When the Weather Changes, So Can Our Mood: Helping You and Your Child Brighten Up As the seasons change, so can our moods, energy levels, and daily routines. Shorter days, colder temperatures, rainy afternoons, or long stretches of gray skies can sometimes leave children and adults feeling less motivated, more tired, irritable, or simply “off.”
Back-to-School: Helping Children and Families Navigate the Challenges of a New School Year As summer comes to an end, families begin preparing for another school year filled with new opportunities, routines, friendships, and experiences. While back-to-school season can be exciting, it can also bring feelings of stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and overwhelm for children, teens, and
If you’ve ever told your child to do something… and then told them again… and again… and again… you are definitely not alone. Sometimes parenting can feel like you’re stuck in a loop, like a video that won’t stop replaying: “Brush your teeth!” “Do it now!” “Okay, one more time…” “Wait, did you hear me?”
· Infants, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Helmet Heads! Shaping Baby Inside and Out Putting your baby in a helmet is a difficult decision for parents to make, but more often parents are choosing to put one on their baby. Are helmets necessary and why are so many babies wearing them? An explanation of why, when and how little melons are getting
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Dynamic serial casting is a conservative treatment method in which skilled physical therapists apply and remove a series of lightweight casts to a patient’s leg(s) in order to improve foot alignment and increase range of motion. The goal of serial casting is to improve range of motion in order to prevent chronic skeletal issues, reduce
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
When to see a pediatric physical therapist for your child’s feet? How do you know if your child’s little feet are functioning at their very best? Here are 10 clear signs that you should have a pediatric physical therapist screen your child’s feet so they can put their best foot forward! Pain If walking causes
· Infants, Language Development
The Global Pandemic of 2020 has left its mark on our lives in a variety of ways. It has changed the way we shop, the way we work, and even the way we learn. The lives of our kiddos have also been changed, especially for our “COVID Babies.” Babies born just before, during, or shortly
· Billing and Insurance
What does understanding visit limit mean in Pediatric Therapy mean? What is the difference between hard and soft visit limit? If my visit limit says 60 visits, why does my insurance not let me use all those visits? What does “Medically Necessity” mean? If I have 60 visits why is insurance saying it’s not
· Sleep & Routines, Occupational Therapy
Importance of Schedules and Routines Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. Consistent daily schedules and step-by-step routines give children a predictable, safe day. Schedules and routines help children: Feel in control of their environment Feel safe, secure, and comfortable Know what is happening now
· Language Development, Activities & Play Ideas
Do you know what AAC is? It’s all the way someone communicates besides talking. AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Augmentative means to add to someone’s speech. Alternative means to be used instead of verbal speech. AAC is used when individuals have trouble with speech and language skills. AAC can look like an iPad/tablet
· Activities & Play Ideas, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Shake Off Winter Blues in the Pool! Consider your local pool or aquatic park this winter for all it’s amazing benefits! Welcome winter and all it’s fun activities like ice skating, sledding and SWIMMING! The joy of swimming doesn’t have to end when winter begins. Indoor pools are the ultimate good mood booster along with
· Language Development
Social Language Milestones Pragmatics is the way we use our language in social settings. For example, how to start a conversation, interpreting body language, understanding different perspectives, and using sarcasm. Pragmatic language is typically learned incidentally (learned through experience) but with some children, it may need to be directly taught. Pragmatic language begins to develop
· Gift Guides & Toys, Holiday
‘Tis that time of year again! And all your kids want are toys, toys, toys! This can feel overwhelming when adding to an already large pile of toys in the home setting. Especially when the kids don’t even seem to play with the toys already available! Below are some tips and ideas for bringing new
· school, Parenting & Behavior
Questioning whether or not to send your child to preschool? From a therapist perspective, preschool is such an important piece to practicing skills required later down the road. It facilitates structure, independence, social-emotional learning, and the foundation for higher level skills. 1. PLAY AT PRESCHOOL Play is how kids learn! They learn to use their
· Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Primative Reflexes- The Good, The Bad, The Better! Have you ever tripped and simultaneously reached out your hands to stop the fall? That is your primitive reflexes at work! They are essential as the first line of defense to protect ourselves but they can also be detrimental to our development. What are primitive reflexes? Primitive reflexes
· school, Parenting & Behavior
Back to School Emotions August means back to school is right around the corner! Back to school means transitioning to new schools, new teachers, new peers, new expectations and new routines! Many kids are excited about the anticipation of a new school year, but for many kiddos “new” can be scary and worrisome. Children can
· Feeding
Are you a middle school parent on the fence about whether or not to try feeding therapy for your picky eater? At BDI Playhouse, we work with middle schoolers both in the clinic or from the comfort of your own home. We help kiddos with a variety of feeding needs such as increasing their caloric
· Feeding, Occupational Therapy
So frequently do I hear “my kid takes a bite to eat then leaves the table” or “my kid can’t sit still throughout his entire meal” creating a lengthy meal time and impacting positive mealtime dynamics. Here’s come tips and tricks for getting your child to sit for longer durations: LOTS of heavy work right
· Feeding, Parenting & Behavior
It has become a common occurrence to see a child on an iPad while out to eat, and often enough we hear families telling stories about iPads at meals. We get it. It is hard! Kids don’t want to sit still; kids don’t want to eat right now; my kid is super picky; there’s more
· Activities & Play Ideas, Occupational Therapy
Movement and sensory experiences allow us to grow as an individual through problem solving, body awareness and creativity. Here are some great activities to get your child moving and ways to stay creative while the colder weather moves in! Movement: Movement activities allow your child to get their energy out and move in a new
· school, Occupational Therapy
The Orton-Gillingham Approach The path to reading for some children is not often an easy one. It is assumed that children will begin to read and spell naturally. However, some children may persistently struggle with learning the process of how to read fluently. Children who demonstrate challenges early on with word recognition, poor spelling, weakened
· Sleep & Routines, Infants
It’s getting chilly out there! Are you wondering how to keep your baby warm and safe while sleeping? Here is a quick guide on how to keep your baby safe while sleeping in warm and cold weather! 4 simple steps 1. Place your baby on their BACK during naps and at night. 2. Use a
· Parenting & Behavior, Feeding
Worried about your child’s health related to weight? “The most common causes of childhood weight issues are are genetic factors or family history of obesity; decreased participation in physical activities; unhealthy eating patterns or behaviors; and, in rare cases, medical conditions.” – AOTA. Do you have concerns about your child? Getting healthier doesn’t have to be
· Sleep & Routines
Bedtime routines are essential for getting the appropriate amount of sleep each night. Lack of sleep within children can disrupt the important cycles their bodies go through to help with development, attention and so much more. Creating a bedtime routine doesn’t have to be difficult, just utilize these tips and your child will be snoozing
· Parenting & Behavior, Holiday
During this time of the year, a lot is going on so it is natural for kids to be overwhelmed and act out! If you plan on having a family gathering that involves new smells, loud voices, or too many sights; try some of these tips to help your kiddo out. Social Stories Reading
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
What is Hypermobility? Hypermobility is a term used to describe joints that move more than normal and can place the joints in increased stress. How can Hypermobility affect my child? Risk of Injury Increased joint movement can cause joints, ligaments, and tendons to be at higher risk of injury. Joints are less stable and can
· Feeding
For some families, meal time can be the most challenging part of the day. Parenting a child who is having difficulty with eating can be tough for the entire family! Some kids are picky for a short time, or avoid only a few specific foods, and some kids may outgrow a food challenge. Some children
· Potty Training & Pelvic Floor, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Why is my child having potty accidents? Potty accidents aren’t fun for anyone. It can impact a child’s relationships with their family and friends. Here are 5 common reasons children have accidents Constipation Chronic constipation is the main cause of pee and poop accidents in children that have been potty trained. This is a great
