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Summer Camps!

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We are pleased to announce two Summer Break camps for 2018! Geared towards helping families make the most of their break, these camps are a great way to keep children engaged and allow families to try out some new experiences.

LEGO® Skill Builder Clubs are building daily. Small group “club” format led by OT and SLP. K-6th grade focus. Encouraging fine motor manipulation, social interaction & communication skill development.

Yoga for KIDS. Any age/ability. We supply the mats, you bring the smiles. Story-based routines introduce yoga concepts in a kid-friendly, enjoyable manner. Led by OT and/or PT. Teaching coordination, strength, & balance.

These camps are both being offered in a trial-sized week-long format with morning and early afternoon sessions available each day. Scheduling for the weeks of 6/11-6/15 and 7/16-20. Pick a week and select morning or afternoon session. Families can call our office directly to register or they can follow the “Refer My Child” link at www.childrenstherapyconnection.com to sign up.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss a specific child/situation, please feel free to email Karen Berty at kberty@childrenstherapyconnection.com

Spring has Sprung! Let’s go outside!

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Believe it or not, the warmer weather is coming!!! Soon it will be time to get outside again and enjoy the sunshine. Let’s spring into action with these fun family activities that will take us outside!

Outdoor Family Activities

Bird Nest Material Station

Together with your child, gather a variety of materials suitable for nest building such as non-metallic ribbon, dog hair, raffia, bits of string and yarn and small sticks. Stuff the nesting materials into an onion bag, potato sack or other mesh bag. Now tie the bag closed with a string, hang it in a tree and wait for the birds to accept your invitation to set up housekeeping in your yard.

Start a Garden

Kids love digging in the dirt! Visit your local greenhouse and buy some inexpensive flowers to pretty up your yard or plants you can watch grow and harvest later this summer. Kiddos love to watch it grow and pick it themselves. If you do not have space for large garden, consider planting a small container garden or a vertical garden

Splash Time

We normally have a lot of rain in the spring and we have already experienced this year. Enjoy spring rain showers –  put on your rain gear and head outside to play. See who can make the biggest splash in the puddles!

Spring Scavenger Hunt

This can be done at home, around your neighborhood or at a local park. Use the list here or make your own of things you might see in the spring outside. Bring a clipboard and writing utensil for you kiddos to check things off the list. For older kiddos, you could provide a disposable camera to take pictures of the items they found. If you run out of time to complete your hunt, just make it a multiple day hunt or over the course of the spring season. Keep adding new things, ask your kiddos what you should look for outside.

Our Favorite Spring Books

A Rainbow of My Own
Hide and Seek duck
Planting a Rainbow
Thumpity Thump Gets Dressed
Mouse’s First Spring
Let it Rain

Songs & Poems

Lady Bug, Lady Bug by Jean Warren

Lady bug, lady bug, crawl, crawl, crawl.
Lady bug, lady bug, on the wall.
Lady bug, lady bug, look out don’t fall!

Pretty Rainbow by Jean Warren

Rainbow, rainbow in the sky, Pretty colors up so high.
Oh, I wish that it would stay. Bringing color every day.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Knees and toes!
Head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Knees and toes!
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the sky!

Teddy bear, teddy bear, Find your nose!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch you toes!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch your knees!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Sit down please!

Hungry Caterpillar

I’m a very hungry caterpillar crawling around eating everything in sight that can be found.
I’m weaving a cocoon on a good size twig and I’m starting to get real big.
I’m eating so much you can hear me chew.
Chomp, chomp, chomp’s all I want to do so much that I just can’t stop.
I’m afraid that I might pop!

POP

I’m a butterfly flying about.
I’m beautiful, I want to twist and shout. HEY!
A butterfly, it’s a brand new day and I still hear my little friends say:
I’m a very hungry caterpillar crawling around eating everything in sight that can be found.
I’m weaving a cocoon on a good size twig and I’m starting to get real big.
I’m eating so much you can hear me chew.
Chomp, chomp, chomp’s all I want to do so much that I just can’t stop.
I’m afraid that I might pop!

