According to the information from the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), 13 million kids will be bullied this year. Of those children who report being bullied, “60% of students with learning disabilities report being bullied daily compared to 25% of all students.”* Bullying is a national epidemic and our children with special needs, with learning disabilities, with dyslexia are at grave risk. Bullying in any form, verbal, physical or digital must stop. To do so requires bravery and courage to confront it in our schools. Parents must take the lead and:
STOP bullying before it starts. Alert everyone that you are on the lookout for bullying and expect everyone to do the same. Know your school’s bullying policy.
USE the word bullying when talking to your child. Teach your child what it means and that it stands for hurtful behavior that is wrong. Kids often do not know that the pain of bullying they endure is wrong.
TEACH your child how to distinguish between tattling and reporting bullying, give them the words to use to tell you, or a teacher if they are being bullied.
KNOW your rights and exercise them. The US educational and civil right laws recognize that bullying and harassment are forms of discrimination.
INCLUDE a goal about bullying in your child’s IEP.
The NCLD is partnering with project Bully to increase awareness of the devastating effects of bullying for all children. At the end of March, the documentary Bully opens in New York and Los Angeles. This film examines the lives of children who are bullied, those who bully and those who are the bystanders and documents the devastating consequences.
Their website, http://www.ncld.org/, presents a trailer of this documentary and also offers concrete advice and support to parents of children with learning disabilities.
Child and Family Development is spreading the news about the 4th Annual Cure SMA Walk-n-Roll for Gray’s Gang.
The Walk-n-Roll will be held on Saturday, April 28th at Alexander Graham Middle School Track and Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Join C&FD and Gray’s Gang at this event to help find a cure of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Visit their website for more information: http://www.graysgang.com/
Kids are typically referred for a neuropsychological evaluation if they are experiencing difficulty in learning, attention, behavior, socialization, or emotional control, a disease or developmental problem that affects the brain in some way, a brain injury from an accident, birth trauma or some other physical stress.
Testing can determine the effects of developmental, neurological and medical problems, such as epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia or a genetic disorder.
Often, a neuropsychological evaluation is part of a collaboration with many professionals, including but not limited to pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, educators and other pediatric therapists.
At Child and Family Development, there are two neuropsychologists on our team.
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Joy Granetz, Ph.D. @ South Charlotte office
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Gretchen H. Hunter, Ph.D. @ Midtown office
Contact our office to schedule an Intake appointment.
Here’s what parents had to say about Child and Family Development this week:
During the Psycho-Educational Assessment, "Mo Froneberger and Dr. Annada Hypes made our daughter feel very comfortable. Their level of expertise and professionalism was outstanding!”
At the time of her son's discharge from Occupational Therapy with Abbey Sipp, a mom said “I learned something in every session.”
Thanks for the feedback!
Child and Family Development welcomes Amy Gossett, M.A., CCC-SLP to the Midtown office team on February 28.
Amy is a North Carolina licensed and ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She earned her undergraduate and master's degree in Speech Language Pathology from Ohio University in Athens, OH. Prior to joining C&FD, Amy worked with preschool and elementary aged populations in school settings as well as in natural environmental settings through home based private therapy. She has a wide variety of experience in pediatric speech and language disorders and delays including: Apraxia, Articulation, Hearing Impairment, Language delays/disorders, and other developmental delays.
She is passionate about her work and loves improving the overall quality of life for the children she works with.
So, we know she will fit right into the C&FD team.
Could it be autism?
This is a question that arises more and more often for parents, teachers and physicians. At Child and Family Development, we not only answer the question but also provide direction.
Carol Capehart, MA, LPA (Midtown office) and Chris Vrabel, Psy.D. (South Charlotte office) are highly trained and experienced to work with people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Our comprehensive evaluation begins with a thorough clinical interview with the parents and caregivers. A review of medical history and detailed information about early development, family dynamics, family history, daily life, and current concerns are also gathered. A thorough inventory of standardized tests is also available.
We help families negotiate through the IEP process, communicate with school administration and teachers, attend IEP meetings and offer advocacy support when needed. In addition, they help families find the community resources. Here, we offer individual therapy, family therapy, social skills groups and parent support groups.
Contact us for more information about the Autism Spectrum Disorder services, We currently have openings for ASD evaluations with no waiting lists. We work with families to maximize any available insurance benefits and offer payment plans.
