Building Blocks

Looking for a social skills group for your child this summer? Check out Social Butterflies Club™ at the South Charlotte office of Child and Family Development!

Social Butterflies Club™, founded in 2004 by Rhonda Osisek M.S., CCC-SLP in Virginia, helps children learn how to interact with peers while having fun with sensory and speech activities combined.

Both an occupational therapist and speech therapist leads this club at CFD. The children in the group may have a variety of diagnoses, such as expressive and/or receptive language problems, sensory processing difficulties, and fine motor deficits. The goal of the Social Butterflies Club™ is to teach the kids how to communicate with peers in a positive way that allows them to thrive outside of therapy.

Each child is screened as part of placement. Clubs are formed based on each child’s communication skills, social ability and age. The Club meets for 1-hour sessions for four consecutive days. Several schedule options are offered this summer.

We will be offering some fun themes including Going on a Picnic, Fourth of July, Under the Sea and Back to School. The club will be led by speech therapist Michelle Pentz, MS, CCC-SLP, and  occupational therapist Courtney Stanley, MS, OTR/L. 

Contact  Michelle Pentz, 704-541-9080 x214, mpentz@childandfamilydevelopment.com to register your child.

Click here for more details about the Social Butterflies Club™.

Click here for more information about the C&FD.

Have you noticed that your child moves awkwardly, avoids constructional toys such as blocks or legos, is a messy eater, lacks imaginitive play, is more comfortable around adults, and/or takes longer to respond or figure our how to complete tasks?

Developmental Dyspraxia is a neurologically based disorder of praxis. 

Praxis includes:

• the process of ideation - forming an idea of using a known movement to achieve a planned purpose
• motor planning - planning the action needed to achieve the idea
• execution - carrying out the planned movement

Dyspraxia may affect physical, intellectual, emotional, social, language, and/or sensory development and may impair the normal process of learning.  It is inconsistent, in that it may affect the child one day but not the next and it may affect children in different ways at different ages and developmental stages.

Dyspraxia can be considered a "hidden handicap" as many children with dyspraxia may appear no different from their peers until new skills are tried or known skills are taken out of context.

If you are concerned about your child's abilitiy to learn new skills, please schedule an appointment with an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development to assess your child's skills and provide education and support to you and your child.

Information for this blog retrieved from www.dyspraxiausa.org.  Please refer to this website for further information. 

Do you find that you always have to chase your child around in waiting rooms, restaurants, and in other public places?

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I have seen many parents struggle to contain their children in our clinic lobby.  There are many times that our lobby is complete chaos and that anyone would have difficulty sitting and waiting.  However, when provided with the appropriate environmental supports, your child, no matter how young, can wait.

Step #1 Prepare: Bring along 2 toys from home (they can choose the toys) in a bag/backpack for them - they can even carry it

Step #2 Arrive: Plan to arrive only 5-10 minutes before your appointment - you can't expect your 2 year old to wait for 30 minutes

Step #3 Set the expectation: Show and tell your child what you expect of them.  For example, "We are going to check in, then you can sit and play until it is our turn."

Step #4 Engage your child: Help your child wait by engaging them in a book or toy; don't expect them to entertain themselves

Step #5 Praise: Give your child positive praise for staying in his/her seat. Depending on your child, this may even mean that they earn a reward.

Step #6 Be Consistent: Children learn through consistency and repetition.  If you want them to sit and wait, carry it over in all environments and for all opportunities.

What if they can't stay sitting?  Help motivate them by letting them choose the chair and modeling sitting for them.   Give them short, direct cues such as "sit please" and if they don't return to their chair, bring them back and help them engage again.  You can also give them a choice such as "We are going to sit.  Do you want to sit in the chair or in my lap?" 

Keep at it, because some children may need more repetition to learn what is expected of them in a lobby environment.

Please consult with an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development to address specific issues/needs. 

Potty training awareness month is almost over! 

This can be a daunting task, especially if your child has Autism or another developmental delay. 

We can support your efforts and provide you with valuable feedback for how to help your child be successful with potty training.

It is important to remember that there are 3 things that you cannot make another person do: eat, sleep, and poop.  Every child has experimented with controlling his/her own body and using the bathroom is one of the few things that they can control. 

