Is my child ready to transition from a crib to a toddler bed?
By Angela Kurdzhukyan MS, OTR/L A common question parents ask is whether or not their child is ready to switch to a toddler bed. Although toddlers around 3 years old should already be transitioned, it is important to note that age is not a tell-all factor when deciding if a child is ready. The various […]
What to expect during parent and me classes?
Participate in a group of parents and babies to play, learn, and connect with each other. Parents and babies can expect a 60-minute-long session one time a week for 8 consecutive weeks. Classes will be separated by baby’s age to align with developmental activities. This is a safe and nurturing space to share your feelings […]
Picking Out Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers
By Christine Hemelians, MSOT, OTR/L It is crucial to pick out toys that are multi-purpose for children to develop and grow. This is especially important in the digital age. From a developmental standpoint, there is a large body of research indicating the importance of toys fostering and enhancing development across all domains (cognitive, language, social-emotional, […]
Importance of Parent and Me Classes
As a parent, you know that few things are more rewarding than seeing your child happy. But….parenting is a lot of work! It can be stressful, confusing, and even isolating. It is very important to find a community of others who are going through the same things as you! Parent & me classes can be […]
Benefits of Social Interaction
As children develop, they start using both verbal and nonverbal communication for a variety of purposes like requesting, commenting, and sharing. By observing and participating in social situations, children start to learn how social interactions work. Social interaction between children is important when it comes to establishing language, social skills, and learning new information. Studies […]
What’s heavy work and why does your therapist keep recommending it?
By Christine Hemelians, MSOT. OTR/L Heavy work is a commonly recommended sensory activity that occupational therapists oftentimes suggest to the families that they work with. Occupational therapists use heavy work activities for children that struggle with sensory processing issues. Heavy work refers to any activity that activates our proprioceptors. So what does this mean? Proprioceptors […]
Feeding Difficulties
By Angela Kurdzhukyan MS, OTR/L Have you ever wondered why your toddler refuses to eat certain foods? Or why they have a limited repertoire of food? Feeding difficulties can arise due to many different reasons. Below are few of the reasons a child may have problems with feeding or be seen as a “picky eater”. […]
Calming Strategies for Sensory Overload
By Anahit Grigoryan, OTR/L Sensory overload is what happens when you get more input from all of your senses than your brain can process. It is overstimulation that does not feel manageable. When a child experiences sensory overload, they may become very irritable, have difficulty focusing, feel restlessness and discomfort, become overly excited, show stress, […]
Communication Temptation
By Deanna Sargsyan MS, CF-SLP As a parent, you are your child’s interpreter. You know when they’re hungry, when they want to take a nap, or when they want their favorite toy. But let’s take a step back for one minute. If we were to hand our child their favorite toy before tucking them in […]
Fun Games for Fine Motor Skills!
By Anahit Grigoryan, OTR/L What are fine motor skills? Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the hands, wrists, and fingers. Children need to develop fine motor skills to be able to complete everyday activities such as brushing their teeth self-feeding writing/drawing getting dressed tying shoelaces typing on a keyboard Children begin to develop […]