Happy Holidays!

We, at Personal Touch Therapy, would like to begin by wishing everyone a warm and happy holiday season, and hope this past year has brought you everything you hoped it would and more!  

As we close in on the end of 2013 and look back at not only this past year, but the past 5 years, we're deeply grateful to every single person that has, in one way or another, been a part of our accomplishments thus far. Our team is a family made up of exceptional individuals that have made reaching this humbling achievement of 5 years a reality. Each of them play a key role in supporting our mission to provide leading healthcare to all of our unique patients. For that, we appreciate them all. Thank you, team PTT!

To all of our community partners and providers, we send out a heart felt "Thank you!" for always valuing our relationships and demonstrating your conviction in our abilities to make a positive change in your patient's lives. We view each of you as allies in the backing and advocacy of our mutual patients and their well-being. We look forward to next year with enthusiasm!

There aren't enough words for us to express our gratitude, but hope that this post finds all of you well, and successfully conveys our thoughts and feelings towards each of you. 

We hope for best wishes of well-being, prosperity, and peace of mind for you and your loved ones in 2014! Happy Holidays!

Warmest Regards,

Personal Touch Therapy, LLC

  

Red Ribbon Week 2013 | October 23rd - 31st

Posted by: Carmen N.

{Source: www.redribbon.org}

 ABOUT THE RED RIBBON CAMPAIGN

The National Family Partnership organized the first Nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign. NFP provides drug awareness by sponsoring the annual National Red Ribbon Celebration. Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America.

Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. When he decided to join the US Drug Enforcement Administration, his mother tried to talk him out of it. "I'm only one person", he told her, "but I want to make a difference."

On Feb. 7, 1985, the 37-year-old Camarena left his office to meet his wife for lunch. Five men appeared at the agent's side and shoved him in a car. One month later, Camarena's body was found. He had been tortured to death.

In honor of Camarena's memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents, sick of the destruction of alcohol and other drugs, had begun forming coalitions. Some of these new coalitions took Camarena as their model and embraced his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions also adopted the symbol of Camarena's memory, the red ribbon.

In 1988, NFP sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Since that time, the campaign has reached millions of U.S. children and families. The National Family Partnership (NFP) and its network of individuals and organizations continue to deliver his message of hope to millions of people every year, through the National Red Ribbon Campaign.

Primitive Reflexes

Posted by: Carmen N.
{Source: www.kendrapedpt.com}

The following primitive reflexes are frequently tested by physicians, nurses, and physical & occupational therapists as part of a newborn neurological exam:

• Asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (also known as the "fencing reflex) - When baby's head is turned to the side, he assumes a "fencing" posture by extending one arm in front of his face and bending the other arm behind his head.
• Rooting/sucking - When the skin next to baby's skin is stroked, she turns her head to find the stimulus and attempts to "latch" on and suck.
• Palmar and plantar grasp - Pressing into the pal of the hand or ball of the foot causes baby to grasp with his fingers/toes.
• Primary standing and stepping - When held in a supported standing position, the newborn "stands" and even takes some steps.
• Galant relfex - Stroking along the side of the baby's spine causes the spine to curve toward that side.
• Moro reflex - When the baby's head is dropped backward, it elicits a "startle" (he quickly extends both arms), recovery (arms back to midline), and a cry.

For more information or to see primitive reflexes in action, check out the video below:

5 Tips to Stop Your Toddler's Drooling

Posted by: Carmen N.
{Source: www.speechtherapycentres.com}

As parents there are certain behaviours that are acceptable and even expected when our children are young infants, but that are cause for concern if they continue as our children become toddlers and preschoolers. Drooling is one such behaviour. A drooling infant is very common and is something we expect our children to grow out of. BUT, what if s/he doesn't stop drooling? When does drooling become a problem? Are there ways to reduce drooling in our children?

Most professional agree that drooling is acceptable up to 2 years of age or when teething is coming to an end. After this age, we do not expect to see children drool excessively or uncontrollably as saliva production slows down. Saliva is necessary for various functions, including speech and eating; however, excessive saliva production and drooling can have negative effects in a variety of areas.