Holiday Happenings at CTC

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the CTC Team!! We hope you are having a safe and happy holiday season with your families. Here are a few holiday happenings that took place at the clinic this season.

Letters to Santa

Macy‘s Department Store is partnering with Make a Wish in collecting Letters for Santa. Every letter that is collected by December 24th, generated a $1.00 donation to the Make a Wish Foundation, up to one million dollars.  In the month of December, the kids at Children’s Therapy Connection wrote over 200 letters for Santa!!!

Gingerbread Village

This year our clinic-wide holiday activity was making gingerbread houses. We invited all of our kiddos who come to the clinic to participate in making their very own gingerbread house and becoming part of our CTC Gingerbread Village. The kids did a great job and were very proud of their results!

Click here to see individual photos.

What are your favorite holiday activities?

What fun holiday activities have you done with your family this year? Have you developed any new traditions? Check out our previous blog post with a list of some activities that are “Snow” Much Fun for you to do with your kiddos.

Reading With Your Toddler

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It is getting colder and snowy outside.  Winter is a perfect time to grab your toddler and snuggle together while reading a great book.  Reading with your toddler sets the stage for improved language and social development.  Research indicates that reading aloud to children can increase vocabulary and knowledge of the alphabet and leads to improved school readiness.

Don’t worry if your child can’t sit still for an entire book — toddlers’ attention spans will get longer soon.  Try to keep reading even if your child moves around while you read.

You may find that your child sits still better while coloring or playing with a favorite toy.   Don’t assume that because your child isn’t looking at you or the book that he or she isn’t interested or listening.

You want your child to have positive associations with reading, so if you are feeling tense or your child is resisting, consider setting the book aside and returning to it later. Make books part of your bedtime routine.  Allow your child to touch and play with favorite toys while you read aloud.  The sound of your voice will be soothing to your toddler.

Reading aloud should not be the only exposure children have to books. Toddlers enjoy choosing and looking at books on their own. Keep books in a basket on the floor or on a low shelf where your child can reach them easily and look at them by themselves. Keep books in the car and in your bag for long waits at the doctor or lines at the grocery store.

Check out community resources.  Many libraries and bookstores have toddler story times that kids enjoy. But most importantly, let your child see you reading — he or she is sure to imitate you.

Here are some reading tips:

  • Read whatever books your toddler asks for, even if it’s the same book every night for weeks and weeks (and weeks and weeks).
  • Read slowly enough for your toddler to understand.
  • Read expressively, using different voices for different characters and raising or lowering your voice as appropriate.
  • Use puppets, finger plays (like the “Itsy Bitsy Spider”), or props while you read.
  • Encourage your toddler to clap or sing when you read rhythmic, sing-song books.
  • Talk about the illustrations. Point to items and name them. Then ask your child to name them with you and offer enthusiastic praise.
  • Ask open-ended questions — “Why do you think the lion is going into the woods? What do you think will happen next?” This encourages your child to think about the story and to ask questions.
  • Substitute your child’s name for the name of a character in the book.
  • Have fun! Show your child that reading is enjoyable.

Click here for a list of our favorite winter books and other activities!

 

-The above article as well as more information about reading to your toddler can be found at www.kidshealth.org

 

 

 

Snow Much Fun Family Activities!!

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Just because it is chilly outside doesn’t mean you can’t have fun inside! Try a few or all of these family activities and you will have “snow” much fun. Here are our favorite winter activities to keep your kiddos energized, active and engaged.

Snack Time

Brownie Trees: Make a tray of brownies from a mix or scratch.  Cut them into triangles, and have your child decorate with green icing and insert a candy cane “trunk”.

Snowman Donuts:  Using small powdered donuts, have your child insert a baby carrot or a Cheeto puff for a nose.  Use black squeeze-tube icing for the eyes and mouth.

Pancake Snowmen: Give your child three pancakes of different sizes. Help your child arrange them in the shape of a snowman. Add powdered sugar, chocolate ships, raisins or other fruit.

Snowman Face Snack: Give your child a rice cake. Let him/her frost it with either cream cheese or frosting. Add raisins, chocolate chips, or olives for facial features . Add baby carrot for a nose.

