I have heard parents say this many times when we discuss the eating habits of their ''picky eater:'' ''Hes/she used to eat (preferred food), but not anymore! Now I can barely get them to eat or try anything new. He/she eats the same things over and over.'' Our family has been dealing with this at home with our two-year-old picky eater. ...

Now we all have our New Year resolutions. Some people want to lose weight, others hope to get better organized and many desire to spend more time with their families and friends. Everyone has areas of their lives that could use some restoring and most have the instinctual need to simply become more balanced. For the past two years, I ...

Are you stressed because the holidays are upon us and your child is a picky eater? Is every meal a struggle and is it even worse when you are sitting with your in-laws and family friends and can feel the tension thicken in the air? Well, hang on! Here are some tips to help you prepare yourself and your child for mealtime challenges that lie ...

During the month of December we have been celebrating the holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa at our preschool. The holiday of Kwanzaa, like any holiday, embraces certain symbols that embody the message and purpose of the holiday. Here you can find a complete description of these symbols, one of which is corn. I decided to use ...

  This blog is based on the following presentation from the 2011 ASHA Convention: Exploring Child Characteristics/Family Factors in Evidence-Based Practice for Autism By Twyla Perryman, PhD, CCC-SLP Assistant Professor East Carolina University, Greenville, NC perrymant@ecu.edu    Dr. Perryman and Kathie Dr. ...

Earlier this past week, one of the teachers I work with, Jamie Zarmanian, shared with our preschool classes this fabulous recipe for pumpkin spice Play-Doh. The entire classroom smelled like cinnamon cookies! The texture was perfect - soft, but not sticky and children really seemed to enjoy using a different type of Play-Doh to roll, ...

When I first started to become interested in using picture books as contexts for intervention in my public school SLP position, I was really happy to find Books are for Talking Too, by Jane Gebers. It was clearly just the resource I was looking for at the time - a guide specific to SLPs detailing the power of using picture books. Many great ...

This week is the second part of my interview with Helen Vadala, MS, OTL, an occupational therapist working and supervising in both the homecare and preschool settings in Delaware County in Pennsylvania. Our discussion continues as we look at the recent changes in homecare and how budget cuts are affecting early intervention, as well as ...

  Learning to wave ''Hi'' and ''Bye'' is # 2 of my TOP 5 GOOD MANNERS FOR YOUNG TODDLERS WITH ASD This is essential because it is an early, basic and reciprocal means of communication. It is a greeting and a salutation. It takes place between two or more people. It represents a beginning and an end. Typically developing infants and ...

Today is the follow-up from last week's interview with licensed clinical psychologist, Alexandra Ranieri-Deniken, PsyD, of the Behavioral & Developmental Services Department at Special People In Northeast (SPIN), Inc, in Philadelphia, PA. Below are some of the follow-up questions I sent to Dr. Ranieri-Deniken, along with ...