Hello!
During this special time of year, we would like to extend our gratitude to all of the families and professionals who put their trust in us every day. Your referrals are important to us. We are incredibly honored every time we hear, "a friend sent me to TLC." There is no greater compliment to us than your trust.
From all of us, to all of you, we wish you the happiest of holidays and the warmth and love of family and friends.
TLC's Outpatient Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, and Testing & Tutoring Departments
|
Helpful Hints for Toy Shopping
by TLC's Occupational Therapists
|
|
Don't we all struggle to find that perfect gift for a child? Balancing fun and learning can be a challenge. Look no further. TLC's Occupational Therapists have created this list of fun toys with developmental and educational value the kids will enjoy! We hope these excellent suggestions make your shopping stress-free!
Link to the list.
|
Building Resilience in Young Children
by Kristin Olsen, PhD
|
|
Helping your child become resilient is a complicated challenge for parents, but it is also a great gift. Below are five suggestions from counselors and parents to help children to develop greater resilience:
1 - Build connections within families, and to community mentors, "I know who to ask."
2 - Develop their sense of competence, "I am a helper!"
3 - Teach, practice, and model relaxation, "I can calm myself down."
4 - Encourage confidence, "I know how to solve this problem!"
5 - Instill purpose and curiosity, "I can't wait to find out more!"
Parents are constantly striving to help their children along this path every single day. When parents need some extra support and guidance, they can seek out consultation with a counselor. We know parenting is the most challenging but also the most rewarding job there is!
|
|
Early Detection for Learning Disabilities
by Sarah Towne, PsyD.
|
|
Learning is a developmental process and only becomes of concern when behaviors and comprehension are less appropriate for a given age. Reversing and transposing letters and numbers, and slow, effortful reading are all well within the norms of early learning until about second grade. After that, they start to impact spelling skills, reading comprehension and written expression.
But what are the early detection signs for young children? Some things that parents and teachers could be on the lookout for include difficulty:
- Distinguishing different letters and their sounds
- Making rhymes and remembering songs
- Remembering numbers, letters, days of the week, colors, or shapes
- Following more than one direction or learning routines
- Avoiding coloring, writing, drawing or using scissors
- Organizing thoughts and retrieving familiar words from memory
If you are observing these behaviors in your child, start with the pediatrician to be sure that there are no medical concerns. The next steps would be to consider speech and language or occupational therapy evaluations. Finally, a psychoeducational evaluation can help to determine your child's strengths and weaknesses with regard to learning style and skill set.
|
Helping Your Child Improve Organizational Skills
by Ellen Cleaves, Tutoring Supervisor
|
At this time of year, many students feel overwhelmed by the pressures of homework, term papers and final exams. For some students who struggle with organizational skills, the anxiety can become overwhelming. Many students can improve organization of time, space, materials, work and thinking. Parents can implement or help students adopt the following strategies to help manage organization.
Students and parents can start by creating a designated work space that works best for your student and eliminate distractions during homework periods. Next, agree on a time to begin homework, usually after school. Prioritize which assignments should be tackled first and which can wait, depending on the length of the assignment and due dates. Have your student estimate the length of time each task may take to complete and write a work plan. Build in short consistent breaks. Students can check off each task as it is completed for a sense of accomplishment.
Color coded folders matching text book covers or spiral notebooks are helpful. Consider using a two pocket homework folder, marked "to be done" on one side and "to hand in" on the other side. An assignment book or planner is useful for documenting homework assignments. Students can highlight and/or flag due dates in the planner for projects and tests. Instruct your child to read directions by underlining or highlighting key words, such as circle, match, list, fill in the blanks, etc., to minimize confusion.
Most of all, teach your student to be flexible and learn from his mistakes. Try different study strategies to see what works best. Link here to find Graphic Organizers.
|
