Tag Archives: pediatric therapy

Feeding Therapy: What Is It and Would My Child Benefit?

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To someone who has never experienced repulsion at the sight of a non-preferred food, difficulty tolerating certain textures, or an extremely limited food repertoire, eating might seem like an easy task: you sit down and you eat. What’s so hard about that? For someone who experiences feeding difficulties on a daily basis, however, it’s not so simple.

What is feeding therapy?
Many people are familiar with traditional therapies, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc. However, feeding therapy is a lesser known intervention that is becoming more widely available as feeding difficulties are more recognized in our society. There are a variety of different feeding therapy approaches across the nation based on your child’s individual needs. Here at PlayWorks, feeding therapy typically includes the following components:

  • Child driven, not volume driven: The goal of a therapy session is not necessarily for a child to sit and eat a full meal. The goal of a therapy session is for a child to interact with food in a way that is enjoyable and motivating. When the fear of trying a new food is removed, a child has the tools to become a successful feeder.
  • Family focused: Unlike other one-on-one therapies, feeding therapy is most successful when the whole family participates. This improves generalization of learned skills, as well as strengthens the social component of enjoying a meal.
  • Feeding should be FUN: Feeding should not be a traumatic experience! Many sessions will focus on simply interacting with non-preferred foods. When a child learns that new or non-preferred foods don’t have to be scary, he or she is more likely to take the steps to try (and actually enjoy!) new foods.

What will my child work on in feeding therapy?
Before deciding on goals for feeding therapy, a feeding therapist will evaluate your child’s feeding skills to determine the root of his or her feeding difficulties. Simply speaking, feeding difficulties typically fall into the following two categories:

  • Sensory difficulties: Children with sensory concerns related to feeding typically present with either hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity. Children who are hypersensitive can have mild to severe reactions to different types of foods. This is typically related to the item’s texture, color, consistency, etc. In this case, feeding therapy will work to increase a child’s comfort interacting with certain foods. For example, therapy may initially target a child tolerating a non-preferred food on his or her plate before moving to touching, smelling, and eventually eating the target food. If a child is hyposensitive to foods, he or she may prefer very spicy or sour foods and avoid foods with less texture or flavor. Additionally, he or she may overstuff his or her mouth or pocket food in his or her cheeks. In this case, a therapist may use varying techniques to increase oral sensation.
  • Oral Motor difficulties: Children with oral motor difficulties typically have difficulty chewing foods with a “tougher” consistency (e.g., meats, crunchy vegetables) and prefer softer and/or pureed foods. Additionally, a child with oral motor difficulties may have a hard time controlling the food in his or her mouth, leading to “messy” eating and, at times, coughing or choking on foods. A feeding therapist will likely implement oral motor exercises into feeding therapy to strengthen your child’s oral musculature.

There may also be feeding difficulties that are caused by reduced pharyngeal (i.e., the muscles in your throat that control swallowing) strength and coordination. In these types of feeding disorders, a child frequently coughs or chokes when eating or, more commonly, drinking. If your child frequently coughs when drinking liquids, he or she could be at risk for aspiration. It is important to have your child evaluated by a feeding therapist to determine the best utensils and strategies to allow him or her to safely tolerate an age-appropriate diet.

How do I know if my child would benefit from feeding therapy?
If you’re wondering when a child’s “picky” or “messy” eating becomes more than just a quirk and something that requires intervention, you’re not alone. While everyone has a food that he or she dislikes, feeding therapy is warranted when a child omits all or the majority of an entire food group or has a severely limited diet. Simply speaking, if your child’s eating habits impact your everyday life (i.e., making a separate meal for him/her to avoid a meltdown) and, most importantly, his or her nutrition, it may be time to consider a feeding therapy evaluation.

Questions or concerns?
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s feeding skills, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Sarah Lydon, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Photo Credit: life is fantastic via unsplash.com

Facilitating Toddler Social Interactions

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During the toddler and preschool years, there often is a heavy focus on pre-academic skills such as identifying shapes and colors or learning to write their name. While these skills are important, research shows that your child’s social and emotional skills during these young years are actually a better predictor of his/her academic success and beyond. The ability to inhibit impulses and practice empathy not only helps them learn in the classroom, it also helps them navigate adult life as well. The good news is that social skills are teachable at this age just like numbers and letters!

