Issue: # 5
February 2013

Dear Kid's Creek Families,

 

February usually conjures up thoughts of relationships, love and people we are fond of. As a speech therapist, there was a moment when I "fell in love" with being a therapist. I was in college and was working with my very first patient. He was two years old, but had very few words. I had been given family pictures to work with, so along with other words I worked diligently on teaching him to say "Daddy."

At the end of the semester, we had a family meeting to review the child's progress. I had never met his parents, but mom and dad were both in attendance. During the meeting, the father asked if I had taught him to say "Daddy." I told him yes, that we had been working diligently on it. In a broken voice, this young dad told me "thank you" and told me why it moved him so. You see, this young man had been away from his little boy, in Dessert Storm serving our country. When he returned home from his tour of duty, he was greeted with his son saying "Daddy" to him for the very first time. My heart melted and I was immediately in love with helping children to communicate. It was in that moment that put me on a path to help change others lives...through communication.

At Kid's Creek, our therapists not only love working with children, they love what they do. We each had a moment in our lives when we knew this was what we were supposed to do. We hope that you can see that in our eyes and in the way we work with your children.

 

 

Melanie McGriff 

 

 

News
 What's going on at Kid's Creek?

With the New Year quickly approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you of two important items:

 

  • PERSONAL INFORMATION UPDATE.

Amanda is currently distributing the 2013 Update packets. Please be sure to complete ALL PAGES and return them to us by Friday December 28, 2012. If you are changing insurance in 2013, please make sure to note this change on the attached form and return this document with the rest of the packet. In order for us to be able to file claims on your behalf we MUST have your correct insurance information, therefore, we ask that you bring your new insurance card AS SOON as you have received it.

 

 

  • KCT DEDUCTIBLES AND CO-INSURANCE INSURANCE FINANCIAL POLICY.

Just a reminder, it is Kid's Creek Financial Policy to collect deductibles and co-insurance. Please be prepared to pay the appropriate amount at your first session in the New Year.

If you have a deductible to meet before insurance benefits are paid, you will be expected to pay $100 per session at the time services are rendered. Deductibles on calendar year policies are reset in January.

 

 

Thank you and we look forward to serving you and your child in 2013!

 

Patient Results

These are examples of results we are accomplishing at our clinic.

Social Skills Corner

 From the Desk of

Miss Monique

 

 

 

"Kid-Friendly"

Personal Character Statements

Build Self-Awareness, Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem


 

Many children struggle with meeting new people and feeling comfortable with introductions. They may wonder about what to say and how to keep a conversation interesting. A parent can help a child develop a one-paragraph
personal statement about who they are, where they go to school, hobbies, favorite foods, pets, etc.  

 

A personal statement is the perfect way to springboard into questions they can ask of their new friend. A true conversation is about talking and listening. Remind them to slow down and listen to their friend's answers, so they have something to talk about later. There is nothing more impressive as a friend who remembers to ask about a fact they were told earlier. Something as simple as "How did your basketball game go on Saturday?" or "How is your dog doing?" or "How did your Math test turn out?" can help break the ice at a future time.

Lastly, give them detailed suggestions for starting conversations and ending them. Together, think of new and interesting topics to get a conversation going. Also, make sure they understand about the best ways to politely end a conversation.   Endings are potentially awkward and a parent can help ease their children nerves by reminding them of some simple guidelines like: thank the person for talking and tell them you will see them later; give them a complement and say it was great to see you; express the desire to see them soon; tell them you will call them soon to get together again; or simply say politely that it is time for you to go and see you next time.

These suggestions are just a sample of some topics that Miss Monique teaches in her Social Skills Private Coaching classes and Social Skills groups. For more information on these sessions and the social skills curriculum, call Kids Creek Therapy at 770-888-5221.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scheduling Notes

SPRING BREAK CAMPS

We are offering SPRING BREAK Camps for  6 to 9 years old!

The dates for these camps will be: 

 April 1st  to April 5th  and April 8th to April 12th 

 Camps will start at 9:30am  and end at 11:30am.

 

We will have fun and engaging activities including games, role-playing, arts and crafts all with social skills support and encouragement. Snack will be provided.

 

The cost is $200 per week with a $50 non refundable deposit.  

 

If you are going out of town for spring break please let us know ASAP. Thanks!

Look for Summer Camp information coming in the March Newsletter!
Staff News

Megan Raub M.S., CCC-SLP is a staff speech-language pathologist at Kid's Creek.  Megan earned her master's degree in speech-language pathology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel hill, North Carolina in 2009.  She has experience working in various settings including: private practice, the school systems, home health care, and developmental day centers. Megan has experience working closely with children, their parents and other professionals in order to improve a child's overall communication skills and ability to effectively participate in their daily environments.

Megan's main areas of expertise are early intervention; Autism/PDD,Receptive/expressive language disorders, Articulation/phonological disorders ,Childhood apraxia of speech/motor speech disorders ,Traumatic brain injury and Developmental delay. Megan has a real passion for helping every child achieve his / her full potential. She is certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of Georgia State Board of Examiners in Speech and Language Pathology and Audiology.

Megan moved from Wilmington, North Carolina in June of 2012 and now resides in Dunwoody, Georgia.


Katherine Roberts, MS OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist at Kid's Creek. She received her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy at the Medical College of Georgia and is licensed by the State of Georgia. She has experience working with pediatric patients in outpatient clinics as well as in the school setting. As well, she has worked with adults in both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings. Katherine has worked with a range of ages and variety of diagnoses throughout her experiences with pediatric and adult populations. Katherine is excited to be a part of Kid's Creek and enjoys working closely with children and their families to achieve the best outcomes for each child.

 

 

  Our speech therapit Lisa McCall has been awarded the ACE award for continuing education.  

 

 

 

Therapy Articles

Speech Therapy Article
Auditory Processing a Breakdown of Skills

Occupational Therapy Article
Hand Writing Without Tears

Physical Therapy Article
Are You Prepared for Your Sport?

Parent Resources



Resource Links



Referrals
Who do you know that needs our help? Let them know offer FREE CONSULTATIONS. There are many people who are looking for a speech, occupational, or physical therapist for their child. They would like to know about a place where both the child and the family are important,and where results are achieved. Just ask them to bring this to us or have them call us and we'll take care of the rest. Plus, we'll include you in our refer a friend award program so that you could win a professional massage! 

Please Note:  The views and advice expressed in articles, videos and other pieces published in this newsletter are not necessarily the views and advice of Kid's Creek or its employees but rather that of the author.  Kid's Creek is not endorsing or implying agreement with the views or advice contained therein, rather presenting them for the independent analysis and information of its readers.