There may be many reasons why potty training can be extremely challenging for a child with Autism or other developmental delay such as:

• Flushing toilets and running water faucets may overload the child's sensitive auditory system
• Dyspraxia, a sensory-based motor disorder, may interfere with a child being able to grasp and figure out the sequence of using the toilet including clothing management
• The child may not feel secure when sitting on the toilet and fear falling in
• The weight and pressure of a diaper may be tactilely soothing and provide the child with deep pressure for calming
• The child may lack the body awareness to know that they need to use the bathroom

What can you do?

1. Develop a toileting routine such as timed toileting or a visual schedule for sequencing toileting tasks

2. Pair positive reinforcers or comforting sensations with the sound or sight of flushing to support desensitization of the noise or sight of swirling water

3. Change the final sequence of the toileting routine to: wash hands, open bathroom door as an escape route, then flush toilet and quickly exit the bathroom

4. Provide a step stool so that the child's feet can be on a stable surface instead of dangling while sitting on the toilet.  You can also use this step stool at the sink for independent hand washing

5. Consider having child wear pants with elastic waistbands, skirts and shorter shirts while potting training to help with clothing management

6. Experiment with different kinds of soap and towels if the texture is an issue

7. Provide positive reinforcement for achieving steps of potty training.

For more information, check out Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism or other Developmental Issues by Maria Wheeler, M.ED. 

For more specific concerns and questions, consult with an occupational therapist or child psychologist at Child and Family Development.

Looking for a social skills group for your child this summer?  Check out Social Butterflies Club at the South Charlotte office of Child and Family Development!

Social Butterflies Club™ was founded in 2004 by Rhonda Osisek M.S., CCC-SLP in Virginia.  The Club helps children learn how to interact with peers while having fun with sensory and speech activities combined.   Thus, this club is led by both an occupational therapist and speech therapist at CFD.  The children in the group may have a variety of diagnoses, such as expressive and/or receptive language problems, sensory processing difficulties, and fine motor deficits.  The goal of the Social Butterflies Club™ is to teach the kids how to communicate with peers in a positive way that allows them to thrive outside of therapy.

Each child is screened as part of placement. The Clubs are formed based on each child’s communication skills, social ability and age.   The Club meets for 1-hour sessions, twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday at 11 over 2 consecutive weeks. Several schedule options are offered this summer.   

I am co-leading the Club with a speech therapist.  Contact her to register your child:  Michelle Pentz, 704-541-9080 x214, mpentz@childandfamilydevelopment.com

Visit www.socialbutterfliesclub.com for more details about the Social Butterflies Club™.

Visit www.childandfamilydevelopment.com for more information about the C&FD Social Butterflies Club™.

When researching where to take your child for occupational therapy,  physical therapy, speech therapy, psychology, or educational services, it is important to know a little about where you are taking them. When I first joined the team here at Child and Familiy Development, I was eager to be part of such a warm and welcoming team that focused on maximizing the potential of every child with a holistic approach to therapy. I was even more impressed with the history of CFD. 

Child and Family Development was founded in 1980 and was one of the first private practice settings for pediatric services in Charlotte. Over thirty years ago, a physical therapist and educator teamed up and founded CFD. What a unique idea they had! Since then it has grown and blossomed into what it is today - a place where children and parents can go and receive the support they need from a variety of services to help them reach their full potential.

I am proud to be a part of such a dynamic and supportive team and want to encourage you to check out our website and learn more about the amazing team that is Child and Family Development.

As an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, one of my jobs is to set goals for the children to work toward during the time the spend with me and at home.
Since I spend so much time writing goals for my clients, I though I would share some of my goals as an occupational therapist with you!
#1 To represent the field of occupational therapy and C&FD in a professional manner 
#2 To provide child and family centered care
#3 To support, encourage and be an advocate for children and their families
#4 To provide skilled pediatric therapy by maintaining my professional certifications through continuing education
#5 To remember that PLAY is the main occupation of children

Hope you have a happy and healthy 2012- Happy New Year!

