Our Mission
We are a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide comprehensive and innovative occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services to individuals with special needs, and inspiration and educational opportunities to their families and the community that both supports and is enriched by them. Linking direct treatment, community and home consultations and family education, we enable these individuals to become contributing and successful members of our schools and society. Philo is dedicated to employing highly trained staff who are committed to nurturing through both skill and love the physical, cognitive, emotional and
spiritual development of each child and family.
Occupational Therapy
spiritual development of each child and family.
The aim of pediatric occupational therapy is to help children to perform daily tasks in their living and learning environments, and to assist them to develop the skills to live independent, satisfying, and productive lives. Interventions used by occupational therapists to help children and young adults achieve greater independence include rehabilitation of neuropsychological deficits (memory, attention, complex reasoning), motor function, sensory function, and interpersonal skills. The medium of treatment usually involves the use of purposeful activities, which have some meaning and relevance to child's lifestyle, these are also called 'occupations' and include routine behaviors associated with school, play, and self-care.
Sensory Integration
All of our senses are endlessly interacting. It is this ongoing interaction that creates for each of us a picture of who we are physically, where we are in relation to what is around us, and what is going on in our environment. Sensory integration is that essential function of the brain responsible for producing this composite picture. It is the organization of all sensory information for continuous use by the individual.
History
The Philo Center evolved from a clinic Jill Lyons, OTR/L started in her home in 1996 in an effort to provide comprehensive, holistic occupational therapy services for children and youth with special needs. The overwhelming response to this private practice combined with the desire to create an environment with a strong team approach and an emphasis on the development of staff excellence led to the founding of "Philo" a 501 (c)-(3) non profit organization in 1999. It was a team effort spearheaded by Jill in conjunction with a parent, speech-language pathologist, additional occupational therapist, and the administrative and technical support of Mark Lyons, Philo is now in it's seventh year of service to the community. We have grown to become a model clinic in the state of Vermont with families traveling from places as far away as Bennington and Eden, VT to access our services. We continue to expand our programs which now include a scholarship fund enabling families with limited resources to access our services, free workshops open to the public covering topics of interest to the special needs community, ongoing collaboration with area agencies, including the Howard Center, Baird Center, local schools, and alternative education centers, a newsletter, and direct services to over 300 individuals with special needs. The Philo Center serves children and young adults with a wide variety of disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, and learning disabilities. The majority of the children we serve are school age, but we routinely see individuals from birth through age 30. The majority of the children and young adults we see come from
Chittenden
County
, however, a large percentage also travel from
Lamoille
,
Washington
, Addison, and
Fran
klin
Counties
to receive services. As well, we frequently travel throughout the state to consult to schools, families, and professionals. Since it's founding Philo has served approximately 300 children with special needs and their families and currently maintains a clinic caseload of 100 children and young adults.
Philo regularly collaborates with other organizations and many educational and mental health agencies have sought out additional information from us via conferences or staff training. These include The Howard Center, The Baird Center, Professional Nurses Services of
Vermont
,
Vermont Parent Information Center
(VPIC), The Vermont Special Education Administrators Association, Easter Seals of Vermont and the Family Infant Toddler Program (FIT). We have conducted lectures for both
Trinity
College
and UVM. In addition, we have offered numerous workshops open to the general public and we continue to provide training to schools, mental health agencies, and alternative education programs.
Directions from I-89 North or South
The Philo Center
4066 Shelburne Road, Suite #8
Shelburne
,
VT
05482-6676
info@philocenter.org
Phone: (802) 985-8211
Fax: (802) 985-8733
Philo regularly collaborates with other organizations and many educational and mental health agencies have sought out additional information from us via conferences or staff training. These include The Howard Center, The Baird Center, Professional Nurses Services of
Take exit 13 South (Shelburne/Vergennes) to I-189. Take I-189 to Route 7/Shelburne Rd. Go left at the light at the end of the exit ramp (Route 7 South), towards Shelburne and Vergennes. Go through South Burlington to Shelburne. It is exactly 3.7 miles from the exit ramp to the parking lot entrance, just past the Yankee Doodle Motel. We are located in Shelburne Commons. There is a traffic light at the intersection. Turn right at the light, then bear right; a parking lot is located here. We are in the yellow building, through the green double doors.
Contact Us
Phone: (802) 985-8211
Fax: (802) 985-8733