This is an individual treatment program, addressed to infants up to 18 months and their families according to the needs of each child.

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ELEPAP provides daily medical support
•    Doctor of physical medicine and Rehabilitation 
•    Orthopedic Doctor 
•    Pediatrician 
ELEPAP's children are attended regularly by the following medical experts:
•    Pediatric Neurologists 
•    Opthalmologist 
•    Child Psychiatrist 
At the clinics, children and adults are seen in the following situations:
•    For first time evaluation before joining a treatment program.
•    For re-assessment after a treatment program or other intervention.
•    Motor or other orthopedic problems examination.

1. Before children are enrolled in ELEPAP’s integrated programs of intervention, there is an inter-disciplinary scientific evaluation, designed to suit the age of the child, by a health care team including Doctor of physical medicine and Rehabilitation, orthopedic doctor, pediatrician, pediatric neurologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, musical therapist, special needs teacher, psychologist and social worker.

2. For children who are already taking part in ELEPAP’s therapeutic programs, there is a Rehabilitation Team which meets at regular intervals with all the specialists and the parents in order to set short-term and long-term goals for each child’s rehabilitation.

3. There is close co-operation between the medical and the other therapeutic departments of ELEPAP, in order to assess and estimate the need for orthopedic aids and adaptations.

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The responsibilities of Social Services include:   

•    Family Counseling. 
•    Organizing and coordinating the group of parents of children who participate in the Early Education and Therapeutic Intervention Program, in collaboration with the psychological and educational department. The aim of the group is to investigate the changes in the balance of the entire family system, after the birth of the child and simultaneously to support families to gradually adapt to the new situation. 
•    Participating in the Rehabilitation Team 
•    Facilitating parents to deal with the social welfare and health care organizations according to the particular needs of each family. 
•    Cooperating with institutions of Social Policy and Education for the smooth adjustment of the family and the child's subsequent evolutionary course.

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The psychologist’s tasks include:

1. The psychological assessment of infants  with  neurodevelopmental disorders and of infants at risk. The evaluation process includes measures of cognitive ability and an examination of the infant’s  socio-emotional development. The evaluation findings are taken into account by the multi-disciplinary team during the setting of intervention goals for each individual case.
2. Supporting and counseling the families of infants with neurodevelopmental disorders.  
3.  Cooperating with ELEPAP’s resident child psychiatrist in a continuous effort to promote the mental health of children and to facilitate the management of family stress.

Assessment instrument:

Baley Scales of Infant Development (2nd Edition)

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Physiotherapy Intervention is designed to develop and improve children’s mobility and function, to promote their functional independence and to increase their participation and social interaction.

Experienced, fully-qualified, specialized pediatric physiotherapists collaborate with the families and all medical, educational and therapeutic departments to support the children in reaching their maximum potential.

Physiotherapists use a variety of techniques, incorporating fun and innovative activities (e.g., Wii)in treatment, in order to enhance motor function, to promote quality and efficacy of motor performance and to prevent impairment.

Treatment  focuses on optimizing the child’s:
•    muscle tone
•    balance and coordination
•    gross motor and functional skills
•    strength
•    flexibility
•    breathing function
•    endurance and fitness

Treatment includes inspecting, adjusting and teaching safe use of walking aids, assistive equipment ( e.g., standing frames and adapted sitting ) and orthoses.

The Intervention approaches applied are:
•    NDT Bobath
•    NDT Baby
•    Vojta
•    PNF
•    Sensory Integration
•    Electrotherapy 

Physiotherapy Evaluation is an integral part of the intervention and consists of a dynamic process involving daily observation and examinations, composition of assessment reports, administration of special tests and measures (e.g.,Gross Motor Function Measure GMFM, Gross Motor Performance Measure GMPM) and videotape sessions for all children at appointed time intervals.
Physiotherapy Evaluation helps to identify impairments and functional limitations, to establish the plan of treatment and to monitor the progress of each child.

