Caribbean Kids and Families Therapy Organization (CKFTO)

Caribbean Kids and Families Therapy Organization (CKFTO) started as an idealistic concept of an Occupational therapist and a parent of a child with special needs in 2008. It was brought to life by a dedicated voluntary Board of Directors, who set out to create a structure to provide clinical and financial assistance to families in a sustainable model.

WHAT WE DO

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is the therapeutic use of purposeful and meaningful activities to promote health and wellness. Occupational therapy at CKFTO focuses on the promotion of fine motor, perceptual, cognitive and developmental skills in children with various levels of special needs and learning differences. Through a family-centered approach, we address the specific needs of each child and the individuals in that child’s world.

Occupational Therapy Services

• Occupational Therapy – Direct one on one therapy, and case management that is client specific.
• Assessments – Individualized assessment and treatment programs with measurable goals and transparent communication of progress towards these goals with each family.
• Group Therapy Programs – Children with special needs often have difficulty connecting with others due to the lack the communication, social interaction, and play skills needed for developing relationships with their peers. Group programs allow children to practice the skills they have learned in a new environment under the guidance of a trained therapist.
• Consultations – With parents, professionals and schools.

Music Therapy

Music therapy is a holistic form of therapy that involves the skillful use of music used as a therapeutic tool to restore, maintain and/or improve a person’s physical, emotional, social, cognitive and psychological well-being. Music is a universal language; its unique qualities make it an effective and distinctive mode of therapy for both children and adults of varying needs, abilities and challenges. Music provides a positive and creative outlet for self-expression and personal growth. Music can stimulate many brain centres simultaneously such as auditory, sensory, visual, motor and emotional. It can stimulate right brain function while increasing bilateral activity between brain hemispheres. It can also assist in integrating/internalizing motor skills, increase reflexive, auditory, tactile and visual responses. Music can help bridge the gap between verbal and non-verbal expression with one’s self and one’s environment.

Aqua Therapy

Uses the buoyancy of water to facilitate movements not achievable outside the aquatic environment. The hydrostatic pressure of the water provides a blanket of deep pressure to the child’s largest organ: the skin. Unique properties of the water allow children to work on development skills such as crawling, walking, rolling and jumping.

Psycho-Educational Evaluation

A psycho-educational assessment is typically initiated because of concerns of parents and/or the school about the child’s functioning. The goal of the assessment is to evaluate a child’s cognitive ability and academic skills. The child’s behaviours, and socio-emotional functioning are also assessed. The evaluation is used to determine if the child requires special education services, and to develop recommendations to help the child learn and function in school.

Support Services

Caribbean Kids and Families recognize the importance of supporting the child’s family and will play host to various support groups to help family members understand they are not alone, although it may feel like it at times. We plan to offer parent, grandparent, father and sibling support groups.

• HOPE Support Group – Helping Our Parents to become Empowered: A parental/caregiver support group for families of children with special needs, where parents can come to find out parenting tips, information, solutions, education, support and understanding.
• Sibshops® – A support group for children with siblings with special needs. Sibshops® are best described as opportunities for brothers and sisters who have a sibling with special needs to obtain peer support and education within a recreational setting.

Camps

A variety of day-camps are held during holiday breaks, including:

• Therapy camp – an intensive therapeutic camp, combining a multidisciplinary team using fun camp activities.
• Sib-camp – camp for children with special needs and their siblings to explore each other’s strengths and weakness as well as have a chance to meet other families who have children with special needs.
• Alert Camp – a two week intensive for children with sensory modulation issues and attention issues. Designed to teach children how to “change their engine” and help them stay alert throughout the day.
• Motor Camp – An activity camp for children ages 3 to 10 with moderate to severe motor disabilities such
  as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries.

Lending Library

We offer an extensive library of recommended therapeutic books, CDs and DVDs for families, teachers and professionals to access.

FUTURE PROGRAMS

Resource Room

Available to family members, teachers of children with special needs and the children themselves. The resource room will provide information and assistance through a library, computer programs, assistive technology and the use of the internet.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy, also referred to as physical therapy, involves evaluating, diagnosing, and treating a range of diseases, disorders, and disabilities using physical means. Practiced by physiotherapists or physical therapists, physiotherapy is considered within the realm of conventional medicine.