We are very excited about our 2016 Summer Camps, which offer unique, therapeutic camp experiences for children with special needs. Our team is passionate about creating a positive summer camp experience for all children that helps them continue to develop important skills over the summer while also having a great deal of fun!

We offer three different camp options for children in various age ranges. Find the camp that best fits your child’s unique needs:

• Camp A.B.C. helps children ages 3 to 5 years old develop peer relationships, practice appropriate play, and develop social communication skills.

• Camp Suntastic is a part-time community based summer camp that provides children ages 9 to 13 years old with a fun, recreational camp experience focused on social and daily living skills.

• S. M.I.L.E. Summer Camp is a community-based full-time day camp for children ages 4 to 18 years old, directed by a speech-language therapist and designed for high functioning children with various disabilities. This camp offers daily field trips, providing opportunities for campers to engage in the community and experience new activities across Northeast Ohio!

Spaces are limited to create a low ratio of children to each of our therapists and camp assistants. Register early to ensure your child will have a spot.

Many children have a negative reaction toward going to the doctor or dentist for a routine checkup. They are anxious about a new environment and an unfamiliar person examining them in close proximity, and scared of the unknown of what will happen during the visit. For a child with special needs, these experiences can be even more stressful—for both the child and the parents. Help your child have a positive experience by following these tips:

• Inform your doctor or dentist’s office about your child’s special needs in advance. If you explain how your child is likely to react during the appointment, the staff may offer you some accommodations or modifications. For example, you might ask whether your child can visit the office once or twice before the actual appointment to practice sitting in the dental chair or seeing the examination room. You may also ask if there are comfort items, such as headphones or an electronic tablet, you could bring to the appointment to make your child more at ease.
• Talk to your child about the people they will meet during their visit. Explain to your child the people he or she will meet, from the receptionist in the waiting area, to a nurse or dental hygienist, then a doctor or dentist. You can role play some conversations, such as checking into the appointment or meeting the doctor or dentist.
• Praise your child for cooperation during the visit. Encourage and praise your child throughout the visit when he or she does things as asked, such as sitting still, following instructions such as opening his or her mouth for the dentist, and so on. Throughout the appointment, you can also continue to reassure your child and explain each portion of the appointment as it happens.

If you need guidance or advice on helping your child through doctor’s visits, contact the caring team at Peak Potential Therapy. We are here to help.

Are you worried that your child is too dependent on you, or looking for ways to help your child become more independent? The best way to help your child be more independent is to help him or her gain the skills of self-awareness and self-regulation. These two abilities are essential life skills. When we have self-awareness, we understand who we are and what we are doing, as well as what is going on around us. When we have self-regulation, we are able to manage our own behavior when we interact with various people, in different places and situations. If a child has these skills, he or she is secure in making choices with confidence, without dependence on a parent or guardian.

There are so many ways to encourage your child’s development in the areas of self-awareness and self-regulation. Consider these examples of questions and subsequent ways to encourage your child’s development.

• How much does your child pay attention to his surroundings, such as the behavior of a friend or family member or watching events occur? For example, if you are at the park, you may see a family eating a picnic lunch or playing on a playground. Help your child by asking questions to encourage him to pay attention, such as asking what is going on or what do you see the family doing.
• Does your child identify or describe the emotions, and intentions, of those around her? It is so important that your child gain an ability to react to and identify the emotional reactions of those around her, as this is a fundamental piece of being able to communicate. You can help your child be continually describing and modeling feelings and intentions of actions. For example, if your brother is crying after you took away his toy, what does that mean?

In those times where you feel like your child is struggling to become independent, keep in mind that there are circumstantial factors that could be affecting your child’s behavior. For example, your child might be feeling stressed or overwhelmed, or you may simply be introducing too many questions at once. Patience and continuing practice will be so important on your child’s journey to independence.

The caring team at Peak Potential Therapy can aid you in helping your child become more independent. We have a number of services, such as our social skills groups and interactive camp experiences, that will help your child develop essential skills that contribute to self-awareness and self-regulation. Give us a call today to schedule an initial consultation.

