Parent Support, Speech Therapy, Mental Health
+
3 more
Address: 4440 North 1st Street
| Fresno, CA
93726
Rating: 4.70
(39 reviews)
Insurances:
Medi-Cal,
Ages Served:
No info provided
Care Settings:
In-home,
AboutReviewsServicesInsurancesFAQ
About EPU Children's Center
Our Mission Of EPU Children’s Center Is To Strengthen And Empower Children And Families Facing Extraordinary Medical, Developmental, And Parenting Challenges.
Born to missionary parents living abroad, Lowell developed natural compassion for and appreciation of people from all nationalities and economic backgrounds. After graduating with a degree in Business Marketing and Management, Lowell worked for the Fresno Housing Authority. This experience solidified his passion to help people and provided invaluable background knowledge of private and public programs for his future work. After returning from Peru with his family in 2014, he was instrumental in growing and expanding the services of Stone Soup Fresno until Exceptional Parents Unlimited recruited him to serve as CEO at the end of 2017.
Languages
English
Insurance Carriers Accepted
Contact about insurance
Please note that without member information we cannot guarantee that
your specific plan covers these services. We recommend asking the care
provider before beginning services.
Medi-Cal
4440 North 1st Street,CA,93726
Get in Contact
(559) 229-2000
info@epuchildren.org
Reviews
Beaming’s Promise to Families
Your trust is our top concern, so providers can't pay to alter or remove
reviews.
Learn more
Needs to do better if your child needs any type of servicetherapy they take for ever to do a referral and once its approved they take for ever to get them into that service.
Atipul ENYU
12 May 2024
google review
My family got their co-vid boosters during one of the clinics. Staff was extremely friendly and patient with my kids.
Melissa Pointer
12 May 2024
google review
We Love EPU God bless all the staff that we have cross paths with they truly care for you.
Erica Martinez
12 May 2024
google review
Epu has been very great and has helped me and my kids in many ways my older kids were never apart of the program but still have benefited from there many different ways of help. My youngest is almost 2 and theyve helped and been apart of his life consistently since before he was born. I love E.P.U Thanks to all the employees for making it a great experience.
Britt Bee
12 August 2023
google review
I attended years ago. Great people great place great counselors. Best place in fresno.
Shelly Davis
12 August 2023
google review
My family has been apart of EPU ever since my little brother was born He is now 17 and has changed many moods Sadly when we moved away from the area we lost friends but we definitely miss being around EPU is amazing and I highly recommend it for everyone Youll even find a picture of me on the wall
Lucie Williams
12 May 2019
google review
Very limited in scope as to support and help. They provide workshops to inform parents of some of their rights but will only advocate attend IEPs or help with appeals etc for their favored parents. Favored parents are not favored because of experience knowledge or needs but because of ethnicity and White is the favored color. Oh and forget about being invited to participate in Family Faculty if you have not been selected as a favored parent. It will never happen and only available by personal invitation. How is that not discriminatory and disparate
Parent Advocate
12 May 2018
google review
Fills like homey involvement every epu staff greet you with a warm smiles and always something fun going on from Halloween event to everyday even like circle time and I have attended a few groups that I have graduated from and I had a very good experience...
Angel Huckabee
12 May 2017
google review
The support and encouragement I received from the staff was tremendous. My four year old and myself really enjoyed our growth and decision making abilities more clearly after about two weeks to about one month of guided growth.
Ambo Ninja
12 May 2016
google review
I cant say enough good about these people and this place. Thank all of you for being there for my son and my family during one of our hardest times the realization that our child might have autism. My son Tevo is excelling and you helped him
You Stole my 19 Fortnite card
12 May 2016
Frequently Asked Questions
The simple answer is: whenever you’re ready. You are your child’s greatest advocate and protector. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers, or aren’t able to perfectly explain everything. You can still educate those around you about your child’s autism when you have the energy to do so. Check out our complete guide for examples and tips.
