Many children have different health issues caused by brain and spinal cord injuries and brain tumors, as well as orthopedic impairments. I have written in previous blogs about children with Other Health Impairments (OHI) and explained that the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) uses (OHI) as one of the 14 classifications for children with chronic […]
Author: Patty Weiner
Patty Weiner is a mother and grandmother whose career spans over thirty-five years as a child life specialist and educator. With an MS in Special Education, she served as the Director of Child Life and Education Services at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Medical Center. She was the founding Director of the Master’s Degree program in Child Life at Bank Street College of Education in New York. Patty is presently and educational consultant for The Making Headway Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to children with brain and spinal cord tumors and their families. She is the author of the parent guide, Taking Your Child To The Doctor Or The Hospital: Helpful suggestions and practical tips to make your child’s visit more comfortable.
A Parent’s Guide to School for Kids with Special Healthcare Needs
Children with special healthcare needs should have an individual healthcare plan (IHP) to clarify exactly what medical care or accommodations they need in school, when they need it, and who is going to provide it.
How Parents Can Help Their Children To Be Better Readers
You don’t need to take a course… It’s inexpensive… it is joyful and it will make a difference. You can help your child be a better reader by talking, smiling, gently touching, singing, playing baby games, reading aloud, reading and being responsive to your newborns – beginning at birth – for 15 minutes or more, wherever […]
Why Play is So Important
There has been so much researched and written about play, that I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the great resources on WHY children should play. Dr. David Elkind asserts, “If we encourage and facilitate children’s true play, we bequeath them an important and priceless gift, an album of joyous […]
Reading to Babies: Building Better Brains
“The greatness of the human personality begins at the hour of birth. From this almost mystic affirmation there comes what might seem a strange conclusion: that education must start from birth.” -Maria Montessori The most recent research by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2014 states that babies should be read to by their […]
Home With Your Baby
You are home with your brand new baby. You and your significant other took courses, read books, made sure you had purchased all the ‘right’ baby equipment. You set up the nursery, interviewed pediatricians – and perhaps met a few. You’ve talked with lots of moms about classes for babies and, while in the hospital, […]
Suggested Reading for Children and Parents About Going to the Doctor or Hospital
I have written blogs in the past about tips and suggestions along with coping techniques when you take your child to the doctor or the hospital. Books about healthcare experiences should present helpful information for children in a truthful and encouraging manner. The following is a list of good books for children and also for […]
Preparing for Your Child’s Medical Visits: Comforting Techniques
This blog was written to help you learn some ways to deal with difficulties or fears your infant/child may have about medical visits. Many of the suggested strategies, techniques and distractions discussed may already be familiar. It is important to remember to use them at the time your infant/child is afraid or upset. It is […]