North shore registered physiotherapist Leslie Farrar's interest in working with families and children with special needs was sparked as a teenager.
Growing up, including on a family-run summer resort, she had countless opportunities to work with children with a variety of disabilities and diagnoses.
"I really connected with some kids that set my path," she says.
"As I went through school and eventually became a physio, I immediately knew that I would take that path of special needs. Everything I've ever done from the time I've been a teenager myself has been geared toward working with children and gaining the clinical skills to really provide children and families with a useful resource," she adds.
That long-term goal has finally come to fruition and at age 37, Farrar is pleased to have opened Leap Physiotherapy for Kids, a pediatric physical therapy clinic at 1093 Roosevelt Cres., in North Vancouver, in January. Currently offering physio and occupational therapy services to children from birth to 18 years with a wide range of abilities, this month Farrar is also unveiling a host of community programming geared toward clients as well as the wider community. To introduce the clinic and services to North Shore families, Farrar is hosting an open house, offering a day of free family and children's activities, Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Following her recent move to the Lower Mainland, Farrar, who resides in West Vancouver, started her local practice in September 2012. She has worked her way through various health care environments in pediatrics, including acute care at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, community rehabilitation centres and has provided school-and home-based therapies.
"By the time I was ready to open a private practice I had a very good understanding of all the environments that families may be part of and the experiences that they've had, particularly for kids that have come through complex medical care cases," says Farrar.
For Leap, she wanted to create a positive place for families and children with special needs to come so that they can't wait to make their visits and receiving their needed therapy proves to be an enjoyable and engaging experience. The clinic houses a 1,500 square foot gymnasium complete with a climbing net, swings and monkey bars and other pieces of equipment.
"We've set up the space to really inspire kids to move," says Farrar, adding her goal is to ensure that whatever level children are at, they feel confident in their abilities.
Families find Leap typically through a doctor's referral, word of mouth or online. It's a fee for service clinic, however physiotherapy is generally covered through most private health insurance plans, similar to optometry, dental and drug plans, says Farrar. As well, some families may be able to receive funding support through various public programs, like the At Home Program or Autism Funding Unit.
Farrar's goal is for Leap to become a multidisciplinary clinic offering a wide range of therapy services and she plans to add additional therapies down the road, like speech language. She's also launching a number of children and family movement programs, including family and mother-daughter yoga, dance classes and modified sport classes.
"Often for kids who have special needs there aren't a tremendously wide selection of physical activities to choose from so one of our goals at the clinic is to increase community services for kids with any type of special need, whether that's an orthopedic issue or developmental disability, that there are community programs for them to access that will help improve their physical fitness and mobility," she says. The lineup of classes will change over time in response to the needs expressed by the community.
Farrar encourages community members to attend next weekend's open house. "We're really excited to be a new resource for families on the North Shore and to become a part of the community. It's really important to me to build relationships within our community and I'm looking forward to being able to have families come in and meet them in person and hear from families what other services they may be interested in for their children," she says.
In addition to introducing the public to the clinic as a whole, they'll be offering complimentary family yoga classes between 10: 30 and 11 a.m. and 11: 15 and 11: 45 a.m. As well, representatives of 4Cats Art Studio will lead some painting classes between noon and 1 p.m. and 1 and 2 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to create art that will be hung on the clinic's walls. Registration for these classes is recommended.
A host of games and other activities focused on physical fitness will also be offered throughout the day and families can drop by at any point.
"We are encouraging families with children of all ages to come down to see our clinic, to explore the various pieces of equipment that we have and really to encourage a fun approach to physical activity," says Farrar. "We're trying to promote children of all abilities to try some new activities and really just have families come in and have a fun time."
Leap is also presenting a Professional Open House on April 25, from 11: 30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit leapphysio.ca.
