Services – A.T.L.A.S. Training

ATLAS Training offers a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary service to our families. Our services are family directed, meaning that the family is the center of our service and determines in what way the service will be structured and which aims will be addressed. We also focus on evidence-based practice, which means we use techniques that are researched and reviewed by the international therapeutic community. This allows us to offer you, our families, a service which is comprehensive, holistic, and of excellent value that is aimed to meet your needs not ours.

We believe that the premise behind learning is fun! A friendly and stimulating environment welcomes and hosts a child/young person for their therapy session. Various toys, equipment and games are available for therapy. ATLAS Training uses primarily individual therapy to ensure that each session is uniquely tailored to each child/young person. Each session is planned in advance specifically for each child/young person and using family-directed goals as the guidelines for treatment.

Our Unique Approach

As a trans-disciplinary practice, we aim to help the WHOLE child/young person be a part of their WHOLE community, from their family, school, friends and out-and-about. Our team of very experienced therapists and facilitators work together in a unique way to help each child/young person and their family.

Our Specialisations

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy (OT) aims to improve a child/young person’s ability to be part of their family, school and social communities through assessing and improving their skills in areas that impact on their development and participation.

Psychology

Psychology aims to support children and young people in understanding their thoughts, feelings, behaviours and learning needs, helping them to build emotional wellbeing, resilience and the skills needed to manage everyday challenges at home, in school and in their social lives.

Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) aims to aid children/young people who have difficulties with speech, language & communication.

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Our Services

All our services are aimed at improving children/young people’s ability to manage everyday tasks, whether they are getting dressed, playing, reading or writing.

ATLAS Training offers an initial consultation for all parents, whether you would like to continue on to assessment / treatment or not. This initial consultation, which we call our “Intake Interview” only costs €65 and is a perfect opportunity for parents to talk through the child/young person’s challenges and to determine whether services are really warranted (and in what format).

Further consultation services are ideal for supporting parents at home or teachers at school. From managing a child/young person’s behaviour to developing a child/young person’s skills, consultation sessions with one of our therapists can help parents or teachers develop the tools to support children/young people. The cost for these sessions varies depending on the length of the session and any additional needs.

All our services are aimed at improving children/young people’s ability to manage everyday tasks, whether they are getting dressed, playing, reading or writing. We use a variety of assessments to determine where a child/young person’s strengths and weaknesses lie.

Assessment time and costs vary depending on the needs of the child/young person, but this is discussed in detail with parents before assessment begins.

Comprehensive Assessments

ATLAS training offers assessment of many skills such as sensory processing, language, motor skills, and perceptual skills. All of these skills are assessed in the context of the child/young person’s participation in their daily life activities, such as schoolwork, mixing with their peers, managing tasks at home and playing. Our assessments are individualised depending on areas of concern, drawing from a variety of specialisations such as psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy etc. Possible areas which may be assessed include:

Emotional wellbeing
Attention/Self-regulation
Sensory processing
Daily living skills
Intellectual strengths & challenges
Speech
Language
Social skills
Motor skills
Academics
School assessments/assistive technology
Play/leisure skills

Having done paediatric assessments for schools since 2003, ATLAS Training is experienced at working with the department of education and skills (DES) and is knowledgeable in what accommodations are possible and how to source these appropriately for each young person.

Our assessments are based on information from a wide variety of resources where possible, including direct, standardised assessment of the child/young person, detailed feedback from parents/caregivers and information from teachers. Each assessment is tailored to the needs of the child/young person and we use research-driven, updated and standardised assessments to draw our findings and recommendations.

ATLAS Training provides comprehensive school reports with recommendations for resource teaching/computers, etc.

ATLAS Training specialises in assessments(1) for academic placements, reasonable accommodation for certified (state) examinations (RACE)(2) and the disability access route to education (DARE)(3). Having done paediatric assessments for schools since 2003, ATLAS Training is experienced at working with the department of education and skills (DES) and is knowledgeable in what accommodations are available or possible and what the requirements for accommodations are.

Our assessments are based on information from a wide variety of resources where possible, including direct, standardised assessment of the student, detailed feedback from parents/caregivers and information from teachers. Each assessment is tailored to the needs of the student and we use research-driven, updated and standardised assessments to draw our findings and recommendations. Students do not need to have a diagnosis or other reports to access our assessments, although these are helpful where available.

Our reports will outline, where appropriate, any or all of the following:

Whether learning support or resource teaching is required for a student.
Any supports or adaptations that can be made to a student’s learning to enhance their ability to learn and develop.
Whether a student requires additional aids/appliances/information technology (such as computers/tablets) to effectively access their education and demonstrate their knowledge.
Whether additional reasonable accommodations for state examinations are needed, such as the use of computers, separate exam centres/rooms.
Whether the student requires additional support to transition into secondary or tertiary level education.
Whether physical adaptations are necessary to the environment due to motor or sensory needs.
Any modifications to teaching styles or handling principles that can promote positive behaviour in a classroom.

Note:

Reasonable Accommodations and additional resources are provided at the discretion of schools and the department of education and skills. While ATLAS Training is experienced at assessing for and recommending a wide variety of reasonable accomodation for young people, ATLAS Training cannot take responsibility for resource approval, as this is at the discretion of the DES. (cf. https://www.examinations.ie/?l=en&mc=ca&sc=ra).
Accommodations or Reasonable Accommodations in Certified Examinations (RACE) refers to modifications in how a test is administered while not compromising the integrity of the examination system. Accommodations may include changes to presentation format, response format, test setting or test timing. In general terms, the provision aims to remove the impact of a disability so that candidates can demonstrate their full level of attainment, while not given any advantage.
The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points to school leavers with disabilities. DARE has been set up by a number of colleges and universities as evidence shows that disability can have a negative impact on how well a student does at school and whether they go on to college. (cf. http://accesscollege.ie/dare).

