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Developmental Activity
of the Month
Sensory Bottles
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Save empty plastic water, soda or sports drink bottles to make several delightful Sensory Bottles with your child.
LAVA BOTTLES: Fill bottle with equal parts of water, food coloring, and baby oil. It produces a lava lamp effect when
tilted.
SNOW GLOBE BOTTLES: Fill half with
water and half with corn syrup. Add glitter, beads, paper clips etc. The corn
syrup makes the glitter fall slowly for dazzling effects.
DISCOVERY BOTTLES:Fill with rice and small objects like dice, small toys, paper clips
etc. As you roll the bottle, different objects will come to the surface to be
discovered & you can play "I Spy".
Once filled, use a glue gun to fill the caps with hot glue and twist them on. Let set until dry and you have a
great addition to your sensory play set! You can put your bottles in a sunny window or hold them under a lamp for
even more dazzling effects!
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OUR SPONSORS
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Dear Parenting Digest Subscriber,
School is finally out and summer officially begins today!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following Summer Safety Tips for children:
For infants 6 months and younger avoid
sun exposure, and dress infants in lightweight long pants, long-sleeved
shirts, and brimmed hats that shade the neck to prevent sunburn.
However when adequate clothing and shade are not available, parents can
apply a minimal amount of suncreen with at least 15 SPF to small areas, such as the infant's face and the back of the
hands. If an infant gets sunburn, apply cold compresses to the affected
area.
For toddlers apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and use sunscreen
even on cloudy days. The SPF should be at least 15 and protect against
UVA and UVB rays. For older children the
first, and best, line of defense against the sun is covering up. Wear a
hat with a three-inch brim or a bill facing forward, sunglasses (look
for sunglasses that block 99-100% of ultraviolet rays), and cotton
clothing with a tight weave. Stay in the shade whenever possible, and limit sun exposure during the peak intensity hours - between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Use
a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater. Be sure to apply enough
sunscreen - about one ounce per sitting for a young adult. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. Use extra caution near water and sand as they reflect UV rays and may result in sunburn more quickly.
Don't forget to check out our BLOG as well as the latest in early intervention news on our FORUM at the Early Intervention Support web page.
Early Intervention Support is a place for families who are facing any challenge
pertaining to their child's growth and development. It is a place where you can
come to find answers and practical suggestions from licensed therapists on how
to work on a variety of issues. Whether you are a parent, grandparent or
therapist of a child with a disability, challenging behavior or other
developmental issue-childhood is short, it should be savored and enjoyed!
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FEATURED ARTICLE: What Is A Gluten Free Casein Free Diet and Can it Benefit My Child?
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By Tamara Guo, M. Ed.
The Gluten Free Casein Free Diet (GFCF Diet) is currently
used as a dietary intervention treatment for children and adults with Autistic
Spectrum Disorders, PDD-NOS, Celiac Disease and Gluten & Dairy Allergies or
Intolerance. The GFCF Diet eliminates the intake of the naturally-occurring
proteins gluten (found naturally in wheat, barley, spelt, triticale, kamut, rye
and possibly oats) and casein (found in milk).
You can find studies that show evidence that the diet is
often helpful in lessening autistic symptoms such as impulsive behaviors, lack
of focus, and even speech problems. Conversely, the diet also has many critics
who say there is no real scientific evidence that the diet works, however, many
parents of young children with autism swear by it.
Certainly wheat and dairy are a part of almost everything we
serve & eat in the United States and keeping a child away from things such
as ice cream, pizza, milk, and most snack foods and cereals is not always easy.
The diet does not simply involve removing bread and milk from a child's diet
because gluten can be found even in products that can be absorbed through the
skin such as Playdoh, adhesive stickers, hygiene products, etc. The key is to
read every label thoroughly.
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Preventing Delays in the Newborn
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By Tara Reighard, PT
Most
parents have the best intentions when they bring home a new baby and obviously
every family has a unique home situation. First time parents may hold their
baby all the time. Some families are on the go, so the baby has frequent rides
in the car seat. Some parents may keep their baby in a bouncy seat, a
hammock seat or a car seat to keep them safe from being trampled on by
siblings. Possibly, this is the only way the baby will sleep due to reflux or
colic. It is important to remember that these practices, although sometimes
necessary, need to be monitored closely. Typically developing babies may
develop delays due to too much time in any of these positions. I personally
know as a mother of 2 young children it can be an easy cycle to get wrapped up
in. Babies are missing out on the opportunity to move at very critical times in
their development. In my opinion there are two critical mistakes that even the
most well intentioned and loving families can make in the early weeks of their
new baby's life:
Lack of tummy time: Even in the first days of life, lack of time on baby's
tummy may effect overall development. A lot of first time parents are afraid of
this position for a few reasons. First, according to the "Back to Sleep
Campaign." you are told to place your baby to sleep on his back to reduce the
incidence of SIDS. This should not be ignored, however, during the day you can
certainly supervise your baby for increasing periods of time on his belly. You
can lie on your back or reclined with your baby on your chest facing you, or
place a small towel roll under the baby's chest to help him lift his head off
the ground. Typically developing babies have the ability to turn their head
side to side to ensure breathing in this position. This helps them to develop
neck strength against gravity in order to lift and turn their heads. It also
provides the opportunity to develop upper body strength for rolling and
crawling. Missing those first few weeks of tummy time may leave you with a baby
that is very uncomfortable and fussy on his belly. New recommendations
suggest that parents place their baby on his belly for at least 15 minutes two
times a day while supervised.
Holding baby too much or keeping them restricted in an infant seat or bouncer:
Especially second time moms know that it may be necessary to place your baby in
a car seat for errands with the other kids, or even for their protection.
Placing a baby in a restricted position for long periods of time can cause a
number of developmental delays. Torticollis, which is a shortening of one side
of the neck muscles can occur as a baby sits in a restricted position.
The baby does not get the opportunity to move and turn his head therefore,
tightness and weakness of neck muscles can develop. Also, one sided visual and
motor neglect can occur when the baby's head stays toward one side for long
periods in a car seat, or bouncer. Eventually, flattening of the baby's head in
specific areas can occur in which some cases the use of a pressure helmet
is needed to even out the baby's head shape.
All in all babies need to be safe. Parents sometimes need to do what they need
to do to get sleep, however, it is important to make sure that babies get bouts
of supervised floor time on their stomachs throughout the day. If you have
concerns that your baby is uncomfortable on his belly, or is not paying
attention to both sides equally, either visually or not turning his head from side to
side, talk to your pediatrician right away. The doctor should be able to
assist you in finding an Early Intervention Physical Therapist from ACHIEVA .
The earlier you intervene the better the outcome. A PT can give you positional
instructions and activity suggestions to use while playing with your baby at
home.
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"Summer is a promissory
note signed in June, its long days spent and gone before you know it,
and due to
be repaid next January."
~ Hal Borland
From The Team At Early Intervention Support
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