7 Fun Holiday Activities to Keep Pace With Your Child’s Speech Therapy
Downtime or Creative Time? It goes without saying that filling this holiday season with joy requires more imagination and creativity than in the past. Especially when it comes to making it a special experience for our children, including those who receive online speech therapy. Although your child will be missing his weekly sessions, it’s vital […]
Why is your Kid a Bully? Probably for At Least One of These Five Reasons
The Shock of Your Life One morning you receive a call from your son’s school principal. She tells you that your son has been involved in an incident and asks you to come in for a conference to speak with her, together with his teacher and the school counselor. As you race to the school, […]
3 Signs That Your Child’s Speech or Language Delay Could Be Autism
Is Delayed Speech a Sign of Autism? Early intervention with online speech therapy can be key to helping any child with a speech or language delay, regardless of the child’s diagnosis. Clinical research has consistently indicated that early intervention is essential to helping a child catch up to peers and become capable of better […]
Reversing the 3 Lifelong Consequences of Adverse Childhood Experiences
The Study that Shook the World of Mental Health A pivotal study conducted at Kaiser Permanente between 1995 and 1997 under the direction of Dr. Vincent Felitti and Dr. Robert Anda shook the world of Mental Health. That study, in which more than 17,000 people answered questions about their adverse childhood experiences, came to be […]
5 Effective Methods for Building Self-Esteem in Children with Special Needs
Introduction While any child can suffer from low self-esteem, students with learning disabilities are particularly vulnerable. It’s not that these children are less intelligent than other children, but rather they learn differently. However, most learning programs are designed for neurotypical children. This mismatch between learning style and learning program can frustrate students and cause them […]
The 6 Stages of Grieving: How to Re-engage in Life After a Crushing Loss
Sadness vs. Grief Sadness is a temporary emotional reaction to a loss or disappointment. It generally passes in a couple of days. Grief is less an emotional reaction TO something and more an actual embodiment of loss. It’s the experience of being changed by the loss. When we grieve we embody the sense of loss […]
5 Signs That Your Child Has An Expressive Language Disorder
The Concern Surrounding Language Delay Most parents are concerned when their children don’t reach critical developmental milestones concurrently with their peers. But if there’s one milestone in particular that makes parents nervous when it isn’t reached, it’s learning to speak. Delays in speech can range in severity from not talking at all to finding it difficult to pronounce […]
5 Ways to Help a Child Navigate The Intersection of Autism & Bullying
In a 2018 review of studies, Daniel Hoover, a child and adolescent psychologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, and a colleague found that 40 to 90 percent of children with autism are bullied, compared with 10 to 40 percent of typical children. Why are Autistic Kids More Vulnerable to Bullying? “There’s […]
3 Things You Need to Know About Emotional Support Animals
Isn’t Every Pet an Emotional Support Animal? Each dog owner is certainly aware that there are many benefits to having a dog. From helping its owner get out for a walk, to providing loyal and loving companionship, dogs are clearly “man’s best friend.” And yet, there are those who are saddled with emotional conditions, who […]
Playful Mental Health Activities for Your Child Over the Holidays
Confronting Child Anxiety During the Holidays If your child is receiving mental health therapy for some type of anxiety disorder, the holidays may bring new challenges with the disruption of therapy, combined with normal holiday stresses in the home. So, it may be beneficial to be aware of some simple, fun activities that you can […]
Tips for Parents Supporting Speech Therapy at Home
As schools continue in hybrid and remote models, parents and caregivers of students with special needs have often been serving in a primary support role to help deliver their child’s services. While there are some initial and ongoing challenges for families to navigate, there are often a range of particularly compelling benefits, many of […]
Does Your Child Need to Develop Fine Motor Skills? How About Gift Wrapping?
It’s well known that handwriting deficiencies and fine motor skills development in children are one of the most common reasons children are referred to receive Occupational Therapy. So, with the holiday season nearly upon us, why not let your children have some fun and improve their fine motor skills at the same time? How? […]