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Author: Carolina Therapy Connection

Carolina Therapy Connection Expands into Goldsboro

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Now offering Occupational Therapy Services in Goldsboro, NC!

With our Greenville expansion and renovation completed, we are now developing therapy services in Goldsboro, NC to carry out our mission of “informing families, enriching lives, changing futures.”  Serving the Goldsboro area aligns directly with our vision “to be the regional leader of skilled processionals providing diverse, collaborative services for children and their families.” 

We are excited to open a satellite office that will encompass occupational therapy services and grow to include speech language therapy.  We offer occupational therapy services in the home, community, and in an office setting for those in and around Goldsboro.  Occupational therapy works with children, birth thru adolescence, to develop their skills to engage in everyday activities to their best of their ability.

Diagnoses we serve:

  • Developmental Delay
  • Autism Spectrum
  • ADHD/ADD
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Downs Syndrome
  • Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Fine Motor/Gross Motor Delays
  • Feeding Delays (Picky eaters)
  • Behavior Issues
  • Handwriting Concerns

Treatment techniques we use:

Occupational Therapists may…

  • help kids work on fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills
  • address hand–eye coordination to improve kids’ play and school skills (hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from a blackboard, etc.)
  • help kids with developmental delays learn basic tasks (such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves)
  • help kids with behavioral disorders maintain positive behaviors in all environments (e.g., instead of hitting others or acting out, using positive ways to deal with anger, such as writing about feelings or participating in a physical activity)
  • teach kids with physical disabilities the coordination skills needed to feed themselves, use a computer, or increase the speed and legibility of their handwriting
  • evaluate a child’s need for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, or dressing equipment
  • work with kids who have sensory and attentional issues to improve focus and social skills

Interested in learning more about our services in Goldsboro?

Contact us today by phone or email to learn more about our services for your child!

Are You and Your Child Frustrated With Homework?

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How Can an Educational Assessment be Beneficial to You and Your Child?

It is officially fall – that means football, costumes, hayrides, pumpkin spiced lattes (and everything else pumpkin flavored you can dream up) and HOMEWORK. (Wait, homework?).

Yes, if your evenings are like many other parents, it consists of long, grueling nights of frustration, confusion, and nagging.

Chances are your child has been “back to school” long enough for you to begin to see patterns. How much homework is the teacher giving? When is it due? You should know the teacher’s expectations and how your child is responding. Are they frustrated? Do you hear things like…I’m not good at reading? Math is stupid…why do I have to do this dumb stuff anyway?

Many parents accept this conflict with their children as an unavoidable consequence of responsible parenting. Arguing, punishing, and refusing to help rarely result in improved performance in school – and certainly no progress toward what should be our ultimate goal: helping children enjoy learning and have a positive school experience.

The solution to the problem of homework always begins with an accurate diagnosis and a recognition of the demands placed on your child. Parents should never assume that a child who resists doing homework is “lazy.” Your child may be anxious, frustrated, discouraged, distracted, and even angry- but this is not laziness.

To provide the best environment for your child, it is beneficial to create a homework plan. Our Educational Specialist recommends:

  • Breakdown homework by task: Pick one small task that your child can do to get started.
  • During the homework hour, all electronics are turned off, for the entire family.
  • Most elementary school children are able to work more effectively in a common area, with a parent nearby. Parents may work on other projects during this time, but should be available to help, to offer encouragement, and to answer children’s questions. Parents: avoid engaging in phone conversations during this time and be available if your child needs help.
  • Set aside a specified (and limited) time for homework. Set a time after school, after dinner, or a time that works best with your family’s schedule.
  • Be positive and encouraging. Make note of every improvement, not every mistake.
  • Avoid nagging and punishments. Give your child time to adjust and do not assume their lack of desire to complete a task is because they are unmotivated.

If you are already doing many of these recommendations with no real improvement in behavior, it is time to sit down with our Educational Specialist for an assessment of how our Educational Services can help!

Our Educational Specialist, Becky Taylor has over 40 years of experience helping children have a successful learning experience. For more information on pricing and what this process looks like visit our website: Educational Services

Q: Who would benefit from an Educational Assessment of Academic Achievement?

A: Reaching a decision to have an educational assessment typically comes after a period of struggle, distress, and various strategies to help improve the educational process. This assessment is an important step to help a student achieve success and for a parent to better understand how to address areas of concern. Results of this testing will address:

  • Academic achievement
  • Academic levels of functioning in:
  • Math
  • Written expression
  • Language
  • Reading
  • Academic readiness
  • Academic potential
  • Learning style
  • Attention difficulties
  • Communication skills

Results from this comprehensive assessment will provide important information in developing a plan of remediation.

Q: What is involved in an Educational Assessment?

