Eyas Landing
Eyas Landing is an outpatient therapy clinic with a mission to provide evidence-based and family-centered therapy services for children, adolescents, and their families. The primary goal is to deliver relationship-based interventions within the most natural environments and to empower families to reach their full potential. To achieve this goal, Eyas Landing’s highly educated, compassionate staff dedicates time and expertise to create experiences that maximize therapeutic outcomes. The strength, determination, and perseverance of the clients are evident as they succeed in therapy, and ultimately in their daily lives.[1]
Eyas Landing offers a wide range of comprehensive services including Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, ABA Therapy, Early Intervention services, Social Work, Nutrition and Feeding Therapy, Family Therapy, and Neuropsychological testing. Services are provided throughout the Chicagoland area via Telehealth, in-home, and in our state-of-the-art clinic in Chicago’s West Loop. [2]
Contents
History
Established in 2007 by occupational therapist and child development specialist, Dr. Laura Hawkesworth Mraz, Eyas Landing is now the leading multi-disciplinary therapeutic clinic specializing in Sensory Integration, Early Intervention, and relationship-based therapy.[3]
Eyas Landing grew from their original location on Randolph Street to their current 10,000 sq. ft. facility on Carroll Avenue. Dr. Mraz opened a sister company — Blue Bird Day — next door in 2014. A second location at Northcenter was opened in 2018. A third location in Wheaton was opened in 2021.
Each facility utilizes evidence-based practice and effective treatment approaches with a team of highly trained professionals specializing in working with children with developmental delays.[4]
Services
Applied Behavior Analysis
“ABA” stands for Applied Behavior Analysis, which is an evidence-based treatment strategy used to decrease challenging behaviors and increase socially appropriate behaviors. The Eyas Landing ABA team is led by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with service support from experienced Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs).
The BCBA evaluates the child to determine the focus of programming and number of ABA service hours the child would benefit from. The BCBAs are experienced in collaborating with other providers or school professionals and focus their services on supporting caregivers and families.
The RBTs provide direct service with the child and family, including collecting data on programming and collaborating with the BCBA on modifications to programming. RBTs also work with the family, other providers, and school professionals on modifications and accommodations that best meet the child’s needs.
Both BCBAs and RBTs receive ongoing training to utilize the most current and relevant ABA techniques that are shown to be effective in teaching a wide variety of skills in learners with and without disabilities. The team is dedicated to helping their clients modify behavior and achieve functional communication across a variety of skills. Data collection is integral in each individual and group therapy session and is used to monitor progress and celebrate accomplishments. Therapists communicate data, develop cohesive treatment plans, collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team, and provide caregiver training for each child to ensure the best possible results. [5]
Early Intervention
Early Intervention is a statewide program that provides supports and services for families to help their children under age 3 years old meet their developmental milestones and participate within their family and community. Eyas Landing coordinates with the Illinois Department of Human Services to offer therapies to children through Early Intervention:[6]
The research supporting Early Intervention suggests that intervention is provided in the child’s natural setting and encourages the family to be involved during sessions to facilitate carry over outside of the therapy sessions. The following methodologies we use at Eyas Landing are also beneficial within Early Intervention:
- DIR Floortime
- The HANEN approach
- Sensory Integration
The goal of Early Intervention is to empower families to support their child’s development and help the child grow to participate within their family and community settings with the most independence possible.[7]
Neuropsychology and Neuropsychological Testing
Neuropsychologists are clinicians with extensive training in psychology, brain-behavior relationships, and social-emotional health. They gather information about an individual’s behavior, emotion and sensory regulation, relationships, stressors, and skills to provide a diagnosis, understand their unique needs, and identify what they need to thrive.
Neuropsychological testing (also called Medical Diagnostic Testing) focuses on assessment and diagnosis to identify the strengths and needs of both children and adults. Eyas Landing Neuropsychologists take a therapeutic assessment approach, meaning the NPs help individuals and families identify goals for testing and collaborate to identify what they hope to learn about themselves or their children in the assessment process. Eyas Landing’s hope is that, through testing, individuals can gain an understanding of themselves, their diagnosis, and their needs.
Nutrition and Feeding Therapy
Eyas Landing’s collaborative multidisciplinary team ensures the best possible therapeutic interventions are used during mealtimes. The inter-professional team includes Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Developmental Therapists, and Registered Behavior Technicians. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists oversee the mealtime preparations and communications with catering.
At Eyas Landing, feeding therapy aims to help children develop the skills they need to eat and have healthy mealtime routines. Mealtime interventions can significantly improve a child’s overall health and well-being. Our Registered Dieticians, Speech Therapists, and Occupational Therapists are trained in understanding the significant emotional impact on a family when raising a child with picky eating and/or a limited diet. Therapists recognize that feeding is one of the most complex activities one engages in during early childhood and strive to be empathetic to the needs of the children and families.