· Language Development, Holiday
Happy Halloween month! At BDI, the therapists have been incorporating Halloween vocabulary throughout their sessions! This simple activity of stickers and real image vocabulary card can be used to target all different areas of communication, fine motor skills, and visual processing. Targeting holiday specific vocabulary can help your child communicate in their community. Why? Because our
· Feeding, Infants
Introducing foods to your baby is an exciting time! You have your highchair and your pediatrician’s green light to introduce solids. As you start out on this food filled adventure, here are a few ideas to keep in mind! Expression is Everything When you are introducing foods to your baby, make sure you share the
· Infants
Benefits of Infant Massage Massage has benefits at any age, but for babies it can be extra helpful! The best time to massage your baby is when they are awake, but alert. It doesn’t have to last long to get these benefits. You don’t need much, a comfortable room, something soft to place baby on,
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
W Sitting. Why do children W sit? Simply, because it’s easy! Kids like W sitting because it creates a large base of support like a pyramid. Why do we want to correct the W sitting? W sitting allows kids to sit and play by using very little core muscles. It prevents trunk rotation. Trunk rotation
· school, Occupational Therapy
Classroom setup is more important than ever. A properly set-up room can increase focus, increase a student’s ability to sit still, and even decrease problem behaviors. 1. Less is best The first step to a successful classroom is embracing “less is best”. A crowded classroom can cause over stimulation. This can cause challenges with attention
· Parenting & Behavior
Does your child keep hitting others when he wants what they are playing with? Grab toys away from other children? Kick over other’s toys? These are all considered undesirable behaviors and can be frustrating to watch your child do at home, in their community, or at school. Here are some strategies to help your child
· Feeding, Infants
What is the best way to prevent engorgement while breastfeeding? Frequent feedings! Feeding your baby 10-12 times per 24 hours and making sure your breasts are emptied each feed should reduce your risk of experiencing engorgement. However, if you are experiencing that painful fullness here are a few tips Strategies to reduce engorgement Before Breastfeeding
· Feeding, Infants
What are the benefits of breastfeeding babies? Many moms are faced with familial and societal pressure of deciding whether they want to breastfeed or formula feed. Before making the decision based on others experiences or the latest baby marketing trends, read on to find out how breastfeeding benefits baby, mom and your community! Benefits
· Parenting & Behavior, Activities & Play Ideas
Does your child struggle to play simple games, take turns, or is a sore loser? I often work with children who hate losing games or do not have the attention to wait for their turn. This blog will highlight some strategies I use to help children learn to play a board game with the whole
· Holiday, Gift Guides & Toys
“Rocking (and unwrapping) around the Christmas Tree” – with Glee You’ve been plotting, planning, shopping and ordering fabulous holiday gifts for your little one. Now, it’s time to wrap up that pile of goodies! Here are a few tips to make the unwrapping process by your child easier and more fun for everyone! Use a
· Gift Guides & Toys, Holiday
BDI Playhouse is thrilled to share its 2020 gift guide. This list is compiled by BDI Playhouse’s therapists specifically for children of all abilities. The toys are shown through an Amazon Idea List but shopping around and shopping second-hand is highly encouraged! A variation of each one of these toys can be found at BDI
· Sleep & Routines, Holiday
Twas’ the night before… anything (Christmas, Halloween, going to DisneyWorld, birthday, or for me, Great America for the first time). I remember how hard it was for me to fall asleep when I got to do something super fun the next day or stay asleep at night. With holiday season here, we may see increased
· Clinic News & Events, Holiday
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There is always a little bit of extra joy and excitement as we fill our clinics and lesson plans with holiday themes. We love hearing about our staff and kiddos’s family traditions and how they plan to celebrate the holidays with their families. Each tradition is so
· Feeding, Holiday
Turkey Time (as referred to by many of our kiddos) is just around the corner and it is either met with happy or anxious anticipation by children and adults! A family member announces every Thanksgiving that this is her least favorite holiday because of how overwhelmed she feels with all the food options. She says
· Language Development, Holiday
