ADHD Awareness Month: Facts and Fictions

By Pauline D | October 5, 2023

Happy ADHD Awareness Month! Here’s a quick overview of the most up-to-date consensus about ADHD, some common misconceptions, and suggested interventions for children diagnosed with the disorder.  ADHD has been a hot topic for several years now and has sometimes been a controversial diagnosis. Some folks say that high energy is just a common attribute…

Can Puzzles Help Adults with Alzheimer’s?

By Pauline D | September 29, 2023

Alzheimer’s is a quickly growing disease among American adults — about 1 in 9 people aged 65 and older has it. But this year’s campaign theme, ‘Never too early, never too late’, promotes risk reduction for World Alzheimer’s Month. Can activities like puzzles help ward off some of the disorder’s most visible impacts?  While Diversity…

Fidget Toys and Alzheimer’s Disease

By Pauline D | September 21, 2023

Not just for the classroom — fidget toys are effective tools for adult patients with Alzheimer’s as well. Here’s why. As previously discussed on this blog, fidget toys have become popular tools in classrooms for children and even in offices for adults. However, the application and usefulness of fidget toys goes beyond increasing focus and…

Preparing for an Emergency with a Child with Special Needs

By Pauline D | September 7, 2023

September is National Preparedness Month! Are you and your family ready to act in case of an emergency? Here are tips on preparing for an emergency when you are the caregiver of a child with special needs.  Since 2004, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has designated September as National Preparedness Month. This month is…

Is Chewelry Safe?

By Pauline D | August 31, 2023

Chewelry has become popular in recent years: wearable silicone jewelry meant to be chewed or sucked on. Chewelry is intended to help release stress and anxiety in children and adults who use it. Moreover, advocates say that chewelry normalizes the use of sensory aids by repackaging chewing supports as fun, colorful jewelry pieces that anyone…

The Importance of Early Childhood Stimulation

By Pauline D | August 24, 2023

If your child isn’t yet school-aged, here are ways to provide the stimulus they need for healthy development. Young children are constantly grabbing, looking, feeling, teething – and no surprise! Their brains are nonstop data processing machines. Early childhood is a stage of unparalleled development. A newborn’s brain develops 2-3 million synapses each second. A baby’s…

Back to School Series: Helping Children Relax After School

By Pauline D | August 17, 2023

Is back-to-school stressing your kid out? Here are ways to help your child decompress after long schooldays.  It’s every parent’s dream to hear how well behaved and cooperative their child is at school during the day. That same parent might be surprised, then, to find their child hyperactive, resistant, and cranky once they get home.…

Back to School Series: Toys that Inspire Scientific Skills

By Pauline D | August 10, 2023

Get your child into a back-to-school mindset with these creative toys that inspire scientific curiosity.  After the long, free days of summer, heading back to school can feel like a drag. Moreover, many children can struggle with readjusting to the strict schedule, heightened socialization, and work demands of the school year. Parents and caregivers may…

Back to School Series: Toys and Tools for Building Literacy Skills

By Pauline D | August 3, 2023

Help your child practice their reading and writing before they return to school.  We’re continuing our Back to School Series with suggestions of tools and toys that can help children keep up with their grade’s curriculum and ward off the summer slide. This week we’re exploring toys that foster literacy skills such as reading and…

Back To School Series: Toys to Help Children Practice Math

By Pauline D | July 27, 2023

Looking for toys to help your child brush up on their math skills before returning to school?  The days are still hot and long, and time feels endless. Nonetheless, in many states the school year is right around the corner. For many parents, children, and teachers, August means rushing to get ready for the return to…