Heartspring

October is National Physical Therapy Month! This recognition raises awareness about the benefits of physical therapy and celebrates the professionals who dedicate their careers to transforming lives through therapeutic interventions. At Heartspring, physical therapists help children target and improve their mobility, strength, range of motion, endurance, balance, coordination, and gross motor development. While we serve all children, we specialize in helping children with neurodevelopmental disabilities or delays. Do you know a child who could benefit from our physical therapy services? Contact our Outpatient Services at 316-634-8710 today!

Our students had a blast at AMC seeing The Wild Robot movie! This special experience included movie theater snacks and a sensory-friendly viewing experience where our kids were free to move around and watch the movie with the sound lowered and the lights on. If you're looking for your own sensory-friendly movie showing, AMC offers their Sensory Friendly Film Program featuring a family-friendly movie on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. These experiences wouldn't be possible without our wonderful staff who support our students, and we're so happy to have our kids out in the community!

Autism and neurodevelopmental delays or disability diagnoses are on the rise around the country. In Kansas alone, autism diagnoses rose 324% while developmental delays rose 177% from 2005-2022 according to data from the Kansas State Department of Education. Children develop rapidly in their first few years of life, and we know how vital early intervention is for children with neurodevelopmental delays or disorders. We’re committed to turning possibilities into realities for the families who walk through our doors and meet the demand for care in our region.

Ashly Elliott, the Interdisciplinary Therapies Clinical Manager in our Therapeutic School, and Nikki Bina, the Interdisciplinary Clinical Manager in our Outpatient Services, represented Heartspring at the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (KSHA) conference yesterday! KSHA provides innovative professional development opportunities, works to increase community awareness of the professions and the consumers they serve, and advocates for the professions and individuals with communication disorders.

The need for pediatric neurodevelopmental care is on the rise. Did you know that 1 in 6 children aged 3-17 have a developmental disorder, according to the CDC? That’s nearly 17% of children in the United States with impairments in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas, including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, hearing loss, and other developmental disabilities. Heartspring is committed to providing therapies and special education for pediatric neurodevelopment so every child can unlock their full potential.

Our Caffeine Connection program is a part of our Therapeutic School’s employment training curriculum! Students get experience handling transactions, interacting with customers, making coffee, and selling snacks. You’ll notice a unique pick-and-pull menu where customers can show students a visual cue to help them identify items. The program is great training for our students and provides staff and community pick-me-ups, too!

Moniqueka Holloway, our Chief Compliance Officer and Heartspring Therapeutic School Executive Director, was selected for the 2024 Wichita NAACP Ron Walters Civic Leadership Award! She will be recognized at the Wichita NAACP 2024 Freedom Fund Banquet on October 19. This award’s central purpose is to enhance and develop transforming leaders tackling the challenges of the 21st century. This person works to develop and provide humane, effective, and timely leadership to improve the overall quality of life and civic engagement of African Americans and empower African Americans to improve their own lives and expand their opportunities to fully participate in American social, economic, and political life. Moniqueka was selected for the award for her service as a NAACP College advisor, a member/president of WSU’s African Faculty and Staff Association, WSU’s President Diversity Council liaison, and in her current role on the KHRC and KFDA boards. For more information about the Wichita Branch NAACP and the Freedom Fund Banquet, visit their website at https://zurl.co/qkUr.

What started as an educational observation turned into a 31-year career for Lisa Jones in the Heartspring Therapeutic School! Before she left, she sat down with us to share advice for new employees, favorite memories and student stories, as well as what she learned along the way. Congratulations on your retirement, Lisa! Read her story at https://zurl.co/YzIJ.

It’s state fair season! 🎡 For our students attending the fair, it’s a great community and travel experience. Nearly 40 students spent the day in Hutchinson enjoying the food and festivities! Outings might not work for every student, so we meet them where they are and create other opportunities to better fit their needs. For our students who need to stay at Heartspring, we made sure they got a taste of the state fair in our own backyard with an ice cream sundae bar. These community outings and campus-wide events wouldn’t be possible without our amazing staff. We’re so grateful for our employees who help our students and clients grow every day.

As we celebrate Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week, we want to take a moment to highlight our incredible staff who make a difference in children's and families’ lives every day. Direct support professionals, including therapists, behavior staff, and direct care professionals, provide necessary supports and services to people with disabilities of all ages across the United States. These roles account for most of the employees at Heartspring! Heartspring is dedicated to providing the best care for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and delays, and we couldn’t do it without our team of hard-working employees across our organization. Thank you for everything you do to help children succeed and turn possibilities into realities.