Help Keep Your Child’s Eyes Safe Your child’s eyes are their windows to the world so it is important that we keep them protected. Every year thousands of children under the age of 5 suffer from eye injuries. These injuries can damage sight and even cause blindness. Eye injuries can happen at home, at play or in the car. They …
What is Torticollis? Treatment Options and When You Should Seek Therapy
Torticollis is the shortening of a neck muscle called the sternocleidomastoid. The side that is affected causes a child to have their neck tilted to the side of the shorted muscle and their chin rotated to the opposite side. The child has difficulties tilting their head the opposite direction of the tight muscle and turning their head to the involved …
What is Tay-Sachs Disease?
Tay-Sachs Disease is a fatal genetic lipid storage disorder in which harmful quantities of a fatty substance called ganglioside GM2 build up in tissues and nerve cells in the brain. The condition is caused by insufficient activity of an enzyme called beta-hexosaminidase A that catalyzes the biodegradation of acidic fatty materials known as gangliosides. Gangliosides are made and biodegraded rapidly …
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome?
Shaken Baby Syndrome is a type of inflicted traumatic brain injury that happens when a baby is violently shaken. A baby has weak neck muscles and a large, heavy head. Shaking makes the fragile brain bounce back and forth inside the skull and causes bruising, swelling, and bleeding, which can lead to permanent, severe brain damage or death. The characteristic …
Walkers, Exersaucers & Jumpers: Is There an Impact on a Baby’s Development?
More and more baby “exercise equipment” becomes available to parents every year and often parents ask us questions during therapy sessions and evaluations such as “Should I get a walker for my baby?” or “Will using a bouncer help strengthen my babies leg muscles?”. It is an important question to ask, as your baby’s natural development should be considered. What …
Using Technology as a Therapy Tool for Children: Pros & Cons
Using the iPad, Smart Phones and Wii Gaming for Therapy If you have left your home at any point in the past few years you have undoubtedly seen iPads and iPhones everywhere. The concept of iTechnology has become a norm in our society. This is also becoming true for early intervention therapy. iPads, iPhones, and/or any type of touch pad …
Simple Toys For Your Child To Encourage Developmental Growth
As a developmental therapist I am always amazed when parents tell me that they weren’t aware that their young children would enjoy such “old fashioned” toys as stacking blocks, nesting cups, ring stacks & stringing beads. Not only do toddlers enjoy these activities, but they learn a lot of important cognitive, fine motor skills and other developmental skills by playing …
How to Choose Good Toys for Your Toddler
What Are Good Toys for Toddlers? The definition of a toy is “something to play with”. Some parents feel that good toys must be store bought or require batteries, but if we broaden our horizons, anything can become a toy. Cardboard boxes, laundry baskets, pots & pans, empty containers, even flashlights, blankets & pillows can offer hours of entertainment for …
Age Appropriate Toys for Babies & Toddlers
What most people don’t tell you when you have a baby, is that along with the baby, comes a mountain of toys. New parents frequently wonder why their baby doesn’t show much interest in the shiny new toy that Grandma brought when in all reality, its not that they’re not interested in it, it may be that your baby’s developmental …
What Are Nutrition Services in Early Intervention?
Nutrition services assess the nutritional needs of the child and correct for any nutritional deficiencies. Nutrition services are provided by a registered dietitian. Services include the assessment of: Nutritional history, current dietary intake and nutrient needs Anthropometrical (measurement of height & weight), biochemical (ie. Metabolism) and other clinical variables Feeding skills and feeding problems Food habits and food preferences Nutritional …