Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). To see if your child is on track for their age, visit the CDC Milestones page for videos, images, fact sheets, and more.
123 Magic is a 3-Step discipline plan for calm, effective, and happy parenting. While you can purchase this program and related materials, there are also regular newsletters with helpful tips. Find out more by visiting their website.
The Center for Exceptional Families is an organization whose goal is to assist Arkansans’ with disabilities in attaining an exceptional quality of life! The site offers newsletters, articles, and other resources to help families and children with special needs to improve educational opportunities. They also organize Sensory Saturdays, a local event that allows children with sensory disorders to watch movies in a safe and accepting environment. Visit their website for more information.
Conscious Discipline provides a proven and comprehensive approach that will empower you with the self-awareness, brain information, developmental knowledge and useable skills necessary to create safe, connected, problem-solving home. Their site offers tools, implementation guides, and other tips and resources to help parents with child discipline.
This is guide offers an introduction to new MKSA parents as well as serves as a reference for existing parents to MKSA guidelines and procedures. The handbook includes information on Staff, Departures & Arrivals, policies for severe weather, and much more.
This is guide created for teachers and caregivers is a helpful resource for parents as well. It offers information on Kindergarten readiness to help your child stay on track and prepare for Kindergarten. Content includes information about milestones your child should reach prior to entering Kindergarten as well as information about other resources.
The CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early site offers milestone information on ages birth through age 5, Autism Case Training, resources for parents and education providers. There are multimedia tools and training resources as well. Visit their site for more information.
VitalStim Therapy is designed to help swallowing through the use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimilation (NMES). Electrical stimulation is used to aid muscle strengthening to rehabilitate the swallow. For more information on Vitals Stim Therapy, visit our Vital Stim page or the Vital Stim partner page.
Arkansas School for the Deaf offers Outreach Support Services and is committed to all children who are deaf and hard of hearing, their families, and service providers, by giving unbiased information on child development, language acquisition, and appropriate intervention to prepare children to reach their fullest potential.
All services are provided at no cost. Visit their site for more information.
Today, more than a dozen children will come into foster care in Arkansas because of abuse or neglect. They will join nearly 4,500 other children in state custody. This year, more than 7,000 children will spend time in foster care. Children are placed in emergency shelters, group homes or residential facilities. Siblings are often separated because there is not a home available to take them as a group. Having a pool of available foster and adoptive families in every county in Arkansas would go a long way toward solving the problem.
For information about how you can help, visit their site for more information.
Look Again – DECAL’s Awareness Campaign for Families and Child Care Providers
Safercar.gov Car Seat Safety Video
Amazing Me. It’s Busy Being Three!
This book from the CDC introduces children to Joey, an amazing 3-year-old kangaroo who is very excited about all he can do now that he is three. Joey doesn’t know it, but these amazing things are called developmental milestones, and they’re a very important part of each child’s growth.
Sensory Saturdays are a way for children with sensory disorders to enjoy a movie in a safe and accepting setting with:
- Moderately dimmed lighting
- Comfortable temperature
- Lowered volume
- Guests are welcome to move around and be themselves
The Sensory Shop is a local store that offers toys that are geared toward aiding child development. They also hold regular events and have an accepting, environment that caters to sensory play.
MKSA/KULA Transportation Safety Video
MKSA/KULA Transportation Playground Count Video
MKSA/KULA Hand Washing Video
MKSA/KULA Food Service Video
MKSA/KULA Diaper Changing Video
Learn to Play the NDT Way!
- When: February 9-10, 2018
- Where: Hilton Garden Inn (2840 S. Caraway Rd., Jonesboro, AR)
- Cost: $360 per individual, $340 per person for a group of 2-4, $320 per person for a group of 5 or more and $250 for students with current IDs
- To register: Click here
- Course description: Have fun at the course, have fun with your clients! Join us in therapeutic play – the NDT way! This interactive basic level course for OT/COTAs, PT/PTAs and SLPs will emphasize treatment strategies to promote “natural ways to play” in the child with neurological involvement. Therapists will learn introductory handling techniques to optimize postural control and visual/perceptual skills. Participants will learn how neuromotor control and influences of the sensory systems impact functional outcomes. Participants will learn basic componets of Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT) and how these strategies relate to NDT. Therapists will be challenged to facilitate creative play with the children they work with and gain knowledge in the value and foundation of “play.” This course will take you through lecture, handling and movement labs, interactive discussions and problem-solving to spark individual creativity and basic understanding of NDT and IYT. Note: Participants shoudl wear comfortable clothing for labs. Participants should bring a soft doll at least 12 inches with soft moveable limbs (to practice handling) and one toy.
- Continuing Edcuation Hours: 1.4 CEUs (12 contact hours) earned for this course
Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP)
- When: April 7, 2018
- Where: ASU Convocation Center (217 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro, AR)
- Cost: $99 per individual
- To register: Email email@example.com
- Course description: This course will cover the components of LAMP: readiness to learn, engaging the learner in motivating activities, and learning language through a unique and consistent motor plan paired with an auditory signal and a natural consequence. Discussion will include how LAMP addresses the core language deficits of autism, device features that are beneficail to teaching language, and how to use those features to implement LAMP components. Videos will be use to illustrate the treatment components. This workshop will also cover: The role of motor learning in language development, device features that support implementation, choosing and teaching vocabulary and an introductin to the LAMP Words of Life language system for iPad and PRC device.
- Continuing Edcuation Hours: 0.5 ASHA CEUs (5 contact hours) earned for this course
T is for Treatment – Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Prechaining and Food Chaining Therapy Programs
- When: October 19-20, 2018
- Where: To be determined (TBD)
- Cost: TBD
- To register: Email firstname.lastname@example.org
- Presenters: Speech-languge pathologists Cheri Fraker and Laura Walbert, co-authors of the books “Evaluation and Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders: From NICU to Childhood” and “Food Chaining: The Six Step Solution to Stop Picky Eating, Solve Feeding Problems and Expand Your Child’s Diet.”
- Course description: This two-day course will focus on assessment and treatment of feeding problems in infants, toddlers and children. Topics covered include: anatomy of feeding aversion; feeding therapy baby care basics; successful transition to table foods; toddlers eating from ages 2 to 6; meeting nutrition needs for infants, toddlers & children; case histories; analysis and development of team treatment plans for infants and toddlers; picky versus problem eating; problem-solving, referrals and the team approach to feeding aversion therapy; in-depth case history, analysis of the problem & development of team treatment programs for children.
- Continuing Edcuation Hours: 1.4 ASHA CEUs (14 contact hours) earned for this course
Is Your Child On Track?
How your child plays, learns, speaks and acts offer important clues about his development. Do you have questions about your child’s development? View our milestone checklist to see if your child is where he/she should be at this stage in their development.
Still have concerns? Complete the form below to contact our staff to discuss your concerns, schedule a tour of our facility, or make an appointment to speak with our staff.