When watching your child play you may have noticed them sitting in a peculiar way. Looking from above you will see their little legs form the shape of a “W”. But what should you do when you see your child sitting in this position?
It’s Reflexive! Retained Reflexes and Their Effect on Development
Retained primitive reflexes are immature movement patterns that can often have effects on a child’s overall development. Naturally, these reflexes should “integrate” or disappear during infancy. When a reflex is retained, more mature movement patterns are not developed, which can have an effect on sensory integration, posture, executive functioning skills, and overall neuroplasticity. Recognizing and treating these retained reflexes can have a big impact on a child’s overall development.
Nighttime Anxiety and Sleep Disturbances: Putting Your Child’s Worries to Bed
As adults, we have all been there, it is past your “bedtime,” you are wide-eyed, staring at your ceiling and your thoughts are racing. The time flies by as you intermittently check your clock and countdown the hours until your alarm goes off in the morning, but something in you just will not let you fall asleep. Did you know that kids can experience the same type of nighttime anxiety that keeps them awake? They may not be able to identify their resistance to falling asleep as “anxiety” but parents and caregivers can teach their kids the tools they need to understand what is keeping them awake and how to address it.
Increasing Communication Opportunities for Language Learners
We’ve all been there. Your language learner is indicating they want something. They might be crying, vocalizing, reaching for, or gazing at the item of their desire. As caretakers, we often anticipate their needs and are readily available to help. In this space between their indication and your response, however, is a great language learning opportunity. Our goal is to increase language use by: capitalizing on these organic moments, purposefully creating opportunities for communication, and providing models of language. Here are some helpful tips and tricks used in speech therapy sessions that can be used in the home and out in the community:
Spring Sensory Bins
With April showers comes May flowers, mud and gardening! As the weather becomes warmer and our time outside increases, here are a few sensory bin ideas that can target your child’s need for exploration and keep all their senses alert! Sensory bins are a great way to introduce your child to new sensory experiences from smells to various textures.
Sensory-Friendly Outings in the Chicagoland Area
With summer right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about fun outings for the family! Luckily, Chicago boasts an array of options that are mindful of children’s individual sensory needs.
Spring Into Speech: Ways to Target Speech and Language Development Outdoors
Group of children playing with soap bubbles outdoors. Friends trying to catch the bubbles.
Chicago spring is on its way, and along with the warmer weather comes a wealth of opportunities to practice speech and language skills outside! No matter what your child is working on in speech therapy, you can find ways to target their goals in the sunny spring weather.
Spot the Difference: Understanding Vision and Perception
Your child is sitting in the exam room chair for their annual eye check-up, and they are asked the notorious question that you always seem to overthink: “Which is better… 1… or… 2…” Did you know that optometrists are testing for visual acuity when they ask that question? But did you also know there are many more aspects of vision than just visual acuity that could be influencing your child’s ability to learn and play? Read on to learn more about how to spot the difference between visual skills!
Mindfulness For Kids: A Guide For Parents
In today’s world, we all have a lot to juggle that requires our attention including school, extracurricular activities, technology, friendships, and relationships. It can be easy to get through our day feeling as if we moved from task to task without a break! How can we slow down, increase attention, promote self-esteem, and reduce overall stress and anxiety for our children?
By incorporating mindfulness and meditation into our everyday routines, we can build our attentional skills and prepare our children for coping with a variety of feelings, emotions, and situations!
Echolalia, Echolalia… What Do You Mean?
Like most things, the views on echolalia lie on a continuum. They range from considering its use non-functional, to tolerating it, to really accepting and celebrating it. We, as parents, caregivers, clinicians, and professionals, can facilitate further acceptance by understanding language learning differences, embracing echolalia, and educating others!