Onword Therapy Associates

07/04/2024

In honor of National Autism Month, here are some neurodiversity terms to get to know…

06/04/2024

“Some people change the world. And some people change the people who change the world, and that’s you.”

― Kij Johnson

Even on days when you don’t feel like you’re making a difference, just remember that the kids you’re impacting today may be tomorrow’s leaders.

04/04/2024

❤️

25/03/2024

A little something to consider….

10/03/2024

👏

07/02/2024

To our speech families and students, we see you putting in the extra work!!! Much ❤️ ❤️

Don’t forget the kids who are doing the extra work.

The kids whose days don’t end with the final bell, the kids whose breaks don’t follow a school calendar.

The kids who spend their afternoons being shuttled to speech, or PT, or OT.

The kids whose schedules include services and therapies, on top of everything else.

The kids who need extra help and support.

The kids who are struggling to overcome barriers—whether physical, mental, or emotional.

The kids who don’t follow the typical schedules, hit the expected milestones, take the traditional path.

The kids who might need different strategies and tools to help them learn.

These kids are working so hard, too.

They’re tired, too, even if their successes seem smaller or maybe even completely unnoticeable to most.

There likely won’t be any awards for them at the end of the year, or special recognition for how far they’ve come.

But take it from me—they are working SO dang hard.

Don’t forget to acknowledge their efforts.

Because what might be a small hurdle on the track for most kids, could be a Herculean task for a kid who has to try 10 times harder just to make it to the starting line.

These kids might not excel in traditional ways, but there’s nothing unexceptional about them.

Because they work harder for every win, and they don’t take a single bit of it granted.

Credit: Shower Arugments and Casa Novi

Need prayer today? Submit here: prayermap.com

14/01/2024

This question came up, so I thought I’d share again. 🤍

Double tap if you know a little one who prefers to munch on carbs. ❤️ I know soooo many kids who do!! And that is okay—just make some simple swaps to work toward a more well-rounded diet.
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“Help! My child only likes carbs!”

Don’t despair! There are lots of ways to help. And if your baby is under two, you’ve got plenty of time to change these habits (if your child is over 2, these strategies will work for you too, they just may take a bit more time + effort)👍🏻
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Here’s what to do:

🍎 First, and most important, KEEP EXPOSING your baby/child to fruits and veggies. Offer at least one of these with each meal, even if you don’t expect him to eat it. Skipping fruits/veggies because baby doesn’t eat them is the easiest mistake to make, but it only makes things worse. He will only learn to eat what you offer. So keep offering!!

🥞 Add fruit (think blueberries, strawberries, bananas) to your fav carb recipes, like pancakes, waffles, muffins, breads.

🧀 Top crackers with thin slices of meat or cheese. Even if he removes them, he’s still being exposed.

🥜Use toast spreads! Add hummus, smashed beans, snashed fruit, nut butters to toast to change the texture and add nutrition. Start with a super thin layer to make it easier on him. {Head to my stories for more spread ideas!}

🐠 Serve baby/child’s fav crunchy snack with a dip. Dips are a great way to transition to new foods, change flavor and texture, and add nutrition.

Carbs are awesome, but a well-rounded diet is even better! 😆
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13/01/2024

Feeding your toddler is not easy. Most important is to do your best to stick to the rules as often as you can. Consistency is key with toddlers. You will get through this. 💪🏻

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12/01/2024

I had a conversation with the sweetest mom this week. She had lots of great questions about how to set her toddler up for successful, healthy eating in the future. So, I thought today I would share here some simple reminders and tips to keep everyone on track. 🫶🏻

Feeding your toddler is not easy. Most important is to do your best to stick to the rules as often as you can. Consistency is key with toddlers. You will get through this. 💪🏻

Comment below any specific challenges you are having or questions you have, and I will answer them for you! I’m here to help. ❤️
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01/01/2024

Simple lunch swaps to help your child grow and expand his or her diet 🥪

Have you found yourself in a lunchtime rut? Growing tired of the same-old-same-old, but don’t know what to serve because your child’s diet is so limited? Don’t despair! Making simple changes on a daily basis can lead to long-term growth and success!

Truth: If you want to see your child’s diet expand, you can’t serve the same food every day. Now this can sound overwhelming, but even the smallest changes count, and can be stepping stones to other new foods. 👍🏻

Here are 3 simple changes I made to my son’s fav peanut butter + jelly using Food Chaining strategies {by Fraker, Fishbein, Cox & Walbert}:

1. Change the shape: Use a cookie cutter to make DINO sandwiches 🦕 (or your child’s letter, fav shape, holiday theme)

2. Change the flavor: Swap peanut butter with a sunbutter 🌻(or almond butter, Nutella, granola butter)

3. Change the texture: Make the sandwich on crackers, rice cakes, tortilla, or even a mini bagel 🥯

Now, these can seem insignificant, but when your child gets the same exact lunch every day, a new food can become very stressful. But when he’s used to seeing different foods in his lunchbox each day, something new won’t be as big of a deal. 💪🏻

