All Search Results
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What color will your baby’s eyes be?
For me, one of the fascinating aspects of parenthood is witnessing the mysterious combination of myself and my husband that has come about in our daughter. It’s mind-boggling to see how she has received little pieces of each of us, and yet she is her own unique little person as well.
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The Orlando Repertory Theatre offers special showing of “The Cat in the Hat” for children with autism
Into the gray nothingness of a dull, rainy day pops the boisterous Cat in the Hat, ready to play. He says,
"I know it is wet
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As extracurricular activities get underway, remember what’s important
As the school year revs into high gear again, our schedules have already begun to fill up with activities: sports practices and games, after-school clubs, tutoring, Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, youth groups. Sometimes it feels like a full-time job just getting kids to and from all of their extracurricular activities. It’s not too difficult to become a slave to our children’s schedules.
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Prevent those "terrible twos" by easing communication frustrations
One of the most frequent referrals we receive for a speech-language assessment is for the two-year-old child who “does not talk.” The parent interview usually reveals that both the parents and the toddler are at their whit’s end, experiencing daily frustrations due to communication breakdown. Luckily, there’s usually a pretty easy way to alleviate this problem; an augmentative means of communication (AAC).
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Battling Kawasaki disease: Ava's story
Ava is a bubbly, outgoing 5-year-old. She loves princesses and playing dress-up, and she makes a new friend everywhere she goes. The highlight of her day in her Pre-kindergarten class? Getting chosen to be the line leader.
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Is genetic testing right for my child?
Angelina Jolie shared publicly last month her decision to have a preventive double mastectomy after genetic testing revealed that, due to a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, she carried an 87% risk of developing breast cancer and a 50% risk of developing ovarian cancer. Jolie identifies her mother’s decade-long struggle with ovarian cancer and death from that disease six years ago as one of the primary influences behind her decision.
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Concerned about your baby spitting up?
Babies spit up. In fact, almost two-thirds of healthy babies spit up, and despite the inconvenience of a foul-smelling milk stain on your clean shirt, there is often nothing to worry about.
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What I want my daughter to know about racism
It was my eleventh birthday, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I had been anticipating this birthday party for what seemed like forever, and the day had finally come. I picked out the streamers and balloons- green and purple, my favorite color combination at the time. There were hot dogs and hamburgers, cake and ice cream. I still remember how sore my arms were after playing countless rounds of “Red Rover, Red Rover” in the front yard.
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Early Intervention: a window of opportunity to help your child thrive
What is Early Intervention?
Early Intervention is a federal program that originated in the 1975 Education of All Handicapped Children Act. It is currently Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the law that helps states provide services to babies and toddlers under the age of 36 months who have been diagnosed with a disability, who are not learning and growing at the same rate as other children their age, or who are at risk of having developmental delays in their learning and growing.What is the goal of Early Intervention?
All infants and toddlers grow and develop uniquely. However, some children may show significant delays in attaining their developmental milestones at a young age. The goal of early intervention is to prevent future difficulties and promote the necessary conditions for healthy development. Early Intervention programs minimize and in some cases prevent delays in development of infants and toddlers with disabilities. They can decrease the need for special education and related services when a child enters school, and increase the child’s independence.Why is it important to “Intervene Early?”
Research has shown that the time between birth and 36 months of age is a critical developmental period in a child’s life. These months offer a window of opportunity for learning that will not be available later. Children whose special needs are identified and addressed during these crucial early years have a better chance of reaching their full potential.How do I know if my child will benefit from Early Intervention?
Does your child have special health or learning needs? Was your child born with a very low birth weight? Do you think your child is slow to begin sitting up, crawling, walking or talking? Does your child have vision, hearing or feeding problems? Does your child have trouble relating to other people? Does your child have a condition that may cause him/her to have a future delay in development?What services are included in Early Intervention?
Early Intervention Service programs and funding are different in each state. Typically, Early Intervention programs are designed to address five areas of development with specific services customized to meet each child’s particular needs. These programs take a family-centered approach, and are usually provided in the child’s “natural environment” (home or child care center). Cognitive development: how a child thinks/learns. An Early Intervention specialist/teacher may provide home-based learning enrichment or preschool classroom services may be recommended to address these needs. Physical development: includes fine and gross motor developmental milestones, vision and hearing. Occupational and/or physical therapy may be warranted to address these needs. Children may also be followed by services for children with low vision, or for the deaf/hard-of-hearing. Language, speech and communication: these skills may be further evaluated and treated by a speech-language pathologist Social-emotional development: these skills may warrant the need for evaluation and treatment by a behavioral therapist, counselor or developmental psychologist Adaptive/self-help skills and development: these skills may be further evaluated and treated by an occupational therapist.How can I learn more about Early Intervention in my area?
Families and Advocates Partnership for Education web site: www.fape.org The Developmental Center for Infants and Children at the Howard Philips Center (Early Steps) 407.317.7430 ext. 2121 Florida Directory of Early Childhood Services: 1.800.654.4440 www.centraldirectory.org www.zerotothree.org -
A silent killer in young athletes - sickle cell trait
The stories have become all too familiar to us: local news coverage shows a high school athlete who has collapsed unexpectedly during a game and is being rushed to the hospital. It is every parent’s worst nightmare.
