Author: Gwen

I am a mother of one toddler, but before I became a mom I worked in all things kids. I have a B.S. Early Child Development and a M.Ed. Special Education. I have eight years experience of working directly with children with special needs, as well as, an additional six working with typically developing children. I also grew up with a sibling that is bipolar and am currently helping my four-year old niece navigate through Arizona services to get help for a speech delay and ADHD. This site is published as additional information only and is not meant to serve as a plan for any specific child. Please find a developmental pediatrician in your area to get help tailored for your child. Enjoy;)

3 Year Old Milestones: Free Developmental Guide

April 24, 2012April 24, 20122 Comments

It can be great to check your toddler regularly to make sure they are meeting their guide lines. This 3 year old milestones free guideline brochure provides an easy way to track your child’s development. Here is a great free guide I found to check and see if your 3 year old is developmentally on track. Developmental milestones are huge ques into your child’s health. Hope you find the link helpful in helping you track your child’s development. If there seems to be smaller areas where your child is not as strong, try challenging and pushing them while also celebrating their strengths. If you have any concerns, mention them to your doctor and if you still feel unsure, seek a developmental pediatrician.

3 Year Old Milestones:

For more information on child development, check out my previous posts:

Is My Child Different

Great Developmental Milestones Quick Guide

Should I be Concerned About My Child’s Development?

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Quick Break Down

April 20, 2012Leave a comment

Definition of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

A chronic condition where the emotional and behavioral responses differ from age, cultural, or ethnic norms to such a degree that educational performance is adversely affected.

Causes of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

There is a wide range of suspected causes for Behavioral and Emotional discords. They include biological disorders like abnormal brain growth or injury to the brain, genetic link to the disorder, or a biological temperament that predisposes the child to Behavioral and Emotional discords or the disorder could be caused by more Environmental factors.

Characteristics of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Emotional and behavioral disorders can be exhibited in out burst or other destructive external actions. They can also be internal, such as eating disorders, depression, or other self-destructive behaviors.

Schooling for Those with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

When a child has emotional and behavioral disorders, they normally spend part of the day in a regular classroom and the other with a resource teacher or self-contained classroom. It is important for all of their teachers to be on the same page, so that the child has a clear distinction of right and wrong and the consequences and rewards that will come of each. Often it is ideal for a school to have a school wide positive reinforcement system. These often provide clearly defined rules and consequence punishments. Another good strategy for teachers is to implement self-management teaching programs, such as self-monitoring and self-evaluation. By children learning to monitor themselves, they can learn to control their behavior and emotions. Often peer mediation and support can help a child learn appropriate social skills as they learn to work with one another. It is important for children with emotional and behavioral disorders to learn to cooperate, manage stress, control anger, handle name-calling, and problem solve . With all of these added expectations for a teacher to convey to a child with emotional and behavioral problem, it is also important that the teacher continually challenge children academically, so that they do not fall behind and can become more confident in their academic abilities.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Definitions and Challenges

Emotional Behavioral Disorders Quick Fact Sheet

Find the Right Car Seat: Keep Your Child Safe

April 17, 2012Leave a comment

It can be hard to figure out how to find the right car seat. Here’s a cool free app that helps you find that out so that you can keep your little one safe, which is important when you consider motor vehicle crashes are one of the most common causes of preventable deaths of children. Find the app at Car Seat Helper

About App: Find the Right Car Seat

The Car Seat Helper app is designed to:
– Choose the right seat for your child’s age, height and weight
– Provide information about all car seat types
– Find local resources to help you learn how to install your car seat

Other features include videos and surprising facts about car seats.

Autism and Obesity: the Links in Pregnancy

April 11, 2012April 10, 20125 Comments

A recent UC Davis study suggests a 60% greater chance of a child developing autism if a mother was obese while pregnant with the child. They also suggest that if while pregnant the mother has diabetes, often linked with obesity, the child has greater odds of encounter learning disabilities later on in life. While whatever your take on their study and it’s validity in your life, it really does make one think about how children are truly affected in these first moments of life.

Here are some things you might want to consider while pregnant to help raise a healthy child:

Your Weight
Your age
The father’s age
Your food habits
Your sleeping habits
Your emotional stress
Your consumption of things highly unrecommended
Your medications
Your follow through with doctor orders

Curriculum Guide for Mathematics: Helping Understand Money

April 9, 2012April 9, 2012Leave a comment

The following is an example of a curriculum guide for mathematics. Step number one is something even the littlest one can work on and then can advance as their skills acquire.

Goal of Curriculum Guide for Mathematics

Students will be able identify money values and address simple values

Objectives

Step One: Student will be able to identify and label money.
Step Two: Student will be able to add their money in order to know amount possess.
Step Three: Student will be able to add together items to prepare for check out.
Step Four: Student will pay for shopping.

Activities

Step One: Students will work with the money through flashcards and actual play to work toward identifying money
Step Two: Student will add money, including coins and dollars on work sheets, computer, and with actual money.
Step Three: Students will participate in mock purchasing to better understand value of money.
Step Four: Students will work on adding costs together with calculator or other tools available.
Step Five: Students will be able to pick out items they can afford and then pay for them independently at mock shopping center.

Assessments

Step One: Student will identify the names and then the value of money pieces.
Step Two: Student will be able to add together money.
Step Three: Student will pick out items costing less than what he/she possess.
Step Four: Student will pick out two plus items at a time costing less than what he/she possess.
Step Five: Students will be able to pick out items they can afford and then pay for them independently.

Additional Activities

Take a trip to a bank or store.
Have a mock money system of earning and spending.
Coloring pages
Computer games
Other projects and games focused on money.

Additional Strategies

Start with simple ideas, and then add on when student is ready. For example, students will probably learn the names of specific money and then add value to the coins and dollars .
Students can work on matching/grouping money in order to work on identifying pieces .
Students may find it easiest to begin with coins and then introduce the paper values of the dollar.

A Child With Needs

Early child development from a mom and professional.