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Promoting Positive Mental Health through Mindfulness Strategies

5/19/2020

 

Written By: Emily Swogger, OTR, M.S.

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Mindfulness refers to paying attention to the present moment while still calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.  Because mindfulness requires you to quiet your mind it can be difficult for children and for adults. The practice is so vitally important because it is through mindfulness that you really get to know your own body and emotions.  By simply ignoring these emotions you end up storing them inside but they find a way to make it to the surface anyways through your body. Your body reacts to the stress by causing stomach aches, headaches, and tension in the muscles in your body. Being stuck in your own thoughts prevents you from noticing the joy in every day moments. It can leave you dwelling in the past or worrying about the future. By practicing daily mindfulness it can help you live more in the present which can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. I can also help in your social life as well making you more emotionally resilient. Research has confirmed that for children, mindfulness can:
  • Mitigate the effects of bullying (Zhou, Liu, Niu, Sun, & Fan, 2016);
  • Enhance focus in children with ADHD (Zhang et al., 2016);
  • Reduce attention problems (Crescentini, Capurso, Furlan, & Fabbro, 2016);
  • Improve mental health and wellbeing;
  • Improve social skills when well taught and practiced with children and adolescents.


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8 Reasons to choose TCOB

5/9/2019

 
From time to time I meet people and they ask me HOW we are different than other clinics, well here are 8 of the things I explain to them.  In all honesty, it was difficult for me to narrow it down to 8.  I feel deep in my heart that we ARE different because we really do see TCOB as a family and we love each and every family that chooses TCOB.

1. We embrace neurodiversity

At TCOB we embrace the diversity of the families we serve. We respect that all individuals are that, individuals. At our premise we want our families to feel accepted, loved, supported, celebrated, and free to communicate their thoughts and needs in the manner that works best for them. We honor communication in all forms.

2. Family Involvement

Family involvement is strongly encouraged and carry-over activities are provided on a regular basis to support generalization of therapeutic progress which accelerates mastery of skills.

3. Differential Diagnosis

Evaluations are not time based.  They are conducted face-to-face and our clinicians employ a variety of standardized, non-standardized, and criterion referenced protocols to provide differential diagnosis.  Caregivers remain with their children during evaluations to ensure a team approach.

4. ADOS-2 Testing

Our Certified Autism Specialist and lead SLP is formally trained to administer The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule- 2 (ADOS-2) testing for identification (or the ruling out) of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Data, diagnosis recommendation/s, and comprehensive recommendations are discussed with the family by the evaluating clinician and provided in a narrative report.

5. Certified Autism Specialist

Therapy Center of Buda is proud to have an in-house Certified Autism Specialist, who consults with any family requesting assistance and offers parent education and access to community resources with support.



6. Collaboration

We welcome collaboration with all caretakers, educators, physicians, and specialists in order to maximize therapeutic progress and increase our families overall quality of life.

7. In and outdoor sensory gyms

We are the first facility of our kind, utilizing the traditional indoor sensory gym AND a 3,000 sq ft outdoor sensory gym. Our outdoor gym is a full sensory immersion experience that cannot be replicated in a traditional indoor sensory gym.

8. Superior Mandate Exemption

COFK (in coordination with Superior Healthplan) has agreed TCOB is a specialty facility. Receiving this designation will exempt our facility from the Superior/COFK mandate that was implemented March 1, 2018. Individuals can still obtain their evaluations and care through TCOB directly (without going through COFK).

But First, Play… The Importance of Daily Unstructured Play Opportunities in Childhood

4/5/2019

 
Written by: Emily Swogger, OTR, MS
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At Therapy Center of Buda we feel strongly about outdoor free play and providing our kiddos with a safe outdoor play space. Why are we so passionate about play? Because a child’s main occupation is to play. Play is how they learn new information in the most efficient manner. Yet in a world where children can spend up to 1200 per year on average in front of a screen, play time is rapidly being replaced with screen time. Time spent outside for children, research has shown, can be as little as 7 minutes per day!  Time spent in play in general can be as low as 30 minutes per day. Play-based activities are being decreased for a variety of reasons. On the early education front, a societal emphasis on increasing test scores or meeting Common Core requirements has shifted the focus of early learning and preschool from social emotional skills to building math and reading skills. After-school the amount of play time is decreased due to lack of time to engage in play between longer work hours and the nightly routines of dinner, homework, and bath time. For some, lack of a safe place to play in neighborhood playgrounds and parks is also contributing factor to a decrease in outside play time.  

So, why is the loss of unstructured play so important?


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Zippers are complicated!

