Empowering Kids Pediatric Therapy

02/26/2026

Executive Functioning Toolbox comes through again with this great resource!
Self-Regulation is a tricky thing for a child to learn (and let's be honest...some adults are still working on this, too)! That's OK! Here are some great ideas for you to use to help your child become aware of how they are feeling and what they may need to help themselves in the moment.

02/18/2026

Why should you read to your child everyday?

Daily reading to children, even from birth, is considered by many the premier predictor of future academic and life success.

That's HUGE!

Reading to your child is crucial for brain development. It builds vocabulary, increases their cognitive skills and strengthens emotional bonds between you and your child.

Reading daily to your child can expose children to over 1 million more words by kindergarten compared to children who are not read to daily.

We know kids aren't always willing to sit and listen to stories-that's OK! Read to them even if they are playing nearby. They will still get the benefits!

02/16/2026

Happy President's Day!

We are open, as usual today! Here's a little President's Day Joke for you to share with your kiddos:

Q: What would you get if you crossed the first US president with an animated character?

A: George Washingtoon! 😂

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine's Day to our clients and their family! We are spoiled with so much love from our little friends-all the smiles, hugs and squeals of joy we get make our day! Thank you for sharing your littles with us! 💜

02/13/2026

Are you wondering when you should reach out to a Speech Therapist? Here are some times we recommend you reach out to us:

By 15 Months Old: Your child should be using single words, such as, "Mama, Dada, ball, more" and follow simple 1 step directions

By 2 Years Old: Your child should be able to follow simple 2 step directions and put two words together

By 4 years old: Strangers should understand almost everything your child says and your child's speech should sound clear, they should be able to answer WH questions and follow a conversation

By 5 years old: Your child should be able to pronounce all sounds (except voiceless "th" as in "baTH, or THing"), plus all of the above

If you have concerns, reach out to us and we can help you decide if a full evaluation would be helpful!

02/12/2026

Have you noticed that your child seems clumsy, or has poor coordination?Here you can see what Motor Planning is and how difficulties may present in children.

Occupational therapy helps children learn how to plan and carry out new or challenging movements. Through fun, hands-on activities like obstacle courses, games, crafts, and everyday tasks, we help children break movements into manageable steps, improve coordination and body awareness, and build confidence.

Our goal is to help your child feel more successful and independent at home, at school, and during play.

If you've noticed that your child could use some support around their Motor Planning, reach out to us today! We'd love to help them with that!

02/05/2026

What a fun indoor activity! We know it's rough to keep kids excited about indoor play sometimes! If you have older kids, challenge them to make a fun track for siblings out of painter's tape. They can really get creative with this-build a mini city to drive through! Great for building core strength, working the shoulders, hand-eye coordination AND using their imaginations! Love fun screen-free activities!

Love! Building proximal strength and stability at the core, shoulders, forearms, & wrists to support distal mobility in the hands and fingers!

https://instagram.com/messy_play_with_elsie_faye

02/02/2026

February is Black History Month.

Black History Month is important because it reminds us to include ALL history. For years, black American's stories were minimized, distorted or rejected. Black History Month reminds us to tell America's full story; honoring lives and contributions that were historically ignored, and teaching respect, understanding, and empathy.

Black history is American history — and it deserves to be seen, learned, and celebrated.

01/29/2026

Sensory Processing plays a huge role in ALL aspects of a child's day. Being able to properly process things in their environment-sounds, lights, textures of clothing-allows your child to focus, learn, stay emotionally regulated, and increases their coordination. Executive Functioning Toolbox has great information on Sensory Processing.

Concerned about your child's sensory processing? Reach out to us, we can help with that! 💜

Here's a free sensory processing checklist you can print off: https://www.theottoolbox.com/sensory-processing-disorder-checklist/

01/27/2026

Registering your child for Kindergarten?

Check out these developmental milestones:

Think that your child could use a boost before entering Kindergarten? There's still time to make some nice gains before August, contact us today to get started!

01/25/2026

Some key developmental milestones for 4 year olds 👇🏼

For speech, we like strangers to be able to understand a 4 year old without parents needing to interpret for them and a child to be asking and answering WH questions.

For Occupational Therapy, children should be able to copy lines and letters, jump and catch a ball with 2 hands.

Have questions about our services? Reach out today!

We accept CareSource Medicaid, Traditional Medicaid and MHS Medicaid as well as SIHO insurance. We'd love to help your child meet their speech-language or occupational therapy goals!

01/24/2026

Warming Centers for Bartholomew County.

Everyone stay safe this weekend!