• The Children's Institute is dedicated to promoting the well-being of children, young people and their families and to providing services that meet their special needs.

  The Vision of the Children's Institute is to become a Center of Excellence in the region and in the nation. The hallmark of The Institute's legacy will continue to be an unwavering commitment to children with special needs and their families.

  Simply stated, our goal is to enable children and young adults with special needs to realize their fullest potential. We provide them with every opportunity to achieve their own personal miracle. Time and time again, we have seen our patients accomplish amazing things.

The purpose of recreation therapy at The Children's Institute is to restore, improve or rehabilitate in order to increase functioning and independence as well as reduce or eliminate the effects of illness or disability. Recreation therapy provides recreation resources and opportunities in order to improve health and well-being.

The program includes an assessment of the patient's leisure/play interests, functional abilities and skills, and barriers to leisure/play activities. This assessment is conducted by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) upon a physician's referral.

As a child's treatment plan progresses, a Community Integration Plan is offered. This service provides therapeutic community activities for patients who may need to practice various functional skills in a community based environment. The CRTS coordinates the therapeutic outings with the treatment team and sets goals which are evaluated after the outing.