Special Kids
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615-893-4892
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2132 E. Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Organization Details

Programs

Budget
$828,355.09
Description
The only one of its kind in Middle Tennessee, our Pediatric Skilled Nursing cares for children unable to attend a typical day-care or school due to the daily medical interventions they require. The children in this program have significant medical diagnoses, such as severe developmental delays, seizure disorders, and severe cerebral palsy to name a few. Nursing is the central ministry of Special Kids and provides a loving and safe environment for children develop to their greatest potential with supportive services of daily nursing monitoring, physical, occupational, and speech therapy if appropriate and feeding therapy. Children receive two snacks and two meals when in attendance tailored to their nutritional needs. Parents can return to work knowing that their child is in a safe and nuturing environment where they can grow and thrive.
Program Successes
A family moved to Murfreesboro just so that their child could attend the Pediatric Nursing Center program. This move allowed the mother to return to work and her child to blossom and grow in this new environment. She has shared that her child has progressed more since attending the Pediatric Nursing Program than attending individual therapy sessions and sitting at home. Mom can be a Mom at home instead of a caregiver who was not able to provide for her family.
Category
Health Care  - Patient Care/Health Care Delivery 
Beneficiaries
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Long-term Success
1. Help each child achieve the highest level of independence and health possible.
2. Empower families to provide the best care for their children.
3. Survey respondents will feel confident that their racial and ethnic heritage is respected
4. Survey respondents will feel confident that their children are being compentently and safely cared for
Short-term Success
1. Children will maintain or increase their weight during a 6 month period
2. Families surveyed will strongly agree that their child is valued and accomplishes their goals
3. Families surveyed will strongly agree that nursing staff answers their questions and concerns regarding their child


Program Success Monitored By
Special Kids utilizes an EMR system to track patient information, successes and outcomes and sends out a parent survey every quarter to assess short and long term goal attainment.


Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$1,464,290.59
Description
Special Kids' Rehabilitation Therapy includes Family Resources, Speech Language Pathology, and Feeding , Physical, and Occupational therapies. Our Family Resource Coordinators provide client intake interviews, case management, coordination of community resources, and a network of support for families. Speech Language Pathology helps children develop and maintain their ability to express thoughts and feelings, comprehend auditory information, and improve feeding skills. Therapists treat a variety of communication needs, including language, articulation, fluency, and feeding/swallowing disorders in individual and group settings. Physical Therapy works with children to address disorders that affect gross motor development. Occupational Therapy helps children who have difficulties in the areas of fine motor skills, activities of daily living, and sensory processing.
Program Successes
"When Guadalupe first started coming to Special Kids, she would cry and run and hide from us," says Occupational Therapist Melissa Wawrzyniak. "She has been receiving occupational and speech therapies ever since she started here. She has responded so well to treatment that she is now a graduate of occupational therapy." Special Kids interpreter Carmen Anchondo helped Guadalupe's family in communicating their needs to her therapists. "I am so grateful for the patience that everyone that has shown towards her," says Guadalupe's mother Luvia. "They have won her over and shown her lots of dedication. She was two years old when she first started at Special Kids. She has improved a lot and is much more independent, and through speech therapy she is able to talk more." Luvia added. "Because of the help she has received from therapy, she has made a smooth transition into school. She has demonstrated better communication skills and was more comfortable with the new people and a new setting. "
Beneficiaries
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Long-term Success
1.) Improvement in overall health and quality of life for children and their families.
2.) Through Speech Therapy, children will develop and maintain their ability to express thoughts and feelings, comprehend auditory information, and improve feeding skills.
3.) Through Physical Therapy, children will reach a goal of maximum mobility, focusing on a child's gross motor skills.
4.) Through Occupational Therapy, children will reach a goal of maximum daily life through improved fine motor skills.

Short-term Success
1.) Through outpatient physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapies, children with will show improved gross motor, fine motor, life skills, communication, and feeding skills.
2.) Therapy services will meet goals concerning the number of children served and sessions provided.
3.) Therapy services will meet goals concerning the percent of children who achieve developmental milestones.

Program Success Monitored By
Our EMR system tracks the number of patients that are being served on a monthly basis. Therapists measure outcomes using a goal attainment system. Each child receiving therapy is assessed and assigned goals for each session. The child's progress is then measured based on goals accomplished at the end of each three months, although progress is chartered after each session. At the end of the three months, the therapist reviews and records the number of goals met and documents reasons that may have impacted progress (medical condition, attendance, parental involvement, and behavior). In addition, we provide parents with a survey to measure their perceptions and opinions of our services.
Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$178,799.92
Description
Camp Ability is a Christian-day camp for children and youth with special needs, ages 6 to 26 years. Families can have respite while their child attends camp during a consecutive 4 week period.
Camp Ability provides children an opportunity to experience therapeutic and recreational activities during a fun filled period. These activities enhance self-esteem, relationship, communication and social skills, and provides real life experiences in the community. Camp counselors emphasize abilities vs. disabilities and find ways to all campers to participate in planned activities. Some of the activities are: cooking, dance, swimming, water day, movies, visits from local sports businesses and college teams, crafts, bible reading and study and more.....
Program Successes
Camp Ability had a life skills experience at a local fast food restaurant where the campers ordered their meals independently and ate in the dining room. Each camper had a different way of ordering their food either by saying what they wanted or point to a pre-printed paper with their order. The campers then sat down and interacted with each other while waiting for their food to be delivered to their table. After the event, campers could talk about what they had ordered and the experience with their peers by yes or no questions or direct questions and answers.
Beneficiaries
People with other disabilities and/or are neurodivergent
People with physical disabilities
People/Families with of People with Disabilities
Long-term Success
This is a short term program of 4 weeks in duration annually, therefore there are no long term goals.
Short-term Success
1. To implement a safe, loving, Christian summer day camp program for children with special needs.
2. To provide camp at an affordable cost for families.
3. To provide opportunities for families and caregivers to connect and build relationships with each other.
4. To feel touched by the love of Jesus Christ through their experience at Camp Ability.
5. To provide activities that enhance self-esteem, relationship, communication and social skills, and provide real life experiences in the community.

Program Success Monitored By
These short term successes will be monitored by the parent survey sent out at the end of camp.
Program Areas Served
None

CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments

The Special Kids team has been blessed to serve children with special needs in Middle Tennessee since 1998. As we serve, we are focused on three priority areas of safe & satisfied patients, engage & satisfied employees and operational stability. We are focusing on operation systems and ensuring efficient and effective systems flow and reducing the amount of time to get new patients on-boarded and served.

God's provision in and through the pandemic has left us amazed. Moving ahead, maintaining adequate staffing levels continues to prove to be a challenge. Increasing inflation also proves to be a concern as we consider the community's ability to contribute to our mission. Despite the present challenges, we have many reasons to be excited as we look ahead into 2023 and beyond.
The number of children with special needs in our community continues to rise. By year 2025, we have estimated that the number of children with special needs in Rutherford County -aged birth to 18 years- will exceed 17,700. It is with the help of our community supports and guidance from our board of directors that we will be strengthened to respond in love and be able to care for the children and their families.

We will continue to enhance our culture, invest in our team members, and improve our systems to position ourselves for greater quality of care in our community. As we look ahead over the next five years, we know that Jesus has great plans for Special Kids. We plan to expand our Murfreesboro campus and expand our services into another community in Tennessee. I am excited to see how Jesus guides us to daily fulfill our mission to meet the needs of His children - one child, one family, one community at a time.