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Rocking Horse Rehab
A Pediatric Rehab and Family Wellness Center
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Read on to find out what's happening at Rocking Horse Rehab!
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We are hiring!
Rocking Horse Rehab is looking for staff to join our team! We are currently searching for speech, occupational, and physical therapists to take on some weekday hours. For more information contact
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Grant Money Available!
RHR is a recipient of a generous grant from the Italian Welfare League, an organization which assists children of Italian descent who are ill or have suffered an emotional trauma. Since 2001, they have raised and distributed over $1,600,000 to hundreds of children and organizations which provide services to children. Their grant helps us to provide services for children of Italian descent who otherwise would not be able to afford our services.
Their recipients have many different diagnoses, such as brain injuries, autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. For more information on how to receive a grant for our services, please email us at:
carey@rockinghorserehab.com
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Message of the Month:
Hippotherapy and OT
by Kimberly Abramsohn, MS, OTR/L
Hippotherapy is a treatment strategy utilized by occupational therapists for clients with sensory and motor dysfunction. As an occupational therapist, we understand the child's emotional, physical, and sensory needs and how to optimally facilitate the treatment of these needs through hippotherapy. Because hippotherapy provides intense sensory input, it is important for the occupational therapist to have training in sensory integration theory and techniques. T
he horses rhythmical movement mimics the 3 dimensional movement of the human gait thus providing gentle vestibular input that facilitates organization/attention and an overall calming sense to the child. For a child with physical deficits, it provides movement through space that the rider has often never experienced. As the rider experiences spatial awareness through movement without the stress of rigid and uncooperative muscles, a foundation has been laid for visual spatial awareness and orientation in space. This provides the child with normal movement that may not otherwise be experienced.
A faster walk or trot provides both vestibular and proprioceptive input thus facilitating arousal, body awareness, spinal extension, breathe support, balance reactions, and a general increase in processing. Changing the rider's position on the horse can also facilitate postural alignment, visual attention, normalization of tone, arousal, and greater vestibular and proprioceptive input. For example changing the position of the child's head (laying on the back over the barrel of the horse) provides greater vestibular input. In addition, changes in movement patterns of the horse can facilitate greater balance reactions, body awareness and the like.
Upper extremity range of motion, strengthening, bilateral coordination, and fine motor skills can be integrated into the session within a fun and motivating way using the horse as a therapeutic treatment tool. Facilitation of upper extremity movements also assists in trunk stability, control, and movement.
Constant physical contact with the horse provides tactile and proprioceptive input. Additional grooming activities, petting, and affection with the horse provides tactile input and emotional bonding opportunities.
Bonding with an animal often is the first true friendship many children experience and provides the foundation for reciprocal interactions with peers and family members. With consistent interaction with the horse, hippotherapy provides children with opportunities for increased emotional, social, and spiritual development.
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Horse of the Month
Fuzzy
Fuzzy is owned by International Riding Camp, a camp that works in New York during the summer and Florida during the winter. During his time off from camp, Fuzzy comes to live at Essex Equestrian Center. His first year here was 2014, when he won the hearts of many riders. We are very glad to once again welcome Fuzzy into our program.
Fuzzy is most commonly seen in our mental health programs and for our school field trips, where he can help our taller riders learn important emotional coping skills through his bombproof attitude. Fuzzy may still be learning, but he loves his job! We adore Fuzzy!
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Staff Member of the Month
Jennifer Vill, MA, CCC-SLP
Jennifer Vill, M.A., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist who is licensed in New Jersey. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University Maryland and her Masters Degree is Communication Disorders from Kean University. She is an AHA Level 1 Therapist.
Jenn has been a valuable RHR team member since October 2014. When not at RHR, Jennifer works at Children's Specialized Hospital, where she performs speech, language and feeding evaluations and treatment for a diverse pediatric population. She has experience working in private schools, Early Intervention and in private practice. Jennifer has received training in PROMPT, PECS, Talk Tools, The Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI) Method, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She has completed the year long Basic Course through The Profectum Academy for the developmental treatment strategy, DIR Floortime. She has received the ASHA ACE award for Continuing Education.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, running and photography.