Model the Language

Healthy social skills are taught through providing models and guidance. Telling your child, “It is not okay to take a toy from someone,” lets them know what not to do, but go a step further and provide what you want them to do instead. For example with your toddler, model holding your hand out and asking “My turn?” Remember that it’s okay if the other child does not share with yours right away or vice versa. Waiting for something we want is a lesson worth learning too! You can support those skills by validating their disappointment and offering an alternative. “I know, it is so hard to wait, but I know you can do it. Would you like a book or swings while you wait?”

Provide the Opportunity

Children are hands-on learners and social skills are no different. They need the opportunity to practice skills they are learning and problem solve through tricky situations with other children. Siblings can provide some opportunity for learning these skills, but children can learn so much through same-aged peers who are working on the same skills. An older sibling is more likely to accommodate their actions, while a peer provides the opportunity to attempt to clearly effectively and appropriately communicate your child’s wants and needs. These opportunities include going to the neighborhood playground, attending music/art/tumbling classes, visiting the local children’s museum, and having play dates.

It’s a Process

Just like learning to play an instrument or a new language, it takes time and mistakes will happen. Try to be patient as you find yourself repeating the same words and actions. It’s sinking in! Reinforce their efforts and successes, and try pointing out specifics. Instead of “Good job!” try “You asked for a turn so nicely by saying ‘turn, please’!” or “You did it! You played with the blocks while you waited your turn. Now it’s your turn!”

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about facilitating social interactions with your child, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Becky Clark, MS, DT
Developmental Therapist

Reference:Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., & Zinsser, K. (2012). Early childhood teachers as socializers of young children’s emotional competence. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40(3), 137-143.

Photo Credit:Three Angels Preschool, Infant Center, Ventura California, School via https://threeangelspreschool.org

The ABCs: Strategies for Handwriting

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Despite our ever changing world of technology, handwriting remains an essential part of school curriculums and mode of daily communication. Legible and efficient handwriting allows your child to participate in school tasks and keep up with their homework load. Your child may be reluctant to participate in handwriting tasks if it is difficult or if it takes him or her extra time to complete the task. Handwriting doesn’t have to be only copying letters or sentences. Let’s learn how to make handwriting more motivating for your child, so it is less like “work” and more like “play!”

What are the underlying components of handwriting?

  • Fine motor coordination: Handwriting requires the coordination of our small hand muscles and the ability to use both hands for two separate tasks (i.e. holding the pencil and stabilizing the paper).
  • Visual motor and visual perceptual skills: Copying or creating letters requires hand-eye coordination, or using visual input to guide hand movements. Visual perceptual skills also include our ability to discriminate between letters, as well as remember the letters written on the board in order to copy them to our paper.
  • Motor planning: Our ability to use the information in our environment to create, execute, and carry out the motor action of creating letters or sentences. If your child has motor planning difficulties, they may have difficulty with letter formation and legibility.
  • In-hand manipulation: The skill of “shifting” consists of moving the pencil up and down, using your fingers to make small adjustments to your pencil grasp. In order to erase with a pencil, “rotation” is utilized by rotating the pencil to use the eraser and then back to resume writing.
  • Proprioception: The sense of knowing where his/her body is in space allows your child to use the appropriate force on writing utensils.

What can I do to help promote handwriting skills with my child?

  • Promote visual perceptual skills:
    • Mazes
    • Dot-to-dots
    • Word finds
    • Scavenger hunts
  • Do the “Wet-Dry-Try” method:
    • Write a letter on a chalkboard
    • Provide your child with a small wet sponge and a small dry sponge
    • Have your child write the letter using a wet sponge, then using a dry sponge
    • Finally, have your child use chalk to create the letter themselves
  • For older children, try these functional handwriting activities:
    • Write a letter to Santa, the Tooth Fairy, etc.
    • Write a grocery list
    • Help create the family calendar by writing down events
    • Write out a packing list for a trip
  • Promote fingertip grasping patterns by breaking crayons in half. This makes it difficult for your child to grasp the crayon with their whole hand, facilitating a more age-appropriate grasp with fingertips.
  • Facilitate grasping with hand-strengthening activities:
    • Hide beads or coins in Theraputty or PlayDoh and have your child retrieve the small items by pulling apart and pinching the putty
    • Have your child pick up items with a tweezer such as cotton balls, pom poms, or beads. You can also have your child place these items into an egg carton or cut-up foam pool noodles to address fine motor precision
    • Have your child place different sized clothespins on a picture or board
    • Make a 2-inch slit in a tennis ball. Place small items (beads, coins) inside of the tennis ball and have your child retrieve the small items by using their whole hand to squeeze the ball and retrieving items with the opposite hand.

