Allergies and Special Needs: A Key to Making a Difference

January 28, 20131 Comment

Allergies can play all sorts of rolls in children with special needs. We commonly hear about autism and the roll food allergies can play. From being ‘the cure’ to minimizing some of the issues, it can help children succeed. This video for Real Look Autism.com shows us how therapists and parents are helping a six-year old boy, with severe food allergies, learn to eat safely.

Allergies can come in all shapes and sizes however. It maybe food but it also may be environmental or seasonal allergies that set off a string of issues in a child or adult. I personally have lots of allergies from fragrances to dyes to preservatives, and even when I am not having a super bad allergic reaction if I do something as simply use normal soap, I can become super itchy and as a result super distracted. If you add a disability to this, their problems to be compounded. It can also be exhausting to try and overcome these allergies while dealing with other health issues.

I found an interesting article that stated:

“People with autism are more susceptible to allergies and food sensitivities than the average person; and this is likely due to their impaired immune system.Food sensitivities are considered to be allergies due to the fact that in autism, one’s immune system is overly reactive to these substances. The most common food products to which this sensitivity develops are grains (e.g., wheat, rye, oats) and dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese, whey).”

I have also heard a great developmental pediatrician talk about a child that was misdiagnosed. He was really allergic to a chemical used in the cleaning supplies at his school and as a result showed problems that gave the illusion to an emotional disability.

If you suspect you or your child have such an allergy, get tested. You can also try omitting certain things from your diet or body for ten days and see if you notice a difference.

Child Development Milestones: the First Five Years

January 12, 2013January 12, 20132 Comments

Here’s a great graphic about child development milestone. It shows why the first couple years are so crucial and what to look for so that you know your child is on the right track. If there seems to be any discrepancies between your child and the typical listed. Talk to a doctor. A developmental pediatrician is specifically geared toward helping your child meet their child development milestones.

With the above in mind:

Read to your kids, talk to your kids, try to find a place where your children can enrich their education. So much happens in the early years of a child’s development. Create an educated child who gets the most out of their 3 year old 90-95% developed brain. This part of their child development will have a lasting lifelong impact.

Child Development: the First Year

Your child has much to accomplish in the first year from learning to move to learning to walk. They are connecting the outside world to themselves. They are learning to manipulate objects and get their needs met. If at any time you feel your child is not meeting these goals, please talk to your doctor. Early intervention is key.

Child Development: Ages 1 to 5

Although it is true that children develop at their own pace, it is also true that they may need encouragement in order to reach their developmental milestones. Each child has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some children are naturally social, others talk with ease, while plenty climb and use great gross motor strength. While acknowledging a child’s strengths are important. It is also important to look and make sure they are not falling far behind in another area. It is also important to notice if a child truly reaches all that is within a specific subset. For example, a child might be able to reach certain goal, like saying ‘x’ number of words but are they also able to follow directions. Language has both an expressive and comprehensive component, so make sure you are taking into account the whole child.

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Speech Concerns: Omitting Final Sound

November 30, 2012Leave a comment

Speech concerns come in all shapes and sizes. Omitting initial and some final consonants is considered completely normal for children 12-17 months. This can be alarming if your child never seems to finish a word, and you may be looking to get some outside help, like speech therapy. Here are some skills to look for if your child is around this age.

Other speech things to look for:

-babbles with intricate inflection (talks like you without the actual English) 12-18 months
-uses single word sentences (12-14 months)
-vocalizes or gestures to indicate needs (12-19 months)
-Says ‘hi’ ‘bye’ ‘no’ (12-15 months)
-Names one or two familiar objects (13-18 months)
-Uses voice in conjunction with gestures (14-20 months)
-Uses 10-15 words spontaneously (15-17.5 months)
-Uses 15-25 words (17.5-20.5 months)
-Echos prominent or last word spoken (17-19 months)
-Jabbers tunefully at play (17-19 months)
-Uses own name to refer to self (18-24 months)

Some suggested activities to help with speech concerns of omitting final and some initial sounds are:

Don’t be too concerned or the child might pick-up on your nerves and not try
Use infliction and context to figure out new words
Avoid correcting instead be a good role model “not you say baLL” but “Yes, that’s a baLL”
Get down on child’s eye level so they can see your mouth express the word
Avoid baby talk, although baby friendly talk is fine (as in not changing words to baby speech but more familiar words is fine)

Hopefully this eases your fears!

Things to Do with a Toddler

November 7, 2012November 7, 20121 Comment

Sometimes when your a new parent, or just stuck in a rut, it seems like you can be stuck home all day, but there are lots of great things to teach your children. Most of your child’s learning occurs in the first few years of life. First hand experiences, that they can associate new knowledge with, helps your child grow. As an educator, in school you learn how important this can be. Here are some great activities to get you involved in promoting your child’s education.

Things to do with a toddler (or baby or preschooler):

A Walk: Label things around you. Trees, bushes, numbers on houses, street signs, it is a big world out there help them make sense of it.
The Zoo: We are lucky and live near multiple zoos, but even if it is just a pond with ducks, your child will be truly engaged. Learning about differences in size, shape, color, what food they eat. There is a myriad of knowledge that can grow from exploring animals.
A Park: Pack a lunch and make a play date of it. As your child explores, they will be learning gross motor skills and strengthening their bodies, as well as, social skills.
Trains: Check out and see if there are train parks near you. We are lucky to even live near one that is free! You can talk to your child about all the different kinds of transportation out there.
A Library or Bookstore: Start your child’s love of books early! Many offer free play groups or story times. These offer your child a chance to learn a new set of skills about how to act in groups and appropriately respond to new people.
Open Gyms: Many gyms near us offer open gyms. A time for children to play on their own schedule and explore things like beams, parallel bars, and spring boards. they cost normally around $5, which gives you a lot of bang for your buck.
Splash pad: Sprinklers work if you can’t find one. What child doesn’t love some good water fun!
The Mall: Lots of malls have fun areas for kids to explore. Yes I know the ‘g’ word…germs, but it is such a great opportunity to for your kid to explore.
Museums: Even little ones can get into museums. There are so many kinds, so pick one which is your child’s interest, and explore the fun of great exhibits.

Have other great ideas? Let us know.

Halloween Advent Calendar: How and Why to Make One

October 2, 2012October 2, 2012Leave a comment

Halloween Advent Calendars can provide numerous entertainment and education. Thy can help children learn: how to count down, number recognition, and patience. The one we made has two sides: an odd and evens.

When we got out the decorations and my toddler said “yay, it’s FINALLY Halloween,” I thought the holidays could be long this year. Instead we are trying to learn pacing our selves with some basic math concepts and Halloween is a great reinforcement. Below is the one we made. It is done on a budget without sowing. (I just got done with curtains and couldn’t bring myself to make something nicer)

Here’s what we did to make a Halloween advent calendar:

Bought a $2 wreath and some ribbon from the craft store
Let my child paint away
Filled in the areas they did not paint
Attached the ribbon
Added clips and craft scraps we had around the house to complete the functionality

A Child With Needs

Early child development from a mom and professional.

Category: Parenting