One of the programs offered by North Valley Pediatric Therapy is applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. The following information is a brief introduction into ABA, including where it originated, principles used, and skills that may be targeted. It is not intended to be a full review of ABA and/or to be used to determine if...

It’s not surprising that parents want their children to be the best that they can be in whatever they do, including sports. Being the best takes time, though. And repetition. Frequent training. Dedication. The list goes on and on. For a skeletally mature adult, the physical nature of high-intensity training is tolerable and the body...

What are Reflexes? Primitive Reflexes are reflexes that develop in the brain stem before birth. They are involuntary reactions that help the baby with positioning in the womb, birthing, breathing, feeding, and gross motor skills. Most of these primitive reflexes go away throughout the first year of life. However, if primitive reflexes persist they can...

We talk a lot about intervention with preschool and primary-age children, but today we are going to be talking in depth about young adults in speech therapy. Specifically, we are focusing on life skills like social, vocational, and communication skills. When we build upon skills for the success of our older clients, we are providing...

Tummy time: an infant activity that many parents dread, but with the right strategies, that does not have to be the case! What is tummy time? It can be defined as time spent laying on an infant’s belly in a horizontal position. For example, when a baby is positioned on their belly while playing on...

A lot of you may have heard of the Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup by now. Labeled as the “miracle cup”, the 360 cup offers a spill proof design; what could possibly be wrong with that? The Miracle 360 Cup may seem like a convenient, mess free way to drink liquids with little ones. But, let...

What is AAC and could my child benefit from it? My child isn’t talking and we have tried boards, pictures and some ASL, but he still isn’t talking much. Do any of these questions or comments sound familiar?  AAC, or Alternative Augmentative Communication consists of gestures, icons, SGD (speech generating devices), pictures, eyegaze, headpointing, switches...

Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, and Phonics There tends to be confusion between the following terms: phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. These skills are interrelated in reading and spelling, yet do not mean the same thing. It is important to know the difference between these skills to effectively help your child learn strategies to read...

During the summertime, parents get a well-deserved break from running their kids from place to place. While your kids are in school, your life may follow a set routine making it easy to get each task completed by the end of the day. Between summer camps, sports, and vacations your childs’ therapy might be forgotten....

Channeling your child’s inner “yogi” can be an easy and fun activity that has numerous benefits for the mind and body. Although yoga helps with strengthening and flexibility, it can also provide children with important life skills to help them succeed. Yoga can improve a child’s emotional regulation, decrease feelings of anxiety, boost their self-esteem,...