Ways to encourage sensory-based learning with handwriting:

  • Practice forming letters in shaving cream! You can also use food coloring to die the shaving cream.
  • Try sensory bags: You will need a gallon freezer bag. Fill the freezer bag with clear hair gel, then add a few drops of food coloring. Feel free to add glitter! Mix the contents and apply tape over the top of the Ziploc bag. Have your child practice letter formations by tracing over the sensory bag, you can also place a piece of white paper underneath the bag to increase their visual feedback.
  • Write letters on foam sheets for increased sensory input by requiring your child to firmly press their writing utensil into the foam.
  • Encourage letter formation with motivating sensory media: Create letters with Wikki Stix, PlayDoh, beads, or pipe cleaners.
  • Use motivating visual input: Practice letters with a Lite Brite game or using rainbow scratch paper.
  • Turn out the lights and practice forming letters in the dark with a flashlight.
  • Use sidewalk chalk or washable window chalk.
  • For a movement break, have your child attempt to form letters with their body.

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s responses to noise, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Robyn Geist, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Feder, K.P. & Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 49, 312-317.

Photo Credit: Robin Brenner via brooklinelibrary.org

The Function of Echolalia

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Echolalia is the repetition or “echoing” of sounds, spoken words, phrases, or sentences. Echolalia is a typical function of early language development seen in young children as they begin to learn spoken language. Echolalia can also be a symptom of various disorders including aphasia, dementia, traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, or Tourette’s Syndrome; however, it is most often associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It may be difficult to discern typical versus atypical echolalia and whether or not it is a functional part of your child’s language skills, but there are specific qualities to look out for in order to differentiate the underlying causes.

Types of echolalia:

There are two types of echolalia: immediate and delayed. Immediate echolalia is when a child repeats what they just heard. For example, if a parent asks a question, “Do you want a cookie?” and the child responds with, “You want a cookie?” rather than responding to the question. Delayed echolalia is when a child repeats something they heard hours, days, months, or even years prior. For example, the child may repeat a line from a video they saw earlier that day or a phrase heard at the park the week before.

Functional versus non-functional echolalia:

For some children, echolalia is just a meaningless imitation of sounds or words strung together. These children may imitate things they’ve heard recently or in the past with no communicative intent. For other children, echolalia serves a purpose to express wants and needs when they are unable to produce novel statements of their own.  When a child “scripts” (i.e. recites exact lines) from shows or movies, it may appear that they are producing long, meaningful utterances, when in fact they have no comprehension of what they are actually saying. In these instances, they may be using the familiar and memorized words and cadence as a calming strategy, but not to convey a specific message. Functional echolalia, however, is the use of learned words or phrases to make requests and otherwise express wants and needs. Some children will use exact words and intonation in order to get their needs met in a functional way even though they may not yet be able to produce their own novel word combinations. For example, they may say “Are you hungry?” to request food, as opposed to simply stating they are hungry or requesting specific food items. It is significant to note, the child who is “scripting” lines from a movie, may also be using those words as a way to request that movie at that time.

When is echolalia considered typical?

Echolalia is seen in typically developing children during early language development between one and two years of age. While we will continue to see some repetition of overheard language between two and three years of age, we also expect to see a consistent increase in novel words and phrases as well. By three years of age, echolalia should be observed minimally in a child’s spontaneous language, and by four and five, a child is expected to engage in conversations using completely novel language. Children with a language delay or autism spectrum disorder may demonstrate these echolalic characteristics beyond three years of age depending on the severity of the delay or disorder.

While first instinct may be to try to stop the echolalia altogether, it is important to recognize it as either a functional communication tool your child has developed, or as a stepping stone into functional expressive communication skills that can be further developed with the help of a speech therapist. If your child’s echolalia has continued past an age considered part of typical language development or appears “non-functional,” it may be helpful to consult a speech and language pathologist. They can help identify the underlying causes and use these emerging verbal skills to target and build functional communication.