This is a question the Peak Potential Therapy team often discusses with parents. Many parents aren’t sure if their child speaks at an appropriate ability level, or if their child is too young to begin speech therapy.

One place to begin is by completing an age-specific self-evaluation of your child to determine whether you should meet with a speech therapist for a standardized formal evaluation.

A self-evaluation will help you assess your child’s speech and language. Some questions on the evaluation relate directly to speech language skills, such as whether your child can follow simple directions, can show you an object upon request, enjoys listening to stories, or asks questions. Other questions relate specifically to your child’s ability to articulate sounds, like “b as in ‘baby’” or “w as in ‘we’”. Finally, a speech therapy self-evaluation should also include questions regarding your child’s eating, as this can help diagnose dysphagia, a difficulty in swallowing which also affects speech and language. (Peak Potential Therapy offers self-evaluations for children at ages one, two, three, four, and five years.)

You may be surprised at the comprehensive benefits of speech therapy for your child, whether he or she has delayed speech or another special need. We believe that this therapy is so critical for a child both at school and at home, and is particularly important for building confidence that promotes lifelong success. For example, the speech therapists at Peak Potential Therapy work with children who have a range of needs, including:

• Inability to make speech sounds, or to make them clearly.
• Problems understanding and producing language.
• Issues with speech rhythm and fluency, such as stuttering.
• Oral motor problems causing eating and swallowing difficulties.

If you are hesitating to have your child’s speech and language evaluated, remember this: Early referrals will usually avoid problems later on. In fact, speech therapy is found to be most effective when children are younger than three years of age. Call Peak Potential Therapy today to schedule a formal evaluation of your child with one of our therapists and to discuss speech therapy services we have available for your child in the Greater Cleveland-Akron areas.

A trip to a busy shopping mall or grocery store can be grounds for sensory overload for many of us, but especially children with autism. There are many bright lights, crowds of unfamiliar people, and so much to look at and take in. Knowing the experience can be challenging, preparing your child in advance for a shopping excursion can go a long way in making the activity less overwhelming. Here are some tips to consider:

• Avoid unexpected shopping trips. Children with autism generally cope with situations better when they know what to expect. Taking your child on an unexpected or last-minute shopping trip—even if it is just to pick up one or two items—can become a very stressful experience. It is best to prepare your child in advance for any visit to a store.
• Explain the reasoning for the shopping trip. Talk to your child about where you are going and why you are going; for example, explain you go to the grocery store every week to buy the food that you keep at home and eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or, if you are going to the mall, tell your child you are going to a shoe store to pick out new tennis shoes to wear at school. Give a reason and an expectation for the trip.
• Start with short trips for practice. The first time you take your child to the store, aim for a short trip—a time when you have only a few items on your list. As the store and the activity becomes more familiar, over time, you can gradually increase the length of your trip.
• Include the activity of shopping in your child’s daily schedule. Many children with autism benefit from visual aids, helping them visualize every part of their daily routine. Create a visual aid for the activity of going to the mall or going grocery shopping. When the activity is an expected part of your child’s normal routine, it becomes less unfamiliar.
• Consider your child’s mood before the trip. Is your child not feeling well or particularly tired? Then it might not be a good time to plan a shopping outing.

Prepare for your child’s personal preferences. Some children with autism are particularly bothered by the overhead fluorescent lighting in grocery stores. In this case, as an example, your child might feel better if he wears a cap or sunglasses while in the store. Anticipate potential triggers for your child and do what you can to prepare for them in advance.

The team at Peak Potential Therapy is here to provide caring advice and support for you and your child with autism. Let us know if there are questions we can answer. Give us a call today!

Technology is everywhere today: Our children have access to countless screens, whether it is through games on smartphones, tablets, computers and television. Can too much technology during playtime be harmful for our children? There is no definitive right or wrong answer, and every child is unique. However, it is generally a good idea to aim for a balance in the time your child spends using technology and engaged in more traditional play. Here are some ideas for ensuring your child is balancing his or her screen time with a variety of playtime activities:

• Set up an at-home library. Books are a great way to spark your child’s imagination and creativity. You may even involve your child in selecting new books each week from the local library.