Parents can work with their child at home to reduce the amount of drooling. The following tips may be beneficial (depending on the cause of the drooling):

• Take away the pacifier or limit pacifier use to nap time and bed time
• Encourage your child to use a sippy cup or drink from a straw instead of using a bottle
• Teach your child about the difference between a "wet" face and a "dry" face
• Use a mirror to help him/her understand what you are talking about
• If drooling is excessive have your child wear a sweat band on his/her wrist so that s/he can be in control of cleaning up the drool
• Provide positive feedback to your child when s/he is controlling drooling

Written by: Carolyn Davidson, speech-language pathologist, The Speech Therapy Centres of Canada Ltd.

Teaching Body Parts to Toddlers

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: teachmetotalk.com)

Check out any milestone list for toddlers, and you’ll see some variation of “knows body parts.”
Assessment tools used by pediatric speech-language pathologists include the following age ranges for this early skill:

• Points to two different body parts by 12 months
• Identifies at least 6 different parts and/or clothing items on himself or a doll by 18 months

Parents often begin by trying to teach a child facial body parts, usually eyes, nose, and mouth, and all at the same time! It’s no wonder that many children with developmental delays mix these up!

I recommend to parents that we begin with body parts that are relatively far away from each other, and include at least a couple the toddler can see!

I teach belly (or tummy), toes, and hair first, and in that order.

To make this more fun, turn this activity into a little game. When the toddler is on her back, use your voice to build anticipation as you say, “Where’s your belly? I’m gonna get your belly! Show me your belly!” If she likes tickling, quickly tickle her stomach as you say, ”Belly! I got your belly! There’s your belly! Belly!”

When she’s consistently reaching for her belly as you play this game, you’ll know she’s understood.
Only then should you move on and teach a new body part.

To continue reading more ideas go to Teach Me To Talk.

For August's Teamwork Crossword Puzzle Answer Key click HERE

Common Misconceptions: Dyslexia

Posted by: Carmen N.

MYTH: "Dyslexia is something children will outgrow."

FACT: While some children who struggle with reading may be "late-bloomers", children with dyslexia continue to face challenges as readers as they grow.


MYTH: "Dyslexia affects more boys than girls."

FACT: Over time, researchers have confirmed that just as many girls as boys have dyslexia. Boys are more likely to be referred by their schools for diagnosis.


MYTH: "Dyslexia only affects people who speak English."

FACT: Dyslexia occurs in speakers of all languages, even languages with consistent phoneme pronunciations and languages that do not use an alphabet script.


MYTH: "Dyslexia is a problem of visual perception."

FACT: Dyslexia is often depicted with letters and words upside-down or backwards, but research tells us that dyslexics have difficulty at the phoneme level - with the translation of sounds to symbols.


MYTH: "A person with dyslexia cannot be a good reader."

FACT: With intense systematic instructions, a person with dyslexia can become a strong reader. This is especially true if the child receives early intervention.

Please contact us immediately at (713)510-5699 if you believe your child is jumbling up words or phrases, putting letters and figures the wrong way round, has difficulty remembering the alphabet, needing to use fingers to make simple calculations and taking longer to complete any written work.

Picky Eater vs. Feeding Disorder

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: Simpy Stavish)

 

Are you concerned that your child is a picky eater? Are you over mealtime battles? Feeding disorders are extremely varied from child to child. One child may display a range of symptoms and behaviors that are completely different from another child. It is important to recognize that there is a huge difference between a picky eater and a child with a feeding disorder.

Symptoms of a Picky Eater

• Requesting a limited variety of foods
• Eating foods from a select food group and avoiding others (typically avoiding dairy, vegetables and fruit)
• Favorite foods include carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and crackers (the white diet)
• Requesting a particular food brand and refusing to eat any other brand
• Throwing a tantrum when new foods are presented at meals

If your child displays one or more of the following symptoms he or she may have a more serious problem than just being “picky”.

Symptoms of a Child With a Feeding Disorder

• Poor weight gain or abnormal weight-loss
• Meal times last longer than 30 to 40 minutes
• Gags while eating
• Difficulty transitioning to higher texture foods and/or refusal to self feed
• Coughing or choking frequently during meals

If you are concerned about your child’s eating please contact us at (713) 510-5699. Based on your concerns, a referral can be made to our Speech-Language Pathologists who specialize in feeding evaluations and therapy.

