Center for Pediatric Therapies

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Megen Brummett, MSOT, OTR/L

Megen Brummett, MSOT, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist at Center for Pediatric Therapies in Lynchburg, VirginiaMegen Brummett, MSOT, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist at the Center for Pediatric Therapies. She is based at our Lynchburg, Virginia location.  She provides occupational therapy services to children from birth to 21 years of age in Lynchburg and surrounding areas.

Megen’s clinical interests include sensory integration and working with children with Autism.

Originally from Hurt, Virginia, Megen earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with minor in Biology from Sweet Briar College in Amherst Virginia in 2007. At Sweet Briar, Megen was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and of Psi Chi (Psychology Honor Society). She went on to earn a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virgina in 2009.

Outside of work, Megen enjoys riding and caring for her  horses, knitting, reading, relaxing and playing with her husband and their 2 dogs. She and her husband are expecting their first child in February 2012.

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Amy Crenshaw, MS, CCC-SLP/L

Amy Crenshaw, speech therapist at Center for Pediatric Therapies in South Boston, Virginia with a patient

Amy Crenshaw is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Center for Pediatric Therapies. Based at our location in South Boston, Virginia, Amy provides speech therapy services to children from birth to 21 years of age in South Boston, Halifax County, and surrounding areas. She also works with Building Blocks Center for Autism in Danville, Virginia.

After graduating from Longwood University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science, Amy earned a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Radford University in 2000. Amy holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) awarded the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed by the state of Virginia. She is a certified provider of the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol and a certified Early Intervention Specialist for the Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia.

Amy’s areas of clinical expertise and interest include: apraxia of speech, articulation disorders, autism, developmental delays, expressive and receptive language disorders, feeding disorders, and oral-motor difficulties.

Amy lives in South Boston with her husband, Jay, and their two daughters, Morgan and Avery.

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5 MYTHS about individuals with Autism

As Autism Awareness Month draws to a close, we leave you with five myths and facts about Autism.

1. Individuals with Autism are all alike
FACT: individuals with Autism are as different as can be, in fact the ONLY noted similarity that ALL individuals with an Autism spectrum disorder have is an unusual difficulty with social communication

 

2. Individuals with Autism do not have feelings
FACT: Most individuals with Autism are extremely capable of feeling and expressing love,sometimes though in not “typical” ways.

 

3. Individuals with Autism are a danger to society
FACT: While many individuals with Autism exhibit violent behaviors, those behaviors are almost always caused by frustration, physical or sensory over load, or a similar issue.

 

4. All individuals with Autism are savants
FACT: It is true that a relatively few individuals with Autism are “savants.”  These individuals have what are called splinter skills which relate only to one or two areas of extraordinary ability.  The majority of individuals with Autism have ordinary or even less-than-ordinary skill sets.

 

5.  Individuals with Autism can’t do much of anything
FACT: This myth truly injures our children.  Individuals with Autism can achieve great things, but only if they are supported by people who believe in their potential.  Often individuals with Autism are creative innovators and see the world through a different lens-when their perspective is respected, they can change the world!!

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Autism Awareness Lunch-n-Learn simulated sensory overload

Autism Awareness Lunch-n-Learn at Building Blocks Center for Autism in Danville, Virginia
Autism Awareness Lunch-n-Learn attendees

Building Blocks Center for Autism hosted a Lunch-n-Learn Thursday to educate people in the community about autism as part of National Autism Awareness Month. During the event, Nicole Walton, Program Director, and Courtney Adams, Behavioral Director, simulated the sensory overload that children with Autism experience. Participants in the simulation had to deal with flashing and flickering lights and blaring music while trying to complete a simple task.  The activity demonstrated the sensitivity that children with autism have to light and sound.

Autism is a complex developmental disorder with unknown causes.  Children with Autism experience social and communication difficulties.  They may also experience physical problems, such as seizures, sleep disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Thank you to all of the participants for attending the Autism Awareness Lunch-n-Learn yesterday, and for your continuous support of our efforts to raise awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders!

Read the full article here: “Autism Gets Local Attention”

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Building Blocks to host Autism Awareness Lunch-n-Learn

Celebrate Autism Awareness Month with Building Blocks Center for AutismAutism affects one in 110 children, making it more important than ever to increase awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders. National Autism Awareness Month is recognized each April as a special opportunity to educate the public about Autism and issues within the Autism community.

The community is invited to celebrate National Autism Awareness Month by attending the Autism Awareness Lunch-n-Learn hosted by hosted by Building Blocks Center for Autism.

The event is open to the public. Anyone is welcome, whether your life has been touched by Autism, or you just wants to learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Light refreshments will be provided; guests are encouraged to bring a bag lunch.

To RSVP, call 434.797.5531 or reply to the event page at facebook.com/centerforpediatrictherapies