Thank You Neonatal Therapists!

September 15 to 21, 2019 is National Neonatal Therapy week!  Started seven years ago by NANT, this week honors occupational therapists (OTs), physical therapists (PTs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who specialize in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Thank you to this group of highly professional, passionate, and driven group of caregivers who dedicate their time to the smallest of patients resulting in a lifetime of positive change. 

At ERI, we know that neonatal therapists have an emotional connection to their profession and are always looking for ways to improve upon their practice. To help these therapists meet their professional goals, we have partnered with NANT and offer exceptional neonatal continuing education courses taught by renowned faculty.  Our courses teach the latest techniques and treatments that can be immediately applied to practice helping therapists improve outcomes in the NICU and beyond. The CEU hours from our evidence-based NICU courses count toward the required 40 hours of education for certification offered by the Neonatal Therapy National Certification Board (NTNCB).

If you’re a neonatal therapist looking to grow your career and improve outcomes, register for one of our life-changing neonatal courses which will remind you why you became a therapist and why you love what you do.  Visit our website and type NICU in the search bar to view upcoming classes around the country.

Music Therapy Helps CVP Patients Get Their Groove Back

As therapists, we are constantly exploring new and innovative methods to motivate patients, increase engagement, and shorten healing time.  Many therapists have found combining music with physical therapy has a positive and lasting effect on patients with neurological impairments such as CVA, autism, and Parkinson disease. But did you know that music therapy has been shown to have positive effects on patients with CVP issues?

PT in Motion rewiring the brain cover

ERI faculty member Donna Frownfelter PT, DPT, MA, is featured in the May issue of PT in Motion where she shares her personal experience with music therapy, the benefits to CVP patients, and how she has incorporated the treatment into her practice. In the article, “That’s Entertainment: Giving New Meaning to the Term ‘Healing Art’,” written by Keith Loria, Donna says, “I have used music with my patients and I used it myself when I had my knees replaced. I have seen its effect on patients – either getting them more involved with activity and motivates in pulmonary or cardiac rehab programs or calming them during stressful procedures.”

You can learn from Donna in her upcoming ERI courses “Maximizing Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Function in Patients to Decrease Re-Admissions and Reach Optimal Outcomes: If You Can’t Breathe Nothing Else Matters,” and “Treating the Cardiac Patient: Decrease Re-Admissions Promote Optimal Outcomes.” If you’re a PT, PTA, OT, OTA, working with school-age through adult clients with cardiovascular and/or pulmonary impairments be sure to register for these engaging and informative classes where Donna will help you take your practice to the next level.

Read more about how Donna is treating CVP patients with music therapy, and learn how other PTs and PTAs are treating patients with dancing, singing, and other increasingly popular alternative methods of therapy in this month’s PT in Motion. And be sure to register for Donna’s upcoming courses by visiting www.educationresourcesinc.com.

Susan Roberts’ New Book and Teachings Explore a Deeper Understanding of Psychoneuroimmunology  

As more therapists understand the strong link between neuroscience and the immune system, the interest in Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), the study of the effect of the mind on health and resistance to disease, has become a popular subject among clinicians.

Sustainable Health coverERI faculty member Susan L. Roberts, MDiv, OTR/L has used a body, mind, spirit approach developed over four decades of practice to treat patients. She is a great resource for therapists examining the mind-body connection and has recently authored, “Sustainable Health: Simple Habits to Transform Your Life.” In her new book, Susan explores how physical symptoms and ailments that many individuals experience can be mitigated by using tools for self-care based on the five-element theory of traditional Chinese medicine.

Susan will also bring her knowledge of PNI to ERI’s Therapies in the Schools Conference taking place November 21-22, 2019 in Framingham, Mass. Her session, “Self-Regulation and Psychoneuroimmunology: Using a New Model to Determine and Implement Optimal Treatment Approaches for Each Child” explores how combining PNI research with a two-thousand-year-old paradigm from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) links physiology, sensations, and emotions to optimize outcomes for children with self-regulation challenges.

Check out Susan’s new book “Sustainable Health: Simple Habits to Transform Your Life,” and come see her in person at the 20th Annual Therapies in the School Conference this fall. Susan will also teach her acclaimed course “Play with Your Food: An Integrative Approach to the Most Difficult Feeding Challenges” in New Jersey this September and in Virginia this November. Space is limited so register online at educationresourcesinc.com.