The holidays are a time for family gatherings, traveling, no school, and no routine.  For some that sounds fun, but for children with sensory processing difficulties, Autism, and other developmental delays, it can be a very scary time.
• Children who have auditory and tactile sensitivities will likely struggle most during family gatherings.
• Children who are sensitive to movement or need a lot of movement will have the most difficulty being couped up in a car or airplane while traveling.
• Children who already feel like they have no control over their own body rely on routine to give them a sense of control and organization.  When their environment is unpreditable, these children will likely either shut down or act out.

Remember your child's needs when you are making plans this holiday season.  If you go to a family gathering, make sure that your child has a quiet space to go when they need a break from all of the commotion.  If you are traveling, make sure you are able to take frequent movement breaks to allow your child to more succesfully ride in the car.  Most importantly, remember to keep sleep, meal, and daily routines as close to typical as you are able.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!

Images via: www.newsrealblog.com and www.bucklesafe.co.uk

Here at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, we use 2 great tools on a regular basis to provide our children with excellent and fun care--- the Nintendo Wii and the iPad.
The Wii provides children with excellent feedback on how they are moving their bodies and the variety of games helps children develop and improve their bilateral coordination, motor planning and sequencing, balance, and overall body strength and coordination.  The iPad supports communication, interaction, fine motor skill development, visual skill development, and cognitive skill development.  There is an amazing amount of applications that can be added to the iPad

It's the holiday season !  Are you trying to come up with some good gift ideas for kids? Here are some things to consider and age appropriate toy recommendations for a 1 year old child.

1  year old
Considerations:

• begins pulling to stand
• creeps
• puts objects into and out of container
• enjoys placing things on head
• looks at and explores objects with hands

Toys:

• push toys
• plastic nesting or stacking containers
• cups
• balls
• blocks - small and brightly colored
• baskets
• boxes - simple ones to open and close
   

18-21 months old
Considerations:

• needs interesting variety
• likes to move and climb on things
• constantly on the move; short attention span
• more aware of people
• begins to talk more readily

• pull toys
• pots and pans
• sand toys
• water toys
• dolls
• hammer toys
• sturdy books with large colored pictures
• stuffed toys
• large blocks
• toy telephone
• large beads to string
• simple shape sorter

Play is a child's main occupation.  Therefore, this is one of the main areas that is focused on in occupational therapy here at Child and Family Development in Charlotte.  Play is a critical aspect of your child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development.  It is the way a child explores and learns about himself and his environment.  Play allows children to practice skills in a safe and fun wa

Child and Family Development in Charlotte is a very play-based facility.  We have a variety of equipment from swings to trampolines to balls and tunnels.  We even have a whole collection of games to support your child's development from infants to teenagers.

As your child grows, his play activities change from exploratory play to constructive play, to pretend play, and social play.  Here at Child and Family Development, we understand the type of play that your child needs to participate in to learn about himself and his environment.

From infants to adults, play is a major part of our life.  Many leisure activities we choose as adults are those which we enjoy playing! 

If you feel that your child needs support in learning how to play appropriately in his/her environment, please contact Child and Family Development today!
 

Why?
From a sensory processing perspective, your child may grind her teeth to help modulate or organize her sensory system.  She may be using this technique as a calming strategy.  Your child is likely under sensitive to the input she is giving himself and likely has no idea that she may be hurting herself.

What can you do?
Teach your child sensory activities that provide her with appropriate opportunities for strong sensory input to her jaw muscles such as chewing on chewy tube, straw, chewy foods such as gummies, gum.  Oral motor heavy work such as sucking thick liquids (i.e. shake, applesauce, pudding) through a straw or blowing bubbles in soapy water or whistles.

For more information on sensory processing related to this and other behaviors, please contact an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development in Charlotte.

Image via: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/

Does your child struggle with reading, catching a ball, and other activities that require good visual treacking and scanning, convergence, and oculomotor skills?  Here are some activities that can support oculomotor skill development.

