1        Hydrotherapy – there are two types of recommended therapies especially for brain injured and disabled children.  We would like to train staff in both the Halliwick and WATSU methods to provide daily sessions in the specially designed pool at APRONA.

2       Hippo therapy – treatment with the help of a horse.  The primary goals are normalizing muscle tone, equilibrium reactions, head and trunk control and spatial orientation.  The swinging rhythm of the horse’s walk is transferred to the patient’s pelvis in a manner that duplicates the normal human gait.  This is essential for immobile children.

3        Vision Therapy – many children are neurologically blind, like Elliot, means that they have healthy eyes but the part of the brain that receives the message from the lens is damaged, therefore they may only be able to see light and dark.  There are many vision therapists in the UK and US that have studied this condition for years and have developed new techniques to stimulate the brain cells.  We would like to bring them over here to teach parents how they can help improve the vision of their children.

4      Respite Care – is an essential part of the overall support that families need.

The birth of a child with a disability or chronic illness has profound effects on a family.  When parents learn that their child has a disability or special health care need, they begin a process of continuous, lifelong adjustment.  Adjustment is characterized by periods of stress, family members feelings of loss, can be overwhelming, shutting out almost all other emotions.  Coping with uncertainty about the child’s development may interfere with the parents’ ability to provide support to each other and to other family members. We would like to train people to give this support to the families.

5        HBO – Hyper baric Oxygen Therapy for sick and brain injured children has the potential to produce remarkable results by compressing oxygen cells in the blood and carrying them through the smaller capillaries into the damaged area of the brain. This can revive any dormant neurons (brain cells) present in the damaged area. 

6        Equipment – We would like to have the resources to provide the high tech hoists and chairs for the hydrotherapy pool, special lights for vision, augmentation switches for communication, chairs, tables, reading materials; the needs of the children vary greatly and the list is endless.