As a parent support specialist with Help Me Grow Utah, I sometimes get asked questions regarding receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Frequent questions often sound like Does Help Me Grow screen for autism? My pediatrician administered the M-CHAT to my child and it said he is at high risk– doesn’t that count as …
The Ins and Outs of an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis Read More »
We all know that tummy time is important! Tummy time helps your baby develop her neck, back, and shoulder muscles. Not only does tummy time help your child be ready to crawl and walk, it also helps her to be ready to drink from a cup and eat solid foods. The recommended time for tummy …
Have you ever heard the terms “language delay” and “speech delay” being thrown around almost interchangeably? Perhaps you’ve heard that children who learn two languages are more prone to speech delays? These terms and possibilities can be very overwhelming, especially when we want the best possible speech outcomes for our children. Hopefully, this article will …
Is it a Speech Delay, Language Delay or Bilingualism? Read More »
Head banging in children. And I am not talking about Heavy Metal music. You have probably witnessed your child bump into things while learning to walk, crawl, sit or stand. But what is going on when your child hits their head on purpose? While it may be painful to watch, head banging is fairly typical in babies …
Headbanging: We Aren’t Talking About Heavy Metal Read More »
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood,” Fred Rogers (zerotothree.org 2018). Before our children develop language skills to ask questions about the world around them, they learn by using their senses. They explore and …
Do you remember the first pet you ever owned? I remember being 5 years old when I got my first pet; a blue betta fish named Rainbow Blue. I was thrilled to have this little fish that was all mine. Every day I made sure to feed it and attend to its needs. Eventually, I …
The brain develops the most rapidly during the first five years of life. During your child’s earliest years, their brain makes over 1 million neural connections—every single second. That’s a lot of brain-building! The latest science shows that when kids share positive, engaging experiences with caring adults (that’s YOU), their brains grow strong and flexible. …
What Every Parent Should Know About Brain-Building Read More »
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about toddlers, it’s that they have some pretty big feelings, and sometimes they struggle to convey those feelings well. Sometimes, they know what they’re trying to say, but are unsure about how to express what they feel, or they may not understand what they’re feeling, and that can be scary …
Is your child nervous about the start of the school year? It’s common for all kids to feel nervous about beginning school. For some though, those beginning of the year nerves turn into something more. If you’ve noticed your student is struggling with excessive worry or anxiety, there are several simple things you can do …
6 Ways to Help Your Child Cope with Worry and Anxiety Read More »
When 2-year-old Liam* started crying, his mother Sadie went to investigate. Her two children were playing in their room together and Liam was crying and obviously in distress. After questioning her older daughter, Abigail, who insisted she didn’t know what happened, Sadie decided to check the video feed from the baby monitor. Much to her …
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