Read the rest of this blog post on Simply Stavish
 

10 Common Causes of Pediatric Speech and Language Problems

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: www.smartspeechtherapy.com)

 Many young children develop speech skills within a wide range of time and with different capabilities. However, by a certain point, most children have begun to learn how to speak and communicate effectively. Of course, when parents notice that their child isn’t keeping up with other children, they worry. While most children develop appropriately given enough time, some children do experience issues with speech-language development.

Delays in speech development are caused by a variety of reasons, so it is important to understand what these potential causes are, as well as why a thorough, professional evaluation may be needed for some children. Too often parents, relatives, neighbors, and school officials believe they know for sure that something is off, but in fact their guesses may be dead wrong. Instead, accurate diagnosis of speech-language problems requires a thorough evaluation by trained professionals and includes testing of both speech language and hearing to determine the root cause of any potential problems.

The inability to develop speech and language properly over a reasonable time period directly impacts a child’s ability to adjust to and mingle with peers, family, and community. Some of the most obvious speech delays affect the child’s ability to form words correctly, resulting in pauses, hesitancy, and even stuttering. These effects can be socially devastating.

The causes of child speech and language problems involve many different issues. These include:

1. General Speech-Language Delay – This is probably the most common and easily remedied problem. The reason this occurs is that the child is learning more slowly than his or her peers. It’s a temporary situation that can be addressed with a combination of therapy as well as at home carryover. After therapy is initiated, many children develop their speech-language skills appropriately and catch up to peers within a relatively short period of time.
2. Expressive Language Problems – With this type of delay, a child thinks and understands clearly and develops normal relationships, but he or she has problems effectively utilizing expressive language versus basic talking. Speech is delayed because the child is struggling with how to communicate effectively. Again, speech therapy is the appropriate response.
3. Receptive Language Problems – With this condition, the child comprehension is decreased and s/he speaks with an unclear and sparse use of words and has a problem connecting words with directions, such as pointing at an object or carryout instructions. Speech therapy will be needed, but often these cases need intensive clinical help and treatment may take much longer periods of time.
4. Autism – Children with a variety of disorders along the autism spectrum display a number of developmental problems, including speech delay and the inability to communicate clearly. Repetitive activity is also common. The child has profound difficulty sustaining long-term communication, and even with therapy, regression often occurs after slight improvements. In these cases professional evaluation and treatment are needed for accurate diagnosis. The treatment, intensive language training and behavioral modification, continues into later years.
5. Cerebral Palsy – This condition causes significant problems with physical vocal coordination. The child may have serious problems controlling spasms in the tongue area. He or she also often suffers from hearing limitations and disconnects between stimuli and cognitive function. Children affected by this condition often undergo intensive symbol recognition therapy as a communication alternative to vocal speech along with speech therapy. While speech may continue to evidence developmental delays, such children find ways to communicate effectively despite the condition.
6. Childhood Apraxia of Speech – This issue interferes with a child’s ability to make the right sounds for desired words. As a result, his or her speech tends to be very impaired and may be difficult for listeners to understand. Children affected often add gesturing to compensate. Multiple treatment approaches are applied to this condition, with comprehensive  assessment being a prerequisite to effective treatment.
7. Dysarthia – This condition, in either a mild or severe form, affects speech accordingly. A child’s speech may be disrupted and difficult to understand. Similar to apraxia, children tend to overcompensate with physical gestures to get their point across. Speech-language therapy results in some improvement, with multiple approaches needed to address this problem effectively.
8. Hearing loss post-speech – In some cases, children learn to speak but then lose their hearing, which may cause speech regression. Eventually speech clarity and quality drop as the hearing loss continues. Further, affected children stop adding new words to their vocabulary. With the help of professionals (audiologist, speech language pathologist)  to learn sign language, read lips, and use hearing aids, most speech problems are overcome. Speech enunciation may continue to be hampered somewhat, however.
9. Hearing loss pre-speech – In these situations, speech development is delayed because the child can’t hear words to then repeat them correctly. Speech is often slurred, with the wrong tone or emphasis. There is also a potential loss of demonstrative speech with connected gestures. Again, the help of related professionals (audiologist, speech language pathologist) is critical, along with alternate communication training and hearing aids.
10. Intellectual limitations – Speech/language in this scenario is delayed because there is a cognitive limitation. Children in such cases are often treated professionally after a full evaluation, frequently being referred to child development centers for long-term support and training. All treatment is under the guidance and oversight of related professionals.

