Therapy In Action - Special Programs

Control, Organize, Perform, Energize

Alert Program for Self Regulation
Based on concepts of The Alert Program for Self-Regulation Developed by Mary Sue Williams, OTR and Sherry Shellenberger, OTR

8-week group program to provide sensory and motor strategies for improving attention and learning in the classroom. C.O.P.E. uses sensory and motor approaches to keep the nervous system functioning at an optimal level of alertness for paying attention and learning. Although they may not be conscious of it, all people use sensory strategies in this way. If a person’s level of alertness is too high or too low for a given activity, learning and performing are greatly sacrificed.

The occupational therapists at Therapy In Action are trained in this special program that helps children and their caregivers become more aware of their levels of alertness and ways to change them. It encourages the use of sensorimotor strategies to help children respond appropriately to the demands of specific situations or tasks. The children also learn to generalize strategies for responding appropriately to different situations.

Goals and uses of the 8-week Program

Teach children and parents how to recognize arousal states as they relate to attention, learning, and behavior.
Help children recognize and expand the number of self-regulation strategies they use in a variety of tasks and settings.
Give parents and children a framework (vocabulary, activities, and environments) to help recognize and regulate arousal states.
Help parents understand that behavior may reflect a child’s best attempt to respond adaptively and efficiently to the demands of a situation or task.

Williams & Shellenberger, 1992

At least one parent is required to attend the 1st one half of each session

Groups will be composed of children with similar skill levels and of the same age group.