Special Needs

Articles

...of motion despite years of therapy. These are the moments when parents wonder: does my child need physical therapy? And if they do, where do I even start?...transition between positions Range of motion: keeping joints flexible and preventing contractures (permanent muscle shortening) Balance and coordination: reducing...

...finding the right words. Uses incorrect words or phrases; guesses at the right words. When your child is in school, he or she may... Let his mind wander in class. Have problems following instructions. Forget questions when called on in class or hesitate to respond. Have trouble focusing in noisy...

When an autistic child wanders away from parents or a caregiver into unfamiliar surroundings, they can...autistic child’s safety: · Talk to neighbors about the child's tendency to wander and how they should not be afraid to call you if the child is seen away...

...Autism Network, approximately half of parents surveyed reported that their children with autism who were between the ages of four to 10 attempted to wander, a rate that is almost four times higher than that of unaffected siblings. The survey also revealed that between ages seven and 10, nearly 30% of children...

...of death of children with autism. Children with autism tend to have three characteristics, which when combined, can be very dangerous: a tendency to wander, no inherent sense of danger, and a fascination with water. We need to stress the importance of water safety to families of all children, through education,...

Your pediatrician suggests play therapy. Or your child's school mentions it as an option. You nod, take the referral card, and later wonder what you just agreed to. Play therapy sounds like something a parent could do at home, or what your child already does in occupational therapy sessions....

Your child's therapist suggests craniosacral therapy. A friend swears by weighted blankets. You read about hippotherapy and art therapy and wonder if any of it has real evidence behind it. Alternative and complementary therapies for special needs children range from well-researched interventions...

You see a headline about a promising autism drug entering Phase 2 trials, and you wonder if this could be the treatment your child needs. But Phase 2 doesn't mean it's available next month. It doesn't even mean it'll make it to market....

...or when a child with dyslexia reads the same sentence four times and still can't remember what it said, parents often see a behavior problem. They wonder if their child isn't trying hard enough. They worry about motivation, attention, or even attitude. But the struggle isn't happening in the part of...

...seconds, or they seek out crashing into furniture. You've tried reasoning, rewards, consequences. Nothing works. You're exhausted, and you're starting to wonder if you're doing something wrong. You're not. What you're seeing might be sensory processing differences: the brain struggling to organize input from...

...way. It's ambient. It shows up when you're doing everything right and still feel like you're failing. When you take time for yourself and immediately wonder if your child is okay without you. When you feel relief at a moment of quiet and then feel guilty for feeling relieved. This guilt has roots in three...

...behavioral, or just typical autism-related selectivity. They recommend more feeding therapy. You've tried. It's not working. And you're starting to wonder if everyone is missing something. They might be. Between 25 and 40 percent of all children have feeding disorders. That number rises to 80 percent...