The Morris Center exclusively uses the research-based and evidenced-based programs from the NOW! Corporation. Click to read more about the NOW! Corporation or scroll down to learn more.
Whether you or your child needs OT, SLP, Psych or a combination of all three, The Morris Center offers all services to help treat and prevent learning disabilities. Research has proven that a transdisciplinary, intensive approach to treatment is the most effective, and our staff strives to stay up-to-date with the most current research and methods.
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Intensity (# of hours per day)
Frequency (# of days per week)
Specificity (clarity of treatment program)
Ongoing data collection of program effects for program self-evaluation
Selective post-treatment assessment with standardized tests to document treatment gains
Psychiatry – Medication management or psychotherapy
Psychology/Neuropsychology – psychotherapy or executive function coaching
Occupational Therapy – Sensory Integration-Focused Treatment
Speech-Language Pathology – Articulation, Language, Reading and Spelling, Writing
Teacher – Academic Tutoring and Transition back to School Placement
The Morris Center’s treatment model differs from other learning and language disability intervention programs. Our staff is trained to treat the root of learning disabilities and not just the symptoms. Upon completion of our program, each individual will have acquired the necessary skills to achieve success both in the classroom and in life. We are convenient and convenient – one location to avoid driving to different therapists in different locations. We treat the whole child across multiple disciplines.
Short-term intensive treatments typically last 12 weeks (plus or minus 4), daily (Monday through Friday), intensely (1-6 hours a day) depending on the individual’s needs (ADHD interventions need more in school and after school support). No homework is typically involved. However, school-aged clients typically keep up with their math instruction via a home school or tutoring model. School-based instruction in social studies, science, and language arts (including reading and spelling) are placed on hold during our unique treatment program.
For elementary or middle school children, absences are allowed from public school by enrolling your child in a home school program, typically for children up to the 8th grade. For our international clients, we set up treatment programs that match your availability. High school and college students typically participate in treatment during the summer. Full-time employed adults can set up a flexible treatment schedule. Retired adults, who missed out on part of their educational experience or never reached their true learning or language potentials, can be treated anytime during the calendar year based on our flexible staff availability. Plus, financial aid is available for select families.
Targets improving foundational language skills that may cause the learning difficulty, e.g. phonological processing/decoding, the current areas of specialization are:
A unique program designed to improve phonological processing of sounds. Students become conscious of the mouth actions that produce speech sounds. This awareness allows for the verification of sounds within words and enables individuals to become self-correcting in reading, spelling and speech.
The NOW! Mental Imagery program directly teaches children and adults how to better understand and remember language. This treatment successfully stimulates imagery (being able to make pictures in your head for a given concept presented in words).
This program is a multi-sensory approach to writing – auditory, visual and kinesthetic. The client discovers the role of individual words in a sentence and colored blocks provide a visual association for that role– for example, a green block represents a verb. Language is assembled systematically and built upon, from single sentences up to paragraphs and essays.
Interaction between children has many facets. Verbal interactions are more than just oral language, they include body language, physical cues and turn-taking. Children are taught the social aspects of conversation and language and how to best interact with their peers.
Your child plays an active role in discovering meanings and uses of roots and affixes in order to successfully claim ownership of this new knowledge. This program benefits simple language acquisition through SAT-level vocabulary.
Math is introduced using a language-based approach to help students grasp foundational math concepts. This allows the student to interpret, express and reason through problems in a linguistic and conceptually-based system. Students will progress from concrete and substantive to represented and imagined, experiencing how the expressions and representations are linked.
OT provides specific instructive therapy that can assist clients in overcoming sensory processing difficulties, these occur in approximately 50% of the clients and may be one or a combination of the following:
Oral-motor and motor planning difficulty
Fine and gross motor delays
Visual perceptual delays
Somatosensory deficits (lack of body awareness)
Sensory hypersensitivity
OT works to improve overall strength, balance and coordination. Attention is also given to handwriting, oral control and ocular motor skills. This type of intervention helps build self-esteem and self-confidence.
Our team of professionals will collaborate on and provide options for interventions which may or may not include medication for behavioral management of attention, mood or behavior disorders.
Each therapy hour the client’s attention is monitored and reported. Non-pharmacological measures designed to maximize attention and arousal are integrated into all language and OT sessions. In cases where these do not suffice, medication may be recommended.
Following treatment, clients are recommended to attend to TU 2 to 4 times per week for approximately 2 to 10 weeks, with the following objectives:
To generalize the client’s newly acquired language, sensory processing, attention and behavioral skills to his/her schoolwork
To establish optimal working behavior and organizational skills
To help clients become independent and self-confident in the use of their improved skills
Opportunity to meet with the psychologist once per week for the duration of the treatment program for the following purposes:
Awareness of the treatment the child is receiving
Progress updates
Allows you to voice your concerns and questions and receive feedback
Learn behavior management techniques
