What are some of the signs of autism?

Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development — social interaction, language and behavior.

The symptoms and severity may vary greatly between two children with the same diagnosis, but here are a few signs to look for:

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age

Signs from Austismspeaks.org

The Head Shape Clinic

Led by cranifacial surgeon Dr. Pat Ricalde.

The multidisciplinary team evalutates, diagnoses, and treats infants with positional plagiocephaly. This condition is commonly caused by preferred sleeping positions; however, it may also be due to a malformed skull, congenital muscular torticollis, or other pathologies.

The Head Shape Clinic addresses the questions and concerns that parents have when a skull or facial problem is recognized in their child.

Head Shape Clinic Location

Hillsborough County
1st Monday and 3rd Tuesday of each month

Florida Craniofacial Institute
4200 North Armenia Av., Suite 3
Tampa FL 33607

Please call 813-870-6000 for a consultation with the team.

March 25 · May 27 · July 29

Advanced Registration is encouraged. Limited to 300 guests.
Museum members are FREE! Non-members pay only $5 per person.

Come and explore the museum with lights and sounds turned down, special programming, and resources for children and families with special needs.

Visit Glazermuseum.org or call 813-443-FUN1. Download the Sunshine Sunday Flyer.

Lori and Alec Sanchez
TIKVAH TALK
A program to educate family members and professionals on issues related to children with special needs.

“Behavior Basics: Cultivate Skills Needed to Problem-Solve Challenging Behaviors”
with Jennifer Rava, M.S., BCBA
Advanced Behavioral Systems

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Attendees will learn to identify WHY children engage in challenging behavior, determine the best REACTION you should have and what can be done to PREVENT challenging behavior from occurring.

Parents/caregivers, teachers, child care providers, occupational, physical and speech therapists, social workers, mental health and other professionals can benefit from this program.

The TIKVAH TALK program will be held from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Tampa Jewish Community Center located at 13009 Community Campus Drive, Tampa, FL 33625.

Please R.S.V.P. with name and phone number in order to be notified of any possible changes.

This event is open to the community and a $5 Donation to benefit Tampa Jewish Family Services is appreciated. Childcare is not available. Please contact Lydia Abrams to discuss options if no other arrangement for your child(ren) can be made.

CE’s available for LCSWs, MFTs, MHCs (2.0 CE’s for $10; BAP #1002 Exp. 3/2013)

Special Needs Training Hours available for Childcare Providers (2.0 hours for $5)

To receive a certificate, please e-mail Lydia Abrams with the spelling of your name by March 27, 2012.

Directions and other information are available at: www.tjfs.org.

Please feel free to print and distribute our TIKVAH Talk flyer.

The mission of TIKVAH Talk is to educate family members and professionals on issues related to children with special needs. The speakers volunteer their time and Tampa Jewish Family Services does not endorse their services.

Babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS, but from day one it is just as important to give them plenty of opportunities to play on their tummy when they are awake. Babies who do not get enough tummy time risk having poor neck and shoulder muscles, developing flat spots on the back of their heads (called plagiocephaly) and are at risk for developmental delays including delays in rolling, crawling and pulling to stand; as well as, delays later in life such as poor coordination and hand writing skills.

Tummy Time Tips

Tummy time should start from day one aiming for 30 minutes which can be broken up throughout the day. Place your newborn on their tummy on a blanket on a firm surface for a few minutes while you rub their back and talk with them. If they are fussy in this position you can lay your baby face down on your chest as you recline in a chair or bed for a little tummy snuggle time. As a newborn they are also small enough to carry lying across your arms on their tummy with their head fully supported in your hand. These activities will help your baby get used to spending time on their tummy.

Tummy Time Fun & Games

As your infant begins to hold their head up you can lay them on a blanket on the floor, over a boppy pillow, or even lying across your lap. To encourage your infant to hold their head up and push through their elbows get down on the floor with them – play peek a boo, sing songs, dance, hold up a mirror, anything that will entertain them for a few minutes. If your infant starts to get fussy and even distractions aren’t helping anymore help your infant roll onto their back for a little break. Once they are happy again help them to roll back onto their tummy to see if you can encourage a few more minutes. By helping your infant to roll instead of just picking them up when they get fussy you are teaching them not only to roll, but also that they have control over what position they are in. If your infant seems to have trouble pushing onto their elbows, roll a small towel or receiving blanket and place it under their chest. This will give them a little bit of support so they can practice holding their head up and make tummy time a little less stressful.

From Fussing to Moving

Even if your baby fusses at first, keep trying a little bit throughout the day. As your baby gets stronger they will fuss less and start to move more.

Article written by Michelle C., Physical Therapist

Plan to attend this seminar to learn about the latest scientific information regarding the identification of, testing of and treatment for children who suffer from select neurological disorders. Wanda Cecil, your seminar presenter, is an expert in the field of Childhood Neurology. She will draw from her many years of experience to give you the tools you need to provide better nursing care based on scientific principles and evidence-based practice when dealing with young patients.

This seminar will help you identify early signs of neurological abnormalities in children and guide you in understanding the full spectrum of each disorder. Many true life stories are provided to ensure a realistic and interesting lecture. Wanda’s goal is to enable you to feel comfortable and competent in caring for these children, which will lead to better outcomes for children with neurological disorders.

Do not miss this one day educational event, as Wanda gives you current, practical and clinically-useful information to improve your knowledge of complex neurological conditions, and enhance your ability to care for children afflicted with these disorders.

