At Next Step Rehab Therapy our rehabilitation therapists are experienced in providing client focused sessions to individuals of all ages who have sustained a wide array of injuries with various associated rehabilitation needs including:

• Acquired brain injuries (with both physical and cognitive symptoms)
• Spinal cord injuries (paraplegia and quadriplegia)
• Complex orthopaedic injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Amputations and burns
• Chronic Pain
• Psychological impact of injuries on mood and functioning

The rehabilitation programs are developed and supervised by regulated health professionals including occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, psychologists and physiotherapists.   Depending on the client’s individual rehabilitation needs sessions may take place in the home, at school, in the community or in work environments.

The rehabilitation therapists at Next Step Rehab Therapy are trained to implement a wide variety of physical and cognitive strategies designed to help the client achieve their individual goals.  Each of our rehabilitation therapists offer unique skills which are specifically matched with the client’s needs.

There are a number of rehabilitation goals which can be addressed through the use of a rehabilitation therapist which include the following:

Life Skills:   Sessions with a rehabilitation therapist can be geared to work on skills such as promoting independence in meal preparation, budgeting, integrating aids into activities, behavior management (i.e., dealing with difficult or challenging life situations post injury).   The sessions can be geared to work on physical or cognitive skills to optimize independence or a combination of both.

Cognitive Rehabilitation:  The use of both rehabilitation and compensatory strategies can be essential to optimizing independence.   The use of a rehabilitation therapist allows for the necessary rehearsal of memory strategies in daily tasks.   These strategies can be used in the home, work, school or community depending on the client’s needs (e.g., use of lists, whiteboards, alarms, colour coding of school work, practicing putting things in the same place, rehearsing telephone conversations prior to making calls).

Community Reintegration:  After an MVA it can be difficult to complete tasks such as finding new vocational pursuits or resuming previous interests.  A rehabilitation therapist is able to assist with exploring alternative interests.  Also, a rehabilitation therapist can assist the client with integrating coping strategies developed by your psychologist or social worker into the client’s activities, making them more manageable.    Sessions can also focus on using services in the community that were once easy to access such a using a bus or learning a new skill.

Physical/Exercise programs:  A rehabilitation therapist can assist the client in completing home exercises, gym and pool therapy programs designed by their physiotherapist.  The programming may also include reactivation activities such as walking programs or other interests to increase activity levels.

Using Assistive technology:  Our rehabilitation therapists are capable of assisting with the integration of technology into activities of daily living in the home, school, work or community.  Rehabilitation Therapy sessions allow for the practical application of technology such as iPhone and/or other technologies.

At Next Step Rehabilitation Therapy Inc. our therapists are also equipped to integrate non technology based compensatory aids into daily routines for memory aids (e.g., day planners, written lists).

Return to paid Work or volunteer opportunities:   Rehabilitation Therapy provides assistance in the implementation of return to work programs developed by the client’s therapists (e.g., ergonomics, pacing, and body mechanics).  A rehabilitation therapist can perform work shadowing to assist in implementing strategies (physical and cognitive) to promote success.

Feedback:  A rehabilitation therapist is trained to provide feedback to both the client and the treatment providers.  This ensures rehabilitation therapy sessions provide optimal results.  The rehabilitation therapist plays an essential role in providing feedback to promote the development of self-regulation skills and optimize function.  The goal is to provide ongoing feedback to the client in order to promote independence and ability to monitor their own tolerances and limitations.

It is often difficult coping after a motor vehicle or motorcycle collision and a rehabilitation therapist becomes an integral part of the client’s rehabilitation.  The right rehabilitation therapist is an excellent resource and link between the client and the other members of their rehabilitation team.  The use of a rehabilitation therapist provides support and feedback which is often needed to help an individual resume their pre-accident activities or other suitable activities based on the client’s injuries.

The backgrounds of the rehabilitation therapist’s at Next Step Rehabilitation Therapy include the following:

• Occupational or Physical Therapy Assistant Certificates or both
• Personal Training Certificate
• Developmental Service Worker Diploma from a community college
• University obtained Teaching certificates
• Behavioural Science technology

At Next Step Rehab Therapy our rehabilitation therapists continue to add to their skill set and implement their experience into their sessions.