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Hero of the Month
The Kid's Wish Network
The Kid's Wish Network has chosen Zoe as a Hero of the Month for December 2015!
Zoe has been working on herself at Rocking Horse Rehab since 2014, developing skills for managing anxiety, anger and conflicts. She is exuberant and creative, participates actively and loves working with our horses.
Zoe, we are so proud of you - congratulations Hero of the month! And many thanks to the Kid's Wish Network for their on-going support!
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Volunteer of the Month
Michelle
Michelle has been volunteering with us for a few months, since March of this year. Being a horseback rider herself, she had the horse experience to really help us out both sidewalking and leading. She currently rides at Essex Equestrian Center. Michelle quickly became a great part of the team. We continue to thank Michelle for her wonderful volunteer work with us!
To become a volunteer, email:
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Check out our partner: The Autism Think Tank
The Autism Think Tank, NJ
is designed to provide a multidisciplinary team approach to the identification and treatment of the complicated medical comorbidities of autism. The Autism Think Tank is comprised of leading
experts in autism from renowned teaching hospitals including Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital and UCLA.
At the Autism Think Tank, the medical experts collaborate from around the U.S. in a video conference with local physicians and families to develop a cohesive plan of care for individuals with medically complex cases of autism. Medically stabilizing a child facilitates greater outcomes in behavioral, therapeutic and educational interventions. The Autism Think Tank has a global reach as we are serving families internationally with the use of telemedicine.
Like them on Facebook!
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University Partners
Thank you to the following universities and colleges for providing us with wonderful student interns. We are honored to help influence their futures in the health professions as fieldwork educators.
County College of Morris
Delaware University
Eastwick College
Farleigh Dickinson University
Felician College
Ithaca College
Kean University
Montclair State University
New Jersey City University
Quinnipiac Univesity
Rutgers University
Salus University
Seton Hall University
State College of Pennsylvania
St. Catherine's University
Stockton College
Tauro College
Thomas Jefferson University
University of Scranton
William Paterson University
To complete an internship at RHR, email:
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School field trips and individual treatment times available!
Rocking Horse Rehab is open
Monday-Friday 10am-6pm
and Sundays from 9am-5pm.
We have immediate openings for speech therapy on Sunday and Thursday
afternoons and occupational therapy on Monday afternoons.
SCHOOLS: TO BOOK A SPRING FIELD TRIP, CALL US NOW!
To request a client registration packet, email:
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NJ Family
Favorite Kids' Docs 2015
Congratulations to our RHR
therapists
who have been voted
NJ's Favorite Kids' Docs
Kathy Lutz, LCSW, CADC
Sheri Marino, MA, CCC-SLP
Kimberly Kones, MS, OT
Fiana Bezpalko, MS, CCC-SLP
Doreen Cruz, MS, CCC-SLP
Check out the December issue of NJ Family magazine for more details.
View the full list here!
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Mission Statement
Rocking Horse Rehab is a pediatric rehabilitation and family wellness center located within the Essex Equestrian Center in West Orange, NJ. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life of individuals with special needs and their families by offering innovative opportunities for clinical, educational and social development. Our philosophy is to treat the "whole child" using equine assisted therapies with the expertise of our highly specialized staff.
Visit us on the web!
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About our Founder
Sheri A. Marino, MA, CCC-SLP
Sheri founded Rocking Horse Rehab in September 2001. She is a pediatric speech-language pathologist who specializes in autism spectrum disorders. Sheri oversees program development and daily operations for RHR with the support of a dedicated, professional staff. She is the Executive Director of The Autism Think Tank, NJ, a non-profit, medical videoconferencing team for individuals with medically complex autism. Sheri
works directly with the Autism Think Tank medical experts and the families, and
manages fundraising, marketing and family events. In addition, she is the Strategic Planning Director for the Focus For Health Foundation which is dedicated to promoting advocacy, education and research to combat chronic health issues around the world.
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Rocking Horse Rehab is a proud member of
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12-22 Woodland Ave. West Orange, NJ 07052
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