The Connections Advantage

Follow us on Pinterest and Facebook for great therapeutic activities to do at home. The Connections Advantage
Quote of the Month ” I never planned on this journey with Autism, but I Love my tour guide.” Activity Corner Bugs in the Grass- A cute Springtime activity to promote sorting, playing, matching, fine motor skill development and sensory engaging! Fun too! Technolog Hub The technology available today can help our children learn so many skills, right at their fingertips.Tablets iPads, and iPhones are being used to teach children many functional skills everyday, outside of the classroom and/or clinic. But all too often children are using these devices unsupervised, which can can lead to bad habits, including poor attention span, sleeplessness, and visual motor issues. Children constantly switching between applications or switching as soon as they feel unsuccessful, and pop up advertisements, are a few culprits leading to decrease attention and focus. allowing children to have more screen time recommended by the American Pediatric Association, can lead to sleep issues, diminished social skill set with peers, and can inhibit our children from the valuable structured or coordinated gross motor play/ games that are crucial for overall development in children, especially special needs children. TIPS FOR TECH.. PARENT SUPERVISION Use the tablet as a learning tool and you as the teacher guiding the learning. Learn how to use “Guided Learning” that is available on Apple devices. This feature allows parents to take charge of the screen. This allows you to “disable” features you do not want the user to activate, assisting your child to develop better focus and attention. This feature also “disables” the home button so children cannot leave the app until you chose. Purchase apps to stop pop up ads, which distract your child’s attention. Purchase apps from reliable companies. Apps for children with special needs, a4cwsn.comis a great resource for finding reviewed and reliable apps for children with special needs. Consult with your therapist before purchasing $$$$ communication apps. Your speech therapist will assess which communication apps would be best suited for your child. PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT!! There are many durable protective covers available now, that can protect against water damage and dropping ect. With that being said teach your child how to respect the device. Ask you speech or occupational therapist about social stories that can assist with this learning process, if necessary. The best way to get the most from apps that focus on pre-writing skills is to have your child use a rubber tipped stylus. This will provide great practice with correct pencil grasp technique. Developmental Grasp Patterns PIN OF THE MONTH	Children’s Therapy Connections’ “Connections Advantage Plan” is our commitment to personalized attention that is necessary for a child’s optimal progress. The Connections Advantage Plan was created to assist families with looking at the whole “development picture”. Many factors influence the clinical picture, including genetics, environmental influences, nutrition and overall health and behavior. All factors need consideration when creating an individualized treatment plan. CTC’s therapists are committed to the children and families we serve. Parents are the biggest contributors to their child’s progress. A coach assists the team to perform at their best and CTC assist parents and children to win at life. When a person decides to compete in a marathon, they don’t just run a marathon the next day. They begin training to improve strength, endurance and coordination. They do research to understand the most effective training methods, and they may find a professional coach that can assist them in meeting their goals. Most likely the coach has experience training runners before the marathon and knows the “ins and outs” of training for a long distance event. Marathon runners learn discipline by modifying their behavior so they are able to advance though the levels of training necessary to reach the outcomes they desire. They begin to make wiser food choices to sustain a clear focused mind and energy to assist them during training. Coaches make modifications and suggest treatment strategies to give runners the individual edge they need. It is the same way for children that can benefit from therapy. Our children are training for the long distance event called life. Children’s Therapy Connections’ therapists have a combined total of over 80 years of experience, and are dedicated to the families we serve. We are the coach that will provide you and your child with the training strategies needed for your child to reach their optimal potential in the community, home and life! April is Autism Awareness Month https://www.autismspeaks.org/liub/how-to-liub How to LIUB In honor of people with autism worldwide, iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, schools, universities, bridges, retail stores, and thousands of homes will light blue beginning on April 2! Light Homes, Businesses, Schools, and Landmarks Blue Change outdoor or indoor white bulbs to blue bulbs. Tint windows with blue gel sheets Cover existing fixtures with blue gel filters Project the Autism Speaks puzzle piece or Light It Up Blue logo on walls or buildings Wear Blue Ask family, friends, coworkers, and staff to wear blue (ties, scarfs, shirts, etc.) Supply Autism Speaks lapel pins, bracelets, or other blue accessories to wear during the month of April. Post Blue Personalize your LIUB Selfie Sign to tell us where you Light It Up Blue Post your photos on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, or Flickr with the hashtag #LIUB to be a part of the global autism awareness movement! Turn your website blue with our Site It Up Blue kit or add the Light It Up Blue logo with a link to autismspeaks.org/liub Turn your Facebook or Twitter profile picture blue Tweet autism facts with the hashtag #LIUB
If you have questions about your child’s development, call us at (708) 226-9200 or visit www.childrenstherapyconnections.com for more information.
14711 Ravinia Ave. Orland Park, Il 60462 Phone: 708-226-9200 Fax: 888-474-8137 www.childrenstherapyconnections.com