Specialized pediatric therapy coming to Southwest La.
Published 1:15 pm Monday, November 18, 2024
- Families for Inclusion founders Julia Bourgeois, left, and Deveni Polito said they were inspired by their children to make a community that accepts them and allows them to participate in daily activities “like everyone else.” (Special to the American Press)
Southwest Louisiana will soon be one of the few places in the state where special needs children can benefit from Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI), a specialized pediatric therapy.
“DMI is a therapy that helps children with motor delays improve their movement skills and reach developmental milestones,” said Julia Bourgeois, Families for Inclusion founder and executive director.
Families for Inclusion advocates for people with disabilities. DMI benefits children with cerebral palsy, down syndrome, global developmental delay, spina bifida, autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury and more.
“About two years ago I took my son to a therapy intensive in Austin, “ Bougeois said. “He has spina bifida. People from all over fly in to bring their children to these specialized clinics. There are only six in the world. One of the sessions was a DMI session, and he did really well. It was transformative.”
Bourgeois said her son did so well that she looked for a DMI therapist close by. The closest two were in Baton Rouge and Houston.
“That drive was too far for me to commit to driving to either of those clinics once a week,” she said.
However, knowing a therapy was available that could make so much difference in her son’s life and had – it just wasn’t accessible – led to putting her head together with another mother of a special needs child. Together they came up with an idea, a grant to fund a DMI certification for a local therapist.
The Families for Inclusion was named the B&G Grant after Brooks, her son and Gia, her friend’s daughter.
“Thanks to the support of the Children’s Miracle Network and a generous private donor, the grant has been expanded to four therapists,” Bourgeois said. “This means that Southwest Louisiana will become one of the few regions capable of offering DMI, establishing it as a leading hub for specialized pediatric therapy.”
Bourgeois said she has already heard a good report from one parent.
Grant recipients are Abby Bell, Maxx Physical Therapy; Megan Gallien, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital: Outpatient Therapy; Brittany Jones, Therapy Works; Laura Hanchy, St. Nicholas Center.