Occupational Therapy
Eyas Landing’s Occupational Therapists are experts in understanding the influence of the person, environment, and occupation and work with children and families to promote sensory integration, motor skills, and social interactions. Pediatric Occupational Therapy focuses on giving children the tools they need to gain independence and actively participate in occupations or activities that are meaningful to them and their families. A child’s “occupation” is to learn, play, participate in school and community activities, and become independent in self-help skills. Children rely on parents, caregivers, and teachers to foster healthy development. For this reason, pediatric Occupational Therapy focuses on supporting both the child and their family to develop the sensory, cognitive, motor, and physical skills children need for successful participation in everyday life.[8]
Physical Therapy
Eyas Landing’s Physical Therapy team specializes in clients 0-21 years of age. Each member of the highly credentialed team has received a doctorate that emphasizes evidence-based practice. Their diverse backgrounds in Early Intervention, outpatient orthopedics, and acute care in combination with their commitment to collaborate across the therapeutic disciplines ensures the best quality of care for each child. It is their passion for the field that keeps them fully engaged and introducing creative interventions to reach their clients’ goals.
Although an onlooker may think physical therapy looks like play, Eyas Landing therapists use evidence-based techniques to get the desired results.
The Physical Therapy team is skilled in encouraging and motivating the child to participate in the appropriate activities to target their needs. Some evidenced-based techniques utilized by our therapists include Neuro-Developmental Treatment (Bobath), kinesiotaping, neuro-muscular re-education, orthotics assessment and management, and video gait analysis. Also, Eyas Landing Physical Therapists work with child athletes through rehabilitating injuries and/or fine-tuning movements for child athletes to reach their fullest potential.
Speech Therapy
Pediatric Speech-Language Therapy focuses on supporting the child’s ability to communicate and play with their parents, caregivers, and friends. It may vary from providing a non-verbal child with a way to communicate to developing oral motor skills to help explore new foods to navigating social skills during peer interactions.
The team of Speech Therapists at Eyas Landing utilize a comprehensive model of combining the most appropriate evidence-based practices based on each child’s needs to ensure success towards their goals. Eyas Landing Speech Therapists use sensory strategies and equipment to increase a child’s arousal, oral awareness, and verbalizations.
Social Work
At Eyas Landing, Social Work focuses on supporting children to identify and understand their emotions and tackle barriers to success within the realms of their emotional and social experiences as well as supporting success within other areas of treatment a child may be receiving from our multidisciplinary team at Eyas Landing.
Clinical Social Work has a primary focus on the mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being of the children and families Eyas Landing serves. It centers on a holistic approach to psychotherapy and the client’s relationship to his or her environment. Clinical Social Work views the child’s relationship with his or her environment as essential to treatment planning and understanding.
School Support
Eyas Landing’s licensed educators and therapists provide instruction, intervention, and consultation services on-site at your school — or virtually — to support a wide range of educational needs.
Locations
Eyas Landing provides services via Telehealth, in-home, and at their state-of-the-art clinic in Chicago’s West Loop.
External Links
- Eyas Landing Official Website
- Eyas Landing Facebook
- Eyas Landing LinkedIn
- Eyas Landing Instagram
- Eyas Landing YouTube
- Eyas Landing Twitter
Reference
- ↑ Reiss, Dawn (2020-09-16). "Planning Your IEPs During COVID" (in en-US). https://www.chicagoparent.com/parenting/special-needs/how-to-plan-ieps-during-pandemic/.
- ↑ Waxman, Naomi (2021-12-15). "A Special Family Dinner Brings The Challenges of Dining With Autism Into Focus" (in en). https://chicago.eater.com/2021/12/15/22832690/kennison-lincoln-park-autism-friendly-dinner-sensory-friendly-zoo-lights.
- ↑ Stories, Local (2018-01-16). "Meet Laura Mraz of Eyas Landing and Blue Bird Day in West Loop and North Center - Voyage Chicago | Chicago City Guide" (in en-US). http://voyagechicago.com/interview/meet-laura-mraz-eyas-landing-blue-bird-day-west-loop-north-center-2/.
- ↑ "Autism-Friendly Dinner at The Kennison" (in en-US). https://www.chicagofoodmagazine.com/news/autism-friendly-dinner-at-the-kennison.
- ↑ Sullivan, Submitted by Miranda (2021-09-13). "Blue Bird Day in Wheaton has grand opening" (in en-US). https://www.dailyherald.com/20210913/submitted-content/blue-bird-day-in-wheaton-has-grand-opening/.
- ↑ https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=32283
- ↑ Sullivan, Submitted by Miranda (2021-11-22). "Sensory friendly vaccine clinic for COVID and flu offered Dec. 3 in Wheaton" (in en-US). https://www.dailyherald.com/20211122/submitted-content/sensory-friendly-vaccine-clinic-for-covid-and-flu-offered-dec-3-in-wheaton/.
- ↑ "Why Is My Child Chewing on Their Shirt?" (in en). https://www.verywellfamily.com/why-is-my-child-chewing-on-their-shirt-5217492.
