As a parent, nothing is more important than ensuring your child has access to the best possible care and support, especially when it comes to therapy services for children with special needs. However, the costs associated with therapy can sometimes be overwhelming. The good news is that there are numerous therapy grants available to help families bridge the financial gap and provide the necessary support for their children. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the process of applying for therapy grants, giving your child the opportunity to reach their full potential. 1. Research ..read more

If your child is struggling in school or with homework, it may be time to seek out a tutor! A good tutor will help students understand difficult concepts while encouraging them by letting them know they’re doing well and making progress toward their goals. But before you can find the right tutor for your child, there are a few things to consider. First, you should think about your little learner’s learning style and needs. Is your child more of a visual learner? Do they need help with reading comprehension? Or do they struggle with math concepts? Knowing these details will help the tutor and y ..read more

Critical thinking involves examining assumptions and thought processes to determine if they’re valid or flawed. Critical thinkers ask questions like, “What evidence do we have?”, “How reliable is this evidence?”, “What other explanations might there be?”. They look at all sides of an issue and consider alternative viewpoints before concluding what they believe to be true or false based on the available information. As a parent, you can help your child develop critical thinking skills. This means allowing them to explore different ways of thinking and embracing mistakes as part of the process ..read more

Concentration is one of the most important skills children can learn, and it’s critical to their academic success. Poor grades are the most obvious consequence of insufficient concentration, but they aren’t the only one. Kids who have a hard time paying attention in class have trouble not only with homework and tests, but also with future academic tasks such as college or graduate school applications. Low self-esteem is another likely consequence of poor grades and difficulty completing assignments on time – and when kids feel like they’re failing at something important, they can have a hard t ..read more

Children develop at different rates and some variation is typical, however a child may benefit from OT support if showing: Difficulty with self care tasks beyond what is expected for their age. This includes: • Toileting (awareness, coordination, completing all the steps) • Dressing including buttons and zips • Washing hands, brushing teeth • Extreme discomfort with haircutting and fingernail trims • Difficulties using cutlery • Limited food preferences • Decreased willingness to try new foods Specific sensory needs such as: • Putting hands over ears / startling with loud noises • Tantrum ..read more

Soon after birth, an infant will show off their personality and develop nonverbal communication in an effort for their basic needs to be met. These early forms of communication exhibit as brief eye gazing at objects, crying or cooing communicating needs for physical bonding; being held and possibly soothed or fussing/crying to be fed. Development continues from infancy to childhood and may not always follow the same pace for every child, however, children do grow and develop acquiring skills at typical age-appropriate milestones such as crawling, walking, saying their first words at around the ..read more

The South Florida School of Excellence is the first Dade County’s Clinical/Educational, and serves students with several learning special needs such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), processing difficulties, learning disabilities, learning disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, slow maturation or underachievement, including those who are average, at-risk, have disabilities, gifted and Asperger. The South Florida School of Excellence – General & Special Education – Gifted & Autism Center is a non-profit ..read more

Motor planning or “praxis” is our ability to unconsciously (or consciously) plan and then carry out purposeful movements with our bodies. It relies on a number of foundational sensory and sensory motor skills, such as knowing how your body is positioned, and having good feedback from your muscles and joints about how you are moving. Think about the last time you learned a new movement with your body. Or when you learned a new sport as a child. A lot of effort when into thinking about how you needed to move in order to be accurate in your movement. This is motor planning. For children with coor ..read more

Fine motor skills are abilities to control and coordinate the small muscles in the hand for precise movements. The development of children’s fine motor skills are important because they are the foundation for the development of many other important skills in the future, including reading, writing, and drawing, as well as the ability to undertake everyday tasks such as tying shoelaces or holding a knife and fork. There are many components of fine motor skills including the following: ARM AND HAND STRENGTH Children require adequate muscle strength in their hands and arms, in order to effectively ..read more

Fine motor skills are abilities to control and coordinate the small muscles in the hand for precise movements. The development of children’s fine motor skills are important because they are the foundation for the development of many other important skills in the future, including reading, writing, and drawing, as well as the ability to undertake everyday tasks such as tying shoelaces or holding a knife and fork. There are many components of fine motor skills including the following: ARM AND HAND STRENGTH Children require adequate muscle strength in their hands and arms, in order to effectively ..read more