Kids in Stride would like to take this time to say how much we appreciate YOU. YOU meaning our family at Kids in Stride, for all you do on a daily basis to keep the business running smooth and caring for all the people that you meet and see regularly as well as each other. YOU meaning our patients who trust in us to get you to your next goal in your life, YOU meaning the parents who seek us out and work along side us to see that your child is getting all that they need to make it in life. YOU our referrers who come along side us and work closely with us to achieve the goals and milestones set together for our patients. Thank you, we appreciate YOU more than you know. The Franklin Chamber of Commerce recently had the privilege of hosting a ribbon cutting celebration at Kids in Stride located at 240 Cunningham Road.
Kids in Stride therapy designed for Kids is an Outpatient Pediatric Therapy clinic offering occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy services for ages 0 – 21. Occupational Therapy which assesses an individual and determines delays. We work with emotional regulation, handwriting, learning disabilities and behaviors. If you feel like your child is “always getting into trouble” or is “struggling with daily activities”, it may be worth getting accessed by an Occupational Therapist. Speech Therapy works on speech, communication including cognitive and/or social communication. If you feel like your child “just doesn’t listen” or “other people can’t understand them’’, it may be worth getting assessed for auditory processing delays or articulation difficulties by a Speech Therapist. Physical Therapy works on limitations in movement, balance, physical pain and/or coordination. If you feel like your child is “Clumsy”, “always falling down” or is not moving like other children their age, it may be worth getting assessed by a Physical Therapist. Kids in Stride is a privately owned clinic established in Murphy, NC and is now expanding to the Franklin area, due to overwhelming support from the Franklin Community and several families who have been traveling to Murphy for services. All you need is a referral from your doctor, which can be faxed to 828-634-7732. You can also call if you have any questions: 828-634-7800. And just an FYI, your child can get services with us, even if they are getting services at school. Thank you so much for your interest in our services and we are honored to be accepted and welcomed into the lovely community of Franklin. Kids in Stride is therapy designed specifically for kids with developmental challenges in their movement, play, speech, language, learning and behavior. We are a privately owned practice in two locations Murphy 828-516-1700 & Franklin 828-634-7800, NC. Choosing Kids in Stride as your Therapy provider allows you to receive Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy on site, ensuring that you experience a truly integrated multi-disciplinary service. Our Pediatric Therapy is designed to deliver functional skills to increase independence. Our therapy programs are based around upper extremity functioning, fine and visual motor skills, and sensory motor integration. New Occupational Therapy location opening in Macon County BY BRITTNEY LOFTHOUSE ON JULY 21, 2022 original post: thesouthernscoopnews.com/health/new-occupational-therapy-location-opening-in-macon-county After successfully serving the Murphy area since 2017, Kids in Stride, a full-service occupational therapy provider, has expanded operations to open a Franklin, NC location. Kids in Stride, which is owned and operated by Elizabeth Ference, offers a variety of therapeutic skilled services including Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies that focus on gaining independence for the child and the family. If a child is having difficulty with cognitive, physical, sensory and motor skills, Kids in Stride services are designed to help. Ference said she wanted to expand the Cherokee County location to better serve families in Western North Carolina. “Well everything was simply word of mouth,” Ference said when asked why she made the decision to expand operations. “I have several colleagues and friends that live in the Franklin area, all who have such wonderful things to say about the community and their support for one another. We have had our clinic in Murphy since 2017 which was opened with hopes to provide Occupational, Speech and Physical Therapy to the pediatric population in a community that was in need. During our journey, we have had several children who have come to Murphy from Franklin for services and through conversations with others in the community of Franklin, determined that there was a need there also. The community support previously mentioned has been shown by the town of Franklin, and for that, we are very thankful. We hope to reach as many kids and families as we can.” With the help of Malia Proveaux, Ference began the search for a location in Macon County. “I live here in Franklin, and this has been a dream of mine for many years,” said Malia Proveaux. “I had worked at Macon Valley Nursing for several years and was even the director of rehab there for about 18 months, before returning to college to attain my master’s degree. While I was a