Intervention is the vehicle for change! ATLAS training offers a unique approach to intervention, incorporating the skills of all team members into each child’s intervention plan. Thus, intervention is comprehensive and holistic, without extra expense for the parents. Our approach, known as a trans-disciplinary approach, involves all therapists collaborating and sharing their expertise. Thus, using a team approach at ATLAS Training, we can help children/young people build on their skills as well as underlying factors, all under one roof, in an integrated programme.

Our Skills

Sensory Integration
Neurodevelopmental Therapy
Interactive Metronome®
Therapeutic Listening®
Sign Language (IAMH & Irish Sign Language)
Perceptual Motor Therapy
PECS™ (Picture Exchange Communication System)
DIR / Floortime™
Theraplay®

Our focus is on providing our families with a service that is goal-directed, i.e. driven by the priorities and goals of the parents, teachers and, if possible, of the child/young person themselves. The aim of intervention is to give children/young people the opportunity to participate in their world in a more successful way. Here are the key elements of our intervention programmes:

Family Centred

The family is the most important part of a child/young person’s life, and a child/young person is often the center of a family. Because the family is the child/young person’s advocate and because of the impact of a child/young person’s difficulties on the family, families play the most important role in our programmes. As a parent/carer, you will be asked to set the goals and directions of therapy, be the child/young person’s advocate, act as a link between different environments (such as therapies, schools, clubs) and be the child/young person’s facilitator outside of therapy. Our role is to guide and support you through this process.

Evidence Based

By basing our therapies on the latest research, we can ensure that our interventions are likely to have the best success. Our therapists frequently attend courses and spend valuable time reading journals and keeping up with what’s happening in the greater occupational therapy communities.

Team Approach

Our unique integrated trans-disciplinary approach means our children/young people benefit from the skills and experience of many different therapists. Many children/young people with motor or sensory difficulties have other areas of concern, either as a direct consequent of their difficulties or because of an underlying disorder which results in multiple difficulties. For example, difficulty playing familiar children/young people’s sports, such as football may result in children/young people withdrawing from social situations and having difficulty developing appropriate social skills. It may (and often does) result in children/young people developing low self-esteem and poor knowledge of themselves.

Our integrated model means that each therapist shares skills with the person who is directly treating the child/young person, resulting in the child/young person’s (and family’s) service being more holistic and addressing more than just the motor or sensory difficulties. Thus the children/young people benefit from aspects of occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and many more, all within the same session!

Specialist Skills

All of our staff have undergone extensive training in their specific areas. Our staff consider on-going learning to be a vital part of their role and are committed to offering the best service to our families. Through our unique trans-disciplinary practice model, our staff share these specialist skills with each other, thus expanding the skills your family benefits from.

Fun!

The key to the brain’s ability to change (a process called neuro-plasticity) is motivation, and nothing is more motivating to a child/young person than having fun. Our one-of-a-kind therapy jungle is stimulating, creative and motivating and our therapists inspire the children/young people to participate and develop.

ATLAS Training uses primarily individual therapy to ensure that each session is uniquely tailored to each child/young person. Each session is planned in advance specifically for each child/young person and using family-directed goals as the guidelines for treatment. However, where applicable we will use other forms of treatment such as:

Individual Treatment – Our primary tool for intervention is individual treatment which targets the specific goals of each child/family. Individual therapy allows the therapist to spend time planning each session to target the unique interests and challenges of each child/young person.
Group Treatment – In some situations, group treatment can be beneficial for a child/young person. Some examples include social skills and adolescent groups for self-esteem and life skills.
Intensive Treatment – For some families, intensive treatments offer a viable solution. These treatment can boost skills over a shorter period of time and may be useful for families who live further away or for children/young people who cannot attend regular therapy because of other commitments.
School-Success Programmes – These unique programmes are specifically designed to develop the necessary skills for academic success.

ATLAS Training has years of experience offering support for people who live with or work with children/young people with neurodiversity. These courses are designed for parents, teachers, special need assistants and others. We provide courses both during and after hours and can even offer courses at a location of your choice. Below is a list of some courses that ATLAS Training offers. (Note: ATLAS Training is able to tailor our courses to meet individual needs. Feel free to Contact us for more details if you have any unique needs.)

Workshops for parents covering a variety of topics, including:

Monthly parent support groups
Sensory processing
Coping with behaviour
Coping with homework time

Workshops/courses for teachers/special needs assistants covering a variety of topics, including:

Promoting behaviour in the classroom
Sensory processing
Sensory processing in autism
Handwriting

ATLAS Training has extensive experience in offering reports for medico-legal cases or representing clients at meetings and/or in court. Please contact us for more details. Medico-legal reports are different from standard reports and it is essential that families who require any medico-legal support discuss this with us prior to the assessment where possible.

Catherine Milford, an experienced occupational therapist and psychologist, offers supervision for occupational therapists working in paediatric posts. Cathy has over 20 years’ experience as a supervisor for clinicians from all walks of life. Supervision with Cathy can take many forms, from direct supervision on-site in Swords, Co Dublin, to online supervision through emails and Teams video conferences. Typically, supervision includes support for case management, support for individual client issues, training and ongoing learning, direct in-service training, and support for parent/teacher consultations. As a member of AOTI and CORU, supervision sessions with Catherine Milford contributes to ongoing yearly CPD point requirements.