Kaufman Children's Center

02/24/2026

Spring break is right around the corner and (despite how it feels right now) summer isn’t too far after that. For many families, both seasons mean traveling, which can be very tricky with kids. That’s especially true for those who have diagnoses such as autism or sensory processing difficulties.

Never fear, our speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and behavior analysts have some genius tips to make your time on the road easier on everyone. For details on the tips listed here, visit kidspeech.com/travel.

BEFORE YOU GO
🔸Countdown on the calendar (or make your own)
🔸Talk about how you’ll get there and what to expect while traveling
🔸Make simple sequence stories with each part of the trip

SMART STUFF TO PACK
🔸Gum to combat nausea
🔸Relaxing music
🔸Tactile fidgets to keep little hands busy
🔸Weighted blankets or lap pads
🔸Ear protection for noisy environments

ACTIVITIES TO CALM KIDS
🔸Arm push-ups on chairs or walls
🔸Deep-pressure hugs and squeezes
🔸Frog jumps or jumping jacks
🔸Pushing or pulling luggage

SENSORY SUPPORTS
🔸Simple activities like puzzles, blocks, and putty
🔸Sticker books, coloring books, or dry-erase boards to encourage fine-motor tasks
🔸Clothespins to clip around child’s area for an easy scavenger hunt

ENSURING SAFETY
🔸Door alarms so kids don’t leave rooms without you knowing
🔸Contact info on wrist bands in case kids get lost
🔸Consider a GPS tracking device if your child tends to wander or bolt

02/23/2026

Congratulations to our KCC staff who attained registered behavior technician certification in 2025 and early 2026: Rachel Bause, Jhanelly Garcia, Helena Hanaee, Jo Hemry, Kendall Luberto, Camryn McCrary, Amanda Morton, and Shaniqua Spencer

All ABA techs at KCC are required to attain their RBT certification and we have a program in place to guide them through the process. It includes:

🔸Training by KCC staff
🔸40 hours of applied behavior analysis modules
🔸Competency assessment to demonstrate skills
🔸RBT certification exam
🔸Annual RBT renewals

02/23/2026

Who says you need to leave the city to explore nature? Metro Detroit has amazing indoor nature centers where kids can experience Michigan's ecosystems without the commute! 🌲🦌

These spots bring the outdoors inside with live animals, hands-on exhibits, and programs for all ages.

👉 Full guide to metro Detroit's indoor nature centers: https://www.metroparent.com/things-to-do/indoors/indoor-nature-centers-detroit/

💬 Which nature center is your family's favorite?

02/23/2026

Team USA will be hosting a sensory-friendly matinee hockey game coming up on Sunday, March 1st at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth! They've turned down the lights, turned off the sounds, and turned up the fun for our fans that love to attend sports, but not all the noise and lights that comes with them.

On top of that, there are $10 discounted hockey game tickets in general admission area where families and athletes can freely pick their seats in a more open format.

To purchase tickets or to get more information, go to usahockeyntdp.com/sensoryfriendly or call 734-453-8400

02/19/2026

Like all developmental milestones, speech and language milestones are skills that most kids reach by specific ages. They help identify if a child is on track or if intervention is needed.

That said, missing one milestone in an age range doesn’t necessarily mean the child needs intervention. Trust your instincts but be sure to reach out to your pediatrician or specialist if a speech-language pathologist if you notice your child:

🔸Lacks several skills
🔸Is not learning new skills
🔸Is losing skills they once had

For a full list of speech and language milestones by age, visit kidspeech.com/milestones

02/19/2026

02/19/2026

Just a friendly reminder about our illness policy. Thank you for doing your part to protect our little ones and support a healthy KCC community!

🔹Children should stay home if they have a cold, fever, flu-like illness, COVID, or are simply not feeling well. Adults who are not feeling well should not transport kids to the center.

🔹If a sibling, parent, or someone else in the home has a highly contagious illness such as hand, foot, and mouth; RSV; COVID; flu; etc., please err on the side of caution and keep your KCC child home.

🔹If you keep your child home from school, please also keep them home from KCC.

🔹You will not be penalized or charged if your child stays home sick as long as you contact us as early as possible to cancel.

🔹Children should be fever-free without medicine for 24 hours before returning to KCC.

Visit our website at kidspeech.com/policies for more illness guidelines.

02/17/2026

We hope you’ll join KCC staff at this year’s Navigating Autism Today conference, which will be presented by Autism Alliance of Michigan on March 6 at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi.

Among the wide variety of breakout sessions will be a presentation by our ABA directors, Lindsay Muncey and Amanda Prater. “Moving Outside the ABA Bubble: Transitioning from a Comprehensive ABA Program” addresses common considerations parents have as their child takes their next steps:

🔹How to know if your child is ready for school
🔹Steps to a smooth transition to school
🔹Steps of the IEP process
🔹Preparing for success in school
🔹Troubleshooting difficult transitions
🔹Importance of a team approach to maximize areas of expertise for all involved

To learn more about the conference and register, visit https://autismallianceofmichigan.org/2026-navigating-autism-today-conference/

02/17/2026

Meet Malina Shaba, one of our amazing ABA techs. She studied psychology at the University of Michigan and had previous experience in applied behavior analysis before starting with us in June of 2025.

Here’s more about Malina:

🔹In high school, she was a tri-athlete, competing in varsity basketball, volleyball, and softball.
🔹She’s a huge Detroit sports fan and had the incredible opportunity to play on the court at Little Caesars Arena and Comerica Park.
🔹She’s a fitness influencer who’s passionate about health and helping others level up.
🔹She enjoys painting and sketching as creative outlets.
🔹Fall is her absolute favorite season.

02/10/2026

Great news…we have immediate openings for morning speech and language sessions! If you’re interested, visit www.kidspeech.com and click the red ‘get started here’ button to request an evaluation, or go directly to kidspeech.com/start

We hope to see you soon!

02/10/2026

Learning animal sounds is even more fun with the new K-SLP Kit 1 Objects from Nancy Kaufman K-SLP 🐴🐮🐤🐷 The kit includes these fun finger puppets, other animal manipulatives, and tons more to make treatment sessions productive and entertaining.

The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol KIT 1 OBJECTS were created by Nancy and fellow SLP Christina Rochon and include over 80 large, whimsical manipulatives that are aligned with the K-SLP Kit 1 cards. You can use the objects to practice speech motor syllable sequences/words and expand expressive and receptive language, matching, and generalizing skills.

The objects are divided into six pouches with lists of items and target words. Everything fits in a colorful tote bag for storage and transport.

The KIT 1 OBJECTS are sold through Northern Speech Services

Visit kidspeech.com/objects for details