Study tips for going back to school vary based on if students are returning to a traditional classroom with new safety measures in place or distance learning at home. Perhaps for some, it will be a mix of the two with hybrid learning. When and how students will return to school may feel out-of-control right...
Feeding Therapy at AZ+A is important for children who have a complicated relationship with food. Picky eaters. Anxious Eaters. Worried eaters. There is no shortage of labels for those who struggle with eating or trying new foods. It’s important to look beyond the label and understand the “why” behind picky eating or adverse reactions to...
It‘s difficult to monitor screen time anytime but especially tough during a pandemic. Online learning, teletherapy, and normal video games and activities all add up to seemingly a lot of screen time. Dr. Mike Brooks, Ph.D. suggests in “Should You Worry About Kids’ Screen Time in This Pandemic?” that as we deal with COVID-19 screen time needn’t...
Telehealth for Pediatric Occupational Therapy AZ+A is committed to supporting families during the COVID19 pandemic. We continue to see clients while following all CDC and Illinois government guidelines. Prior to the recent news of the statewide lockdown due to coronavirus, we had expanded our therapy options for our clientele to include Telehealth. • The exciting...
A system of rewards and consequences is the go-to model many adults use to keep children motivated to behave. It’s natural to want to reinforce positive behavior and let natural outcomes be the result of less than desirable behavior. But is it really the right approach for all children? For some children, this traditional discipline...
Social media. We may love it or loathe it (sometimes both), but it’s here to stay. While it’s great for catching up with what your second cousin’s kids are up to across the country, social media can take up much of our time – and it’s not doing our kids any favors, either. Adolescence is...
Emotional regulation is not an innate skill. None of us are born with the ability to recognize, monitor, and adapt our emotions depending on the situation. The importance of modeling self-regulation is discussed frequently with our families, peer clinicians and the children in our clinic. The earlier regulation work begins, the better but we’ve found...
Dreaming of a stress-free December? So are we! Adults often think the holiday season is stressful but it can be equally as emotionally charged for children. The flurry of activities, changes in routine, forced interactions, uncomfortable “dress-up” clothes, too many sweets or too many new foods, so many tempting toys… This list could be as...
It takes a lot of courage to admit that something is not quite right. As a parent and you feel that about your child’s behavior, it is terrifying. You become overwhelmed with emotions; • Guilt – “Did I/we do something to make him/her this way?” • Sadness – “Will he/she ever live a normal life?”...
It’s never easy reading definitions of terms like “Helicopter Parent” or “Lawnmower Parent” and realize, “Oh, my gosh – that describes me to a tee!” Once the cartoon lightbulbs clear from above your head during one of a million parenting AHA moments yet to come, it’s important not to beat yourself up. Instead, remind yourself...