student, I completed my clinical internship in Murphy with Elizabeth. During conversation, I mentioned that I wanted to open a clinic in Franklin one day. I wanted our hometown to have the same opportunities that Kids in Stride (KIS) offered in Murphy. I felt like our children deserved to get the services they needed without having to drive an hour to receive them. The conversations took off after Elizabeth stated she had thought about expanding to Franklin. Everything started to take form in September when I met the owners in Franklin to search out possible locations for the clinic.” Proveaux, who serves as an OT and Manager of the new Franklin location, said she mostly joking at the end of the search when she mentioned the former Willie’s BBQ building being for sale. “Since we were close, we drove by and looked in the windows. To our surprise the owner came out and gave us a tour of the restaurant,” said Proveaux. “She mentioned that she wanted to retire, and she seemed excited about our “plans”. We completed renovations and opened in June. I have been amazed at the support and acceptance we have received from our neighboring businesses like, Danny Antoine’s Martial Arts Studio and Home Care Specialist in the Mountains.” Proveaux has over 16 years of experience as an OT and worked under Ference to complete her Level II fieldwork for her Master’s Degree. In addition to Proveaux, the Franklin Kids in Stride office employs Devan Carter, a local to the area who completed her master’s at Western Carolina University as a Speech Language Pathologist in 2018. The team will be complete soon when the physical therapist position is finalized. “Our positions require a Doctor’s referral in order to provide services,” said Ference. “Once we receive the referral the insurance is verified and the family is called. We set up an initial evaluation with the child and therapist, which includes assessing the child for developmental delays and concerns that warranted interest in our profession. Then a treatment plan is determined by clinical determination and parent’s/caregivers input. The child is then scheduled for services with a frequency of treatment based on need.” According to Ference, much of what she does within her profession is educating the general public on the benefits of Occupational Therapy and the wide range of services that fall under the umbrella. “Most people do not know what Occupational Therapy is, so in a nutshell: Occupational Therapy looks at an individual at whatever age and determines if there are any areas that they are behind or developmentally delayed,” said Ference. “Most people do not know that this can include sensory processing delays and concerns for what sometimes gets misclassified as “behaviors”. Once the need is determined, we collaborate with the caregivers/parents, provide education and treat the underlying condition/concerns so that we can increase a child’s independence with a variety of activities ranging from emotional regulation and learning disabilities to functional ability to perform daily tasks within home, community, social interactions and/or with recreational activities. If you feel like your child is “always getting into trouble” or is struggling with “daily activities”, it may be worth it to get assessed by an Occupational Therapist.” According to Ference, Speech Therapists work on a variety of speech/communication-related tasks, no just sounding out words (which is very important!). They also work on speech and language concerns including but not limited to cognitive and/or social communication. If you feel like your child “just doesn’t listen”, it may be worth getting them assessed for auditory processing delays by a Speech Therapist. “Physical therapists work on any limitations in movement, balance, physical pain and/or coordination that may be affecting a variety of daily tasks, meeting the needs of the child at their point of development,” she said. “If you feel like your child “is very clumsy”, “is always falling down” or is not moving like other children their age, it may be worth it to get them assessed by a Physical Therapist.” Ference said the new facility is currently accepting new patients and referrals are beginning to roll in from area doctors. “We hope to reach as many children/families as possible who are in need of our services because we believe in what we do and have a genuine interest in sharing it with others,” said said. “We have seen the changes in family’s lives when they are given the tools to succeed. We believe that collaboration with the family’s/caregivers is very important and love sharing information and training for how to apply what we know as professionals, within their daily lives, so that the child and family can “be in stride”.” For more information visit the Kids in Stride website at https://kidsinstride.weebly.com or call the Franklin Office at 828-634-7800. |
Kids in Stride is therapy designed specifically for kids to provide Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy services to any child with developmental challenges in their movement, play, speech, language, learning and behavior. We are a privately owned practice in two locations Murphy 828-516-1700 & Franklin 828-634-7800, NC Archives
November 2022
Categories |