Approach
Relationship Building
Our expertise in the science of play and communication enables us to use a dynamic approach to understand and connect with children. Once a foundational relationship has been established with a child, we continually assess and target individualized, developmentally appropriate goals towards building a child's language from the bottom up.
Communication with caregivers, educators and fellow related therapists are an essential part of our practice. This enables us to understand and treat the whole child and make informed modifications to a child's treatment plan, as needed. We provide recommendations of strategies to support a child's language across their daily routines and equally, we carryover strategies from other domains into our own practice.
Play-based Approach
Play is a fun way to engage children while also providing a window into their language development. This is because play and language develop simultaneously. Children initially learn by repeating their personal experiences in play. As their understanding and ideas develop, so too does the themes and sequences of their play and language. Children generate questions and test various outcomes in play, strengthening their problem-solving skills. As the basis for childhood group interactions, play fosters self-advocacy, empathy and peer negotiation. Children also learn to self-regulate in play because they have to exert self-control, accept social rules and adapt to changes in order to participate effectively. This is why at Key to Growth, a play-based approach is central to our philosophy in our work with children.