As noted in the above details, a child’s speech development issue may stem from a number of different causes, so it is important to obtain a proper, professional evaluation. These 10 causes of childhood speech and language problems provide a good starting point to understanding why speech limitations occur.

If your child has been diagnosed with or exhibits any of the above listed issues, please calls us at (713)510-5699 to schedule an in-home evaluation today!

 

Weight, Gender and Gross Motor Classification in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: www.yourtherapysource.blogspot.com)

Pediatrics has published clinical growth charts for children with cerebral palsy. Research was conducted using 102,163 measurements of weight from 25,545 children with cerebral palsy in California. The researchers established growth charts for children with cerebral palsy based on Gross Motor Function Classification System level and gender. Overall the research indicated that children with low weights are at greater risk for nutritional issues, major medical conditions and death.

You can download the full article at Pediatrics.

You can download the growth charts at Life Expectancy.org.

Reference: Jordan Brooks, Steven Day, Robert Shavelle,and David Strauss Low Weight, Morbidity, and Mortality in Children With Cerebral Palsy: New Clinical Growth Charts. Pediatrics 2011; 128:2 e299-e307; published ahead of print July 18, 2011, doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2801

 

Celebrate Better Hearing & Speech Month!

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Image Source: www.lexington.va.gov)

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! How are you going to celebrate? Throughout the month of April our wonderful speech therapists were asked to creatively incorporate a fun BHSM coloring page into their therapy activities with each of their patients. Once all of the artwork is submitted, it will decorate our office hallways and one lucky winner, chosen at random, will have the opportunity to win a special prize! We appreciate and value each and every one of our patients and their families! They all work so hard towards improving their speech and reaching their therapy goals. And let's not forget about our exceptional team of specialists that help them better their quality of life through their speech. Better Hearing and Speech month represents, to us, just that; making sure that we all carry out every effort towards bringing awareness of, advocating for, & teaching or helping those who can't quite find the words! We wish everyone a happy and successful Better Hearing and Speech month!

For more information & resources on opportunities to raise awareness about communication disorders and to promote treatment that can improve the quality of life for those who experience problems with speaking, understanding, or hearing visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

Part of Our Mission: Southern University in Baton Rouge Guest Lecturer

Posted by: Carmen N.

 



This past month, our Administrator, Shontai Thomas, was honored with an invitation from her alma mater, Southern University in Baton Rouge, to speak as a guest lecturer. She spoke to communication sciences and disorders students about a few of the many types of disorders associated with traumatic brain injuries as well as complications arising from strokes including embolisms. Shontai also offered fun ideas for pediatric therapy activities that the students may creatively use during their own therapy sessions in the near future. Apart from that, Shontai also focused her attention on entrepreneurship. She spoke about what incited her to begin her own therapy practice and her mission behind it.

Shontai's passion for what she does has motivated her to succeed in more ways than one. She yearns to pass knowledge down to others who share that dream & passion in hopes that they, in turn, will also advocate for those who need our help. Shontai strongly feels that through adding a personal touch everyone can beneift! She continues working with others in the community to soon make an even bigger difference!

Special Appreciation and Recognition given to:
 - Southern University in Baton Rouge
 - Communication Sciences and Disorders Department
 - SPAU260 students
 - Melanie Powell Rey
   

FREE CEUs for SLPs & SLPAs

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: www.linguisystems.com)

We believe your CEUs should be FREE! So, they are. On this site you will find new courses in varied formats (Online, Source® courses, and DVD for Groups presentations) to give you lots of learning options. Take them all! Each American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) approved course you take is practical and loaded with use-tomorrow strategies. Upon completion, they send your course information to ASHA. You send it to your state licensure office.

Some of the available online courses are as follows:

Attention Disorders
0.2 CEUs/ 2 CEES

Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Using Assessment to Guide Intervention
0.15 CEUs / 1.5 CEES

Changing Behavior to Change the Child's Voice
0.25 CEUs / 2.5 CEES

Dysarthria: Practical Aproaches to Treating
0.2 CEUs / 2 CEES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MORE THAN 40 COURSES AVAILABLE!

