, we are recognized for our comprehensive evaluation and treatment program for children on the Autism spectrum. Treatment is individualized for each child and emphasizes structure and routine in meeting goals. Treatment focuses on establishing and improving communication, sensory-social routines, navigating daily activities and replacing unwanted behaviors with more functional responses. Therapists work with families to create a specialized home program, and team members consult with other agencies and individuals working with the child to ensure a seamless and supportive approach.

Our team works together to provide diagnostic evaluations and ongoing personal and group treatment. The team includes:

• Occupational and physical therapists
• Speech-language pathologists
• Audiologists
• Case managers
• Psychologist

In addition, we have consultative relationships with developmental pediatricians, dieticians, psychiatrists and psychologists.

Our experienced team uses a variety of therapies, including:

• Sensory integration
• Neuro-developmental treatment
• Cranial sacral
• Cognitive behavior
• Fine and gross motor
• Speech/language
• Academic skills
• Attention training social skills

Special Programs We Offer

We offer several specialized programs, including evaluation clinics, ongoing groups and camps.

Feeding Program: Mothers and their infants can get individual help and information for problems with breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or other eating difficulties. We also use sensory modulation techniques to work with older children who demonstrate avoidance or defensiveness to food texture, color, smell or taste.

Handwriting Program: Children who need special help with letter formation for printing or cursive receive therapy individually or in small group settings. Specific programs are followed for learning letters and for improving fine motor skills in general. We assess pencil grasp and use grips, slant boards or other devices to assist with handwriting.

Neonatal Assessment Program: Our team of clinical experts evaluates infants’ early developmental skills and helps babies who have problems with fussiness, floppiness, tightness, prematurity, feeding, interacting or neurologic difficulties.

Summer and Winter Camps: Children with language, motor, sensory integration or attention span difficulties benefit from weeklong summer camp and weekend winter camp programs that include hiking, swimming, rock climbing, canoeing and skiing. Other summer groups focus on peer interaction and socialization, handwriting and problem-solving skills.

Admission to our Program

We have a simple four-step process for joining our program:

1. Start the process by completing the Intake Form, Child Family History Form and Developmental Checklist for your child's appropriate age: Age 0-3, Age 3-5, School Age

You can mail completed forms to:
Intake Coordinator
Boulder Community Health – Erie Medical Center
Pediatric Rehabilitation Services
101 Erie Parkway
1st Floor
Erie, CO 80516

Or email the forms to: pedsrehabintake@bch.org

2. We will contact your insurance company to clarify your coverage.

3. One of our case managers will contact you to discuss what services may be appropriate for your child.

4. You’ll need to provide a prescription from your physician.

Families applying for autism spectrum services have a different process. That starts with completing all the forms in step 1 above. Then a psychologist and a case manager will meet with the family to discuss the child’s history and to determine the goals of an evaluation. If appropriate, an evaluation will be scheduled.

Prior to the intake meeting, parents are asked to provide copies of any reports from other therapists or schools. This information helps plan the evaluation.

The Evaluation:

• The evaluation team consists of a psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist and physical therapist.
• Evaluations are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• A 90-minute family conference to discuss findings and recommendations is scheduled for the following week.

Tests Administered:

• The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
• The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) [parents only]
• Age appropriate standardized assessments of speech/language, motor and sensory skills
• Clinical Observation
• Parent and teacher questionnaires

Additional Evaluation Tools:

Depending on the age and needs of the child, the following may be included:

• Cognitive testing
• Higher level language testing
• Other developmental scales

Contact Outpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation Today

If you would like to learn more about the outpatient pediatric rehabilitation services we provide, please contact us at 303-415-4450. A physician referral is often required and generally recommended. Services are covered by most insurance plans. Please check with your insurance company for more information.

Services are offered at the new Erie Medical Center in Erie. ​Please read the Admission to our Program section for detailed information about our evaluation process.