4/29/2018

 
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​Teaching our kiddos to use a zipper can be a difficult task.  The truth is, it’s a very complex skill that encompasses many developmental areas! To zip a zipper up/down you must be able to motor plan, have bilateral coordination, display finger isolation, separate the two sides of the hand, have eye-hand coordination, have a strong pinch, and master the pincer and tripod grasps. 

Looking for zipper tools?  Try a zipper board, a clothing fastener vest, or a fun cargo vest with zippers for creative play and zipper practice.

​Questions? Ask one of our awesome occupational therapists or contact us to schedule an evaluation!

What is Occupational Therapy for kids?

4/2/2018

 
​April is Occupational Therapy month!  We want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for our amazing occupational therapists and commend them for all they do! We also think this is a wonderful time to explain…  What is Occupational Therapy?

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April is Autism Acceptance Month!

4/1/2018

 
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the Autism (aka ASD) is combined array (aka spectrum) of neurotypes. These neurotypes are natural variations. Autism itself does not require treatment, as it is not a sickness. But oftentimes Autistic individuals have co-occurring issues that decrease their ability to fully and effectively communicate their wants and needs or participate in acts of daily living. Autistics, just like neurotypicals, can range from non-speaking to speak eloquently and possess an extensive vocabulary. Knowing the characteristics of Autism  is the first step to early identification and self empowerment.  

Some characteristics of Autistic children are:


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Dysgraphia

2/18/2018

 
For many children with Dysgraphia, just holding a pencil and organizing letters on a line is extremely challenging.  Many struggle with spelling and putting thoughts on paper.  It is important that we remember Dysgraphia is not “laziness” or “sloppiness,” using these terms in from of your child with Dysgraphia can negatively impact their self-esteem and increase their anxiety resulting in refusal to write.  Many children diagnosed or suspected of having Dyslexia also exhibit symptoms of Dysgraphia.  Symptoms of Dysgraphia  include:
  • Illegible handwriting
  • Slow, labored writing
  • Mixing print and cursive letters
  • Spacing letters and words oddly
  • Poor spelling and grammar
  • Difficulty gripping a pencil
  • Incorrect punctuation
  • Run-on sentences and lack of paragraph breaks
  • Trouble organizing information when writing
If you suspect your child may have Dysgraphia talk to your pediatrician or call us to see if occupational therapy could help!

Water Bead Fun!!!

5/4/2017

 
Meet the newest addition to my therapy room… WATER BEADS! They are squishy, bouncy, and great for playful learning. There are so many ways to use water beads in order to develop speech and language. I created a sensory bin with my water beads and I wanted to share my ideas with you!

1. Place your child’s favorite toys in the sensory bin to target requesting, spatial concepts, following directions, identifying, answering questions, and labeling. “Can you find the cow? Where does a cow live? What does a cow say? Can you put the cow at the bottom?”
 
2. It is so easy to target articulation goals with a sensory bin. Place laminated flashcards inside and have children say the word using their “good sounds” when they find it. This is much more fun than sitting at a table and doing boring homework. :-)

3. Let your child explore! Teach verbs (digging, pouring, mixing), adjectives (slimy, bouncy, squishy, wet), colors, and sizes. Use kitchen utensils for pretend play. Get creative and have fun!

I purchased a package of water beads on Amazon, a container from Dollar Tree, and used flashcards and toys we have around the clinic. This is an inexpensive project that can make targeting speech and language goals more fun and engaging. I hope you enjoy the water beads as much as I do!

Meagan Milligan, B.S., SLP-A

Thu, Sep 24, 2015

9/24/2015

 
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While playing with playdoh can give optimal time to address receptive language, expressive language, pragmatic language, sensory, fine motor, gross motor, and handwriting development not all kiddos are able to safely play with it. Sometimes kiddos eat the playdoh or they are gluten sensitivity.  Well, we have the solution! Follow the recipe below for some EDIBLE GLUTEN FREE PLAYDOH!

Edible Gluten Free Playdoh Recipe
Ingredients:
-Baby rice cereal
-Vegetable oil
-Cornstarch(or gluten-free cornflour if you are in the UK or Australia)
-Unsweetened Applesauce (you can substitute water if you don't have applesauce)
-Food coloring (optional)




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Track your child's development milestones

6/14/2015

 
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It's never too early to start tracking your baby's development. Although all children develop at different rates, there are development milestones widely accepted as a good benchmark for determining if your child is developing within generally accepted time frames. 

Our Clinic Director, Amy Grant, has taken the most credible and accepted lists and compiled our own checklists for parents to download for ages 6 months to 5 years old. 

If you are concerned about your child's development, early intervention is the key to getting them on track to developing their essential life skills for life. We offer free consultations - contact us today if you are concerned or uncertain if your child might benefit from Speech-Language or Occupational Therapy. We are here to help. 

Download Therapy Center of Buda's Developmental Checklists to track your child's progress at home.

