Infant Oral Reflexes
By Rouzan Dishoian, MS, CF SLP Reflexes are involuntary responses to certain stimuli that help us protect our body from things that can harm us. Infants are born with a few oral-pharyngeal reflexes that are critical to maintain life and ultimately serve functions, such as feeding, breathing, and communication. Here are some infant oral-reflexes: Rooting […]
Screen Time
By Deborah Lee MS, OTR/L Screen time is definitely an advantage for parents to keep their little ones occupied while they have to deal with work related matters or even small tasks to complete at home. However, did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against screen time especially for […]
Shouldn’t my child be playing with other kids? Parten’s 6 Stages of Play
By Nicole Tutaj, MA, OTR/L Parents are often concerned when their child is not playing with others. Often times, it’s possibly because they are still too young as they are learning how to engage and play with toys on their own before they can play with others. Why is play so important? A child’s main […]
Sensory Diets
Does your child having a difficult time focusing? Are they always on the go? Climbing furniture, seeking touch, crashing into objects, placing inedible items in their mouth? Maybe they are a picky eater, or they do not like getting their hands messy. Are they excessively bothered by certain textures and do not like wearing socks? […]
Two Languages? I’m Worried it will Confuse my Child…
By Rouzan Dishoian MS, CF SLP One of the most common questions SLPs get from parents is “Does speaking two languages confuse my child?” We largely see this misconception in multilingual families that speaking more than one language is causing language delay in their child. However, there is no evidence to support this idea. Contrastingly, […]
Strategies for Offering New Foods
By Karnie Babikian, Nutrition Educator Offering new foods consistently is critical in expanding a child’s diet to include foods from all important food groups. A diet that consists of foods from all food groups is one that is balanced– it contains all essential nutrients for children to grow and develop properly. Exposing children to different […]
Managing Screen Time
Nicole Tutaj, MA, OTR/L Managing screen time in this digital age is something many of us struggle with. What’s the right amount of screen time my child should have? What should they be watching? Is it so bad? These are just a few of the questions many occupational therapists receive from parents who are in […]
Say What You Want Them to Say!
Rouzan Dishoian MS, CF SLP Does your child repeat long phrases after you but will not use words to communicate? This is called Echolalia. By definition, echolalia is the repetition of words, phrases, or sentences previously heard with the same exact intonation pattern. Echolalia has two types: immediate echolalia, when the child repeats the word […]
Parent Coaching
By Ani Oganesyan OTR/L How can you make the most out of your occupational therapy sessions? Simple, get involved in sessions! Parent involvement leads to even greater progress. Therapists can work with the parent and/or caregiver by using the parent coaching model. Occupational therapists are trained in using evidence-based therapeutic techniques, and providing interventions that […]
Autism and play: Why play skills are important and should be reinforced at home
By: Christine Hemelians, MS, OTR/L Play is an important part of a child’s development. However, in children presenting developmental delays or diagnosed with autism, play can be very limited. In fact, play in children on the spectrum can look very different than their neurotypical peers. In autistic children, play may be repetitive, like lining up […]