From the Desk of Holly Reimann ...

Dear Reader,

This past month, I continued my quest for gathering information to better help families who have children with disabilities. Here is a brief summary of the "Top 5 Topics" of wonderful information I learned.

1. Parents can get conferences paid for by their child's school district. It is all about how the child's IEP is written, which was presented by Judy Marks. In the section at the end of the IEP it can be stated as a related service in the "other" category as Parent Related Services. Additional services that can be listed there are wrap-around, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, etc.

2. Another strategy I want to pass along was one presented by Dr. Lori Ernsperger, which may help children with disabilities try new foods. When helping your child learn to eat new foods, keep in mind eating should be pleasurable. Take time everyday that is separate from meal time to play with food. One example is using broccoli as a paint brush.

3. Bill Davis left some words of wisdom for married couples, don't blame each other! Secondly, take a time-out from you kids every once in a while and make personal time for each other. Keep in mind that it's OK to take time to yourself to recharge your batteries, which is why Peak Potential Therapy created the In-Home Respite Care service. Everyone should take advantage of this service. You will be amazed how a couple of hours away can help you and your relationship, all while knowing that your child is in a safe environment, your home, with a reliable caregiver.

4. After watching Kerri Bower's son's video "Normal People Scare Me," I was reminded of the importance to speak slower when interacting with individuals with autism. Throughout the video many individuals of different ages with autism were interviewed. Repeatedly, they stated that others talk too fast and or they cannot comprehend so much information. This is an easy strategy to use everyday anywhere you are.

5. As we go through day-to-day activities, it is easy to let our daily routines take over and we have to be reminded to take time to educate ourselves. Take 15 minutes each day or 2 hours on the weekend to learn new ways to help your child. Take time to read and educate yourself on other matters that interest you. It will provide more balance in your life, which ultimately will help the children in your life.

I love educating myself, especially in the realm of Autism and children with disabilities. Sometimes, I wish I could bottle my knowledge to pass along to families who are desperately in need of this information. I guess that is one reason why I created Peak Potential Therapy ... to help families. If you have any questions about any of the topics written about above, or any other topic for that matter, please contact me by phone or email, so that I can give you more details about the brief synopsis in my newsletters.

Best wishes,
Holly Reimann, MA CCC-SLP
Speech-language Pathologist

They are provided through the Helping Hand Program by the National Autism Association - Northeast Ohio Chapter (NAA-NEO) once a year. Helping Hand Grants can be used by families who have a child or children on the autism spectrum to provide financial assistance in obtaining respite care, a variety of therapy services (i.e. speech, occupational, physical, music, play, etc.), medical testing and treatments, a variety of biomedical treatments, and nutritional supplements.

If you would like to know if your request would be eligible, contact Andrea Pattison at 216.544.1231 or via email.

Applications must be postmarked
by November 15, 2008!

If you're bored or frustrated, you need a break to review what's not right.

A short vacation
Plan for a vacation that is not filled with shopping. You need a place that can heal your mind and body. Ideal locations would be resorts near sandy beaches, lakes and to be surrounded by nature. Bring along some empowering books, which you could read during peaceful quiet time. Take this opportunity to review on how you can improve your role as parents. Take at least 1-day per month to yourself to hang out on a beautiful day!

Keep learning
As parents, continuous learning is essential because you are living in a society that is moving ahead and your kids are growing too. You need to be aware of what's happening out there. Some parents failed to communicate with their kids because of the huge gap they have in their day-to-day communication topics. So constantly find out what are your kid's interests are and do your homework.

Hangout with positive parents
Take a look at the people closest to you. Are they positive or negative? Do they set good examples as parents? Chances are if they are negative, this attitude will reflect on you and your attitude. Try to limit your time with negativity, as this will only make you feel bad about yourself. You will focus on the things that you do not like about yourself. Create a list of positive characteristics these parents have. As you are writing the characteristics you like, take notice of what you are writing down.

Set positive examples
Kids look upon their parents as role models. The time is now to make positive changes in your lives and set positive examples for children and teens. Help develop social skills in your child. The single best childhood predictor of healthy adult functioning is "social competence" - how well a child gets along with others. Social competency and healthy self-esteem go hand-in-hand. Besides setting good examples, teach children the social skills and behaviors that encourage positive social interactions between them and others.

Medical News Today
Article Date: 01 Oct 2008 - 2:00 PDT

To proudly distinguish the Puzzle Pals team members, we had t-shirts made. There are limited quantity of shirts left. If you would like to purchase one, please use the order form below. The are really nice! This is your opportunity to purchase a shirt with proceeds benefitting the next event "Rock 'til It Stops" on April 25, 2009.

The kids’ shirts are $5.00 and adults’ are $7.00.

Autism Awareness is very important and my company Peak Potential Therapy is commited to this cause – we need to continue our efforts!

Kids Sizes Small $5.00 Medium $5.00 Large $5.00	Adult Sizes Large $7.00 X-Large $7.00
Since there is only a limited number of shirts left, please act quickly!

For registration & event details contact me!