The first 5 years of life: A crucial time for development
In the first 5 years of life, children acquire many basic skills in these early years. Early intervention for pre-school aged children is important with today’s emphasis on kindergarten readiness in order to promote a child’s success in the early years.
At Child and Family Development, we provide the necessary enriched environment to enhance a child’s ability to develop cognitive, social, language, and motor skills in a timely manner. Below is a summary of typical skills from ages 3-5. If your child is not meeting these developmental milestones, an evaluation may be beneficial.
3 years:
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Begins symbolic play
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Shares with others
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Enjoys physical activity and play
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Copes with changes to routine
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Uses many nouns and verbs
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Asks and answers questions
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Follows 2-3 part directions
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Recalls 2-3 things
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Walks the stairs
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Hope on 1 foot
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Rides a tricycle
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Goes potty independently
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Works on pencil grasp
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Copies a line and simple shapes
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Eats a variety of foods
4 years:
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Learns to share in groups
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Interacts with kids his/her age
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Talks in 4-5 word phrases
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Improves grammar
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Understands space/size concepts
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Walks a straight line
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Tries to skip
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Pushes and pulls big objects
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Catches a big ball
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Colors mostly in the lines
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Completes a puzzle
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Manipulates clothing fasteners
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“Acts out” stories
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Requests permission
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Scoops food with a spoon
5 years:
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Takes turns with others
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Knows some personal info: name and phone number
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Answers with questions
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Asks questions
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Tells a short story
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Recalls 4-5 things
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Tiptoes
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Stands on one foot for 5 seconds
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Hops and skips
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Uses both hands to play
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Throws and catches a big ball
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Draws a line across paper
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Copies letters and shapes
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Cuts a line with scissors
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Dresses him/herself mostly
Recently, a Cogmed representative shared these research updates with Child and Family Development:
You can find summaries of the published and ongoing research at www.cogmed.com/research.
To learn about the research and to determine how your child may benefit from the Cogmed Working Memory Training, contact our South Charlotte office to schedule an initial appointment with Dr. Joy Granetz. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and Cogmed Qualified Practitioner.
As parents and students anticipate the end of the school year, preparation for end-of-grade testing becomes part of the daily routine. Understandably, it creates concerns, questions, and even anxiety at times. However, a few steps may prove helpful.
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An important part of moving forward is determining where you have been. Set up a meeting with your child’s teacher in order to touch base. Teachers continually assess students’ performance using both formal and informal measures. They can provide you with detailed information about your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Teachers can help you figure out the subject areas, and even the types of questions within those subjects, that prove most difficult for your child.
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Preparation involves advance planning. Begin the review process now. By the spring, many students have a hard time recalling the skills taught in the fall. End-of-grade tests cover instructional topics presented throughout the year, and students may become stressed and anxious if they feel that they must “cram” during the last few weeks prior to the tests. Go over little bits each night. If you start with the material covered at the beginning of the year, students will become increasingly confident as they start to see the more recent topics that they remember best.
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Working with parents can at times create “homework battles”. Children rely on the love, comfort, and support of their parents. It may be helpful to enlist the help of a “coach” to assist in guiding students through difficult learning. Assure your child that a learning coach is like a coach on a sporting field. He/she will help them go through practice and strategize for what is ahead.
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Create an atmosphere of encouragement and relaxation at home. Try to avoid frequent comments that can cause uncertainty or undue worry. Encourage children and let them know that their best effort is all that matters, regardless of the outcome. As the test draws near, plan fun family outings and time away from the books.
Martha Knight is an Educational Specialist at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, NC.
Looking for pediatric therapy services near Weddington, North Carolina?
Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is just about 10 miles from there and easily accessible from the 485 loop.
Our multi-disciplinary clinic has been helping children and families since 1980. The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs. Our core services include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Child Psychology and Education. In addition, we offer many specialty services, like aquatic therapy, feeding groups and social skills groups.
The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest.
Bounce on down the road to see us!
Let me say first that this post is written in an attempt to encourage a forum for parents and educators to explore this issue, share concerns, and offer perspectives in a proactive manner. The opinions stated here are mine only and do not necessarily represent the position of Child and Family Development.