It's Earth Day

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: www.earthday.org)

Today is Earth Day! Over one billion people in 192 countries are participating from London to Sao Paolo, Seoul to Babylon City, New Delhi to New York, Rome to Cairo; people everywhere are taking action in their communities and helping depict The Face of Climate Change.

How can you get involved? Attend an Earth Day event in your community, start doing something to lower your carbon footprint, and take a photo of yourself being part of the solution and upload it to The Face of Climate Change Wall.

Wondering what’s happening around the world? Here are just a few of the events taking place:
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND FIND OUT

Spotlight on Special Needs: Social Stories

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: www.turotinginthetriangle.com)

 

There are many great resources for parents and children out there who may struggle with a type of special need. Special needs can vary from struggling with telling time to struggling with reading. Special needs can be in the area of academics or non-academics. Some special needs are social, emotional, and academic. Because there is such a vast array of special needs, we like to spotlight resources we think would be helpful depending on the family’s situations. We’ve highlighted one great resource below.

 

Resource: Social Stories

 

What Is It? Social stories are a way for children who struggle socially to read about and even act out appropriate responses to social situations at home or at school. These stories can also be about other life skills such as going to the dentist or checking out a book from the library. It is helpful to use these stories before the event occurs or after the event does not go well. In the social area, it gives the child words and options to use when she is having difficulty with coming up with her own.

Some common social stories are about:

• Washing Hands
• Using the Bathroom
• Brushing Teeth
• Taking Medicine
• Using a Tissue
• Getting a Haircut
• Clipping Fingernails
• Washing Hair
• Taking Turns
• Playing with Friends (in school and at home)
• Sharing
• Shopping at the grocery store
• Going to the bank
• Eating out

Continue reading more about this amazing special needs resource here...

Follow us on Instagram!

Posted by: Carmen N.

Personal Touch Therapy has joined the Instagram family! Make sure you follow us for the "Where is Bear?" picture of the day, fun therapy idea pics, and more!

 

 

Common Misconceptions: Autism

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: www.everydayhealth.com)

Though there's  still much about autism that isn't completely understood, there's a lot we do know. If you're a concerned parent or guardian, start by learning the facts about autism.

MYTH: There's an autism epidemic going on.

FACT: There is no autism epidemic; however, more diagnoses are being made today than in the past. Exactly why this is so isn't fully understood. One theory? Some researchers speculate that the rise in autism diagnoses has more to do with better diagnostic methods. Plus, the diagnosis of autism has expanded to include autism spectrum disorders, which encompass more symptoms and conditions, and thus more cases.

MYTH: Childhood vaccines can cause autism.

FACT: There's been much discussion about autism and vaccines, with many new parents refusing to vaccinate their children for fear that the vaccine will cause autism. But an August 2011 report from the Institute of Medicine concludes the following: There is no correlation between autism and vaccines. In fact, the exhaustive report (which looked at more than 1,000 studies), found that vaccines are generally safe for kids.

MYTH: All autistic children are actually geniuses.

FACT: Every child is different, and being autistic doesn't change that. Children with autism aren't necessarily geniuses. Just like other children, they have their strengths and weaknesses, and a wide variation in IQ scores. Some autistic children do show real strengths, whether it's with numbers (as in the movie "Rain Man") or memory, yet these are often countered by real weaknesses, like physical difficulties or difficulty understanding the concept of a game.

MYTH: Autistic children don't feel emotions.

FACT: Children with autism can love, and they can become frustrated, and even angry. Autistic children feel emotions — it's just that they don't express them in the same way that other children do. They may have difficulty with physical affection or expressing their frustration (resulting in a major tantrum), but that doesn't mean that they don't feel. Parents of autistic children will have to learn how their child expresses affection and emotions, and adjust their behaviors to express affection back in a way that makes the child comfortable.

MYTH: Autistic children can't speak.

FACT: Autism has a huge range of symptoms and a wide range of severity within those symptoms. While some children may have little trouble communicating verbally, others may have more limited communication skills. Others are in between, using incorrect grammar, tenses, and pronouns, or using sign language to compensate for verbal difficulties. But most children with autism do learn to communicate.