The Basics on Occupational Therapy

5/1/2015

 
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An occupational therapist is a medical professional who evaluates and treats children and adults who have difficulty participating in “occupations” or meaningful activities relevant to their daily lives.  A common misconception is that occupational therapy is specifically for adults as children do not have “occupations,” but a child’s main job is playing and learning.  An occupational therapist evaluates a child’s skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities and compares them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.


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What's Wrong with "W" Sitting?

5/1/2015

 
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W--sitting is a position of sitting on the floor – the child sits on their bottom with their knees bent and rotated on the floor behind them in the shape of a W. Many children W-sit and move in and out of this position during play.  All children should be discouraged for sitting in this position.  When W-sitting becomes the primary way of sitting, it can hinder development.  When playing in other postures, such as tailor sit (legs crisscrossed), long sit (legs straight out in front), or side sit (legs bent at the knees with both knees facing either left or right), children develop the trunk control and trunk rotation that is necessary for crossing midline (reaching across the body) and for separation of the two sides of the body (bilateral coordination).  These skills are needed for a child to develop refined motor skills and hand dominance.

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Differences between clinic and school-based therapy

3/18/2015

 
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When doctors recommend occupational or speech therapy for school-aged patients, some parents may respond that their children already receive therapy through the public school system. However, a doctor’s medical goals or the family’s functional goals and the goals of the school’s therapist often differ. Understanding the difference between school-based therapy and clinic-based therapy will help families avoid the false impression that services are being duplicated. More importantly, understanding the difference will help families avoid the pitfall of refusing helpful, clinic-based therapy because of the false impression.


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What's all the buzz about Perseveration and Echolalia?

1/23/2015

 
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I have parents coming to see me frequently asking me about two buzz words they were told by a friend, another parent, a therapist, a doctor, or a teacher. These words are Perseveration and Echolalia.  Let’s simplify these terms. 


Perseveration (pronounced: per•sev•er•a•tion) is the repetition of a particular response such as a word, phrase, ritual, or gesture (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition).  An example of this would be if a child fears the vacuum and continually asks if it is put away.  Another example, which I see regularly is someone having a special interest with cars and/or trains, specifically with television/movies and/or the actual toy. Perhaps a child will ONLY play with his train set and when he plays with it he is uninterested in anything else, playing with it for hours on end.

Echolalia (pronounced: ech•o•lay•li•a) is the automatic repetition of vocalizations made by another person (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition).  There are two categories of echolalia: immediate and delayed.

Immediate echolalia is just that, immediate. For example, if I say “do you want to play with cars?” An immediate echolalic response would be, “do you want to play with cars?” Rather than answering the question, the child simply “echos” the question.  Is is possible this response is due to lack of understanding, delayed processing, and/or an inability to formulate an appropriate response.
Delayed echolalia… yep you guessed it… is delayed repetition of a word or phrase.  Many times this is evident in the repetition of television commercials, movie lines, and/or  parental reprimands.  A couple of common examples are reciting entire scenes from Cars (the movie) or blurting out “you better not” randomly and/or when the context doesn't match.

Perseveration and echolalia are common among children and adults with autism; however, many children and adults have these characteristics and are not autistic.

If you have concerns about perseveratory behaviors or echolalic speech, talk to your speech-language pathologist today.

- Amy Grant, M.S., CCC-SLP

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Importance of Family Involvement in Therapy

12/10/2014

 
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Parent, family, and friend involvement in speech-language and occupational therapy treatment is vital to the child’s therapeutic success.  When I explain “therapy” to my families I explain that my treatment sessions are broken down into steps:

1. Identify any new events or changes reported by parents/family
2. Assess progress made
3. Address specific goals from the Plan of Care
4. Discuss therapeutic techniques used (including successes and failures)
5. Provide “homework” to encourage carryover at home

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    A smiling woman with light skin, shoulder-length dark brown hair, and large dark-framed glasses. She is wearing a maroon top with a black cardigan and a delicate necklace. The background is white, and the image is cropped in a circular frame. Picture of Amy Grant

    Author

    Amy Grant is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinic Director of Therapy Center of Buda. Special Focus: Autism/ ADHD

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WHAT OUR PARENTS SAY 

I am so happy with the care my daughter gets here. Everyone is helpful and patient. Amy took extra time 
with me and my wife to explain exactly what was happening with my daughter and explain how therapy was going to help. I love that she involves us in the sessions and we have seen major improvements. I would recommend this clinic to anyone!
-Paul S.
I can't say enough about how much my son has progressed and continues to progress in their care. The love and compassion, professional atmosphere, and top notch therapists make this place the best in central Texas. We are forever grateful to Amy Grant, Miss Angeli, Suzie and Brandi.


- Amy P.
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