By
Liz Best
Special to Neighborhood Post, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Jim Moore is the first to admit that
dividing his time between working on a doctoral degree, running a
therapy clinic for children, teaching at the University of Miami and
raising two boys has been a strain.
"The last two years have been tight, " he says.
But you'd never know he was burning the candle at both ends just by
looking at the Jupiter clinic he operates, Children's Therapies
Inc., where services are offered to a variety of children, many with
special needs. CTI began in 1999 and the staff has steadily grown to
include 20 physical, occupational and speech therapists.
Moore, who lives in Jupiter Farms, couldn't run the place without
them.
"I believe we have 20 of the best clinicians in the county. They run
the clinic," he said.
The clinic caters to children with cerebral palsy, those with social
and developmental problems and to children who have a problem shared
by many adults — bad handwriting.
Handwriting Help is one of the clinic's most popular programs, Moore
said. It started three years ago as a summer camp for kindergartners
through third-graders. Moore also started a twice monthly tutorial
program, Handwriting Help Night, which takes place the second and
fourth Tuesday of the month from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m.
Strengthening arm and hand dexterity is the secret to improving
handwriting, said Moore. The classes are fun and students and
parents report improvement in school as a result.
Moore partially blames the school system for many children's
handwriting woes. Not only are children expected to begin writing at
a young age, but very little time is spent focusing on the basics of
handwriting.
He remembers being painstakingly taught cursive handwriting when he
was growing up.
"Now, they don't teach handwriting in schools... but kids are graded
on it," he said. "We have had people come back and say that it has
helped. It is a really good program. It sustains itself and
continues to grow."
Another program offered is a social group for children who have
difficulty interacting with other people. Run by speech and
occupational therapists, the program uses role playing and
videotaping to help the children and parents see where certain
social problems lie.
"Every other week, one of the therapists meet with the parents to
look at video. They are then given homework and practice for the
home setting. It really has made a big difference," said Moore.
"This year we're trying to pull some high school kids into the
program to be role models."
The third program is called Litegait, or body weight supported
ambulation, Moore said. It uses a harness to support the child's
weight.
"It unweights you and allows (me) to help with walking. We do it
with developmentally delayed kids and older kids with cerebral
palsy," said Moore, whose doctoral dissertation is on the
relationship between balance and walking ability in children.
Moore, who has a master's degree in physical therapy from the
University of Miami, returned to UM to earn his Ph.D. in physical
therapy. He plans to finish this spring.
Then, Moore will have more time for wife Karen, who works as office
manager at CTI, and their boys Jake, 12, and Keith, 10, both of whom
are active in Scouting.
Even though the past two years have been "tight," as Moore puts it,
the hard work and long hours were worth it.
"It's helped me refine how I think."
What is your favorite book?
Into Thin Air.
Is there another profession you'd like to try?
"I guess I'd like to be an adventure guide."