Marshmallow Snowmen: Use frosting and a skewer to attach each marshmallow piece.  Add a fruit roll up scarf and mouth. Use raisins for eyes and buttons and finish with a candy corn nose. Use two stick pretzels for arms and top with a Hershey Kiss hat.

Movement Activities

Winter Word Hop: Cut out pictures of winter-related words. Laminate the pictures if desired. Place the pictures on the floor and ask your child to hop from one picture to another.

Indoor Toddler Hopscotch! It’s time to have fun with playing hopscotch in your living room or kitchen. Take some masking tape (or even the painter’s blue masking tape) and create a hopscotch on your rug/floor. Your child can toss a small toy at the squares. Walk/jump over the squares to get to the toy and pick it up. As she is jumping on each square be sure to call out the number. Then have her bring the toy back to you and now you take your turn! This is a great way to get some exercise and learn your numbers, even if it’s a cold wintery day!

Snowball Walk and Toss: Give your child a paper plate with three cotton ball “snowballs”. Place a basket on the other side of the room. Your child can balance the snowballs on the plate while walking carefully over to the basket. Let your child toss the snowballs into the basket before returning for more.

Cotton ball Snowstorm: Make a “Cotton Ball Snowstorm” with your child. Place a handful of cotton balls on the floor. Join your child on the floor as you blow the cotton ball “snow” all around. Can you make your snowstorm wild and windy? How about gentle and breezy?

Sensory Activities

Driving On Ice: Fill three jellyroll pans with water and freeze the day before you plan to play. Gather small match-box cars, spoons, salt and sand. Have children try to drive the cars over the ice. What Happens? Spoon salt over one sheet of ice and sand over another. What happens when the children try to drive the cars over these surfaces? Kids love this activity!

Great Balls of Snow: Fill a tub with cotton balls. Add plastic containers and cups. Encourage your child to play with the cotton balls.  Talk about the soft textures. Provide tongs and tweezers to encourage fine motor skills.

Fluffy Snowmen: Gather the needed supplies: glue, shaving cream, paper. Mix glue and shaving cream together.  Give your child a piece of dark construction paper.  Place the shaving cream mixture on the plate and encourage your child to “draw” in the mixture with his/her fingers. Let dry. The mixture will look fluffy and textured

Winter Books

“The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats

“Emmett’s Snowball” by Ned Miller

“Under my Hood I Have a Hat” by Karla Kuskin

“Pearl’s New Skates” by Holly Keller

“Snowballs” by Lois Ehlert

“Hello Snow” by Hope Vestergaard

“Winter is for Snowflakes” by Michelle Knudsen

At our clinic, we have already started some of our own Christmas festivities. Joan Goldfarb, OT, has been organizing our very own gingerbread village. Here are some photos of our gingerbread houses. Be on the look out for more photos of our growing Gingerbread Village!

Social-Emotional Development

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Many parents pay careful attention to their child’s major physical and language milestones, like first tooth, first steps, first words. But do you know the less obvious social and emotional milestones that can also help you determine if your child is on the right track?

What is Social-Emotional Development?

Social-Emotional skills are those skills that allow people to interact appropriately with others.  In young children, these skills include things like making eye contact, communicating their feelings with adults, and even starting to share toys and objects with other people.

What should I look for?

-Even before children begin to speak, they should be socially engaged with the people around them.  Look for the behaviors listed below to make sure your child is appropriately engaged.

-Young children typically use eye contact when they babble, even if the words or sounds they are making don’t have clear meaning.  When your child becomes sad, he or she should look at someone to show this sadness.  If something funny happens, your child should also look at whoever is nearby while laughing.  They should want to share their feelings with the people nearby.

-Children should also point out things they see (like an airplane flying overheard or a dog down the street), not just things they want (like a cup of milk or a cookie). Your child should want you to experience the things they experience and notice the things they notice.

-Typically developing children often hand things to adults and then smile and wait for the adult to hand the object back.  The child isn’t giving you the object because he or she wants you to do something with it. He/she is giving the object because it is an easy way to interact.  As children get older, they may offer you a turn with a toy or a sip out of their cup as a way to show their interest in interacting with you.

