New Hope Speech and Occupational Therapy

05/11/2026

The Iowa Cubs are hosting a sensory friendly game on Sunday June 7th! ⚾️💙 Events like this help make community experiences more accessible and welcoming for all families. Be sure to check it out if your child benefits from a more sensory-considerate environment!

05/04/2026

🎲 Speech Tip of the Week: The “Wrong Way” Game!
Kids LOVE when adults make silly mistakes - so use it to build language!

Try doing something the wrong way on purpose:
🍌 Put a banana peel in your mouth instead of the banana
👟 Put shoes on your hands
📚 Hold a book upside down
Then pause and see what your child does!

This encourages them to:
👉 notice differences
👉 use words to correct you (“nooo!”, “that’s silly!”, “wrong way!”)
👉 expand language through laughter and engagement

✨ The more playful you are, the more they’ll want to communicate!
Silly moments = powerful speech practice 💬

05/02/2026

Kelsey is out at the fair grounds this morning at the Together We Can conference representing New Hope Speech and Occupational Therapy! Looking forward to connecting with Iowa families about our resources- and connecting with other resources while she is there!

Reach out to our office for your speech or occupational therapy needs! We have immediate openings!

04/21/2026

Can you spot our OT Kelsey? 🔎

Kelsey spent 3 days last week attending PEERS training- an evidence-based program for neurodivergent teens to develop social skills to help them make and keep friends. This has always been a special interest of hers- she even completed her capstone project during OT school working with college aged kids on social skills!

Keep your eye out for this program to be implemented into OT sessions and potentially OT groups in the future! Reach out with any questions!

04/10/2026

Looking for a simple way to help your child regulate their body and have fun at the same time? Try animal walks! 🐻🦀🐸

Animal walks (like bear crawls, crab walks, frog jumps, or inchworms) are great because they provide heavy work through the muscles and joints. This kind of movement can help kids feel more calm, focused, and organized.

Bonus: they don’t feel like “work” at all—they feel like play!

Try it at home:
• Have a race across the room using different animal walks
• Create an obstacle course with animal movements at each station
• Let your child pick their favorite animal to “be”

These activities are especially helpful before homework, transitions, or anytime your child needs a reset.

Movement + play = regulation 💛

04/04/2026

A great resource to check out!

***We’ve provided so many stickers today, that our on-hand supply is running low. We’ve ordered more and expect to be stocked up by the end of next week. If you drop us an email, we’ve got a list going. Thanks!***

A simple sticker can make a life-saving difference.

First Responder Awareness stickers can alert us to critical information when you’re unable to communicate, so they can act quickly and care for you the right way.

Those living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer's or Dementia, Diabetes, Physical Disabilities, or Epilepsy / Seizure Disorders could benefit from displaying a sticker.

Stickers are available at the Information Desk, 1st Floor Lobby, Des Moines Police Department, 25 E. 1st Street.

Persons who are unable to come to the police department can email policepio@dmgov.org to make other arrangements.

04/02/2026

🗣️ Speech Therapy Parent Tip of the Week

Want to boost your child’s language skills at home? Try this:
Narrate your day!

Example: “Mommy is cutting the apple” or “We’re putting on shoes”

Simple, everyday talk = BIG language growth!

03/27/2026

Sliding into the weekend like… 😎

Marble runs aren’t just fun to watch—they’re a great way to build flexible thinking, problem-solving, and fine motor coordination while keeping hands and minds busy. Who’s ready to race into the weekend?

03/17/2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀🍀

Our kids in OT have been hard at work this week making four leaf clovers- working on their fine motor coordination!

03/04/2026

Meet the team that makes up New Hope Speech and Occupational Therapy! We are ready to help you meet your goals!