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s echolalic language, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Therese Brown, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Photo Credit: Echolalia Autism (repetitive speech)-Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment via hearingsol.com

Sitting Up Straight: The Importance and Impact of Postural Stability

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Whether sitting at a desk at school, eating at the dinner table, or simply playing with toys on the floor, seated activities are an integral part of your child’s life. While we may not think of sitting as a complex task, it provides your child with a stable base to develop essential fine motor, visual-motor, and self-care skills. If you notice your child slouching frequently, propping his or her body against a desk or table, or fatiguing easily during seated activities, your child may be struggling with postural stability.

What is Postural Stability?

Postural stability refers to your child’s ability to achieve and maintain an upright and unsupported sitting posture against gravity. While seemingly simple, unsupported and stable sitting is dependent on a variety of factors, including muscle strength and tone, joint range of motion, the alignment of the body against gravity, and the support your child’s body receives from contact with surface they are sitting on. Core and trunk strength are essential for postural stability. If your child has a weaker core, you may notice slouching, propping of his or her head in the hands, heavy leaning against the back of a chair or the top of the desk, or sliding/falling out of chairs.

Why Does Postural Stability Matter?

While children are often on the move, a majority of their learning time takes place in a seated position. When children have to devote an excessive amount of energy to merely sitting up, the resulting fatigue can affect their ability to focus on classroom learning. Moreover, a strong and stable core allows your child to reach the arms away from his or her body in order to use the hands. Therefore, handwriting, scissor use, table-top crafts, self-feeding, and toileting tasks can all be negatively impacted by poor postural stability.

What Does Poor Postural Stability Look Like?

Some common signs of postural instability include:

  • Extreme or exaggerated slouching when sitting in a chair.
  • Leaning heavily or laying torso on the table or desk.
  • Frequently falling or sliding out of chairs.
  • Sitting in a “W” position.
  • Walking with a wide-legged stance.
  • Leaning against walls or holding onto rails for increased support.
  • Excessive fatigue following prolonged sitting (e.g. after school).

What Can I Do?

You can try to help improve your child’s postural stability through the following activities:

  • Knee walking: Try walking, playing catch, or playing “keep it up” with a balloon with your child standing on his or her needs. This helps to build the trunk muscles necessary for sitting balance.
  • Wheelbarrow walking: Encouraging your child to wheelbarrow walk helps him or her to engage their core and trunk, as well as build upper body strength. If provide support further from the core (e.g. holding the knees instead of the hips), your child will get a more intense core workout!
  • Animal walks or yoga poses: Encouraging your child to bear walk, crab walk, or perform other animal walks promotes core and trunk strengthening. Additionally, a variety of yoga poses (e.g. plank, boat, candlestick, etc.) promote overall strengthening which is great for postural stability!
  • Set your child up for success: Observe your child’s sitting environment. If your child’s feet are dangling in the air when sitting in chair, try providing a step stool or even a pile of books to rest his or her feet on. This will provide your child with a more stable base of support from the sitting surface.
  • Wedges or inflatable discs: There are a variety of tools available to help develop your child’s sitting posture. Sitting on a wedge or inflatable disc encourages your child to engage his or her core and prevents some slouching from occurring.

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s postural stability, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Natalie Machado, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Reference:

Case-Smith, J., & Clifford O’Brien, J. (2015). Occupational therapy for children and adolescents (7th ed.). Canada: Mosby, Inc.

Photo Credit:

Anissa Thompson via freeimages.com

Why OT?: Destigmatizing the Need for Therapy

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“Why was my child recommended for occupational therapy, they don’t have a job!” You might have many questions if your child has completed an occupational therapy evaluation and was recommended to receive occupational therapy services. What does this mean, exactly?

What is occupational therapy?

The term “occupational” does not refer to one’s employment, in this instance. Occupationscan be defined as activities that support the health, well-being, and development of an individual (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2014). An occupational therapist’s job is to increase the engagement and participation in meaningful daily activities that support your child’s learning, growing, and most of all, fun! There are a wide variety of circumstances that may affect your child’s optimal engagement in day-to-day activities at home, at school, or in the community.

