Launch Therapy Clinic

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Russellville, KY
Launch Therapy Clinic

We are committed to providing support, opportunities, and quality therapy services to promote independence and overall development from infancy to adulthood.

02/26/2026

✂️ OT Tip: Scissor Skills Parents Should Know
Cutting isn’t just about strength — it’s about stability, coordination, and the ability to move some fingers while others stay still.
Here are a few tips to support success:
✔️ Start with posture
Feet on the floor, paper at midline, elbows supported when possible. A stable body supports controlled hands.
✔️ Thumbs up!
Teach “thumbs up” on the scissors and the helper hand. This keeps the wrist in a functional position.
✔️ Use the right tools
Begin with child-sized scissors that fit the hand. Too large = poor control and fatigue.
✔️ Progress the material
Cut playdough → cardstock → straight lines → curves → shapes. Thickness builds feedback and control.
✔️ One skill at a time
First snipping, then cutting forward, then turning the paper. Turning the paper is often harder than moving the scissors.
✋ Scissor skills are more than crafts — they build bilateral coordination, hand strength, visual motor integration, and school readiness.

02/23/2026

🍼 Should You Ditch the Sippy?

From a speech and feeding therapy perspective, the cup your child uses matters more than most parents realize.
Babies start with sucking for breast or bottle feeding — but as they grow, their mouths need new movements to support:
• Tongue strength
• Jaw stability
• Palate (roof of the mouth) development
• Chewing and speech skills

Traditional sippy cups often keep the same sucking pattern, which may limit oral motor development.

🥤 Straw cups (and open cups) encourage the tongue to lift and help shape the palate and build skills needed for eating and talking.

📅 Many children are ready to try a straw cup between 6–12 months.
✨ If cup transitions feel tricky or delayed, feeding therapy can help support strong foundations early.

02/21/2026

4 - 5 Years Old 👶 What to Expect Around This Age 👶

🟢 Gross Motor
• Hops and stands on one foot for 5–10 seconds
• Catches a medium-sized ball with hands
• Climbs stairs using alternating feet
• Maintains balance on uneven surfaces

✂️ Fine Motor & Visual Motor
• Uses scissors to cut lines and shapes
• Draws a person with 2–4 body parts
• Copies shapes like a cross, square, diagonals, and triangle

🍽️ Feeding
• Uses fork and spoon with good coordination
• Spreads with a knife (by 5–6 years)
• Drinks from an open cup without spilling
• Eats a variety of family foods

🗣️ Speech & Language
• Speaks in full 4–6 word sentences
• Answers who/what/where/why questions
• Tells stories about their day
• Speech is mostly understood by strangers
• Knows name, age, and basic personal info

🤝 Social & Self-Care
• Engages in cooperative play
• Follows game rules
• Shows empathy and safety awareness
• Manages toileting and dressing independently

Every child develops at their own pace—but if you have concerns, early support can make a big difference 💙
📩 Reach out if you’d like help supporting your child’s development!

02/18/2026

2 - 3 Years Old 👶 What to Expect Around This Age 👶

Big personalities, big skills, and big curiosity! At this age, your child is exploring, learning, and mastering new abilities every day.

Motor Skills
• Walks with a heel-toe pattern
• Runs & climbs confidently
• Throws and catches a large ball
• Jumps with both feet off the ground
• Begins balancing on one foot
• Uses both hands together for play
• Practices snipping with scissors
Feeding Skills
• Self-feeds with utensils with minimal spilling
• Wipes mouth/face with a napkin
• Eats the same foods as family
• Drinks from an open cup without spilling
Language & Communication
• Vocabulary expands to ~200–300 words
• Uses 2–3 word phrases (“I want ball”)
• Uses plurals and simple prepositions (“in,” “on”)
• Asks simple questions (“Where dog?”)
• Speech understood by familiar adults most of the time
Social & Emotional Skills
• Shows interest in other children’s play
• Begins cooperative play with familiar peers
• Shows awareness of other people’s emotions
• Can calm down after brief upset without needing to be carried

✨ Every child develops at their own pace!
Questions about your child’s growth? Our PT, OT, and SLP team is here to support their big milestones and everyday adventures 💙

02/16/2026

Happy Presidents’ Day!

Launch Therapy is open today, February 16th, during our normal business hours! We’re excited to see all our amazing families today! 💙💚

02/13/2026

We had such a fun evening at Sevenson’s Family Night! 💙

It was a joy connecting with families, sharing resources, and celebrating the incredible support system that helps children thrive.

We are especially grateful for our amazing community partners who make opportunities like this possible. Your collaboration and commitment to families truly make a difference.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello — we loved seeing you!

Address

314 Highland Lick Road
Russellville, KY

Website

http://launchtherapyclinic.com/

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