Happy Birthday to You! How to Celebrate Your Child’s Special Day Appropriately

By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.
Over the past few months, a few of my clients have asked “how should we celebrate our child’s birthday, taking into consideration his or her special needs.” This is an important question on many levels, since we all want to celebrate special occasions with family; however, this can sometimes be too much [...]

Five Tips for Parents Making School-Related Decisions

By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.
School-related decisions seem to be an ever-present issue for all families, but especially for families with a child with unique learning needs. Here are some tips I find myself frequently providing parents in regards to their child’s education:

Just because a service or option is available doesn’t mean you have to take it. [...]

Are You a Peacock or a Penguin?

By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP
I found this great little movie on the internet at www.simpletruths.com, and was inspired to write about the message it conveyed.  The story begins by talking about how the penguins were the leaders in many organizations.  One day, a peacock comes along and begins spreading his creativity and ingenuity.  At first, [...]

A Journey Through Infant Development: One Year!

By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW
It seems like only yesterday that I started this series on infant development, and now my baby boy has turned a year old. It’s fun to look back and reflect on how much has changed from one year ago. No year is like the first in the amount of growth and development [...]

What Should I Do When My Child is Anxious?

By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.
Anxiety can be debilitating for many individuals, especially those affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Last month, I shared specific symptoms and changes in behavior to consider when determining whether or not your child or student is anxious. Now that you know what to look for in relation to anxiety symptoms, [...]

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eleventh Month

By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW
“I’m looking for fun and adventure! I’m looking for more!!!” As children develop on a neuro-typical pathway, they begin to look for activities to be more elaborate and exciting. The same old games become boring – it’s time for adventures and more challenges. This becomes especially true as a baby transforms from [...]

Building a Foundation

By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP
Now that spring has arrived here in Michigan, many construction projects are once again underway.  Land is being cleared, holes are being dug, and foundations are being laid.  Each time I see a foundation being poured for a new home, school or business, it makes me think of the foundations we [...]

Finding Peace

By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.
As I was wandering around the Minneapolis airport recently, I found a store with a variety of posters, cards, and wall hangings with quotes and sayings on them. As I perused the options, I found one that I had to purchase and bring back to the office. Here is the quote:
Peace. It [...]

How Do I Know if My Child is Anxious?

By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.
When thinking about autism and all that is involved with it and other similar neurodevelopmental disorders, we sometimes overlook the possibility of co-occurring conditions like anxiety. All too often I hear responses about a child’s odd behaviors in relation to him or her “being naughty,” or that “it is just his or [...]

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Tenth Month

By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW
Curiosity is something that is developed very early in life and becomes very evident once a child starts to move. Although it can be very annoying to pull babies out of cupboards, dishwashers, refrigerators and toilets, curiosity is an extremely important foundation to a child’s neurotypical development. Curiosity allows discoveries – it [...]