• Create an area for puzzles. On a desk or table, set out a puzzle that your family can work on together. Puzzles are not only fun, but they help teach basic concepts like sequence, numbers, and letters, as well as fine motor skills.

• Reintroduce board games and card games. Rather than a family game night with video games, include your child in playing a classic board game. There are many benefits to board games, including practicing important skills like following directions, taking turns, and discussing emotions, such as how you might feel if you win or lose the game.

• Engage in the arts. Whether it is drawing and coloring or singing and dancing, the arts provide many wonderful opportunities for your child. Introduce your child to various activities and observe their interest and engagement. Perhaps your child may enjoy designated time for coloring, or have fun singing songs together. Depending on your child’s age, you may also introduce them to playing an instrument.

For more playtime ideas, contact the professional team at Peak Potential Therapy. Learn more about our services today.

For many children, winter break is an exciting time. Children are home from school and have free time to enjoy with friends and family. However, for a child with autism, the break from school can be an unwelcome disruption to a normal routine, and a lack of activity can cause your child to become restless. During winter break in Northeast Ohio, the cold and snow can be an obstacle in maintaining your child’s regular activity levels. How do you keep your child active? We have some ideas:

• Play a game. There are many games that do not require any pieces or parts that you can play anywhere, including in a family room or playroom. For example, Simon Says is a perfect game to get your child up and active. You, acting as Simon, can “say” a variety of exercises, like doing a jumping jack, touching toes, or running in place, that will get your child up and moving around.

• Dance. Play some fun, upbeat music and join your child in a dance party. To make the occasion even more special, you could move furniture to create a “dance floor.” Children might enjoy choosing their favorite songs.

• Play a game of pretend. Write the names of animals on pieces of paper and put them in a jar. Take turns selecting an animal and acting out the animal’s movements and sounds. Your child will have fun playing pretend, and will be getting valuable exercise at the same time!

• Set up some “indoor” sporting events. There are modified games you can play indoors when the weather or temperature prevents you from going outside. For example, you can roll a ball back and forth on the ground, or play “basketball” with rolled up socks and an empty trash can for a hoop. Be creative with items you have around the house!

• If the weather is cooperating, get outdoors! Take advantage of any unseasonably warm days, or bundle up and go outside. Play a game in the backyard, enjoy time at a local park or go on a walk through the neighborhood.

• Enroll your child in a winter break camp. There are camps that exist to help bridge the gap in routine over the winter break from school. For example, Peak Potential Therapy offers Camp Snow Cubs, a social developmental play skills camp, for children ages 12 to 15.

Looking for more winter break activities? Contact Peak Potential Therapy for expert advice and to learn more about services and opportunities that may be a good fit for your child.

Have you ever struggled with how to talk to your child about tragedy? Whether it is a tragic event that has occurred somewhere in the world, or a personal tragedy involving a friend or family member, these occurrences can be very difficult to share with your child who has autism. In light of recent world events, Autism Speaks recently shared an article with tips for talking to your child about tragedy. We have summarized some of our own suggestions below.

• Share the news with your child first. It is important that your child hears from you before he or she hears from another child or adult, or learns about a tragic event through the media.

• Start with the basic facts. Sit down with your child and start by sharing the facts in terms they can understand and that are appropriate for their age. You know your child best, so you can communicate in a way that they prefer.

• Explain the feelings involved. Remember that your child may not immediately comprehend the emotions that may result from the tragedy. Describe to your child what those affected by the tragedy are likely feeling, whether it is sad, hurt or angry.

• Talk about what your child can do if he or she is experiencing those emotions.You can explain to your child that if he ever feels sad, he can cry, or he can talk to you or another family member.

• Don’t forget to reassure your child of his or her own safety. If the circumstances of the event are scary, your child may be looking to you for reassurance. Make sure you reiterate to your child that he or she is safe.