As the wrangling over the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind legislation continues, it is good to reflect on how NCLB has affected students with learning disabilities and to assure that accountability for academic achievement remains in place for student with learning disabilities.
NCLB began in 2001 and mandated that public schools would assure that all children were at or above grade level by 2014. All children meant that schools would have to test and include the learning disability population in their school-wide test results. The positive outcome was the emphasis upon trying to provide appropriate instruction to this oft-neglected population of learners. Yet, the heightened emphasis upon test outcomes has often fostered a “teach to the test” mentality. As a consequence, the sound research-driven instruction needed by the student with a learning disability was vulnerable to taking a “back seat” to a refocus upon test outcomes.
Until this legislatively is legislatively reauthorized, so-called failing schools are able to apply for a waiver to extend the 2014 deadline. This is both positive and potentially risky. Positively, these schools must actively include students with learning disabilities in their accountability figures. On the risky side, will schools actively implement a plan of instruction that consistently demonstrates progress to goals? Schools who continue to show academic progress can buy the time it often takes to implement good sound research-based instructional programs that yield positive, long lasting outcomes.
It is absolutely critical that our schools must continue to actively teach to the learning needs of all students. Our public schools can not retreat from providing accountable instruction that succeeds with all disadvantaged students including the 2.4 million students with learning disabilities.
Our public schools are at a cross roads. As educators, as parents, and as interested citizens we must remain active, informed proponents of ensuring a nation whose population is literate and well-educated.
Here are some websites to begin to learn more about No Child Left Behind and how it affects children with learning disabilities:
www.learningfirst.org/publications/nclb
www.wrightslaw.com/nclb/info/myths.realities.napas.htm
Recently, a handful of the Child and Family Development pediatric therapy team members attended a local education course titled Mealtime Success for Kids on the autism spectrum: Holistic Nutrition for Picky Eaters.
SOUTH CHARLOTTE OFFICE
Kati Berlin, Occupational Therapist
Hollie Bowling, Speech Therapist
Beth White, Occupational Therapist
MIDTOWN OFFICE
Melissa Bradley, Occupational Therapist
Abbey Sipp, Occupational Therapist
This training is useful for both Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy services since we regularly evaluate and treat children with feeding difficulties.
Here’s what some parents had to say about Child and Family Development this week:
"Mo Froneberger, Educational Specialist, and Joy Granetz, Child Psychologist, were great. They made my child feel very comfortable."
"Courtney Stanley, Occupational Therapist, and Joy Granetz, Child Psychologist, were very impressive. We feel encouraged and supported and feel the therapy will greatly benefit our son."
Thanks for the feedback!
Looking for pediatric therapy services near Waxhaw, North Carolina?
Child and Family Development has an office in South Charlotte that is under 20 miles from there and easily accessible from the 485 loop.
Our multi-disciplinary practice has been helping children and families since 1980. The team of experienced therapists can assess and treat a wide range of childhood concerns, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities or special needs. Our core services include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Child Psychology and Education. In addition, we offer specialty services, including aquatic therapy, feeding groups and social skills groups.
The Contact Us tab on our website will link you to our address and Mapquest.
We are just a hop, skip and jump away!
According to the Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) Association, the NDT Approach is used for management and treatment of individuals with central nervous system (CNS) pathphysiology. The individual's strengths and impairments are identified and addressed in relation to functional abilities and limitations. The NDT Approach continues to evolve with the emergence of new theories, models, research, and information in the movement sciences. NDT is a hands-on, problem solving approach. Intervention involves direct handling and guidance to optimize function. The approach is guided by the client's reactions throughout every treatment session.
An NDT Trained or NDT Certified™ therapist's education in neurology, physiology, and current research is translated into daily practice. They work collaboratively with patients, families, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals to develop individualized comprehensive treatment programs based on NDT theory and philosophy.
4 members of the C&FD team are NDT Certified:
1. Gail Fennimore, Physical Therapist
2. Ann Guild, Speech-Language Pathologist
3. Amy Sturkey, Physical Therapist
4. Marion Wilm, Occupational Therapist
Many others on our team have completed some training with this approach.
For more information about Neuro-Developmental Treatment, visit their website, www.ndta.org
Who are the Educational Specialists at Child and Family Development?
Established in 1980, Child and Family Development has been serving the needs of children and their families in Charlotte. Our pediatric therapy team has over 400 years of combined clinical experience, with expertise and additional certifications in many diagnostic areas.
