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.

1. Use it as a boundary to improve body awareness. For example, if your child crosses the line you’ve made on the floor, you say “What part of your body crossed the line? Is it your right or left leg? Put it back behind the line…”




2. Make a hopscotch or ladder type design (1 foot per square) on the floor and instruct your child to hop on one foot to (the first, middle, last) square. Or have them stand backwards and jump to a specific square, they can also side step across the ladder.




3. Use the hopscotch or ladder frame, except this time have your child toss bean bags into the squares. Assign each square a different point value by taping the number into the center of the square.




4. Make a small square on the ground as a “fence” and using a straw, blow cotton balls into the square to “herd the sheep.”




5. If your child is clumsy, put a small piece of tape at the eye level of child on the wall, door, doorframe, etc… that the child runs into. Or put small pieces on the corners of coffee tables, desks, etc… The visual cue may help give the child feedback to move before bumping!




6. Work on balance and walking in a straight line by taping a 6 foot strip to the floor. Have your child walk on the line (like a balance beam).




7. Use as a marker to mark off goals for forward jumping. Place a few 6 inch strips on the floor and encourage your child to jump over/past the line. Gradually increase the distance and play “Let’s see how far you can jump!” game each day.




8. Use it as a visual reminder to stay in a designated area for safety and/or to improve participation during games/play. Tape an “X” or your child’s letter, “K” for Katie, on the floor. Encourage your child to “STAY on your spot/letter” when playing a game on the floor, doing homework, helping in the kitchen…etc.

These great ideas are all ways to help improve sensory awareness, walking, balance, jumping distance, attention and behavior all while having lots of FUN!!!

Compiled by ILI’s St Pete Clinic Therapists – Michele F., MOTR/L , Ashley T., DPT, & Sarah G., M.S. CCC-SLP

“Did you see my son hit that baseball out of the park!” the excited father yelled to everyone in the stands. Everyone stood at the same time watching the boy run from base to base and then slide to home plate.

“Safe”, the umpire declared.

Everyone erupted into a wave of cheering and triumph as the play won the game for the team.

The father was understandably proud of his son. We parents cheer whenever we see our children triumph. Some parents though are experiencing a different journey where victories for their children are not so clearly seen. There is a whole world of special needs parents raising their children and also cheering each victory. Those victories are quite different from an able bodied child. Though different, each victory is celebrated as if the child hit a home run.

Ask any therapist of special needs children and they will tell you that the smallest victory is cause to celebrate. Therapists are schooled to be patient as they wait for these wee ones to display even the most inconsequential accomplishment. For one child it may be eating their first bite of solid food. For another it may be grasping a toy for the first time. Able bodied children also experience these first’s but for many special needs children these victories are years in the making.

Each journey for a special needs family is different. Some disabilities are mild while others are profoundly debilitating. What is the same of all these children is that most parents are fiercely proud of their children no matter what the diagnosis.

What would special needs parents want other parents to know about their children? They are children, perhaps in varying degrees of growth and development, but children none the less. What is the biggest compliment you can give a special needs parent? Pay attention to their special needs child. Talk lovingly to the child even though they may not be able to respond. How can you support special needs parents? If you are curious, ask about the child’s diagnosis instead of wondering and never knowing. Ask the parent what their biggest blessing is in raising a special needs child. Ask what their biggest need is and how you can help. Listening can be the best gift you can offer. Many parents have no support group with which to share their joys and struggles. Simply knowing that you care can mean so much to a special needs family. The next time you see a child who is a little different be bold and reach out to the parent. You will be glad you did.

Florida anticipates ending Early Steps services unless the State Legislature approves 6.9 million dollars in new funding this session.

What is Early Steps?

Early Steps serves children, ages birth to 36 months, who have medical conditions such as autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing / vision impairment, as well as children with significant developmental delays. Each year, Early Steps helps these children achieve critical developmental milestones, starting them on a path toward success at home and at school.

Early Steps services include:

• Identification of developmental delays
• Multidisciplinary evaluations
• Service coordination
• Individualized family support plans
• Intervention services, therapy and support
• Hearing and vision services

Early intervention programs:

• Reduce the need for special education
• Lower the number of students repeating a grade
• Increase high school graduation rates
• Reduce future healthcare costs

The Funding Crisis

Early Steps faces a financial crisis almost annually due to increasing enrollment and flat state funding allocations. When the current, national economic emergency began, Early Steps had to rely on temporary federal stimulus funds to maintain services. Those funds ended in 2011, resulting in contract cuts for many regional programs. The Department of Health, Children’s Medical Services, which administers Early Steps, has now announced that unless $6,861,026 in new, recurring funding is appropriated, Florida will be unlikely to re‐apply for the federal Part C grant in 2012. Florida would then become the first state in the nation to end Part C services and would lose almost $24 million dollars in federal funds. This would leave more than 45,000 Florida infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities and delays without services.

WE must act NOW!

Thousands of contacts are needed to save the program!

1. Find “Save Early Steps” page on Facebook, and post what these services mean to your child and your family.
2. E‐Mail the message, “Save Early Steps” to:


     Senator Negron
     Senator Rich
     Representative Hudson

3. Inform friends and family. Ask them to advocate for Early Steps as well.
4. Check with your local Early Steps for more information and recommendations.

You may download the PDF here. Spread the word. Help us Save Early Steps!

A characteristic unique to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is the need for structure and repetitive routines. The child’s resistance to change can impede treatment and interventions if started too late when the child has already established inappropriate and non-functional behaviors as a part of his/her routine. Early intervention has also been proven to have more of a significant impact due the theory of brain plasticity, referring to the brain’s ability to change itself. This first occurs when infants are born and start developing into children. Between the ages of birth-six, studies have shown that the immature brain grows and creates neural networks at an unprecedented rate, as the brain is flooded with new sensory input from the outside world. Research continues to show us how the brains of children diagnosed with autism lack this natural ability to integrate and organize the input they receive. However, with specific and consistent early intervention, we have been successful in bridging this gap by facilitating appropriate neural connections to occur. Evidence continues to consistently show that early intervention improves long-term function for children diagnosed in the Autism Spectrum.

To ensure families receive early intervention, early detection is the key. Recognition and diagnosis before the age of two continues to be rare, however there are indications in the usual developmental progress that could suggest autism before the age of two. These include but are not limited to lack of eye contact, avoidance of sounds and non-responsive to name as well as a lack of interest in the types of play that most infants enjoy, such as those which involve social interaction with the parent. Assessment is best done within a child development unit because the expertise of a variety of disciplines is required and a team approach has been found to result in more accurate diagnosis.

This article was contributed by our own Dawn M., OTR/L, Tampa Bay Autism Examiner.

For more information on learning the early detection signs of autism, please go to:

Autism Speaks

First Signs

For local resources and facilities in the Tampa Bay area:

Independent Living Inc. Pediatric Therapy

Jacob’s Touch

The Tridas Center

Behavioral Consulting of Tampa Bay