Early intervention | Jofreshia Family

Identification

Why this pillar comes first

Jofreshia is named after Joseph and Freshia, two bubbly siblings whose journeys are set apart by this first pillar. Freshia, the older of the two, has multiple disabilities with visual impairment (MDVI) and is dependent on her parents in every sense of the word.

Joseph was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. His parents went through every motion a parent of a child with special needs goes through — starting with denial, the hope that their child would simply catch up and function as expected of a “normal” child. In the end it took courage to accept that their baby boy needed special care and intervention. That decision is why he is the independent young man he is today.

We welcome parents who are going through what Joseph and Freshia’s parents went through. The earlier we start, the more we can do.

An early intervention session at Jofreshia

Know the signs

Categories of disability

Disabilities generally fall into four categories: physical, sensory, behavioural and developmental.

Autism spectrum disorder

Signs to look out for

Challenges with verbal and non-verbal communication.
Challenges with social interaction.
Restricted interests and repetitive behaviour.

Down syndrome

Signs to look out for

Decreased or poor muscle tone at birth.
Short neck, with excess skin at the back of the neck.
Flattened facial profile and nose.
Small head, ears and mouth.
Upward slanting eyes, often with a skin fold from the upper eyelid.
One crease in the palm.
Shorter than average height.
Increased gap between the great and first toes, especially in infants.

Cerebral palsy

Signs to look out for

Lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia).
Stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity).
Weakness in one or more arm or leg.
Walking on the toes, a crouched gait or a “scissored” gait.
Floppy or rigid limbs and involuntary motions.
Speech disorder or stuttering.
Drooling or trouble with swallowing.

Deafblindness

Some or total loss of both sight and hearing, meaning a person cannot see or hear at the same time.

Signs to look out for

Both hearing and vision loss from birth or early childhood.
Blind from birth or early childhood, with hearing loss later on.
Deaf from birth or early childhood, with sight loss later on.
Deafblindness acquired in adulthood through loss of sight or hearing.

Multiple disability with visual impairment (MDVI)

A combination of disabilities, where an individual has more than one significant disability.

Signs to look out for

More than one significant disability, for example movement difficulty with sensory loss.
Often combined with a behavioural or emotional disorder.

These summaries link to established medical sources. They are a starting point, not a diagnosis — talk to us or to your clinician.

Step two

Assessment

At Jofreshia we strongly believe disability is not inability. Our team of trained professionals assesses children with special needs in a friendly, playful way, so the child stays comfortable and we see what they can really do.

Step three

Occupational therapy and physiotherapy

Once we identify and assess, the child is taught skills through an Individualised Education Programme (IEP) that is reviewed every year. Occupational therapy builds fine motor skills; physiotherapy builds gross motor skills.

See the therapy sessions