Our Educational Specialists are trained to evaluate and treat the underlying causes of learning difficulties. Learning concerns may involve specific disorders of reading, writing, and mathematics or problems with attention, organization and study skills.
All of the Educational Specialists at C&FD have advanced graduate degrees in the field of Special Education. They help students understand their learning style, strengthen underlying processing weaknesses and develop strategies for school success.
Educational Specialists offer the following services to maximize growth and development:
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Developmental Screenings and School Readiness Assessments for children 3-5 years of age to help parents plan for the most appropriate learning environment for their child.
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Comprehensive Educational Evaluations to identify a child’s learning strengths and weaknesses
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School Consultations to present a child’s learning strengths and weaknesses to the school to provide the ground work for developing a team approach to meeting the child’s school needs and establishing informed parent advocacy.
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Treatment of Learning Disorders in Reading, Mathematics, Written Expression, Literacy Readiness, Handwriting, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Phonological Processing Delays through an Individual Educational Treatment Plan
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Support for children and adolescents with learning concerns including Study Skills, Homework Strategies, Time Management, Test Taking Strategies through individual treatment as well as intensive small group session available if needed
Visit our website or contact us to learn more about Educational services.
As a child with proprioceptive hyposensitivity in the classroom, when I had to sit all day without any proprioceptive input that I needed, I began to feel uncomfortable and stressed. This was distracting and gave me a lot of anxiety in school and social situations.
You might think I could have gotten this need satisfied in gym class or on the playground, but think about the other sensitivities I’ve described to you. I’m visually and tactilely over-stimulated and these are very strong motivators for me to avoid physical activities. Different people will have different levels of sensitivity. For me, the visual and tactile hypersensitivities are stronger than the proprioceptive needs that I have. This meant that I would not easily get the proprioceptive input that I needed. This resulted in me feeling clumsier and more awkward than my peers.
Ultimately I was left feeling uncomfortable in my own skin most of the time. I had to think a lot about how to move my body appropriately to participate in activities. I had to learn to accept and cope with overwhelming sensory inputs because I didn’t know how to make them feel more manageable.
February 2012 is an important month for this member of the pediatric therapy team at Child and Family Development:
Melinda Bumgardner, Speech-Language Pathologist – 1 year Melinda joined the team in 2011, but it seems like she’s been part of the team for much longer. While she’s practiced in the Charlotte community for about 13 years, C&FD gives her the ability to collaborate directly with other professionals and be holistic in her approach. She was accustomed to treating along with Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, this has been her first opportunity to work closely with Psychology and Education practitioners. She enjoys using our blog to share information and suggestions with the public. She completed Hanen training a few months ago and is hoping to offer parents groups this year. Melinda stays busy outside of the office too and is teaching a Junior Roller Derby class starting this month.
You are an important part of our mission- to provide comprehensive, quality and integrated services to children and families.
Happy C&FD Anniversary!
Welcome Michelle Ferguson, M.A., CCC-SLP
Michelle has been a Charlotte community colleague for a number of years and joins the Child and Family Development team today. She brings more than twelve years of clinical experience that spans work in public school, hopsital and clinic settings. Her special areas of experise include autism spectrum disorders, pre-linguistic communication, early language development and cognition. Her training was completed at Appalachian State University (Master's degree) and the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (Baccalaureate degree).
Michelle is based at the Midtown office.
I recently attended an online webinar on Therapeutic Listening: Listening with the Whole Body. Therapeutic Listening is a sensory integration intervention for children with sensory processing disorders, attention challenges, and motor planning issues. It is specifically designed to address auditory sensitivities; however, because of the anatomy of the inner ear, sound is able to affect both hearing and the vestibular systems simultaneously. This affects hearing, sound localization, and the awareness of where our bodies are in space. Awareness of timing and where our bodies are in space are essential for motor planning and praxis skills. The signals are transported from the ear and processed through the nervous system, creating integration with additional systems that influence coordination of movement, attention, sleep/wake cycles, bowel/bladder control, emotional regulation, and feeding. It was an excellent course that explained the anatomy and use of this exciting tool. I am looking forward to incorporating it into my personal practice and educating parents on the possible benefits of this program.
For more information on Therpeutic Listening, visit Vital Links
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