FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tamara Kichar-Barry, Owner; or Lisa Manson, Office Manager
Phone: 203-262-0303
Email: thebodyswisdom@att.net
WHAT YOU DO -- AND DON’T DO -- WITH YOUR CHILD TODAY
CAN AFFECT YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING TOMORROW Southbury, CT- Tamara Kichar-Barry is a on a mission. Struck by the everincreasing number of parents concerned about their children’s progress in
the classroom, the occupational therapist expanded her practice to offer a
series of age-appropriate programs designed to enhance, promote and
support early education. Her goal is to take the frustration out of school for
both children and their parents.
Kichar-Barry says, "Children with and without special needs are now faced
with bigger academic demands at school, and some of them are just not
equipped to meet those demands. It's not a matter of intelligence but a matter
of development. Little ones are now expected to be able to write their names
and recognize sight words before kindergarten. Many of their parents didn't
even learn to write their letters until kindergarten. This is exactly what
prompted the creation of the “Little Learners” preschool preparatory
program."
Of The Body's Wisdom, the Southbury therapy center she founded in 2003,
she says, “I've drawn on my experience as an OT to design classes for
children that focus specifically and gently on the developmental skills that
will help them succeed more easily in school. The amazing thing about my
career, is that originally, I’ve dedicated my life to helping children who
where diagnosed with some type of problem whether in development or
learning but now my target population is just “children”, because I believe
all children in this day and age need a jump start on learning. This is due to
the overwhelming expectations of even the earliest of school experiences
and lack of motor opportunities as infants because of increasing use of
positional equipment.”
With over 15 years’ experience as a licensed occupational therapist, KicharBarry is passionate about the infant's lost rite of passage known as "tummy
time."
"When we were babies," she says, "we spent a lot of time lying on the floor
or in playpens, developing our neck, shoulder and arm muscles. That's gone
today. The past 15 or 20 years has seen a marked increase in babies spending
hours in car seats, bouncers and wind-up swings. As a result, muscles
needed for fine and gross motor skills and sensory motor skills cannot be
optimally developed. The development of those muscles is critical if a child
is to meet the expectations of the current educational system."
In an effort to remedy this, the new “Little Learners” class addresses the
needs of two and three year-olds. It’s structured like a "Mommy & Me"
class, during which Kichar-Barry's energetic staff show parents how to
promote their children's development in a fun and sensible way, giving each
child an advantage before entering preschool.
"For example," she says, "during certain circle time sessions, children will
get that tummy time to help develop sitting balance, trunk rotation, and
perceptual motor skills, all of which are necessary later on in classroom
environments, while they sing or explore books, or do finger play.”
"The children may also make an age-appropriate craft that requires cutting.
Our teachers will show parents how early manipulation of hand muscles
serves to benefit handwriting skills. During song and movement time,
children will be directed in playing a game like 'Simon Says,' giving
multiple prompts to have them cross the center of their bodies. This is called
“mid-line crossing,” a skill that influences a child’s success in reading,
writing, and shoe tying.
Kichar-Barry emphasizes that children who miss “mid-line crossing” and
other developmental opportunities can have a much harder time in school.
Their grades and confidence can be affected. Having children of her own,
the OT is passionate about self-esteem, which Little Learners teachers work
to encourage. Kichar-Barry explains, “When children feel good about their
successes, they tend to show more perseverance with new tasks and have an
easier time making friends.”
Each “Little Learners” group emphasizes language development, gross and
fine motor skills, and socialization while “exploring” early academic
concepts like numbers, letters, shapes, and colors, using a fun, hands-on,
multi-sensory approach.
In addition to the “Little Learners” program for two-year-olds, the Body’s
Wisdom offers classes for the older little learner. Kichar-Barry designed a
“Move and Learn” class to accommodate 3, 4, and 5-year-old children. For
example, the 3-year-old program builds upon the skills the 2-year-olds
practiced, including academic concepts like numbers, the alphabet, shapes,
color recognition, weather and calendar concepts. The 4-5-year-old program
builds on those skills, using a multi-sensory approach to introduce prereading and pre-math concepts.
In addition to the services mentioned above, Kichar-Barry offers therapies to
address the needs of all individuals, from infants to adults. The Body’s
Wisdom specializes in CranioSacral therapy (a non invasive, gentle-touch
form of manual therapy), individual or small-group tutoring and homework
help for students of all ages, and Audio Integration Therapy (AIT). (Audio
Integration Therapy is documented to profoundly benefit adults and children
with hypersensitive hearing, auditory processing disorder, sensory
integration issues, ADD and ADHD, autism, OCD, depression, and learning
disabilities.)
Carol Brzezon, owner of the Painted Pony Childcare in Seymour and past
president of the Valley Childcare Providers Association, started following
Kichar-Barry’s career after the occupational therapist serviced a child in
Brzezon’s care. She continued to attend lectures that Kichar-Barry taught to
better serve her own clients. After becoming the Coordinator of the Training
Program in Child Development Module Series at Naugatuck Valley
Community College, Brzezon hired Kichar-Barry to teach students. “She
became one of my favorite instructors in the program,” Brzezon says. “Her
ability to relate development to learning is so powerful. When Tammy
connects it all, it just makes sense. Parents are always amazed at how
interconnected developmental milestone attainment is to learning.”
Little Learner classes are being offering on Monday, Wednesday, and
Saturday from 10-11am. The tuition price is $100 a month for 1x a
week
and $165 a month for 2x a week. Call now to register as classes are
starting the week of February 28th, 2011. Please visit their website for more
information at www.thebodyswisdom.net.
About The Body's Wisdom: Established in 2003 by Tamara Kichar-Barry,
OTR/L, a licensed occupational therapist with 15 years’ experience, The
Body's Wisdom treats adults and children with a variety of therapy needs.
Kichar-Barry is best known for CranioSacral Therapy (CST), a gentle
manual technique that addresses sensory integration difficulties, attention
deficit disorder, plagiocephaly, tortocollis, and developmental delays. She
also lectures and teaches on early intervention measures to promote sensory
motor development, school readiness, motor milestone attainment, and
oral/motor feeding issues.
The Body's Wisdom is located at:
33 Bullet Hill Rd. Suite #301,
Southbury, CT 06488