As a parent, managing the needs of your child can be taxing and a constant, 24/7 job. While some conditions and diagnoses happen at birth or even before, there are some childhood chronic illnesses that can be prevented. It is important to understand what those measures of prevention are and how to employ them for yourself and your family.

June is National Safety Month. During this month, we aim to provide additional info for parents or families who want to learn more about how to impact their lives with the best safety measures in mind. This year, many of us have found ourselves “at home” more than ever before.

Family Health & Fitness Day is June 13th this year. Are you ready to get fit and have a ton of fun with your family? Then you are in the right place!

During the past few years, everyone has endured heightened stress levels and changes to their normal routine. For families with children, the disruption to routine likely caused children to stay home from school, parents to work from home, or countless other possible situations that changed the normal routine at home.

A common issue for children as they are developing important muscle structures is their core strength in their trunk. While it is very typical to see a little one “W-sitting” - that is, sitting with your ankles on the outside of your bent knees - it is an important position to correct if you notice that a child in your life often position themselves this way.

Individuals of all ages may struggle with sensory processing issues. Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in particular may experience sensory overload in certain situations. Sensory integration is the process in which your brain understands and manages the varying sensory input it receives.

Developing language skills is critical for children to adequately communicate in our world. When a child (or person of any age) has trouble forming and understanding words, it is typically referred to as aphasia. June is aphasia awareness month and approximately two million people in the United States have aphasia.

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.