A: Educational evaluations are comprised of informal assessments, standardized tests, evaluator observation, criteria-referenced tests, checklists and interviews. Test scores are analyzed to better understand the student’s areas of learning strengths and needs. The evaluation will include specific recommendations to address what is going on with the student.

Q: What happens after the Educational Assessment?

A: Once the comprehensive Educational Assessment is completed, an appointment will be scheduled with the parent to meet with our Educational Specialist. This follow-up conference will include a summary of the results and recommendations going forward to help the student achieve their greatest potential.

Q: What information can I gain from an Educational Consultation?

A: Consultation and review can be very useful in determining the next best step to address educational problems. Oftentimes, there is a complexity of learning challenges (attention, behavior, speech/language, social interactions, academic) that need to be addressed. Often, a parent has questions about response and services provided by the school; needing to accurately know the areas of academic strengths and weaknesses; or the implementation of services.

Q: How do I get started with the Educational Assessment process?

A: Getting started is easy! Contact us on our website www.carolinatherapyconnection.com or call our clinic at 252-341-9944 to connect with our staff. We will schedule an appointment to meet with our Educational Specialist.

Speech and Language Development

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Speech and Language Development

All children have speech variations during their early language development. Perhaps your child switches different consonants or still mixes words with baby talk. All of these things are normal to a certain age. Some children grow out of these practices or figure out articulation once they have learned to read and see how things are spelled. Many parents wonder is this normal for a child their age, or is there a problem? And if so, what should they do?

Is This Normal?

“Parents should be able to understand at least 50% of what a toddler is saying by their second birthday. By age three, parents should understand most (90%) of what a child is saying. By age four, strangers should understand most (90%) of what a child is saying,” says Laura Mize, a pediatric speech-language pathologist in her blog, Teach Me to Talk.

Thankfully, there are developmental milestones that can help determine if your child needs help with articulation. Teach Me to Talk has a list of first targets for speech intelligibility in toddlers.

What Do I Look For?

The first question to ask yourself is Is my child using the correct number of syllables in a word? 

Even if your child is not saying words perfectly, look for the correct use of syllables. This helps with determining what word they are trying to say, and helps differentiate from other words that may have similar sounds. If your child is having trouble with this, try clapping out syllables to help them hear the difference. This will help with communication before they use full sentences.

Next, Is my child using correct vowel sounds in words? 

If your child has an issue with dropping particular vowels, you can introduce those sounds in play. Using troublesome vowels as sound effects while playing helps your child become familiar with a sound that is difficult for them.

Can my child use two different vowel sounds in words, or does he always copy the first sound for the next syllable?

When a child is learning to speak, repeating vowels, such as “baba” for bottle, are used to simplify words. However, some children do not grow out of this stage, and therefore need help learning how to change the second vowel.

The next question to ask is, Is my child learning consonant sounds in the beginnings of words and syllables? 

Omitting beginning consonant sounds make if very hard to understand what a child is saying, especially when many words are strung together in a full sentence. Speech therapy is a wonderful tool to help a child develop those missing sounds.

And lastly, Is my child using ending consonant sounds? 

Dropping endings, lisping, and ending in vowel sounds instead of the desired consonant are some of the most common reasons for speech therapy. There are many tips and tricks to help a child learn and be aware of those ending sounds.

What Is The Next Step?

If you notice your child is not reaching these milestones, there are options! Speech therapy is a wonderful tool that not only helps your child with their speech, but it also helps with communication, comprehension, social skills, expanding vocabulary, articulation, and many other areas. If your child is in need of therapy, it is best to begin as soon as possible. Children enrolled in therapy early (before they’re 5 years old) tend to have better outcomes than those who begin therapy later. Older kids may progress at a slower rate, because they often have learned patterns that need to be changed.

ASHA describes articulation disorders as the difficulty of producing sounds in syllables or saying words incorrectly to the point that listeners can’t understand what’s being said.

Mommy Speech Therapy gives a great overview of the process of articulation therapy. “First practice the sound in isolation, then in syllables, words, sentences, stories, conversation and finally generalizing the target sound in all contexts of language.”

Where Should My Child Go?

There are various approaches to articulation therapy. Our speech therapists here at Carolina Therapy Connection are specialized in articulation therapy, and each session is designed with your child’s specific needs in mind. They physically show the child how to make certain sounds, and may demonstrate how to move the tongue to produce specific sounds. Not only do our therapists work with your child, but they work with you as a parent to enhance learning in the home.

One of the many strengths of Carolina Therapy Connection is the multi-disciplined aspect of our clinic. Some children with speech needs only need speech therapy, but often, children have a need for other therapy as well. We offer speech therapy, feeding therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and educational assessments. Our therapists are trained to notice any other needs for children they treat, and can help determine if an evaluation is needed. Our focus is the wellness of the child. All of our therapists work together to insure they are receiving all the help they need to reach their highest potential!

speech therapy for kids