May is designated as Better Hearing & Speech Month, a time to raise awareness about communication disorders and promote the importance of early intervention. Speech and language delays are among children's most common developmental disorders, affecting approximately 10-15% of kids. Early identification and intervention can significantly improve outcomes for children with speech and language delays.

As a parent or caregiver, ensuring your child's success in school may be one of your top priorities.

JUSTin HOPE Foundation was created in 2011 in Reno, NV, by the parents of a special young man named Justin Reitz. When Justin was two years old, he was diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder. As his parents navigated this overwhelming change and encountered countless questions in their journey to help their son, they realized that there was a lack of support and resources for families in similar circumstances.

Each year in May, we observe Better Hearing and Speech Month. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) aims to increase awareness and understanding about disorders related to speech and hearing. Everyone is encouraged to be mindful of their speech and hearing ability, but for children, it is especially important not only to address problems, but to prevent injury.

Every year in May, we celebrate and aim to support National Physical Fitness and Sports month. This year, the focus of the celebration is #MoveInMay. The campaign aims to promote safety while engaging in physical activity and this year, that means social distancing. Following the latest information from your region’s public health providers and local leaders will help you learn how to engage in physical activity outdoors in the safest way possible.

The discipline of speech pathology had been around for a long time - the American Academy of Speech Correction was established in 1926, but it did not become speech-language pathology for a couple of decades.

During the month of April, we aim to raise awareness about stress and the negative effect it can have on a person. As we get older, our responsibilities typically increase and it is understandable that stress comes as well. But children can also feel stressed because of the commitments they balance between school, extracurricular activities, or relationships.

April is Autism Awareness Month! Individuals with autism have many different symptoms, so it is usually referred to as a “spectrum” of qualities or varied behaviors associated with autism. As time progresses, we find more and more individuals each year are diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Today, approximately 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with ASD. Autism is broad in its diagnosis, and its characteristics range from social skills and behavior to physical aspects like seizures or sleep disorders.

Many people have heard of Occupational Therapy, but often are not sure of exactly what it is. It is important to understand what OT is, who benefits from it, and the history of how it came to be. The first thing to know is that occupational therapy does not have to do with jobs and occupations.

As children develop, parents and healthcare professionals monitor their progress in different ways. They will gauge how their development meets or differs from the average timeline of milestones a child’s growth tends to follow. The assessment and comparison of developmental milestones differs with every child, as they will develop skills at different rates.

Most parents, caregivers, teachers, babysitters, and guardians of children understand that there are typically difficult behaviors that can become a challenge to manage. The most common are things like having a meltdown, screaming, and crying to get something they want or need.

One way to practice mindfulness is through breathing exercises. Many occupational therapists and physical therapists will use deep breathing techniques like diaphragmatic breathing to assist in their goal of creating the highest level of independence possible for the lives of their patients.

For families with children, keeping them active during this #stayhomefornevada time is so important for everyone! When the local parks or school jungle gyms or equipment are closed, we have some ideas to share to keep kids active.

On average, 4.3 million children are reported as victims of child abuse and neglect. According to Childhelp.org, child abuse is reported every ten seconds in the United States. Interestingly, the CDC reports that there are about 4 million births per year are the result of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Knowing that there are almost 400,000 children in our foster care system, what is happening to cause the increase in abuse cases?

April is the month where we focus on the amazing work of occupational therapists! An OT or an OTA (occupational therapy assistant) assist others through therapeutic intervention to live their life with the maximum level of independence. Occupational therapists work with children during development and work with children with different learning or developmental abilities and we can celebrate them all year!

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) recognizes March as developmental disabilities awareness month. During this month, they highlight the facts and aim to raise awareness about inclusion for those who are differently abled.

Healthy eating is a component of a healthy lifestyle at any age. National Nutrition Month takes place every March and provides us the opportunity to check in on our nutrition and food choices.

Typically bleeding disorders involve blood clotting. During the process of coagulation (blood clotting), many factors come into play. Some individuals have an imbalance in their clotting process.

For those who have Down Syndrome, there are significant things to focus on through early childhood development. Here are some ways you can focus depending on your child’s age or stage of life.

March is Epilepsy Awareness Month, a time to educate people about the challenges faced by those with epilepsy and to raise awareness of the impact of this neurological disorder on individuals and their families.