MYTH: Autism can be cured.

FACT: Unfortunately, there is no cure for autism. It's a biological condition that can't be stopped or reversed, but treatment can be very successful in helping to manage autism. Therapy can help autistic children learn to overcome some of their developmental delays and allow them to lead a happy and normal life. However, no drug, food, or therapy can completely alleviate autism.

Autism, like most everything else, isn't exactly as it appears in the movies or on TV. So whatever your preconceptions about autism are, if they are based on myths, rumors, or anything that's not founded in reality, they're not likely to be true. Know the facts about autism, and help to clear up the myths.

If you are a concerned parent or guardian of a child that you suspect may be autistic please call us to schedule an in-home evaluation with one our fully licensed and highly experienced Speech Language Pathologists at (713)510-5699.

A World Autism Awareness Day Message From the Autism Society President and CEO

Posted by: Carmen N.
(Source: Autism Society www.autism-society.org By Scott Badesch, Autism Society President and CEO)

Below is the motivational and inspiring message from Autism Society President and CEO, Scott Badesch. In cooperation with the Autism Society's efforts, we at Personal Touch Therapy, LLC, are proud to be a part of such a movement that not only raises awarness about Autism, but is dedicated to providing the therapy needs that children with autism need to help them live their day to day lives as well as grow their potential well into adulthood.

Today is world autism awareness day. Today, throughout the world, individuals will come together highlighting the needs and dreams of people living with autism. Today, all of us at the Autism Society honor and respect each individual living with autism for whom they are. We celebrate and honor parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers, and other professionals who provide support and love to those living on the autism spectrum. We celebrate those who, years ago, did not accept what they were told they couldn't do and today have shown what they are capable of. We celebrate those elected officials, business and religious leaders who value the beauty of a person with autism.

Read the rest of the message here...

 

Connect with Personal Touch Therapy!

Posted by: Carmen N.

Make sure you connect with us online to receive regular updates with important announcements, upcoming events, photos of our amazing team and all the latest Personal Touch news!
 

 

Like us on Facebook: Like us to receive the latest status      

                                                                     updates on current events, therapy                                       

                      services, pediatric news, etc.!

 

Follow us on Twitter: Follow us to get tweets in your feed

                                       with fun children's activities, therapist

                           suggestions, and much more!

 

Re-Pin us on Pinterest: Follow us and repin our HUNDREDS

                                       of very useful pins ranging from speech

                                                resources to autism and behavioral exercises!

 

Subscribe to us on YouTube: Subscribe to our YouTube channel to

                                                      view the latest in pedistric therapy videos

                                                          as well as inspirng and motivational videos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Down Syndrome Day 2013

Posted by: Carmen N.

March 21, 2013 marks the 8th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day, a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. Each year the voice of people with Down syndrome, and those who live and work with them, grows louder. But there is still so much more we can do.

Down Syndrome International invites everyone across the world to wear LOTS OF SOCKS on March 21, 2013 to raise awareness on World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD). We want to get people talking about WDSD on March 21st, and we can do this if we all wear socks…BUT NOT JUST ANY SOCKS…brightly colored socks, mismatched socks, long socks, printed socks, 1 sock…maybe even 3 socks (or EXTRA socks) for 3 chromosomes. Or if you don’t normally wear socks then wear them. Just so long as they are socks which are on display and people will ask you about.

AND WHY STOP AT SOCKS? Wear brightly colored clothing if you like, say if it’s too hot for socks. The choice is yours, but we ask you to join us in wearing something which will help tell the world about WDSD.

It is easy to do, so whether you are at home, school, work, play, travel, or anywhere, join in!

On March 21, 2013, wear LOTS OF SOCKS and invite all your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.

 

(Source: www.worlddowsyndromeday.org) 

HGAC - Trash Bash Event 2013

Posted by: Carmen N.

We'd like to invite all of you to join the Personal Touch Therapy team in the Houston-Galveston Area Council's annual Trash Bash event! This is a volunteer opportunity to help clean up our city's beautiful parks!