How is occupational therapy going to help my child?

The benefit of occupational therapy is that practitioners are equipped for focusing therapy on a widevariety of skills required in your child’s daily life, such as:

  • Fine motor skills
    • Your child uses fine motor skills to write their name on their school work and to tie their shoes before heading out to play!
  • Visual motor skills
    • Your child utilizes visual motor skills when playing catch in the park and to copy written work from the chalkboard in the classroom.
  • Self-help skills
    • Self-help skills help get your child out the door in the morning! Your child needs to eat, get dressed, and use the bathroom to start their day.
  • Gross motor skills
    • Gross motor skills are required to walk to the front door and down the stairs safely to begin your child’s commute to school.
  • Sensory processing and regulation
    • Your child’s body is constantly processing sensory information in their environment to attend to and enjoy their world.
  • Executive functioning skills
    • When recalling the steps of their favorite family board game and following their teacher’s instructions, they are using their executive functioning skills, i.e., working memory, sequencing, and problem solving.
  • Social interaction skills
    • Your child utilizes their social interaction skills to make new friends and keep familiar ones.

What does it mean if my child was recommended occupational therapy?

Receiving a recommendation for therapy can be difficult and may bring about many questions and concerns regarding your child. Common concerns after receiving a recommendation for your child to receive therapy are “Will my child be singled-out from their peers?” or “Will my child always need therapy?”  When your child receives a recommendation for therapy, it does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong. A recommendation for occupational therapy does mean that a trained therapist has noted suspected concerns that warrant further evaluation. As an occupational therapist, many times I am asked, “Do you work with children with disabilities?” and my answer is, “Yes I do, but not exclusively!” Just as pediatric occupational therapists work on a wide variety of skills, we also work with a wide variety within the pediatric population. An occupational therapist will utilize a holistic approach to empower your child and your family so they can live their life to the fullest in their daily routines, school activities, and excitement within the community.

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s engagement in meaningful daily activities, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Reagan Lockwood, MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Reference: American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain & process (3rd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(Suppl. 1), S1–S48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.682006

Photo Credit: Photo by Thiago Cerqueira on Unsplash

Co-Treatment 101: What is it? And is it right for my child?

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Co-treatment, or sometimes referred to as a co-treat, refers to when two different disciplines provide treatment for one child at the same time. For example, the speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist work together to implement both of their goals into one therapy session. Co-treating can be any combination of therapists, including developmental therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers, nutritionists, or any of the other members on your child’s therapy team.

When it comes to therapy, doesn’t more equal better?

Not necessarily. There is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for therapy frequency and is entirely dependent on the needs of your child. Some children benefit from multiple sessions of the same discipline to provide intense focus on specific goals, while others may benefit from a combined therapeutic approach. When an increase in therapy is recommended, it is best to consider both individual and co-treatment sessions.

What are the benefits of a co-treatment session?

There are many reasons why your team of therapists may recommend a co-treatment for your child. Below are just a few:

  • Co-treatments with OT or PT
    • When sensory regulation support is needed in order to attend to therapy activities
    • Gross motor activities may increase your child’s verbal output
    • Postural support may increase your child’s success in various therapy activities
  • Co-treatments with DT or SW
    • Behavioral strategies may be easier implemented with two trained therapists to support your child’s needs
    • Your child requires additional support to establish early developmental milestones prior to focusing on more complex therapy tasks
  • Co-treatments with SLP
    • When your child demonstrates a receptive language (comprehension) delay and benefits from modified cues for therapy directions
    • Appropriate language models can be implemented into structured tasks to increase verbalizations
  • General benefits
    • Therapists are able to brainstorm new therapeutic strategies and modify approaches in real-timeto see what works best for your child
    • Your child is already receiving multiple therapies per week and may become fatigued with additional sessions

How do I know if a co-treatment session is right for my child?

The first step is to talk to your current team of therapists to review your child’s individual goals. Depending on their needs, you and your team will be able to decide if a co-treatment session would be beneficial for your child. If you do decide upon a co-treatment, discuss the therapy plan prior to implementation to make sure that your child is not being placed under too many demands. A successful co-treatment will use basic principles of resource allocation to guide therapy – basically, your child only has so many resources to spend on one difficult task at a time, so they should not be challenged in both discipline areas during the same task (i.e. working on both speech therapy and occupational therapy goals while playing with one toy). This most likely will be asking too much of your child and will often cause them to be unsuccessful with both goals.

