Special Needs

Articles

Your child turned four last month. Friends with neurotypical...muscle tone differences, developmental delays, and communication challenges that come with the diagnosis all affect...differences. Verbal instruction alone doesn't work when a child processes language more slowly or can't yet connect...

Your child's pediatrician hands...isn't when your child masters buttoning...domains as any child: self-care, mobility,...self-care, mobility, communication, and household participation....realistic given the child's CP type and severity...severity level. A child with spastic diplegia...elementary school. A child with athetoid CP...matter most for your child's daily life, supported...

Your child mixes blue and yellow paint, watches the green...finished piece, if there is one, reflects the child's exploration rather than a prescribed design....things "right." Speech therapy corrects their communication. Occupational therapy adjusts how they hold a...

Your child has sensory processing...respect how your child processes touch,...including improved communication and emotional regulation....sensory inputs your child seeks, which they...feels smooth to one child registers as gritty...fight-or-flight in a child with tactile defensiveness....differences. A child who avoids direct...or squeegees. A child who seeks deep pressure...

...new patients. Your child's pediatrician suggested...social reciprocity, and communication barriers that don't...based on what the child needs to work on:...or drawing tools. A child who struggles with...messier textures. A child working on turn-taking...outside the session. A child who learns to tolerate...frustration tolerance. A child who draws their family...

...Then the neighborhood holiday party evite. Your child with disabilities is invited to all of them, and...community functions. Each one is designed without your child in mind and may exclude them by accident rather...just classmates assigned to the same room. When a child consistently can't attend these events (when they...

Teaching your child life skills is an act of sustained,...trying to expand what your child can do, who they can become,...clear picture of where your child is right now. Life skills organize...scheduling appointments. Communication and self-advocacy: Asking for...through each domain with your child in mind. Which tasks can they...

Your child's IFSP lists three...working on or why your child needs all three. The...toys, guiding your child through a movement...intervention focuses on communication and feeding, not just...talking. If your child isn't babbling by...addresses how your child uses sounds and gestures...name Expressive communication: babbling, first words,...

...Smartwatches that claim to detect your child's meltdown before it happens. Wristbands...help you understand your autistic child's internal states. The promise is...about what's happening inside their child, especially when communication challenges...inside their child, especially when communication challenges make it hard for them to...

...solution is essential for your child's communication development....essential for your child's communication development. The price spread...over low-tech options for communication outcomes. The decision isn't...matching technology to your child's motor skills, cognitive...trade-off isn't quality of communication. Both can deliver the same...

You've seen what music therapy can do for your child. The engagement during sessions, the communication...your child. The engagement during sessions, the communication breakthroughs, the regulation that lasts hours...Waivers Cover Music Therapy in Many States. If your child qualifies for a Medicaid waiver, music therapy...

Your child's speech-language pathologist recommended an AAC device. You looked up the...than medical." That last one is the one you can beat. To appeal, ask your child's SLP to write a letter that names the...