What about tantrums?

Temper tantrums, although exhausting, are a typical stage of development.  Children learn that they have their own opinions and that they can express those to get what they want.  They also may have tantrums because they struggle to handle disappointment appropriately.  It is important for parents to remain calm during tantrums and help children learn the right way to ask for things or to express their feelings.  If your child has tantrums that lead to injuries (of self or others) or that damage property, it may be time to seek the help of an expert.

If you are worried that your child isn’t on track with his or her social-emotional skills, it may be time to get some help. Contact our office if you are concerned about the social-emotional development of your child.

You can learn more with the online resources below for more information:

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/family.html

https://www.zerotothree.org/espanol/social-and-emotional-development

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/30-from-feelings-to-friendships-nurturing-healthy-social-emotional-development-in-the-early-years

http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/resources/publications/good-start/social-and-emotional-development

Teaching Children to Be Grateful

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When Do Kids Get It?

Toddlers are by definition completely egocentric. Still, children as young as 15 to 18 months can begin to grasp concepts that lead to gratitude, says Lewis. “They start to understand that they are dependent; that Mom and Dad do things for them,” she says. In other words, toddlers comprehend that they are separate human beings from their parents, and that Mom and Dad often perform actions to make them happy (from playing peekaboo to handing out cookies) — even if kids that age can’t articulate their appreciation.

By age 2 or 3, children can talk about being thankful for specific objects, pets, and people, says Ryan. “When my daughter Annie was 2, our family would go around the dinner table each night and say one thing we were thankful for,” she says. “Annie wasn’t particularly verbal, but when it was her turn, she would point her finger at every person — she was grateful for us!”  By age 4, children can understand being thankful not only for material things like toys, but for acts of kindness, love, and caring.

 

How to Teach It 

Children model their parents in every way, so make sure you use “please” and “thank you” when you talk to them. (“Thanks for that hug — it made me feel great!”) Insist on their using the words, too. After all, “good manners and gratitude overlap,” says New York City etiquette consultant Melissa Leonard, a mother of two young daughters.

  • Work gratitude into your daily conversation.

    Lately, we’ve been trying to weave appreciation for mundane things into our everyday talk — with A.J., his big sister, Mathilda, 10, and especially with our 2-year-old, Mary Elena. (“We’re so lucky to have a good cat like Sam!” “Aren’t the colors in the sunset amazing?” “I’m so happy when you listen!”) When you reinforce an idea frequently, it’s more likely to stick. One way to turn up the gratitude in your house is to pick a “thanking” part of the day. Two old-fashioned, tried-and-true ideas: Make saying what good things happened today part of the dinnertime conversation or make bedtime prayers part of your nightly routine.

  • Have kids help.

    It happens to all of us: You give your child a chore, but it’s too agonizing watching him a) take forever to clear the table or b) make a huge mess mixing the pancake batter. The temptation is always to step in and do it yourself. But the more you do for them, the less they appreciate your efforts. (Don’t you feel more empathy for people who work outside on cold days when you’ve just been out shoveling snow yourself?) By participating in simple household chores like feeding the dog or stacking dirty dishes on the counter, kids realize that all these things take effort.

  • Find a goodwill project.

    That doesn’t mean you need to drag your toddler off to a soup kitchen every week, says Lewis. Instead, figure out some way he can actively participate in helping someone else, even if it’s as simple as making cupcakes for a sick neighbor. “As you’re stirring the batter or adding sprinkles,” she says, “talk about how you’re making them for a special person, and how happy the recipient will be.”

  • Encourage generosity.

    “We frequently donate toys and clothes to less fortunate kids,” says Hulya Migliorino, of Bloomingdale, New Jersey. “When my daughters see me giving to others, it inspires them to go through their own closets and give something special to those in need, as well.”

  • Insist on thank-you notes.

