Boyer Children's Clinic Programs
Boyer Children’s Clinic’s (Boyer) service delivery is grounded in evidence-based programs that increases parent, caregiver and childcare provider understanding of early childhood development to help each child and family reach their full potential. Our services are offered through a multi-disciplinary team including a developmental pediatrician, nurses, speech pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, educators, family resources coordinators and social workers. Our services are individualized to meet the needs of each child, and tailored to support the family and caregivers.
Services are provided in the child’s home, at their childcare provider, and/or at one of Boyer’s two locations – in Montlake or in South Seattle. Our programs are inclusive by design; children with developmental delays receive services alongside their typically developing peers. Our evidence-based programs include:
Physical and Occupational Therapy
Our therapy techniques to help children learn to explore and interact with their environment. Therapists assist families to learn special ways to help their child when they care for them at home. Adaptive equipment such as splints and wheelchairs may be secured to improve the child’s physical functionality.
Speech and Language Therapy
Boyer's speech and language pathologists work with the child and parents to discover their most effective communication method. They also teach oral motor functions such as swallowing and feeding skills. For those unable to communicate effectively because they have speech or hearing deficiencies, systems such as manual signing, picture exchange, communication boards, and electronic devices may be used to help facilitate communication.
Early Childhood Education
Education services may first take place in the child's home or community settings. At 18 months, children may also start attending Boyer's classroom programs. Children work in groups and in individual sessions with instructors while parents participate and learn how to follow through on the activities for their child's outcomes. The curriculum includes: developmentally appropriate play activities, music, snack time, gross motor activity, and sensory play including art - all aimed at improving a child's cognitive, communication, motor, and social skills.
Medical Consultation & Nursing Services
Our medical director, a developmental pediatrician, works in conjunction with Boyer professional staff and the child's community healthcare providers to carry out and coordinate each child's medical services. At intake, children receive an intake session with a registered nurse to maximize the opportunity for early identification of medical conditions. Nurses also perform outreach to underserved communities in our service area to ensure that all children in need have access to care during the critical, early years of life.
Family Support Services
Family Support Services are provided by a nurse, social worker, and family resources coordinators. Services include case management, counseling, parent discussion groups, individual and group therapy, and educational guest speakers. Our family support services assist families in navigating the system of services available for their child, help parents acquire positive coping skills, and empower parents to become the best possible advocates for their child.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Boyer has seen thousands of children and their families benefit from the agency’s early intervention services. The results of our efforts are apparent every day as children learn, grow, and reach new developmental milestones. Boyer’s accomplishments and impact on our community is best demonstrated by some of the key statistics we track and use to evaluate our services:
- 98% of children receiving services made improvements in their functional daily living skills.
- 98% of families reported that they had improved their parenting skills and strategies for their child’s special needs during their time at Boyer.
- 42% of children exiting Boyer do not require further additional special education or related services; this compares to a 27% county-wide average among all similar providers.
Balancing growth and organizational capacity is a high priority for Boyer’s staff, leadership and board. Boyer’s primary challenge is to meet growing demand for our services, particularly in underserved areas of Seattle. Competing with this high-demand for Boyer’s services is our ongoing challenge for physical space in our existing location. Our universally-designed building is at capacity with classrooms, therapy rooms, meeting rooms (for case conferences), and offices (for program staff to do administrative work). Boyer is exploring new ways to address this challenge through satellite locations throughout Seattle.