By: Jessica Oswald, Occupational Therapist Parents wonder about their children's futures at a very early age. Questions they ask may include: What will my child be when they grow up? Where will they live? Will they attend post secondary education of some kind? Parents of children with medical diagnoses or disabilities consider many of these same questions, but also find…

By: Jessica Oswald, Therapy Coordinator Insurance plans and policies are all different and can be so confusing! Let us give you some basic facts and terminology so that you are better able to understand the jargony language of insurance and third party payers. Keep in mind that therapy services (speech, occupational, and physical therapy) and counseling services are often handled…

Why do some infants need PT and how do I know if my child is one of them? By: Laura Kendall, DPT How do you know your child is meeting motor development skills on time? How do you know if your infant needs Physical Therapy (PT)? Difficulties in infancy can be tricky to identify! Many parents are overwhelmed by the…

By: Laura Kendall, DPT Exploration of the world starts in infancy. Some infants, however, have limited motion, specifically with their neck. This is often due to a tight neck muscle, typically the sternocleidomastoid, and is called torticollis. Torticollis is a condition that occurs in infants and can be diagnosed shortly after birth. Torticollis can also be identified in the first…

By: Mandy Griffin, MS, CCC-SLP Parents seek the advice of Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) when there is concern that their child isn’t talking. There are several early communication skills that SLPs observe well before a child’s first words appear. These skills emerge shortly after birth and continue to develop beyond their first birthday. What skills should emerge in the early…

By: Mandy Griffin, MS CCC-SLP We typically see /s/ emerge around the age three, though kids often use it during play and in babble much earlier than that. The production of /s/ is made using the sides of the tongue to elevate and meet the palate (roof of the mouth). The middle of the tongue is down, making a groove…

By: Jorden Beckman, MS CCC-SLP There may be a variety of reasons why your child is not yet talking, but one reason may be that you already anticipate their wants and needs before they have to communicate with you. It is important to let your child take the lead to promote communication with you and to help develop those words…

By: Kelli Ellenbaum, MS, CCC-SLP Parents often find themselves spending a lot of time in the car. Whether this includes running errands, driving kids to school or appointments, or transporting children to activities, a parent’s vehicle be the vessel that contains many things. It can be a place of meals/snacks, a daily recap conversations, some ongoing learning, a therapy session,…

By: Geena Schmidt, OTR/L, Mary Dahly, OTR/L & Lindsay Jolley, COTA The mealtime routine is important for families in order to encourage healthy habits, communication, and to deepen family connections. Children especially benefit from mealtime because of the abundant opportunities to learn life long skills. Some of these lifelong skills include: meal preparation, responsibilities, manners, establishing healthy routines, and relating…