• “I Spy”
• Bingo
• Where’s Waldo books
• Flash light games
• Word searches (completing and creating)
• Hidden picture games
• Color by number pictures
• Dot to dot pictures
• Building replicas or from models (Lego’s, blocks, 3-D building, wooden shapes, etc.)
• Similar/different worksheets (discrete/minimal changes)
• Target shooting
• Puzzles
• Connect Four
• Checkers
• Tic Tac Toe
• Dominos
• Mazes (complete or create)
• Using map to find cities, states, geography locations, streets, mountain ranges
• Basketball
• Peg board designs

For more information on oculomotor skills, please contact an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development in Charlotte. 
 

We have many specialized programs here at Child and Family Development.  One of the programs is called Handwriting Without Tears®.

This program presents handwriting in a developmental, multisensory manner and has proven to be successful for a variety of children.  Handwriting Without Tears® was developed by an occupational therapist by the name of Jan Olsen.  It helps children learn to write in print and cursive and is appropriate for grades Pre-K through 5th grade.  Using wooden pieces for building letters, magnadoodles and chalkboards, play doh, and music, children learn how to form letters in a fun and educational way.  

Handwriting is such an important means of communication and should not be a tearful experience for any child.  If your child is struggling with handwriting, this program could help them succeed.

For more information about Handwriting Without Tears ®, visit www.hwtears.com or talk to an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development.

Tying your shoes is a daily task that we often don't even stop to think about, until we buy our children shoes with laces. Most children learn to tie their shoes around 6-7 years of age. For other children, it may take a little longer. I came across this article a couple of years ago and it presents a very cool way to tie shoes. occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Pirates-of-the-CariBootin.aspx

Follow these steps for a shoe tying adventure!

Source: Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center, Lancaster, PA

Image via: http://beckershoes.com

Autism is one of the most commonly diagnosed developmental disabilities in children.  Receiving a diagnosis of Autism from your child's pediatrician, a psychologist, or other specialist can be tough to take as a parent.  However, there is help!  Early intervention through occupational therapy can help your child develop social, play, and learning skills to achieve daily tasks such as dressing and playing with other children.  An occupational therapist does not diagnose Autism, but we do provide families with support in treating the symptoms of Autism.

Check out this article on the American Occupational Therapy Association's webpage for some more information about what you can do as a parent to be an advocate for your child.

Another helpful website that provides you with a wealth of information is www.autismspeaks.org.

For more information or to schedule an occupational therapy evaluation for your child, please visit our website at www.childandfamilydevelopment.com or call or office at (704)541-9080.

Image via: http://www.centrikidblog.com

Is Halloween always a tough time for your child with sensory processing disorder?

Check out this article for some helpful tips from the American Occupational Therapy Association to help your child with sensory difficulties enjoy Halloween!

For additional support, contact your occupational therapist at Child and Family Development! Happy Halloween!

Image: http://www.mobile-pedia.com/images/thumbnails/Halloween-children-custumes.jpg

Children thrive on structure and look to you as a parent to keep them safe and give them guidance to get through life. Telling them "no" lets them know that you care for them enough to set some boundaries so that they are safe. Even if they don't appreciate your "no" right then, they will later.

Saying "no" does not mean you have to be extremely strict, but children learn what their boundaries are by testing them. If you don't say "no", they won't learn their boundaires and their behavior will become worse.

As I discussed in one of my previous blogs, routine is very important for children. Children of all ages need to know what to expect and what is expected of them. Consistency is key!

If you only say no when you are angry or overwhelmed, you are sending your child very mixed signals. Now, they won't know when they can/can't have or do something because your response is unpredictable and they will continue to test the limits.

What about my child who has temper tantrums when I tell him/her "no"?
The more consistent your are, the more your child will learn the boundaires and the temper tantrums will decrease.  You may have to put up with some bad temper tantrums before you get there, but they will learn!

What if my child has a disorder or diagnosis?
Children with Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism, ADHD, and other developmental delays still need to hear the word "no" so that they can learn what is expected of them.  Often, these children need even more structure and boundaries to guide them through life.  Many people make the mistake of saying, "Well that child has Autism, so it's OK for him/her to act that way".  Just like any other child, children with Autism and other developmental delays will rise to the expectations they are given.

For more information on this topic, check out: www.empoweringparents.com/blog/consequences-rewards/dr-joan-its-ok-to-say-no/#

Image: www.sosprograms.com