Pediatric Rehabilitation Services

Virtua’s Pediatric Early Intervention Program (PEIP) specialists can evaluate your child at home or in another environment, such as a child care site, to determine if he or she is experiencing developmental delays. Our specialists assess and treat your child’s self-help skills, such as feeding, learning abilities, communication skills, motor skills, sensory development, behavior, and social interactions.

Virtua provides comprehensive PEIP services in Burlington and Camden counties. The team is comprised of trained professionals, including behavioral, occupational, physical, and speech therapists; teachers of the deaf; teachers of the handicapped; and social workers.

Parents do not need a physician referral to access this service. To be eligible, children must meet certain criteria, such as:

• Age 3 or younger
• Show measurable and defined deficits in specific areas
• Already have specific medical diagnoses, such as autism, impaired hearing, or cerebral palsy

If eligible, our evaluation team will create an Individual Family Service Plan to help your child develop to his or her fullest potential.

The Pediatric Early Intervention Program is funded, in part, by the New Jersey Department of Health and by part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

For more information, please call 856-581-7380 or email eintervention@virtua.org. For additional information on Pediatric Early Intervention services in New Jersey, please visit njeis.org.

Virtua’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Services provide school-based occupational, physical, and speech therapy services to schools in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties. School therapy services are provided in public and private schools, charter schools, homes, and via telehealth.

Our school-certified therapists provide skilled services to children ages 3 to 21 within their educational environment. We work in conjunction with the district’s child study and educational teams to ensure that the students’ mandates, documentation, and quality of services are always fully in compliance.

We provide intensive, ongoing training and support for all of our therapists. Our therapists have, on average, 10 years of experience working in the schools. We take responsibility in providing coordinated and uninterrupted services, and retain long-term relationships with more than 30 districts in South Jersey.

We also offer an array of training sessions for school professionals, parents, and caregivers.

For more information, call 856-547-4422, ext. 14130, or email SchoolTherapy@Virtua.org.

Virtua’s Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation Services offers a videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) to infants, toddlers, and children. VFSS, also known as a modified barium swallow study or oral-pharyngeal motility study, is a diagnostic procedure performed under a moving X-ray (fluoroscopy) to assess the swallowing process and swallowing mechanism. Board-certified radiologists and speech-language pathologists analyze the oral and pharyngeal structures and movement in relation to each other during eating, breathing, and swallowing.

During a VFSS, events before, during, and after the swallow can be observed, helping to determine which food and liquids an infant or child may eat or drink safely.

A VFSS may be appropriate if your child:

• Coughs or chokes during feeding
• Takes longer than 30 minutes to drink a bottle
• Has difficulty consuming the amount or type of food recommended for his/her age
• Has a history of poor weight gain, or is diagnosed with “failure to thrive”
• Has a history of unexplained respiratory congestion or illness
• Is tube-fed, has a history of swallowing problems, and you are considering reintroducing food by mouth
• Gags excessively with feeding
• Forgets to breathe, experiences skin color changes, or sweats during feeding
• Describes a sensation of something in his/her throat
• Experiences difficulty swallowing large bites or certain textures

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 888-847-8823.

The Virtua Aqua Buddies Swim Program offers three sessions per year to teach children with special needs how to swim. Children above the age of 2 are welcome. Children who are not potty-trained must wear a swim diaper. A parent or guardian must accompany the child in the pool for instruction and carryover.

All sessions are group classes taught by a licensed physical and/or occupational therapist who will help your child:

• Swim more safely
• Strengthen core muscles
• Relax in the water
• Learn basic swim strokes
• Improve overall coordination

The Aqua Buddies Swim Program receives a grant from the New Jersey Pediatric Patients’ Charitable Trust Fund, Inc., which allows qualified participants to receive a reduced class fee. The grant money is available on a first come, first served basis to children who qualify.

Classes are held at Virtua Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation - Cherry Hill at Springdale Road. 

For more information or to register, email SchoolTherapy@virtua.org or call 856-547-4422.