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Making the Most of Screen Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between the ages of 2-5 have no more than 1 hour of screen time per day. We understand that screen time has become increasingly part of our everyday lives. Check out our parent handout on how to encourage speech and language development during screen time!

PARENT HANDOUT-Screen time

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December Newsletter 2022

Happy Holidays! Check out our December Newsletter for a fun gift giving guide compiled by our very own therapists. If you and your family have vacation plans for the holidays, please let your therapist know ASAP so they can work with you on rescheduling. Please note, make up sessions cannot be guaranteed. Often therapists are unaware of open slots for make up sessions until the day of, so you may be notified of availability with less than 24 hours notice.

 

Have a great December and we’ll see you in 2023!

December Newsletter

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Promoting Language at Meal Time

Mealtime is a highly motivating and social time perfect for promoting speech and language goals! Check out this quick and easy handout for ideas on how to incorporate speech and language strategies while you eat!

Language At Meal Time

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Feed the Ghost Activity

As Halloween approaches, here is a fun activity to try at home with your kiddo. One of our amazing early interventionist, Jagruti, created a fun and simple arts and crafts activity using things you might already have at home! This activity can be repurposed and reused for any occasion, not just Halloween. Create any silly face to keep this activity fun all year round!

Download our activity packet here:

Feed the ghost- Activity packet

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October 2022 Newsletter

Happy Fall! Check out this month’s family newsletter to see what’s happening this Fall at Teamwork Therapies!

Something new we’re doing to kick off Fall is Themed weeks. You and your kiddo are welcome to join our staff in dressing to theme for the whole month of October!

October Newsletter 2022

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Managing Mouthing

Mouthing, chewing, and sucking on non-edible objects can become a concerning behavior. Understanding the underlying needs of children who mouth can be the very first step to addressing this with our kiddos.

There are many reasons why children engage in mouthing behaviors. Here are some of the most common reasons:

  1. Sensory Needs/Self-stimulation 
  • Chewing can help children manage all of the extra sensory information (bright lights, louder sounds, light/sudden touch) affecting their hypersensitive sensory system.
  1. Proprioception/ Body Awareness
  • Proprioception is our ability to know where our body is in space. It is how we process input from our joints and muscles in order to move and position the body.
  • When children have difficulties interpreting this information properly, you may see them crashing into objects/walls, have poor motor control, have the “wiggles” and not be able to sit still or focus, and if they’re not getting the right amount of proprioceptive throughout the day, they may try to self-regulate on their own through chewing/mouthing because it’s something that they know, have access to, and can control, and it provides proprioceptive input to the jaw as this is one of the most powerful muscles in the human body.
  1. Oral Awareness
  • Some children may have a reduced oral awareness (sensation in their mouth) and consequently may seek out activities that provide increased oral feedback, such as eating crunchy foods, stuffing their mouths with food, grinding their teeth, and/or chewing on non-food items
  1. Pica
  • Pica is characterized by the need to eat non-food items (paper, clay, sand, dirt).  If you suspect this is why your child is chewing, please seek medical help
  1. Teething
  • Some children chew for relief when their 6 year molars start to erupt. If this is the cause, it will likely pass when the teeth are done moving into place.
  1. Stress/Anxiety
  • Chewing is repetitive and calming in nature
  1. Focus/concentration
  • Chewing can be a very effective way to increase focus and block out other distractions since it’s a repetitive movement. Chewing also activates muscles in the jaw down into the neck, which provides added stability that is grounding
  1. Boredom/habit 

 

There are many strategies and tools we can employ to help our child have their needs met in a safe way. Take a look at some simple and effective ways to manage mouthing.

 

For the full PDF Handout: Managing Mouthing

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