 

When: The Trash Bash will be on Saturday, March 23rd. The website recommends you arrive between 8:00 and 9:00 am to allow yourself time to sign up as a volunteer. The cleaning will begin at 9:00 am and will go through to 11:30 am. After which, everyone is invited to enjoy a FREE lunch, entertainment, door prizes and fun enviornmental activities.

Where: The park we have chosen to help clean up is Moody Park (Little White Oak Bayou). The address is 3725 Fulton St., Houston, TX 77009. You will be assigned a work zone, given gloves and trash bags. They recommend that you bring sunscreen, hats, insect repellent, rubber boots, and/or raingear.

 

For more information you can visit the Trash Bash Website. If you have any questions please contact our Community Liaison, Carmen Narvaez or by using the comments section below. We'll see you all there!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Posted by: Carmen N.

Learn a little of the history of St. Patrick's Day:
St. Patrick's Day was established as a way to recognize Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Originally a religious holiday, it is now practiced on March 17th by many people throughout the world with food, drink and all things green. Though history saw celebrations of feasts in his honor, St. Patrick's Day was not officially recognized until 1976. Saint Patrick has been credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. It is thought that St. Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor for the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), showing how three individual units could be part of the same body. His parishioners began wearing shamrocks to his church services. Today, "the wearing of the green" on St. Patrick's Day represents spring, shamrocks, and Ireland.

From everyone at Personal Touch Therapy, we wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe St. Patrick's Day! Remember, if you don't want to get pinched, you'd best be wearing something green...CHEERS!

 

 

 

 

How can my child receive in-home therapy services?

Posted by: Carmen N.

It only takes a call to 713-510-5699 to start the process. Please have your child’s insurance and physician information available.

• Personal Touch Therapy receives client referrals from multiple referral sources which may include the parent or the physician
• Your child's insurance eligibility and benefits are verified
• Authorization to evaluate is obtained if required by the managed care plan
• A formal evaluation is scheduled and completed
• The recommended plan of care is reviewed by your physician
• The plan of care is authorized by medicaid or managed care plan
• Therapist calls to schedule the therapy visits with the patient or caregiver

**Therapy sessions are typically one to two times per week for 30 to 45 minutes.

As therapy progresses, we will reassess your child regularly and keep you informed of their progress. We are available to address any concerns that you may have and enjoy sharing our knowledge to assist you with facilitating the development of your child's communication skills.

To request an evaluation of your child's development, you may complete and submit our Online Referral Form. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the referral process please call our Referral Coordinator, Maria Gomez, at (713) 936-2678.

Annual Trash Bash - March 23, 2013

Posted by: Carmen N.

This month, on Saturday, March 23rd, Personal Touch Therapy will be volunteering at the Houston- Galveston Area Council's annual Trash Bash! We have chosen to help clean up our very own Moody Park (Little White Oak Bayou) located at 3725 Fulton Street, Houston, TX 77009. We invite you to join us and help us in our efforts to beautify our city. If you're interested in volunteering with us, please read the details on the Trash Bash website for more information. It's really very simple: you just show up as a volunteer and they hand you everything you need to help make a difference. After cleanup everyone is invited to enjoy a FREE lunch, door prizes, and fun enviornmental activities! It's a great cause and sounds like it will also be loads of fun! See you all there!

 

Part Of Our Mission: In our Community

(Office Manager, Lynn Menzies)

Posted by: Carmen N.

Our team is grateful to have been given the opportunity to provide an informative presentation at one of our local Head Start locations this past Friday, February 15th. Parent attendance and participation was excellent! We were able to not only deliver invaluable information regarding our services, but also encourage parent involvement with regards to their children's development. We received an appreciable amount of interesting questions which we were delighted to answer. As it is part of our mission at Personal Touch Therapy of being an active part of the community by providing and continuously improving the home health care needs of our patients, we were thrilled with the outcome of this event and hope to offer this information regularly to other interested parents.



(Administrator & Supervising Therapist, Shontai Thomas, M.Ed. CCC-SLP)

 

(Administrator & Supervising Therapist, Shontai Thomas, M.Ed. CCC-SLP, Community Liaison, Carmen Narvaez, Director of Therapy, Jo Ann Gray, M.S. CCC-SLP)

(Director of Therapy, Jo Ann Gray, M.S. CCC-SLP)

(Community Liaison, Carmen Narvaez)

Is your child developing on time? - Speech & Language Milestones

Posted by: Carmen N.