Teach and practice calming strategies with your child. Helping your child learn how to manage their emotions and reactions is very important. Teach your child different ways they can calm down and relax, such as:
Deep breathing, counting to 10, using sensory toys (like squishy balls or putty), going for a walk, listening to music
Build "relaxation time" into their normal routines and schedules
Practice these when your child is happy and calm so that later, when they’re highly stressed, they can access these skills
Speech therapy is almost always recommended for autistic children since many people with autism have difficulty with social communication. Even if a child is very verbal and says a lot of words, they might need to work on communication skills like:
responding to questions
starting or ending conversation
changing conversation topics
using gestures like pointing
understanding other people's body language
Speech therapy is a big focus in early intervention for autistic children and is usually the starting place for recently diagnosed kids. There is a critical period in the brain for language development and so, it's really important to teach language and communication skills as early as possible, especially if there are any delays in that area. Your child will learn effective ways to communicate which will help them grow into more independent and confident individuals.
It might be obvious when a child struggles with speaking —they are very quiet, say only a few words, or don't speak at all.
Spot speech and language delays like a doctor here.
The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Some other common things speech therapists can help with:
Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
Forming speech in a clearer way
Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
Understanding and responding to questions
Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
Noticing and understanding body language
Feeding and swallowing
Stuttering
The occupational therapy process includes an OT evaluation before care starts. Here are the four steps your family can expect when starting occupational therapy:
Complete OT evaluation. An occupational therapist first identifies your child’s strengths and needs through a thorough OT evaluation, also known as an OT assessment or screening. You’ll answer questions about your child’s skills, and your child will most likely demonstrate their skills via hands-on activities with the therapist. Evaluations can last 30 minutes to a few hours.
Approve OT plan. The therapist develops a care plan with individualized goals and customized interventions based on your child’s needs. You can also share any specific goals or concerns before approving the OT plan.
Start therapy sessions. The therapist works directly with your child and your family, using various strategies and exercises to systematically improve areas of limitations and to build upon a child’s strengths. Some exercises your child might participate in are animal walks, obstacle courses, and therapy swing activities. Your family may learn strategies for supporting your child’s individualized needs at home, such as ways of supporting emotional regulation and sensory processing. The therapist may also recommend tools and techniques to use at home, in the community, or in the classroom to help your child succeed.
Monitor your child’s progress. Parents and caregivers can expect ongoing progress monitoring and communication to ensure the child is achieving their short and long-term goals.
Occupational therapy can also be provided virtually via telemedicine. Virtual therapy is a great option for families in rural areas who may not have access to in-person services, or for families who prefer to have therapy in their child’s home.
Virtual OT allows the opportunity for increased caregiver participation and understanding of a child’s strengths, areas of improvement, and generalization of skills in the child’s home environment. Virtual therapy also provides increased opportunities for caregiver and family education to support the child and the family based on each family’s needs.
Even if a provider offers parent training, it may look different from one provider to another. For example, an in-home provider might conduct a parent training session directly following a therapy session with your child to help explain what they’ve been working on with your child. At larger organizations, you might have a support group of families who are dealing with similar issues.
Once you find a quality physical therapist you want to work with, here are a few things you need to know:
There will be an evaluation. First, you can expect an assessment to identify your child’s areas of strength and needs. A physical therapy evaluation usually lasts 30 minutes.
You’ll review and approve the care plan. The physical therapist will create a care plan, also known as a plan of care (POC), outlining the goals and strategies. They will review this with you and your care team before moving forward with therapy sessions.
Physical therapy sessions will be fun. PT with children is designed to be enjoyable. The therapist will use strategies and exercises based on your child’s needs. Exercises might involve playing on large stability balls, obstacle courses, movement equipment, stretches, and other hands-on activities.
Expect home exercises. Physical therapists commonly assign exercises to work on at home. Doing these exercises with your child outside therapy sessions can improve your child’s overall progress.
Get in touch with EPU Children's Center
Typically responds within 3 business days
This provider tends to respond within this time frame.
Beaming Data Security Guarantee
Your information is only shared with this provider for the purposes of responding to your request. Learn more.