    Paula Goodnight, of Maineville, Ohio, always makes her girls (Rachel, 10, Amelia, 6, and Isabella, 3) write thank-yous for gifts. “When they were toddlers, the cards were just scribbles with my own thank-you attached,” she says. “As they grew, they became drawings, then longer letters.” Younger children can even dictate the letter while you write, says Lewis. “Just the act of saying out loud why he loved the gift will make him feel more grateful,” she says.

  • Practice saying no.

    Of course kids ask for toys, video games, and candy — sometimes on an hourly basis. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to feel grateful when your every whim is granted. Saying no a lot makes saying yes that much sweeter.

  • Be patient.

    You can’t expect gratitude to develop overnight — it requires weeks, months, even years of reinforcement. But trust me, you will be rewarded. Four years after the robotic dog fiasco, I can now report that A.J. is a grateful, cheerful boy who delights in making other people happy. Sure, he asked for lots of gifts this Christmas , but he was just as excited about requesting gifts for his sisters. “They’ve both been good girls and deserve something special,” he wrote in his letter to Santa. Now I’m the one feeling grateful.

  -Originally published in American Baby magazine, November 2005.

 

By Charlotte Latvala

 

 

 

 

November Family Activities

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November is the start of more family gatherings and activities! Here we have compiled a list of our favorite family activities for the month of November. Try a few or all of these activities to keep the kiddos engaged and entertained!

 

Fine Motor

Set the table!   Food is fun!  Gather pretend foods and tableware and set the table for Thanksgiving!  Target quantity and spatial concepts while asking your child to follow directions (e.g., Put the cup above the spoon, Put the smallest plate on the left side of the bowl, Fold the napkin in half and place the fork on top, Place two spoons in the soup pan, Give each person the same amount of bread).  To target fine motor skills, cut out pictures from the ad section of the newspaper, use a piece of paper as your place mat, and follow directions while gluing.

Arts & Crafts

Fall Leaves Artwork – Tape together five q-tips to make a bundle of leaves. Dip the q-tip into fall colored paints to create fall leaves on a tree or an entire fall scene.

Handprint and Footprint Turkey! Who doesn’t love making handprint and footprint crafts with their kids? They are instant heart melters. This craft is adorable to hang up or for the kids to give to people in their life that they are thankful for (like grandma and grandpa).

Motor Activities

Turkey Feather Hunt! Kids love searching for things! Games like this not only work on concentration; it also naturally leads to counting, color recognition and sorting.

Turkey Tag – Glue some large feathers to clothespins.  The kids get one or two clothespins pinned on to the back of their shirt or coat.  Then the person in charge yells “Run, Turkey, Run!”  The kids run and try to get clothespins off of the others’ shirts. After a minute or so, the person in charge yells “Stop, Turkey, Stop!”  Everyone has to freeze where they are. Then continue on like that. The first to get all of the clothespins wins!

Sensory Activities

Jump in the pile. Nature has provided you with your very own “ball pit” so take advantage of it. Jump into the pile of leaves. Throw them up in the air. Let the sensation of the leaves envelope you.

Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Get some kitchen tongs or tweezers out and let your little one explore the world outside. They’ll have fun searching for small items to pick up while working on their grip strength.

 

 

Reading Together

I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson.  This silly Thanksgiving themed book provides lots of opportunities to work on vocabulary, sequencing, predicting, expanding sentences, and answering questions.  The website http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/OldLadyStoryRetelling.htm has materials for creating a fun story retelling activity.  Children enjoy feeding the old lady as the story progresses!

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper.  This is a fantastic book for elementary age children.  It targets all of the crucial language skills (sequencing, predicting, answering questions, etc.) but also targets social skills including friendship, emotions, and teamwork.  One of my favorites!

Music

The Gray Squirrel Song

Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail!

Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail!

Wrinkle up your little nose.

Hold a nut between your toes.

Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail!

Turkey Song

The turkey is a silly bird.  His head goes wobble wobble.

The only thing the turkey says is “Gobble, gobble, gobble”.