 

Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills  or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range. In this post we will discuss normal development in your child's language skills for the first two years of life. Keep in mind that although each milestone has an age level , the actual age when a normally developing child reaches that milestone can vary quite a bit. Every child is unique!

The first two years:

0 - 6 months:

• Uses different cry to express different needs
• Localizes sounds by turning head
• Uses sounds or gestures to indicate wants
• Frequently coos, gurgles and makes pleasure sounds
• Imitates tongue movements and smiles at familiar faces
• Looks and smiles at people when talked to

7 - 12 months:

• Listens to and imitates some adult speech sounds/intonation patterns
• Babbles using long and short groups of sounds
• Understands phrases like "no-no", "all gone", and "bye-bye"
• Makes some appropriate use of gestural language (shake head for "no")
• Begins to change babbling to jargon
• Uses speech intentionally for the first time
• Say "mama" or "dada" for parents

13 - 18 months:

• Looking for hidden objects
• Points or gestures to communicate or identify needs
• Talks in single words, often omits some initial consonants and almost all final consonants
• Uses echolalia and jargon
• Has 3-20 words (mostly nouns) in expressive vocabulary
• Receptively identifies 1-3 body parts
• Follows simple directions

19-24 months:

• Uses words more frequently than jargon
• Has an expressive vocabulary of 50 to 100 words
• Has a receptive vocabulary of 300 or more words
• Starts to combine nouns and verbs
• Begins to use pronouns
• Is approximately 20-50% intelligible to strangers
• Names a few familiar objects
• Identifies 5-6 body parts on a doll
• Begins to understand adjectives in phrases

This information represents, on average, the age by which most monolingual speaking children will accomplish the listed milestones. Children typically do not master all items in a category until they reach the upper age in each age range. Just because your child has not accomplished one skill within an age range does not mean the child has a disorder. The earlier a child's speech and language problems are identified and treated, the less likely it is that problems will persist or get worse in the future. Early speech and language intervention can help children be more successful with reading, writing, schoolwork, and interpersonal relationships. If your child has not met the majority of the items in an age range, please contact Personal Touch Therapy at 713-510-5699 to schedule an in-home evaluation.

(Resources: www.umich.edu, www.asha.org)

Thank you from Team Personal Touch Therapy!

Posted by: Carmen N.
Original Post Date: Friday, February 8, 2013

Thank you to everyone that supported Team Personal Touch Therapy during Houston's Color In Motion 5K! We had such a great time being bombarded with color meanwhile supporting a great cause, Girls on the Run!

Join Team Personal Touch Therapy for this year's Color In Motion 5k!

Posted by: Carmen N.
Original Post Date: Friday, January 11, 2013

We hope you’re ready to get in MOTION! Whether you’re planning to walk, run or just party, we want you to join us on Saturday, February 2^nd for the wackiest and most colorful 5K you’ve ever done!

Who is going?
You, of course! The entire Personal Touch Therapy team will be there and we hope to see you there!

What is Color In Motion 5K?
It’s pretty much the most colorful day of movement you’ve ever had in your life! Get out and move and be healthy all while supporting a great cause and building relationships with friends and family. We are requesting your support and participation.

When & Where is the Color In Motion 5K?
Saturday, February 2^nd 2013 at 9:00 AM at Reliant Park
Address: 8400 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77054

Why?
Because you’re awesome and you don’t want to miss out on all the fun!

How does it work?
You must first register online as a participant of the Personal Touch Therapy Team by clicking HERE under Team Registration select Individual. Then, you just show up on race day wearing white and the rest is taken care of! As you sprint, jog, waddle, or leisurely stroll along you will be bombarded with bright colors that transform a group of ordinary runners into a moving rainbow. The color that you will be showered in is completely safe and washes off easily. If you don't think you can beat your friends with speed, see if you can be the real winner by coming out of the race covered head to toe in a vibrant springtime camouflage.

FOR A DISCOUNT OF 20% OFF ENTER CODE: PERSONALTOUCH (all caps)

Looking forward to having you join us! If you have any questions please call or email our Community Liaison, Carmen Narvaez at (713)422-2455.

See you on race day!