Premier Children's Therapy Center

03/09/2026

Say it louder for the people in the back! 📢

03/06/2026

Have you heard of childhood apraxia of speech? Learn about it from someone who has lived through it! 

03/05/2026

Has your child been diagnosed with dysgraphia? If so, you might be wondering what that is exactly.

“Dysgraphia is a learning disability that makes it difficult for children to write. There are two sides to dysgraphia — motor weaknesses that affect the physical process of writing, and cognitive challenges with written expression.“

There are so many reasons that a child might have difficulty with writing. From tactile perception to visual perception to functional hand strength and working memory, handwriting is certainly a complex skill. It takes specific testing and then tailored treatment to improve a child’s handwriting. It’s not a one size fits all solution. Occupational therapists can help tease out what is contributing to your child’s dysgraphia diagnosis and how to help them best. ✏️

Dysgraphia is a learning disorder that impairs one’s ability to write. But with support, kids with dysgraphia can learn to write and do very well in school.

03/04/2026

♥️

03/03/2026

A photo is worth 1000 words and for kids, a photo can really drive home the idea of what you want them to do instead of just making a list!

For example, if you want your child to set up their homework station in a certain way or pack their backpack with everything they need, try taking a photo of what the proper set up looks like. This will help them envision themselves succeeding instead of relying on working memory to link the words to what a parent or teacher might be expecting. 📚

03/02/2026

Most parents know that babies are just fussy sometimes! But what indicates that there might be more going on and warrants some early intervention? These red flags are great things to keep an eye on as your baby navigates those first 12 months.

02/27/2026

Perfect tip! 🤩

02/26/2026

Ever wonder what you should be looking for in shoes for your new walker/toddler? Here are some great tips from a pediatric PT for picking the right ones!

02/25/2026

😆 💯

02/24/2026

If you’re trying to change a child’s behavior and build skills, typically you want to reinforce the behavior you want to see more of. Parents and teachers often fall into the trap of providing that reinforcement too long after the desired behavior. When this happens, the child doesn’t mentally associate the reward with the behavior they demonstrated. This is even more of an issue with kids with ADHD, who often experience “time blindness,” where they struggle to accurately gauge the passage of time or plan for the future.

The other issue caregivers often run into is trying to reinforce multiple vague “good” behaviors instead of targeting one at a time. So, this general praise might look like getting a toy from the prize box at the end of day for “having a good day.” The child won’t necessarily link that prize with something specific they did. Likely they’ll just be happy they happened to be “good” and got a prize! It’s a nice feeling but doesn’t teach them what to do again next time.

So what should we do? Target one specific skill or behavior and reinforce it right away. As kids get older, you can start increasing the amount of time between the behavior and reward, as their concept of time improves.

Examples of this might include:
- For a 3 year old, give them a sticker right after circle time if they keep their hands to themselves.

- For a 6 year old, give them a high five as soon as you see them taking a deep breath to calm themselves down instead of screaming.

- For a 9 year old, let them play with Legos for 10 minutes before bed if they got their homework done that evening.

- For a 13 year old, give them a ticket when you catch them starting their work right away in class. That ticket can be turned into their parents that night for a desired activity (i.e. something small that night or get at least 4 tickets during the week for extra screen time on weekend).

This is positive reinforcement that helps build skills over time! 🎟️

02/23/2026

02/20/2026

Great info about torticollis!