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about implementing a co-treatment session for your child, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Autumn Smith, MS, CCC-SLP
Director of Speech-Language Services

Photo Credit:rawpixel.com

Early Intervention Initial Evaluation: What to Expect

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Making the call to Early Intervention (EI) can be the daunting first step in addressing developmental concerns for your child. What comes next? PlayWorks Therapy’s Director of Developmental Therapy, Kim Shlaes, explains what to expect during an Illinois Early Intervention initial evaluation.

Service Coordinator
After a referral is made for your child, a service coordinator is assigned to your case. The service coordinator:

  • Is the point of contact for you and your family to help guide you through the EI process.
  • Is responsible for conducting an intake meeting to collect all the needed information and paperwork to set up an initial evaluation.
  • Coordinates the evaluation and ongoing services, should your child qualify.
  • Is responsible for writing and updating the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) based on recommendations made by providers during their initial evaluation, goals you and your family have for your child, and assessments while in EI.
  • Is responsible for informing a family of their rights while in EI.
  • Helps facilitate the transition from EI as the child ages out of the program at three years old.

Initial Evaluation
Next, your service coordinator organizes a team of at least two credentialed evaluators. The evaluation team is selected based on developmental concerns you have for your child. An evaluation team typically has a combination of the following: developmental therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and/or speech and language pathologist. Other providers, such as social workers, nutritionists, interpreters, and others are added to an evaluation team as needed.

The initial evaluation typically takes about one hour to complete. A parent/guardian is required to attend the evaluation. A typical evaluation follows the following routine:

  • Review reasons for the referral to EI, including parental and pediatrician concerns.
  • Review the child’s birth and medical history. The evaluators will also ask questions about your child’s milestones, their social history (including who your child lives with, who cares for your child during the day, any languages your child is exposed to), and your child’s opportunities to socialize with other children.
  • The evaluators take turns playing with your child.
  • The evaluators ask you several questions about your child’s development (i.e. how your child completes “self-help” skills such as eating and dressing, how they socialize with other children, how they communicate with you, how they process sensory information, etc.).
  • Evaluators then score their assessments and make recommendations for ongoing therapy or additional evaluations. If your child qualifies for services, you and the evaluators write discipline specific goals for your child, based on what your family wants to target while in EI. This part of the evaluation is the “IFSP meeting”.

What comes next?
Should you decide to move forward with Early Intervention services, your service coordinator organizes a team of credentialed therapists to provide service to your child. These therapists contact you directly to schedule your child’s therapy sessions, which are held in a natural environment for your child, most commonly your home or their school/daycare. Services typically begin within a few weeks of the initial evaluation.

Questions or concerns?
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s development or the Early Intervention process, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Kimberly Shlaes, MAT, DT
Director of Developmental Therapy Services

Photo Credit: willingness.com.mt/types-of-play-therapy/

What to Choose? Self-Feeding Tools for Babies and Toddlers

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If you’ve ever browsed the grocery store aisles looking for the perfect cup or utensil set for your child, you may have quickly found yourself overwhelmed with all of the options. With the wide variety of choices available nowadays, it’s hard to determine the best item to for your child. There is no “one size fits all” approach to finding a transition cup and/or feeding utensil that is right for your child, and it may take some trial and error to determine the best fit. However, throughout my time as a speech-language pathologist and feeding therapist, I’ve found some tools to be particularly useful as a child develops his or her eating and drinking skills.

I’ve heard sippy cups are bad? What cup should I choose?

