What is Pediatric Feeding Therapy? Pediatric feeding therapy is designed to help children who have difficulties with feeding, eating, or swallowing. Feeding challenges can arise from a variety of issues, including medical conditions like gastroesophageal reflux, developmental disorders like autism or cerebral palsy, sensory processing difficulties, or behavioral issues. Pediatric feeding therapists, often speech-language pathologists…
The Importance of Crawling Crawling on hands and knees is a major milestone in your baby’s life. It is the first time they get to explore on their own, which is a huge stepping stone for future milestones to come. Typically, babies may start to crawl between seven and ten months of age, but it…
Vertical Play During Early Infancy During the early stages of infancy, many parents are educated on the importance of “tummy time”. Playing on their stomach is a crucial activity to improving muscle strength in an infant’s neck and trunk. However, this is not the only activity parents can facilitate with their little one! Although tummy…
Crocs Don’t Rock (A Pediatric PT Perspective) Independent walking is an exciting time for parents and their child! Your little one is now walking on their own and exploring their environment. Playing barefoot at home is preferred in order to develop the arches in the feet and strengthen the foot/ankle muscles. But, if families need…
Baby Wearing – Safety and Postural Considerations Baby wearing is a common practice that involves carrying a baby close to your body using a carrier, wrap, or sling. In the last decade, baby wearing has become increasingly popular and has shown benefits including improved success with breastfeeding, improved infant to parent bonding, and improved attentiveness…
Understanding Gestalt Language Processing Have you ever wondered why a child randomly starts repeating lines from a favorite show, book, or song? The child is most likely using delayed echolalia or gestalts to communicate a need or express excitement. The term gestalt means “whole”; a gestalt unit can be a “whole” sentence, song or story.…
Boosting Early Language Skills This May, we celebrate National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, raising awareness about communication disorders and the role of pediatric speech language pathologists in providing life-altering treatment. Did you know by the age of two, the average child can say between 200-300 words? If your little one has not reached this milestone, try these…
The Hidden Benefits of Obstacle Courses Crafting an obstacle course for children extends beyond mere entertainment; it serves as a dynamic tool for fostering various skills essential for their development. Explore this guide on the benefits of obstacle courses, along with the best methods on how to create one that maximizes learning and fun! Skills…
Hand Manipulation Skills in Child Development Children are often referred to pediatric occupational therapy for concerns related to fine motor skills. Generally thought of as the movement and use of hands and upper extremities, fine motor skills include reaching, grasping and manipulating objects with your hands. Fine motor skills also involve vision, specifically visual motor…
Using Indirect Treatment to Overcome Preschool Stuttering Indirect treatment is an approach that focuses on teaching the family strategies to enhance fluency through environmental modifications. It involves making changes in the environment rather than making any changes in the child’s speech. The message is always that stuttering is okay. Here are some suggestions on how…
