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Sensory Processing Disorder

When the School System Breaks Down

No one fed my son lunch yesterday. Charlie did not eat from seven thirty in the morning until four thirty in the afternoon. I do not know this because he told me. Due to his limited verbal skills, he often can’t tell me how his day went. I know this because when I went to… Continue reading When the School System Breaks Down

Jamie Sumner
Unstructured Play

Turning “Interesting” into an Action

My son Charlie recently got a new bus mate. Her name is Emmaline and she is also in fifth and uses a wheelchair. I had met Emmaline several times over the last few years, but only recently, at the fall school picnic, did I have a chance to really talk to her. To put it… Continue reading Turning “Interesting” into an Action

Jamie Sumner

Awareness is Necessary: Birth Defects Awareness Month

Every four and a half minutes, a baby in the United States is born with a birth defect. Early intervention is vital to improving outcomes for these babies.

Paige Oyaga
photo of Jamie Sumner and family, hugging and kissing during a trip to Colorado

Everyone Deserves a Love Language

This past summer we came home from the best vacation of our lives. Standing by the luggage carousel in baggage claim in Nashville, I was still riding the wave of a week in the Colorado mountains in upper seventy degree weather with no humidity, excellent restaurants, beautiful hikes, and scenic Jeep tours. As the bell… Continue reading Everyone Deserves a Love Language

Jamie Sumner
types of IQ testing and other educational testing for children. photo of young girl 8-10 years old, crumpling up homework on her desk, looking anxious.

When to Consider a Private Psycho-Educational Evaluation

To Test or Not To Test? You know your child is struggling academically, whether they’re reading at the same reading level as the other kids in their grade, or they are struggling to write their thoughts on paper. You’ve spoken to your child’s teacher and they are on board with you and confirming what you… Continue reading When to Consider a Private Psycho-Educational Evaluation

Dr. Liz Matheis
signs of anxiety in children. anxious child 8-10 years old sitting at kitchen table with her head in her hands, elbows on math homework.

Signs of Anxiety in Children and Teens

Does my child have a GI issue? Is he an insomniac? Why is she struggling to get to school each day? It’s not always easy to understand or identify when your child is struggling with anxiety. Sometimes it looks like a crabby kid, a kid who is melting down because they didn’t get “their way,”… Continue reading Signs of Anxiety in Children and Teens

Dr. Liz Matheis
strong female women: life should be like a taylor swift concert. Fans waving hands and holding up phones, looking toward bright concert stage.

Life Should Be Like a Taylor Swift Concert

I saw a meme the other day that basically said we have Taylor Swift and Barbie to thank for sustaining the current economy. It’s not wrong. Strong female women are on the upswing and the more the merrier. It’s Taylor Swift in particular who has me captivated. She is re-recording and re-releasing every one of… Continue reading Life Should Be Like a Taylor Swift Concert

Jamie Sumner
child doing homework in the kitchen with mother putting away dishes. homework strategies for children with ADHD

3 Homework Strategies for Children with ADHD

It’s the start of a new school year, the honeymoon phase is slowly beginning to fade, and the rigor of the academics is taking off. Every year, I begin the new school year with a mountain-high amount of hope that the summer contributed to maturation and consolidation of a new set of skills in my… Continue reading 3 Homework Strategies for Children with ADHD

Dr. Liz Matheis
older boy in a halloween costume - tween wheelchair user

Costume Ideas for Tween Wheelchair-Users

I think we can all agree that Halloween has its ages and stages: Stage 1: Baby Halloween is when your parents dress you in a Pinterest-worthy costume and carry you around like a prop. Stage 2: The Golden Years are the precious elementary school years when you care deeply about costume esthetics and mirror your… Continue reading Costume Ideas for Tween Wheelchair-Users

Jamie Sumner
techniques to help children with ADHD study in school and at home. Image of middle-school-age girl with head on her books, staring listlessly into the distance.

Building Executive Functioning Skills in Neurodivergent Children

As parents, we want to give our children the tools so they can be successful. Unfortunately, a class doesn’t become available when our children enter into late elementary school or middle school to teach them how to organize their many materials and plan ahead for their assignments, projects and tests.  When my son and daughter… Continue reading Building Executive Functioning Skills in Neurodivergent Children

Dr. Liz Matheis
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