Each child is regarded in a holistic way, with respect to his/ her personality and understanding of his/ her problems; therefore, treatment is individualized and designed to meet the unique needs of each child and family.

Physiotherapists provide support and instructions to every child’s family, educating the parents / caregivers on handling techniques, positioning and ways of interaction with the child, ensuring the safe integration of therapeutic goals in everyday life.
The holistic physiotherapy services provided at ELEPAP, help our children enhance their independence and their physical and emotional well-being and prepare them for an improved quality of life in adolescence and adulthood.

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it helps children with motor and other accompanying problems to reach the highest level of their functional independence physically, spiritually, psychologically and socially. Taking into account the diagnosis, age and the seriousness of the environment of the child, we use various intentional activities, with value and meaning, as games and special aids (tables, chairs, standers, splints of upper extremities) adapted for each case.

TREATMENT GOALS:

1. Improvement of sensory-motor-perceptual functions

2. Improvement of gross-fine motor skills of body’s parts especially of upper limbs

3. Education in activities of daily living (feeding, dressing-undressing, personal hygiene, transportation, communication)

4. Finding of various adaptations and types of devices that facilitate the functionality of the child at home and school

5. Use of the electronic computer as a tool for communication, therapy and education in a specially equipped space (Assistive Technology)

6. Instructions to the parents for the continuation of treatment programs at home

The specialized techniques in Occupational Therapy are based on:
1. The method of Sensory Integration

2. The Neurodevelopment method of Treatment (Bobath)

3. The TEACCH method

Occupational Therapy Evaluation is an integral part of the intervention and consists of a dynamic process involving daily observation, composition of assessment reports and administration of special tests:

-DTVP-2 (Developmental test of visual perception, second edition)
-ABC (Movement assessment battery for children-2)
-PDMS-2 (Peabody developmental motor scales, second edition)
PEDI (Pediatric evaluation of disability inventory)

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•    Evaluation and treatment of feeding difficulties in infants (0 -18 months)
•    Evaluation of the infant’s communication development with the administration of the Reel Scale 
•    Counseling and training caregivers

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Music therapy is part of ELEPAP’s holistic approach to intervention in order to make the most of infant’s full potential. Music therapy helps children to express their emotions and provides them with opportunities for relaxation and stress relief. It promotes an infant’s mental balance and ensures the development of imaginary thinking and the growth of communication skills.


* Individual sessions of music listening, improvisation and musical play, where children assume the double role of listener and creative artist

* Intervention at the level of direct interpersonal communication. According to the theory of intersubjectivity (Trevarthen, 1982), early interpersonal communication is organized according to the principles of music. In this sense, music becomes a mediator of early socio-emotional and cognitive development. The use of music plays a crucial role in the acquisition of language (communication sequences between mother and infant, baby songs for emotional support).

* Music therapy promotes infants’ attention span  and  strengthens their ability to discriminate between  sounds. Furthermore, music can also facilitate mothers’ relationship to their new-born children (acceptance, bonding).

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In a specially designed area, the intervention is a valuable source of sensory experience, useful for a wide variety of ages and diagnoses of children, which leads to relaxation, pleasure and stimulation of senses. In addition, the area offers opportunities for the development of social, cognitive and motor-functional abilities as it is the ideal environment to encourage movement, expression, exploration, creative and imaginative play.

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The baby therapeutic swimming program focuses on the early psychomotor and emotional well being of babies. The parents and the babies (6 to 18 months) participate with the guidance of two specialized physical therapists (N.D.T Baby, S.I, Advanced Halliwick, Lifesaving). Baby therapeutic swimming is important and multidimensional. We create an interactive environment of safety, joy and acceptance in their mother’s arms, enriched with songs and therapeutic games and we aim at the familiarization of infants with water and the development of trust. Moreover, as water has a calming effect, it contributes to muscle relaxation while at the same time provides multiple sensory activation and enhances socialization, improving social, emotional and cognitive development of infants.