If You’re Thankful and You Know It

If you’re thankful and you know it

clap your hands (stomp your feet, shout I am, do all three)

If you’re thankful and you know it

clap your hands (stomp your feet, shout I am, do all three)

If you’re thankful and you know it

Then your face will surely show it

Childhood Apraxia of Speech

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Lindsay ClarkWritten by Lindsay Clark, M.A., CCC-SLP

Do you know a child who struggles to speak?  Does he/she only use a few spoken words even though they understand much more?   Is he/she showing limited progress with traditional speech therapy and frustration when trying to communicate?  If so, it may be time to consider an evaluation for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).

What is CAS?

CAS is a neurologically based motor speech disorder that results in difficulty planning, coordinating, and executing the movements necessary to produce intelligible speech.  In other words, the child’s brain knows what it wants to say, but the mouth has trouble responding.

What is it not?

A child with CAS is not simply a “late talker” as many might think. He/she has a neurological speech disorder that will not improve without intervention.  It is also important to understand that a child with CAS has the cognitive and muscular abilities to produce speech; it is only the message between the brain and the mouth that is impaired.

What are some signs and symptoms of CAS?

Children with CAS display a wide variety, combination, and severity of symptoms; however, the following are the most common:

  • Limited cooing, babbling, and vocal play as an infant
  • Understands much more than he/she is able to express
  • Strong desire to communicate with others
  • Only able to produce a few vowels and consonants
  • Inconsistent speech productions
  • History of words “popping out” clearly but unable to produce them again
  • Noticeable physical struggle to get the mouth in the right position when trying to speak
  • Limited number of words, or may use a single syllable for all words
  • Limited progress in traditional speech therapy

What are the next steps?

If you are concerned that your child is showing signs of CAS, the next step is a comprehensive speech and language evaluation with a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) experienced with CAS.  During the evaluation, the SLP will review your child’s medical history and assess speech articulation, speech motor planning, and language skills to determine if CAS may be affecting his/her speech development.  Following the evaluation, a specific speech therapy treatment plan will be made for your child.

For more information or to schedule a speech and language evaluation for your child, please call Children’s Therapy Connection at (317) 288-7606. 

Additional resources on CAS include: Apraxia-KIDS (www.apraxia-kids.org)

Listening to Fall!

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Kristin Vincent

Fall is a wonderful time of year for listening!! Crunchy leaves, crackling campfires, football cheers and don’t forget the sound of the fryer beep for those delicious warm cider donuts!  Fall boasts countless opportunities to facilitate the listening, speech and language skills of a child with hearing loss.  Below are a few of my favorites.  Try some at home with your little one!

By: Kristin Vincent, M.S., CCC-SLP

Fall Themed books! Check your local library for a copy!

  1. Fresh Fall Leaves by Becky Franco – Take advantage of the countless verbs!  Rake up a pile of leaves in your own backyard and pick, scoop, and throw your way through this book!
  2. Happy Halloween Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli – Check out this book for wonderful opportunities to target Where questions as you look for a curious puppy (and his pet spider) on each page!
  3. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro – There are numerous opportunities to listen to rhythmic patterns while targeting sequencing, auditory memory skills, and prediction skills in this great book!  A few visual prompts and ideas for building your own edible scarecrow are pictured here.

Take a Fall Walk Outside – Listen for crunching leaves and scampering squirrels!

  1. Leaf collection – Fill a bag with leaves. Bring them home to discuss the colors, shapes, and textures of each leaf.  Take is a step further and create a chart illustrating the similarities and differences of each kind.
  2. Create leaf animals- Target vocabulary words, sequencing concepts and spatial concepts as you create animals out of the leaves you collected.  Kids will love these!

 

Eat and Create with Apples

  1. Lay out the pieces of an apple (stem, seeds, flesh, core, skin) and your child can identify each word through listening.  Discuss the purpose of each part and the life cycle of an apple.  Use a halved apple to create apple stamps with paint.
  2. Chop, Slice, Peel, and taste your way through delicious apple desserts.  Listen for the sounds of each step of the recipe – What does the knife on a wooden cutting board sound like?  What about the whir of a mixer or the sizzle of caramel sauce over a hot stove?  Through listening, your child can decipher between similar words such as cut and cup or dice and slice.  Not to mention, recipes provide wonderful opportunities to target quantity concepts and for teaching your child to advocate for missed information!