INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER DYNAMIC THERAPY IS PARTICIPATING OR NOT.
An interesting lecture series is starting soon at UTD about infant development. Here's a link:
Baby Lectures to Focus on Language and Learning
This is a great, free opportunity to learn from some of our community's experts about our babies' language development. We hope to see you there!
Welcome to another first for us this year...the first installment of Special News for Special Kids - current events and news for parents and their special kids to share.
The kids we work with have the same interests as their peers, but sometimes have trouble keeping up with the usual overwhelming way that current events are presented. We want to do better.
Click on the file below to download an easy-to-print version of this month's edition - The Superbowl. Enjoy it with your special kid!
Superbowl.pdf
HANDWRITING...WHAT IF TUTORING IS NOT WORKING?
I was recently at a friend's house for a get-together. As usual all the Dads were crowded around the table talking about the Cowboys' chances of making it through one more playoff game (sorry to bring up that painful topic), and the moms were hanging around the playroom while the kids climbed all over each other. Finally a friend-of-a-friend approached me and told me about her first-grader who has been assigned a tutor by her school to work on his handwriting. Apparently the tutoring sessions have not been working well to improve his handwriting, and has actually led to some behavioral meltdowns that were previously not characteristic for this child. "Do I need something more than a tutor?" she asked me. Tough question, especially for a casual Saturday afternoon. But a very important question for sure. How do you know if a tutor is enough?
The holidays are nothing but joy, fun, and relaxation, right? If you answered yes then you can stop reading now (and please share your secrets!). If not, then you are one of the millions of people, especially parents, who look forward to days off work and spending time with the family, but who also know that holiday get-togethers come with a lot of stress! This is true most of all for families with children with special needs.
It's that time of year again...holiday shopping season is upon us! It can be hard enough coming up with the right gift for the children in your life when you consider what's popular, what her friends are getting, and what won't break the bank. But for those contemplating gifts for kids with special needs, it gets even tougher. Here are a few tips and a special offer that I hope will help...
I spend a lot of time talking to parents. Its one of my favorite things about being the owner of a pediatric therapy company as well as a practicing occupational therapist. Sensory integration is one of the most commonly raised subjects, especially how to address sensory issues at home. That's why I've decided to address this hot topic in a series of short articles. In each installment, or set of installments, a specific feature of every family's daily life will become the focus. For the exciting debut, food and drink will have the spotlight.
When soon-to-be new parents venture into the baby store to buy furniture and register, one of the items that is sure to be at the top of the “must-have” list is a car seat that doubles as an infant carrier. They come in wide varieties of colors, designs, and even sizes to choose from. These seats, combined with the handy base that they easily snap into and out of without disturbing Baby, are indeed a must-have. We’ve all been in a waiting room or in a restaurant and seen a sweet little one snoozing away happily in her infant carrier, still buckled in from the car ride. The ability to avoid disturbing a sleeping newborn is surely a wonderful thing! Infant carriers are used as a convenient way to get Baby from car to stroller, and from stroller to the sling at the restaurant or the floor at Mom’s feet in a waiting room.
The act of playing is a vital tool in a child's development. The primary goals of childhood are to grow, learn, and play. It is often through play that children learn to make sense of the world around them. It is a child's "job" or "occupation" to play in order to develop physical coordination, emotional maturity, social skills to interact with other children, and self-confidence to try new experiences and explore new environments.
Pediatric therapists have expertise in evaluating children's neurological, muscular, and emotional development; and determining the effects of infant and childhood illness on growth and development.
While each child is unique, those who share a diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) demonstrate various degrees of inability to pay attention and restrain impulsive behavior. It is estimated that approximately 3% of all school-age children are affected by this problem.
The daily performance of the child with ADHD does not meet standard educational goals or age-related expectations. Typical parenting techniques and classroom management strategies do not produce the desired behavior modifications. These children are often identified as underachievers, which can be an extremely painful prospect for parents and caregivers.
The ability to write legibly and with appropriate speed and accuracy is a complex process of managing written language by coordinating the eyes, arms, hands, pencil grip, letter formation, and body posture. The development of a child's handwriting skills provides invaluable insight into deeper developmental problems that could hinder, among other things, a child's learning because teachers depend on written work to measure how well a child is learning.