With the support ofENERGETIX and Bild hilft: A heart for children
Rehabilitation center Jorishaus
Early detection of disabilities is essential to ensure that children are treated and rehabilitated effectively. Unfortunately, disabilities are often not recognized until quite late in a child’s life. However, preventing these children from being stunted through neglect is possible through effective intervention.
The Ndlovu Care Group has set itself this goal. The focus is on training the families concerned to look after disabled children and young people and integrate them into the community instead of locking them away.
The Jorishaus is a day care center dedicated entirely to these people. It is not a care home, but the children and their parents are educated here. They are shown how to deal with the respective disability and how the children can be supported.
It is a day program. The children are not taken away from their families. Three days a week the program is in the house, three days the staff go to the families’ homes, look at the living situations on site and provide practical, individual support on how everyday life can be mastered in a more disability-friendly way.
The support is based on the Conductive Education System.
The Jorishaus combines overlapping areas of physiotherapy, orthopaedics, speech therapy and childcare.
Conductive Education (CE)
The CE program is a training and education program for children with cerebral palsy or brain injury. The combination of several professions in one person is the core: pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapist and special educator are combined in one profession. The starting point of the program is that children with severe, chronic (i.e. permanent, unchangeable) motor disorders must learn to cope with their disabilities.
This is done with modified furniture, for example.
Multi-Sensory Storytelling (MSST)
This method is aimed at the sensory development and communication skills of severely and profoundly disabled children. Sensory stimulation could have a positive impact on their social, emotional and cognitive development. It involves telling a personal story made especially for a particular listener and accompanied by sensory stimulation (comparable to ‘Snoezelen’). A special “Snoezelen room” has been set up in the rehabilitation center.
The focus is on learning to perceive meaningful everyday objects.
Cognitive play intervention (CPI)
CPI is a structured play therapy that aims to improve cognitive function through play. More specifically, it seeks to improve cognitive play performance through the development of play skills with toys. Play skills that reflect the cognitive developmental level of those children who can handle toys with their hands and arms or toes and legs.
Thembeka's story
When 5-year-old Thembeka was admitted to the Ndlovu Care Group’s rehabilitation center in 2018, she had problems stretching her limbs due to her cerebral palsy. She was unable to compensate for fluctuations in her balance. As a result, Thembeka was constantly afraid of falling. She did not dare to explore her environment and move around.
After just 7 months of occupational therapy at the center, Thembeka was able to crawl a longer distance. She can sit independently, but needs support when standing and walking.
The Sensory Room in particular is essential for Thembeka’s development. The sensory stimulation that is possible in this room is very successful. Colorful lights and tactile variety are the main features of the room. Thembeka can already sit up and stand for a while at the large glass column in which air bubbles rise in the water and change color. She is now able to stay upright for up to 30 minutes. Therapist Erik explains that this is extremely important in order to build up muscles in the legs. Any further success then builds on this.
She is currently unable to speak, but thanks to the cognitive stimulation sessions, she can hear and follow minimal instructions. She is now able to distinguish between different colors.