Let’s learn all about the importance of prelinguistic skills!

But… What are prelinguistic skills?  

Prelinguistic skills are skills that a child must develop before they can begin to produce words. Think of prelinguistic skills as the foundation for speech/language and communication. Some skills that fall into this category are joint attention, imitation, turn taking, use of gestures, and even play!…

When a new school year starts, parents often encounter a confusing double standard: teachers report a helpful, agreeable student, yet that same child comes home throwing intense tantrums or pushing back against simple requests. It is easy to wonder, “Why do they save their worst behavior for me?”

Why Group Therapy Matters for Parents of Children with Special Needs 

Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys, but it can also be one of its greatest challenges. For parents raising a child with special needs, those challenges often extend far beyond the typical ups and downs of parenthood. Navigating medical appointments, therapy schedules, educational advocacy, financial concerns, and the emotional weight of caring for a child with unique needs can leave parents feeling isolated, exhausted, and overwhelmed. 

While individual counseling offers valuable support, group therapy provides something equally important: connection with others who truly understandthe journey. 

Sensory bins are a fun, easy, and affordable way to learn through play. The best part? You don’t need to buy anything special! Many of the materials needed for a sensory bin can be found right in your kitchen, toy box, or craft drawer.

Don’t miss the opportunity to grow together all summer long! Sometimes the most simple activities can be great opportunities for summer fun + can leave us with the best life-long memories! Check out this list for some ideas to keep summer FUN for all!

Parents, you know your child better than anyone else. You do all the therapy and appointments but there is still something off and you cannot quite put your finger on what it is. A little fact about the human body - it is all connected! Our efforts for therapy may be covering up some symptoms of something much bigger and that is where myofunctional therapy comes in!

While all the symptoms indicating need for myofunctional therapymay look random, they are all interconnected and begin with our mouth/airway. Fascinating, huh?

All the feels: Why can emotions be so challenging?

Think of your emotions like a car- your feelings are the engine (fast and powerful) and emotional regulation is the brakes and steering wheel. Being able to understand and manage emotions will help you navigate different environments and circumstances. Being able to navigate and control emotions can be a challenging thing for kids (and let’s be honest adults too!) because they are still developing and learning tools that can help their brain regulate and understand what is occurring.

There is so much to be said about the life lessons learned in sports! From being a teammate, and learning how to handle failure and success, to having discipline and resilience, sports can play a fundamental role in teaching these skills. As a coach of middle school kids, I want every single child to be able to participate and have FUN!  

You might ask, where do I even start looking for programs with adaptive sports? While a simple email requesting to make a sport more adaptive might make it further than you would think in your school programs (think: track and field, cross country, + other sports), there are plenty opportunities in our Peoria area community for individuals just like your kiddo! Keep on reading to know all about these resources!