I’ve had many parents tell me that they’ve heard that sippy cups are “bad” and that they’d like a better option for their child. While I don’t label all sippy cups as “bad” (and feel that they are a necessary option for some children with specific feeding needs), research has proven that use of sippy cups can lead to tooth decay, oral motor delays, and speech and swallowing delays. For more information, please see a recent blog post by one of PlayWorks Therapy’s speech language pathologists: http://playworkschi.wpengine.com/blog/page/3/

Straw cups and free flow cups are a great alternative to sippy cups. Here are some cups that I have found particularly beneficial for children from all feeding backgrounds:

  • Straw cups: There are a wide variety of straw cups on the market that are specific to babies and toddlers. Some of my favorites include the Nuby No-Spill Sports Sipper(a great option for transitioning from bottles to cups!) and Phillips Avent Straw Cup; however, there are several similar options on the market that work just as well. If your child hasn’t quite grasped the concept of straws yet, the Honey Bear Straw Cupis a great introduction to straw drinking.
  • Spoutless sippy cups: Commonly referred to as the 360 Cup, this no-spill cup is a great tool to teach the oral motor and swallowing skills necessary for drinking from an open cup. Munchin Miracle 360 Trainerand Playtex Spoutless 360 Cupare both great options.

I want my child to use utensils, but he can’t quite grasp a spoon or fork yet. What should I do?

Children learn to eat with their hands, and this is a goodthing! It’s important for children to be exposed to the sensory properties of food, and eating with their hands is the best way to do so. However, there comes a time when it’s appropriate for a child to use a utensil to feed himself. When children aren’t able to successfully use a fork or spoon, I like to incorporate some of the following:

  • Dippers: Dippers are similar to a spoon, except they have no spoon bowl. Children use dippers by dipping the utensil in a thick puree and bringing the dipper to their mouth. This teaches the motor skills necessary for using utensils without requiring as much coordination. Some of my favorite dippers include Numnum Pre-Spoon Goo-tensilsand ChooMee Starter Spoons.
  • Curved spoons: Curved spoons are another good option for children who have difficulty handling typical spoons. Curved spoons are made to match a baby’s natural grasp. Many have shorter, thicker handles which make the spoons easier to maneuver. Playtex Curve Infant Spoonsare a great option!
  • Child size spoons and forks: While I don’t have any particular brand of spoons and forks that I prefer, children learning to self-feed will have more control when using small utensils. Additionally, utensils with a wider handle will be easier for children to grip.

What can I do if my child is demonstrating feeding difficulties?

If your child is demonstrating difficulties transitioning away from the bottle and/or tolerating an age-appropriate diet, consider contacting one of our feeding therapists, who can provide your family with helpful tips and tricks to increase your child’s independence as they transition to the world of self-feeding.

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s feeding skills, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Sarah Lydon, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Photo Credit: Hal Gatewood via unsplash.com

** Disclaimer: We are not affiliated, associated, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected, with any of the products listed in this blog.

The Benefits of Parent Involvement in Early Intervention

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What is your role as a parent in your child’s therapy sessions?

As a parent of a child who is receiving Early Intervention services, you may wonder what your role is during your child’s therapy sessions. Will the therapist be working one-on-one with your child? Will you be observing the session? Or will you be actively participating?

Parents are key to the success of therapy, no matter the goals being targeted. As a parent your involvement and insight are essential for your child to make progress towards their developmental goals.  For this reason, it is recommended that parents take an active role in therapy sessions. Your child’s therapist will model and teach you strategies and techniques for achieving your child’s specific goals. These strategies can then be carried over into your child’s daily routines and activities. You will see the best outcomes when the strategies provided during therapy sessions are embedded into your child’s everyday routines, as this will provide your child with frequent and natural learning opportunities to practice the skills introduced.

Benefits of parent involvement:

  • Parents are a child’s first teacher and children will learn the most from the people who know them best!
  • Parents interact with their children everyday and offer frequent learning opportunities for their children.
  • Children generalize learned skills when they are embedded into every day routines, such as mealtime, bath time, bedtime, and play

The impact of ongoing parent involvement

As a parent you will be able to provide your child’s therapist with important information that will help with setting specific goals for therapy and how best to implement strategies for reaching those goals based on your family’s daily routines and activities. You will take an active role throughout the therapy process by reporting changes that you see in your child and subsequently working with your child’s therapist to determine what the next steps will be. As a parent you will be able to take the strategies provided during therapy sessions and incorporate them into your child’s every day activities, which will allow frequent learning opportunities for your child. You are your child’s first and best teacher and your involvement makes all the difference!

If you have any questions or concerns about joining your child’s therapy sessions, talk with your ongoing therapist to discuss a plan for getting involved. For further information on parent involvement, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.comor 773-332-9439.

Claire Kakenmaster, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist

Photo Credit