Pediatric Transition Program

The Pediatric Transition Program, part of the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Outpatient Therapy Center, helps brain-injured pediatric patients, ages 4-17, transition from inpatient care back to school. Our comprehensive program includes both therapy as well as time spent in an on-site classroom with a specialty teacher. Patients in this program must be under the medical management of a Mary Free Bed physiatrist.

Services Summarized

Our services continue the necessary care and therapy required by brain injured patients while helping them prepare to return to a school setting.

Services Include

• Classroom time
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Social work
• Psychology
• Rehabilitation/physiatry management
• Family and caregiver education
• School consultation
• Therapeutic recreation
• Community reintegration

Who Uses These Services

Patients who have suffered a moderate to severe acquired brain injury

• Patients with injury due to trauma, anoxia, meningitis, or cancer who have recently completed an acute hospitalization
• Patients with mild injury who have significant difficulty with returning to school
• Patients who need motor/function, cognitive/language, and psychosocial treatment as well as schooling

Services Explained

Our patients attend our program on a typical school schedule. They rotate through both therapy and classroom sessions. Sessions with a social worker or psychologist are also scheduled, as needed.

Classroom time - Patients work with a teacher provided by the Grand Rapids Public School system in our on-site classroom. The teacher is certified in special education and provides classroom instruction to help patients keep up with age-appropriate studies.

Physical therapy - Goals may include increased balance, muscle tone, flexibility, endurance, strength, coordination, and ability to move in the environment. Evaluation for, ordering of, and training on equipment may also be included.

Occupational therapy - Goals may include strengthening and coordination of arms and upper body, improving activities of daily living, overcoming visual difficulties, and community reintegration. Evaluation for, ordering of, and training on equipment may also be included.

Speech therapy - Goals may include improved memory, organization, processing speed, attention, reasoning, auditory comprehension, problem solving, reading, writing, verbal expression, and speech clarity.

Social work - Social workers provide case management, identify community resources, and provide crisis management, as needed.

Therapeutic recreation specialist - Recreation therapists provide assessment and treatment for leisure skills, sports and recreation activities, water safety, and community integration.

Family and caregiver education - We consider family involvement to be a key component of our program. We provide training and support to ensure that the child’s treatment is able to continue at home, school, child care, and in other settings. 

Contact the Pediatric Transition Program

For more information or to make a referral, please contact the Pediatric Transition Program at:

Phone

616.242.0366 - or - 800.668.6001

Email

PedsProgram@MaryFreeBed.com

Download

Outpatient Referral Form