Pop! Pop! Pop! Bubbles! BUBBLES are a GREAT TOOL to encourage development!

by Michelle Yuen, PT Every kid loves to pop bubbles, go ahead have lots of bubble popping fun – here are some activities ideas to help improve your child’s development! Catch bubbles. You can catch big bubbles with wet hands! So immerse your hands in the bubble mixture and catch and play with bubbles in your hands.  This […]

Baby won’t let go to take steps?

👉 Is your little one is only standing but won’t take steps? Most likely, they need more time! On average, it takes most children 2-3 months from when they are standing/cruising to start stepping on their own. 

PLAY Project as a treatment for Autism….What Does the Research Say?

When you have concerns about your child, you want the best possible help for them, especially in the early years when intervention is so key. Here’s some information about the research behind PLAY Project as well as a comparison chart comparing PLAY Project techniques/goals to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques/goals. Is there evidence that the […]

PLAY Project- Information for Parents

In summer 2021, Shine added the PLAY Project to our list of offerings, hiring PLAY Project consultant Brenna Thompson! We are so excited to welcome her to Central Illinois! We have had LOTS of questions about PLAY Project, so here’s a quick Q & A about the program: What is the PLAY Project?  The PLAY […]

“Why are you just playing when I want my child to talk?”

By PLAY Project Consultant, Brenna …. But I want my child to talk!!! This is what I hear from families very very very often. As a parent, I understand how helpful this is! If our kiddos could just TELL us what they need, life would be SO MUCH easier, right!? While I completely understand the […]

Working on Sitting Skills with Baby

You don’t need a fancy new toy to motivate your little one. Something as simple as a ball can be used to encourage your little one to sit! The Dollar Store is a great place to find a ball to use if you don’t already have one at home.

Top 5 Things I Learned as a New Early Intervention Therapist ~ by Haley, Shine DT

Shine Developmental Therapist (DT) Haley wrote this list 2 months after joining us. Early Intervention in Illinois is a State run program, and as such can be cumbersome and confusing to navigate at first. However, there are so many positives to the family-based team approach! Let’s read about Haley’s Top 5 as a new therapist […]

An 8-week program for children age 3-6 with sensory processing differences

Children with sensory processing differences have difficulty with regulation, which sometimes makes it difficult for them to interact with the world around them. Our Sensory Explorers group targets regulation in order to build engagement! This group is led by pediatric occupational therapists Mackenzie Baldock (2:30 group) OR Meghan Day (8:30 group) and developmental therapist/PLAY Project Consultant Brenna Thompson, all of whom specialize in using developmentally appropriate strategies to support children so they can learn new skills. Group meets once/week for 60 minutes.

Wondering if this class is appropriate for your child? Some characteristics of kids who benefit: easily frustrated with play, repetitive play, difficulty sitting/keeping still to engage in play, refuses to allow others to engage in play, unable to be messy, overly busy, quickly overwhelmed in a busy environment, picky eater, difficulty tolerating grooming/dressing/diapering routines, struggles with transitions/following a group plan/routine. 

Goals of the group include:

  • Child participating in a variety of sensory play activities
  • Engaging socially with others in the group
  • Providing a non threatening environment where children can experience new sensations with the support of a pediatric Occupational Therapist and PLAY Project consultant
  • Providing personalized resources to caregivers, so they better understand the sensory system and learn strategies to assist their child with regulation outside of group
  • Opportunity to meet with other local families
 
 

GROUP MEETS for 8 weeks:  Caregivers must stay on the premises to support their child and learn helpful strategies. Children will separate from caregivers for the session; caregivers can socialize in the lobby (we will also provide a few toys for siblings to play). Caregiver education is a key component of this program. 

 

OPTIONAL Summary Report available at close of session. This 2 page report will summarize your child’s participation in the class and provide helpful sensory strategies to increase their participation in activities. This report could be given to teachers in classrooms & daycares or utilized to help educate other caregivers about ways to help your child participate. This option includes a 30 minute Zoom meeting with Brenna and MacKenzie/Brenna and Meghan to review the report and discuss your child’s progress in Sensory Explorers. COST: $100 due at sign up