Speaker:

Wanda J. Cecil, RN, CPNP, MSN, MPH
A certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner working exclusively in Child Neurology at Raleigh Neurology Associates. She works collaboratively with Dr. John D. Wooten, III, Child Neurologist, and other health care professionals through the practice of child neurology. Her past experience includes working in pediatric intensive care units at WakeMed and pediatric intensive care units at Duke Medical Center.

Learner Objectives:

At the completion of this program, you will be able to:

1. Identify appropriate early nursing interventions for children with neurological abnormalities.
2. Summarize age-specific criteria used in assessment, intervention and outcome measures of neurological disorders.
3. Determine the appropriate action for neurological conditions requiring an emergency response.
4. Explain the full spectrum of selected neurological disorders in children.
5. Demonstrate increased confidence and competence in caring for children with neurological conditions.
6. Discuss medical management of neurological diagnoses.
7. Develop parent and patient education skills based on new information and resources.

Please refer to the course brochure for continuing education information.

Brochure Inside | Brochure Outside

Date & Time:

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 from 8:00am-3:30pm

Location:

Embassy Suites USF / Near Busch Gardens
3705 Spectrum Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33612

Registration:

$169 – Standard Tuition
Recommended Offer: Pediatric Neurology, 4th Edition – $62.95

Register online here.

Other ways to register: Call 1-800-843-7763 or Printable Form (fax or mail).

“As the publisher of S.I. Focus magazine, I have the unique opportunity to be made aware of many new resources available to our community of special needs. I will be sharing commercially-available and free resources that can give you an edge. The goal of this new workshop is not to give you survival techniques you deserve more than just surviving. I want to help you thrive and feel that you are equipping the children in your environment to grow. I can’t wait to meet you at one of my workshops!”
- Kathleen Morris, MS, CCC-SLP

Course Description:

Download the PDF here.
Includes CE information, workshop outline and more!

Date & Time

Wednesday, March 21st 2012 from 8:00am-3:30pm

Location:

Best Western Bay Harbor Waterfront
7700 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway
Tampa, FL 33607

Registration

$179 – Early Price (Base Price)
2-4 Attendees: Save $10 per Attendee!
5+ Attendess: Save $30 per Attendee!

Register online here.

Speakers:

Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Tristram Smith, Ph.D.

Date & Time:

Saturday, April 14th, 2012 from 8:00am-2:30pm

Location:

Florida Gulf Coast University
Alico Arena
Ft. Myers, FL

Registration:

Visit their website for more information.

This program is bringing a very special opportunity to those communities by providing a safe and protective environment for families to enjoy their favorite films. Utilizing Autism Society’s know-how, AMC has dedicated auditoriums aimed to protect those from sensory overload by having their lights up and the sound turned down. The audience members are even invited to stand up and walk, dance, sing or shout!

This all first started when a parent with an autistic child asked their local AMC Columbia Mall 14 in Columbia, MD for a special screening. An astounding 300 children and their parents attended the very first screening making it a great success.

AMC is now thrilled to offer the program at many locations nationwide — please click here for a complete list of participating theatres. AMC Theatres is a leading theatrical exhibition company making a difference in the estimated 1.5 million Americans living with an autism spectrum disorder by offering families a chance to see a movie together — often for the very first time.

February 25 – Journey 2: the Mysterious Island

March 10 – Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

April 7 – Mirror Mirror

May 5 – Pirates! Band of Misfits

June 2 – Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

All shows are at 10:00 am local time. Dates and films are subject to change.

Children Walking on Toes Can Be Signs Of Two Things

1. Sensory processing disorder (toe walking is a “closed chain” activity that increases feedback to the ankle joint giving additional feedback of where you are in space). If there are other signs of sensory issues you may want to consider a Pediatric Occupational Therapy Evaluation or Screening.




2. Tight heel cords (which may require stretching) – if you have a hard time flexing your child’s foot (bending the ball of his foot up past a 90 degree (L) angle at ankle joint while knee is straight) then you may want to consider a Pediatric Physical Therapy Evaluation or Screening.

Physical Therapist Help Toe Walkers | Children Walking on Toes

One of the first things a physical therapist will assess in a child who toe-walk is the child’s ankle flexibility, especially with knees straight in long sitting position on floor. Can the child stand flat? If they don’t have enough ankle flexibility to walk heel-toe, that needs to be addressed prior to anything else.

Posture and strength are other important areas to assess. Muscle groups that are commonly weak are the tummy muscles (abdominal obliques), buttocks, shoulders, and ankles. Weakness in these muscles can put a child in a forward leaning position when they stand and a slouching position when they sit. When the child in this posture initiates walking, he would naturally walk up on his toes. In addition, children who are toe walkers don’t use body rotation while walking and may have flexibility restrictions while walking. The child with trunk tightness may also frequently “W” sit over other sitting positions.

Home Tips for Children Walking on Toes

There are a number of games that you can play at home to encourage walking with “heels down” but it depends on the age of your child.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• walk in swim fins (with guarding and help of course to prevent falling/tripping)
• walk like a penguin or a duck (waddle side by side while walking on heels)
• tape a penny to the bottom of the shoe so you can hear the “click” noise of the coin in the ground

If your child continues to demonstrate difficulty with these exercises a complete Pediatric Physical Therapy Evaluation or Screening may be indicated.