History
HISTORY OF THE CENTER FOR THERAPUTIC STRATEGIES
The Center for Therapeutic Strategies was born out of Jane Shook’s awareness of the increasing need of families and individuals living with processing issues to find an accurate diagnosis with effective treatment combinations. It can be overwhelming and confusing for families and individuals to sort through the numerous options available. It would be logistically impossible as well as financially impractical to try to incorporate even half of the modalities available for sensory processing issues at the same time. Jane observed that families got differing outcomes from the same services when the underlying core issues were not addressed first. She also realized that for many families dealing with severe issues, one modality of treatment was not enough, but layering too many treatment and educational services could be confusing and taxing on the child and the family. Often there was not good communication between the service providers which further overwhelmed the families, feeling alone in sorting through what their child really needed. Jane began looking for a case manager to consult with these families, offer education, guidance, and recommendations for providers who specialize in the services these individuals required.
As a speech pathologist in private practice serving children and adults with processing issues over the past thirty years in the Dallas area, Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, had an independent practice in the Northeast Dallas metroplex area as Casa View Speech Language Service and worked for seventeen years at Lakewood Pediatric Therapy/ Sensory STAR Center of Texas. She served for six years on the not-for-profit board of directors of SI Challenge, Inc. as Secretary, Fund Developer, Historian, and President. This agency served families with many facets of sensory processing issues.
After ten years of working with numerous families who had tried many services and collaborating with professionals from other disciplines, Jane realized she had become uniquely qualified to offer such a consulting service in addition to evaluation and therapy she performed as a speech language pathologist. The Center for Therapeutic Strategies was born out of this realization. It has evolved as an adjunct to her clinical practice for the families she has served in therapy over the past thirty years.
In 2005 Jane began pulling the pieces together for a strategy outline for families coming for short- term intensive therapy, or to have her interpret the overwhelming myriad of diagnostic reports they had accumulated from several disciplines. In 2006 she opened The Center for Therapeutic Strategies in Dallas to serve families both inside and outside her speech therapy practice who desired an experienced therapy strategist to guide them in prioritizing an effective treatment plan for addressing educational, medical and therapy needs in a rational manner. She meets with the family and individual, collects historic information, diagnostic reports and inventory data, determines the highest priority goals, and develops short-term and long-range strategies. She also provides contact information for professionals and services that could best implement those for each family. This roadmap of strategies and recommendations are presented in a written format and personal conference. Consulting services are available in the CTS office or distance consulting via phone or Skype conferences.
CTS also provides educational opportunities to equip families and individuals with increased understanding. Knowledge of the root issues of processing disorders and the theories behind numerous treatment options allows more informed choices. Informed choices make for better compliance with hard life-style changes needed to create more successful outcomes with the complex problems of processing dysfunction. Individual and family training is available by therapy appointment for the Brain Awake Program, a multi-sensory repertoire of activities designed to increase calm focused attention with better organized thinking and reasoning. An overview training of the” Brain Awake Program” is presented once a year at a workshop held in the CTS office. Also held once a year, “Listen Up!” is a workshop designed to increase understanding of auditory processing dysfunction with strategies to improve active listening skills. Other topics throughout the year may be presented by Jane Shook or other individuals by announcement. A media center is available at CTS with books, magazines, CD’s, and DVD’s on cutting edge treatment modalities in this field. Current clients may check most materials out, and others may come and peruse the information during regular office hours.
In 2007 Jane began offering clinical intensives of seeing individuals every day for two weeks or ten to twelve days in a three week span. The clinical intensive model creates an environment for rapid change in a short period of time. Most outcomes are similar to what clinicians would expect to occur in four to six months of therapy. Changes have occurred with some individuals that outstrip that expectation. While intensives are available any time according to availability, they are most commonly scheduled during winter break and over the summer holiday. Briefer intensives are an option for deepening a weekly therapy experience or maintenance of a previous intensive therapy.
In 2009 CTS began offering Social Skills Connection classes to address pragmatic language deficits in children ages 4 through 19 years. CTS realized that when children improved their ability to integrate the sequencing and timing of auditory, visual and motor skills, they also made gains in picking up social cues to make more appropriate relationship choices. CTS Connections classes are unique in that they incorporate rhythm and movement with language activities to facilitate working with others, problem solving skills, and equipping children with self-regulating strategies in social situations.