Bill Gates and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have pledged $500 million for a global anti-smoking campaign.The campaign, nicknamed Mpower, will urge governments in poor- and middle-income countries to raise tobacco taxes, outlaw smoking in public places, outlaw advertising to children, ban free giveaways of cigarettes, implement ...

Back in February I had posted a blog listing some helpful oral motor sites & articles and Samana Khan had left me a comment asking if I knew of any good oral motor/feeding courses.  I would like to apologize to Samana first for taking so long to respond to her question and I would like to offer a few courses and books here that I ...

Today's tidbits are links to something we all need to be reminded of from time to time. When you work with children you quickly come to learn that with all the goals met and challenges overcome from time to time you also come across the case that ends up breaking your heart. We don't give up though - we keep teaching and coaching and trying to ...

Combating an industry that has spent decades building an image that smoking is cool, New York City is airing gruesome images of suffering and disfigurement on television and in subways and taxis. New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has launched a series of commercials profiling a Bronx woman - Marie - who has had nearly ...

Minnesota just became the third state nationwide to consider a campaign for scent-free schools. Rep. Karen Clark proposed educating students about how their Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Axe contribute to classmates' health problems, including asthma.(Clark, along with lawmakers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, considered then dropped all-out ...

Recently a multiple office team meeting offered the chance for the occupational therapy practitioners from each office to get together and share ideas and strategies.  One of the OTs who has been practicing for quite a while shared with us that she does not do any ''yuck'' oral motor therapy nor did she do any feeding/eating therapy ...

Several years ago a study published by the Journal of Dentistry for Children stated that out of 186 children presenting with baby bottle tooth decay like symptoms - 29% used sippy cups. This simple statement alone could, and did, cause many a parent to be worried about whether they should introduce sippy cups to their child as a transition from ...

I would like to dedicate one day a week of this blog to sharing a website or article or technique that would be very helpful to those treating in Pediatrics. So I introduce to you ''Tuesday Tidbits'' … National Braille Press is a wonderful company that offers books in Braille and/or large print for children who are visually impaired. They ...

When you are preparing to have a child you begin to dream of all the things your child will do and all the places they will go.  In your dreams you see your child going through all the stages and growing up to be a wonderful son or daughter.  You envision them graduating, meeting someone, marrying and giving you grandchildren.  You ...

I remember when I was studying to become a COTA I kept telling everyone that I wanted to work with kids. My professors would smile and nod and try as tactfully as possible to tell me that I really shouldn't get my hopes up as there were very few COTA opportunities in pediatrics.  I never let that phase me.  I knew in my heart that I ...