I have a 12 month old little girl with Down Syndrome. We participate in an early intervention program. Currently, she receives 2.5 hours a week of PT,OT, and developmental and 1.5 hour a week of speech. My question is two fold: First, how do you know if your child is receiving good quality therapy, and second, how much therapy should …
Q&A: 3 Year Old Throws Terrible Fits At Night
My three year old has been throwing terrible fits at night. It starts if I tell her to do something she doesn’t want something as simple as bubbles in the bath. It turns into AN HOUR OF HER CRYING. I send her to her room until she can stop but she don’t stop she just acts worse. She throws toys. …
Q&A: My Child is Aggressive in Preschool
My child does great at school but she is just aggressive. She turned 3 in February and is the youngest in her preschool class. The other kids are turning 4. The problem is there is a new teacher in her class and my child has picked up a very aggressive behavior toward her friends. I don’t know what to do. …
Torticollis and Plagiocephaly: Prevention and Getting Help
What is Torticollis? Torticollis means ‘twisted neck’ and is caused by damage to or a shortening of the Sterno-cleido-mastoid muscle (SCM muscle) in a baby’s neck. Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) can be caused by in-utero positioning, lack of space in the uterus, a traumatic birth, a multiple birth or low amniotic fluid. Some babies have an actual tumor in the …
Guidelines for Choosing Quality Care for Your Child with Special Needs
Including children with special needs into regular child care settings is becoming a trend in today’s society. The benefits of inclusion (defined as having children of varying skills and abilities in the same class) far outweigh the negatives, as long as the director and staff are committed to making inclusion successful. It is beneficial to have at least one adult …
The Importance of Laughter When Teaching Children With Special Needs
In working with children with special needs and their families for nearly 18 years, I can honestly say that the old cliche “laughter is the best medicine” rings true. Being a teacher, therapist, caregiver or parent of a child with special needs is certainly stressful at times, but it also brings many joys and special pleasures each and every day. …
What is the GFGC Diet and How Can It Help with Autism Spectrum Disorders?
The Gluten Free Casein Free Diet (GFCF Diet) is currently used as a dietary intervention treatment for children and adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, PDD-NOS, Celiac Disease and Gluten & Dairy Allergies or Intolerance. The GFCF Diet eliminates the intake of the naturally-occurring proteins gluten (found naturally in wheat, barley, spelt, triticale, kamut, rye and possibly oats) and casein (found …
The Importance & Benefits of Reading To Your Baby
Many parents wonder how reading to a baby as young as a newborn can really be beneficial, after all, the baby can’t really comprehend what is being read, nor can he or she talk yet. But, there are many benefits to beginning to read aloud to your baby well before he or she can talk. Reading to babies and toddlers …
Early Childhood Bilingualism
What You Can Expect When Your Baby Learns Two Languages Simultaneously As of 2005 it was reported that 25% of all young children ages birth to three in the United States were living in immigrant families. The largest proportion of these children had origins in Mexico, but the remainder of the group had origins that spanned the entire globe. Many …
Common Sleep Problems in Infants & Children
Sleep Behavior Problems are a Common Concern The Journal of Zero to Three (January 2009) states that “Sleep behavior problems are among the most frequent parental concerns in pediatric practice and counseling services.” As in-home therapists, we also encounter quite a few questions from parents on how to get their infants and toddlers to sleep through the night or how …