What food is your child stuck on? Share below and I’ll post ideas for changes to try in my stories this week! 👇🏻
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31/12/2023

📸 https://neurosciencenews.com/language-learning-neurodevelopment-25297/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=grow.me&utm_campaign=grow_share_widget&fbclid=IwAR25O70Y5BY-3_akPxyjQOF_BhA7d6fMf79N_QvAk-ZJVVHzQcxcL1Q_2mw_aem_AZkwufkLNFPit6z9A0vWcsZu235Z383HWuz07MCBf7_M-IBxeio5gO4o8wu5lOUiDo4

New research suggests that parents should use sing-song speech, such as nursery rhymes, with their babies, as it aids language development.

31/12/2023

Today, SITTING FOR MEALS ❤️

How do I increase my child’s attention at the table?

START HERE & SWIPE TO LEARN 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻

1️⃣ Set appropriate expectations. Did you know that average attention span for a child is only 2-5 minutes per year old life. That’s only 4-10 minutes for a 2 year old! It’s 👌🏻 if your child can only sit and eat for 5 minutes. Make that time meaningful, healthy, and positive. If you’re pushing your child to sit longer than they are able, mealtime will become stressful and frustrating for both you and your child.

2️⃣ Make sure your seating set-up provides your child stability. Follow the 90-90-90 rule (90 degrees at the hips, knees, and feet). A foot rest can make a big difference! If your child isn’t stable, he’ll seek movement. Have you tried to eat on a stool with your feet dangling? It’s tough!! {pictured here is the toddler chair}

3️⃣ Bring your child hungry. If he’s not hungry, he won’t care about eating a full meal. Keep at least 2 hours between meals and snacks and avoid grazing! If your child is hungry, he’ll be internally motivated to eat.

4️⃣ When you meal plan, make sure you include at least one “safe” food (a food your child is comfortable eating). When your child spots that food on the table or his plate, he’ll be more motivated to join you. If everything on the table is new or non-preferred, he may want to run the other direction. Imagine yourself walking into a restaurant in a foreign country where everything is new to you, it’s a little intimidating, right? Now, let’s say the have something like apples or bread on the table, that might make you rest a bit easier. 😉

5️⃣ Eat with your child. I say this all the time, but it’s no fun to eat alone (except maybe if you’re a mom of three and you’re alfresco at a restaurant 😆). Honestly though, kids NEED those mealtime role models. Sit with them, eat together, and share those minutes. 🤍

30/12/2023

Today, simple mealtime swaps to reframe and reset. 🤍

It’s never to late to start over. Small changes make a big difference over time. You’ve got this!

⭐️ Instead of these common mealtime actions that only lead to immediate change (I.e. taking that one bite of vegetable), try these positive actions that make a long term difference.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. 🤍

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29/12/2023

Mealtime Language 💚

The language you use at mealtime can make a huge impact on your child’s success. Try this simple change.

Take the emotion out of eating and keep language neutral.

DON’T:
✖️Ask your kids what they want at mealtime. That’s your job to decide. And when they’re hungry, you know the answer will always be something like “chicken nuggets” or “fish crackers”.
✖️Beg and plead them to take a bite. Imagine if someone kept begging you to try something unappetizing to you (for me, olives). It would get really annoying after awhile and it wouldn’t make you want to eat it any more.
✖️Tell then you’ll love them more or that you’ll feel happy if they eat something. We want them to eat because THEY want to eat it. Because it makes THEM feel good. Eating to please others isn’t healthy.
✖️Ask then a yes/no question. When you ask a child a yes/no question, the answer will almost always be NO.
✖️Ask if they like it right after trying something new. Sometimes it takes time to process. Just like above, the answer will always be no, even if they’re not sure about it yet. We don’t want to give a label before it’s even decided.

Instead, talk about the properties of the food, and focus on your own plate, not your child’s.

DO:
✔️Talk about what you’re eating. Your child will observe and learn and imitate.
✔️Describe the sounds the food makes when you’re biting it: crunchy, soft, hard, smooth.
✔️Talk about what you can see. The colors, the shapes, the sizes. This is great use of language without emotion.
✔️ Use indirect questions like “I wonder...” Give your child the opportunity to choose something to talk about or try. They’ll do better when it’s their own idea.
✔️Have everyday conversation. This is a great time to share about your day and give your child the opportunity to talk to you. Without any comments on what they are eating. Help your child learn that mealtime is an enjoyable time to sit down and share with the ones we love. ❤️

29/12/2023

Love to see it!

19/11/2023

Executive function ability has nothing to do with intelligence. It has everything to do with how well you can access and demonstrate your intellectual potential.

We mustn’t confuse these two things.

19/11/2023

It really is a paradigm shift