ERI Teams Up with Debra Dickson C/NDT, PT, to Offer Intensive Sensory and Motor Challenges Course

Intermediate to advanced PTs, PTAs, OTs, OTAs, and SLPs passionate about strengthening their skills and treatment of children with sensory and motor challenges will not want to miss ERI’s new course “Integrated Pediatric Assessment and Evidence-based Treatment: 4 Day Intensive Focusing on Children with Sensory and Motor Challenges.”

Taught by Debra Dickson, a highly regarded NDT certified pediatric physical therapist, this eye-opening course will fundamentally change how therapists approach physical and behavioral connections and teach new strategies including a “trauma-informed” approach to successfully assess and treat clients in clinics, home programs, schools, and other environments.

With hands-on labs, this course covers a variety of topics, including:

  • Primitive reflexes
  • Sensory-motor connections
  • Biochemical influences
  • Integrated sensory systems
  • Visual/Vestibular/Auditory Triad and its relation to Behavior/Attention and Learning
  • Behavioral Optometry
  • PTSD/Trauma/RAD Designing Trauma-Informed Treatment Plans
  • SPD and Sleep Challenges: The Science and Solutions
  • The challenges of the school environment
  • Activities to increase attention, language, reading, writing, and self‑regulation

If you are a PT, PTA, OT, OTA, or SLP looking to take your practice to the next level, register today for “Integrated Pediatric Assessment and Evidence-based Treatment: 4 Day Intensive Focusing on Children with Sensory and Motor Challenges” taking place October 24-27 in Houston, Texas.
Space is limited, register today!

 

Texas-area OTs, PTs, and SLPs Fixin’ to Earn CEUs Don’t Have to Go Far

It’s true, “everything is bigger in Texas” including the list of continuing education courses ERI is offering in the Lonestar state this year.  Our engaging courses are presented by esteemed faculty members who teach the latest, evidence-based treatments and techniques that help therapists improve their practices and patient outcomes.Texas flag on the shape of the state

And ERI makes it easy to for Texas-area OTs, PTs, and SLPs to meet continuing education requirements; we’re an approved provider of the Texas Physical Therapy Association, our courses meet the criteria approval for Type 2 CEUs by the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, and we submit our courses for clock hours of continuing education credits by the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Check out our Texas-based courses below:

Tools and Strategies for Developmental Care of Special Populations in the NICU
Instructor Lisa Kleinz
July 20-21, 2019
Houston, TX

Infants Born Preterm: Identifying and Addressing Their Special Needs in Early Infancy to Support Development   
Instructor Jan McElroy
August 16-18, 2019
Fort Worth, TX  

Baby Beats and Breaths: Therapeutic Interventions for the Premature Infant with Cardiopulmonary Compromise
Instructor Holly Schifsky
September 28-29, 2019 
San Antonio, TX

Vestibular Rehabilitation Evaluation and Treatment of Dizziness and Balance
Instructor Jeffrey Walter
October 4-5, 2019
Houston, TX

Building the Brain: A Neurobiological Approach to Assessment and Treatment
Instructor Robin Harwell
October 19-20, 2019
North Richland Hills, TX

Integrated Pediatric Assessment and Evidence-Based Treatment:  4 Day Intensive Focusing on Children with Sensory and Motor Challenges
Instructor Debra Dickson
October 24-27, 2019
Houston, TX       

Acutely Adorable: Pediatric Therapeutic Interventions in Acute Care
Instructor Siobhan O’Donnell
October 26-27, 2019
Dallas, TX

Myofascial Release and Its Application to Neuro-Developmental Treatment
Instructor Gail Ritchie
November 8-9, 2019
Pearland, TX

Vision, Ocular-Motor and Movement Strategies for Integrated Learning
Instructor June Smith
November 8-9, 2019
Dallas, TX

Feeding and Swallowing in Infancy: Implications for Breast and Bottle Feeding
Instructors Robin Glass and Lynn Wolf
November 15-16, 2019
The Woodlands, TX

Geriatric Neurology in the Medically Complex Client
Instructor Jennifer Bottomley
November 15-16, 2019
Fort Worth, TX

ICU and Acute Care: From Early Mobilization to Discharge Decisions
Instructor Chris Wells
November 16-17, 2019
Houston, TX       

Baby Steps: Building Ambulation Interventions for Infants and Young Children with Posture and Movement Dysfunction
Instructor Jan McElroy
December 6-8, 2019
Houston, TX

Intervention in the NICU: A Neurodevelopmental Approach
Instructor Roberta Gatlin
December 6-7, 2019
Plano, TX

Improve your practice and earn CEUs this year, register for an ERI course online or by calling 800-487-6530. We can’t wait to see you at one of our courses.