One of the most critical skills that we acquire during early childhood development is communication. However, no two people have the same style of communicating with the world around them, and we all learn at a different pace. If your child experiences delays in speech and language or has a medical condition that impacts their ability to communicate, they may …

There are two important components of language: expressive and receptive language. When a child uses expressive language skills, they use verbal communication and gestures to communicate with others. Receptive language requires the child to process and understand language from others, both verbal communication and gestures. In many cases, receptive language requires the use of listening skills. If a child is …

It is not uncommon for young children to be bounding with energy. If you are a parent or a teacher in a therapeutic preschool program, you likely know this all too well! While an occasional case of the wiggles is manageable in a classroom, consistent difficulties with children can’t sit still can impact a child’s development and ability to learn. …

In a typical preschool program, you may not encounter occupational therapists or speech-language pathologists, however, a therapeutic preschool program is designed to provide additional support for key developmental skills, such as speech, language, behavior, motor skills, and more. As a result, many therapeutic preschool programs have a pediatric occupational therapist (OT) and pediatric speech-language pathologist (SLP) who work directly with …

We have all seen or heard a young child mimic an action or sound, and one of the most effective ways to teach a child a new skill is through modeling and imitation. This might look like a child mimicking their parents waving their hands, saying ‘hello,’ moving a toy train, or smiling. Children will typically develop this skill by …

Sensory integration is a naturally occurring process that is occurring even as you read this article, yet this may be the first time that you are consciously considering it! Sensory integration occurs as you receive, process, and respond to sensory information: sights, sounds, smells, textures, or tastes. If a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or sensory processing disorder, their …

If you have a child who is showing signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it may be difficult to know what your next steps are or where to turn for answers. If you are looking to diagnose autism, it is not as easy as receiving a simple “yes-or-no” test from your pediatrician. As a parent, where do you start? If …

World Autism Awareness Day is fast approaching on Sunday, April 2nd, and you may have already seen . This is the ninth annual celebration of the event, with many events held across the globe. These events may raise funding for autism research or create awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One of the (non-profit) organizations that is most active in …

If your child is enrolled in a therapeutic preschool program, they are working on building key developmental skills, such as speech and language, with a team of highly skilled professionals. As a parent, it is important to be involved in the therapeutic process and be familiar with each of the therapists on the team of professionals. If your child requires …

If you do not personally experience challenges with sensory processing, you may not recognize all of the different tactile input that you encounter on a daily basis. For children with sensory issues or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, it can be difficult navigating new environments with unfamiliar sensory input. In a therapeutic preschool program, teachers and therapists can work directly …