• Pay close attention to your child’s behavior. As the article from Autism Speaks mentions, many children will act out tragic events through play, as a way of trying to process what happened. This is a normal response. However, if you notice a change in your child’s regular routine, such as disrupted sleep or old patterns of disruptive behavior, your child may be struggling and in need of extra attention or reassurance.

Remember that additional resources exist to support your child.For example, you can talk to other parents of children with autism. Or, if you are in the Greater Cleveland area, the professional team at Peak Potential Therapy can offer caring guidance and support to your family.

Interested in speaking to a member of the Peak Potential Therapy team? Just give us a call today. We are happy to talk with you.

We are approaching the holidays, an exciting time for children, but also particularly challenging for a child on the autism spectrum. Consider normal holiday activities from the perspective of a child with autism: Visits to unfamiliar homes for holiday gatherings, or unfamiliar guests visiting your home; The sudden appearance of bright, noisy holiday decorations; Hectic or disorganized group activities, such as many family members unwrapping presents at the same time or outings to busy, crowded shopping malls. If you anticipate those situations that might overwhelm or overload your child with autism, you can reduce stress during the holiday season.

• Consider holiday decorations with care. Instead of bringing out all seasonal decorations in a span of several days, take your time. You will have a good sense of whether decorations that play music or blink lights will be disturbing to your child. Try to introduce your child to each decoration first and let him or her help you decorate.

• Prepare your child for your holiday schedule. We all know that the holiday season brings disruption to our normal routines—day-to-day schedules change with breaks from school or work, trips are planned out of town, and bedtimes can be pushed back. Talk to your child well in advance about holiday plans, including where you will be going, who will be there and how long you intend to stay, to help set expectations.

• Create a routine for your child during winter break. Particularly for kids who are used to the routine of going to school each day, going two weeks without structured activities and a schedule is very challenging. Look for local winter break camps or activities that your child can attend. For example, Peak Potential Therapy offers Camp Snow Cubs as a way for kids to have scheduled activities and opportunities to leave their home like they do for school, which decreases their anxiety in knowing what to expect during winter break.

• Identify a quiet space for your child during family visits or trips. Always plan for the fact that any gathering has the potential to become too overwhelming for your child. It is a good idea to identify in advance a room or area where your child can go to relax in your friend or family member’s home during a visit or trip.

• Talk about and explain when gifts will be opened. The temptation of stacks of gifts in your home can be especially confusing for a child with autism. Take time to prepare your child for when it is and is not acceptable to unwrap and open a gift. You may want to delay putting out wrapped presents in your home to lessen the temptation and distraction for your child.

If you have questions about how the holiday season might affect your child with autism, give our team a call today. We are happy to speak with you.

We were very pleased to see the introduction of a new nationwide initiative by Sesame Workshop, titled Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children. The initiative, aimed at communities with children ages 2 to 5, includes a variety of resources, videos, and stories that celebrate the uniqueness of every child. The initiative also includes the first Sesame Street character with autism, a muppet named Julia.

Here is an excerpt of the official statement from autism.sesamestreet.org: “A recent study reveals that children with autism are five times more likely to be bullied than their peers—treatment no child should endure. While the differences between people with autism and their peers may seem significant, children share something far more important: unique qualities and talents that make the world an interesting place. That’s why Sesame Workshop created Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children.”

The initiative was announced with the release of a Sesame Street music video for “The ‘Amazing’ Song” accompanied by a “#seeamazing” social media campaign. The song stresses the sameness of each child while recognizing that some children have their “own ways to play” and “own ways of seeing the world.” The campaign is a great step toward enhancing children’s awareness and understanding of their peers with autism.

The site is rich with resources for parents and children alike, including:

• Downloadable Daily Routine Cards, helping children learn the steps of everyday activities like washing hands and crossing the street
• A series of videos profiling families including children with autism, such as Meeting Unique Needs and A Sibling Story

If you have questions or are interested in therapy services for your child with autism, contact our team today. We offer a variety of programs and services.