Speech Language Pathologists love a good theme! Themes can unite all of our kiddos but allow scaffolding for every child’s needs. They also allow for perfect home carryover for all our families! Here are a few spooky speech activities that you can do with your children at home or in your community to promote speech
· Occupational Therapy
We often hear from parents that their child “passed their eye test” which was most likely offered at school or at a well baby visit in the pediatrician’s office. Sometimes our Occupational Therapists identify that although a child’s visual acuity test may not have shown a deficit, there are some visual skill deficits that may be present. Difficulties with
· Language Development, Infants
Learning to talk is a complex task! It’s no wonder some kids take awhile to get started. Most of us think of talking as just saying words but it involves much more than that. Would you like to help your child say their first words? Try out some of these tips. Play with your child
· Language Development
Language development is a key component of childhood. We are teaching our children the rules of language from the moment they are born. But what should you do if your child is not crushing their language milestones? When families come to Talk and Groove or for a free screening at BDI Playhouse, our speech language
· Parenting & Behavior, Occupational Therapy
Behavior. Something sets off your child, and the screaming, throwing, crying, or hitting behavior begins. We have all been there. Your panic rises. Somehow, you make it through the moment and on to the next, but there may be chaos left in the wake of the meltdown as a result of negative behaviors. Occasionally, negative
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Scoliosis Scoliosis is a curve in your spine that visually appears to move from side to side. A common misconception is that a scoliosis curve is 1 or 2-dimensional. It actually occurs through a 3-dimensional curve with changes in the bones at the apex of the curve. This 3-dimensional shape is seen all throughout the
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Children and teenagers with scoliosis have changes in the alignment of the curve of their spines. Changes in the spine impact how the bones slide over each other when moving during day to day activities. In addition, changes in the ligaments and muscle length result in the spine moving further into the Scoliotic posture when
· Occupational Therapy, Parenting & Behavior
Is your child having trouble washing his hands by himself? Is he not thorough when washing hands? Or, would you like your child to wash hands independently? Teaching your child how to wash their hands can be accomplished in a few easy steps! The important thing to remember when teaching any hygiene routine is to
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Caregivers can help improve children’s posture by encouraging exercise! Children’s posture is influenced by injury, weakness, genetics, and daily habits. Slouching on a couch playing video games, carrying a heavy backpack, a sports injury, or bones misalignment can all impact proper posture. It is important to promote a good posture at a young age in
· school, Sleep & Routines
Did you have trouble juggling your kids’ e-learning, your job, and the other many responsibilities that come with being a parent? Well, you’re not alone. Do you want your child to do summer school but don’t know if you want to commit to more e-learning? Here are 3 easy tips to help you and your
· Infants, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Why Tummy Time is Important Tummy time is important for your baby’s development. Here are the top 7 reasons why you should be incorporating tummy time into your baby’s routine. 1. Strength Spending time on her belly is important because it strengthens the neck, back, shoulders, hips, arms, and hands. It will help to increase the
· Potty Training & Pelvic Floor, Parenting & Behavior
Ready to start potty training your child? Are you unsure of where to begin? Do you feel hesitant to jump in without more information? Here are 6 ideas to do before you start the process of potty training. #1 READ! A great introduction to potty training for your child is to read books to increase
· Billing and Insurance
Understanding your Explanation of Benefits: Understanding your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) for Children’s Speech, Occupational or Physical Therapy is important to ensure that your insurance is working. And above all, to eliminate surprises that result in unexpected expenses. Keeping track of denials: Many times the insured (you) gets the EOB in the mail before the
· Billing and Insurance
Understanding the difference between co-pay, co-insurance, deductible and out-of-pocket costs on an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) for Pediatric Therapy can be confusing. Your insurance should provide guidance, but this may help you sort it out. It’s likely that you have questions such as: What is a co-pay? What is the difference in co-pay and co-insurance?
· Sleep & Routines, Occupational Therapy
Did you know that kids typically need at least 12 hours of sleep each night? Sleep is important to help improve focus and brain function! But what if your tot won’t fall asleep or stay asleep? Here are some simple tips to help your child get the rest and recovery they need to be happy
· Parenting & Behavior, Counseling
Have you ever heard “It’s not fair; he gets all the attention” or “You never have time for me?” Are you dealing with siblings of special needs kids that are acting out or misbehaving as a means of getting your attention? Do you ever refrain from disciplining them out of guilt? If you have experienced
· Physical Therapy & Motor Skills, Activities & Play Ideas
Is Your Child Ready for Bike Riding? There are few things in life that beat the rush of the wind through your hair as you pedal down the street on your bike. Bike riding is a pleasure, a privilege, and a confidence builder for our kids! For some, learning to ride a bike can be
· Sleep & Routines, Parenting & Behavior
Why is Routine in Quarantine Important? We are in the midst of a great time of uncertainty, one we never would have fathomed in our lifetime we would see. As adults, we are processing a myriad of emotions including confusion, anger, fear, sadness or possibly even joy as we savor the extra moments with our
· Potty Training & Pelvic Floor, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Is your child still having potty training problems? Bowel and bladder accidents that persist after training or make potty training difficult, could have an underlying cause. Researchers have found that 40-60% of children complete toilet training by the age of 3 and 25% of 5 year old children experience day or night accidents. Experiencing “accidents”
· Language Development, Infants
Babies are the best little learners. Finding new ways to play and explore the world around them. They often understand much more than they can show or say. Speech develops later because babies have not yet developed the finite muscles to produce sounds. However, that doesn’t mean your baby can’t learn to communicate. It is
· Activities & Play Ideas, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
Do your kids have the Winter Blues? Once the cold weather hits, it’s easy to make excuses for missing opportunities to get out and play outdoors. But, soon we notice our kiddos in a rut: feeling moodier, not sleeping well, disengaging, increased screen time, etc. However, research shows that physical activity can actually turn these
· Holiday, Parenting & Behavior
Love is in the air, and Valentine’s day is the perfect opportunity to show your child just how much you love them! While February can be a busy time for families, building in a little extra love for your little one this Valentine’s day can be easy and fun, in addition to bringing you closer
· Infants, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
What is Plagiocephaly (pronounced play-jee-oh-sef-uh-lee)? Sometimes infants are born with or develop plagiocephaly or brachycephaly, a flat spot on the back or backside of their heads that is noticeable and may raise questions or be a cause of concern. Understandably, you may ask: Will my baby’s head shape stay like this? Is there anything I
· Parenting & Behavior, school
What should you do if your child cries at drop-off? Dropping your child off at preschool, daycare or a babysitter can be a time of anxiety for both parent and child but it doesn’t have to be! Here are some do’s and don’ts of dropping off your teary-eyed child. DO Do Leave! This is huge!
· Parenting & Behavior, Infants
Every parent who has a child who loves their pacifier dreads the day when it’s time to start pacifier weaning. Here are 8 ideas to help you navigate this big transition! 1. Prepare your child for the eventuality that pacifiers are not forever. Bring up pacifier weaning whenever your child asks for the pacifier or
· Feeding, Holiday
A letter to my well-meaning relatives around the holidays: Why my picky eater won’t eat your famous homemade cranberry sauce… Dearest Relatives, We love seeing you around the holidays! Family is so important to us, and we look so forward to the warmth of a festive home, the scents of dinner cooking in the oven,
· Infants, Physical Therapy & Motor Skills
That glorious moment when your baby is mobile, crawling around your house at hyper-speed is both joyous and terrifying. Time to baby-proof your house! Do babies really need to crawl? Crawling is essential for your baby’s development. The coordination and strength that are attained while your baby is exploring the world through crawling is irreplaceable,
· school, Occupational Therapy
Is it necessary for children to sit still to attend in circle time? Let’s talk about creative seating in the classroom. As adults, we make sure to “get comfortable” before focusing on things we want or have to do, whether it’s paying bills at the table or watching T.V. on the couch. We do it
