By: Casey Parr, Community Outreach and Marketing Specialist A natural part of growing up is for children to continually take on more responsibility as they crave independence. Did you know that the toys you choose for your child, even from a young age, can help them develop independence? The category 
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By: Jamie Hepburn, Gigi’s Playhouse and Penfield Children’s Center Children with Down syndrome enjoy learning and playing, spending time with friends, creating art and so much more! It’s important to encourage your child to be friends with children of all abilities. Here are do’s and don’ts for being a good 
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By: Natasha Griffin, M.Ed. Family Studies, Katie Beckett Medicaid Consultant, Penfield Children’s Center Children love to learn through play. As they explore their world, they develop skills that will carry them through life. A great way to encourage your child’s love of learning is by making a sensory bin. This 
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By: Kathleen Llaurado, Speech and Language Pathologist at Penfield Montessori Academy Is my child a “late bloomer” or does he have a language delay? The stages a child passes through in the development of speech and language are consistent.  However, the age when they hit these developmental milestones varies a 
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By: Stephanie Shabangu, Penfield Children’s Center Reviewed by: Patty Cotter, PT, C/NDT, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Department Supervisor and Jayne Emerson, OTR, Penfield Children’s Center These days, stores abound with adorable baby shoes of all shapes and colors. It can be tempting to pick out the cutest furry boots 
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By: Rebecca Michelsen, M.Ed., MCHES Getting ready for kindergarten can be both an exciting time and anxious time in a child’s life.  He may be excited because he is old enough to go to school, but he may be nervous about a lot of the unknowns that come with starting 
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Did you know? Crawling, playing with blocks and learning the alphabet song actually help develop handwriting skills down the road. As your child gets older, finger painting and coloring with markers and crayons help fine tune motor skills and prepare your child for handwriting success!
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Gini Schulist, M.S., CCC-SLP and Vladimir Bjelic, M.S., CCC-SLP As early as infancy, your child begins to make noises and respond to sounds in his environment. The first three years of life, when your child’s brain is experiencing rapid growth, is an especially intensive time for speech and language development. 
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Toilet or potty training is a topic that causes many parents a great deal of anxiety. Now imagine toilet training a child with Special Needs. Maybe the child is non-verbal and unable to communicate his needs. Or maybe the child has cognitive delays and cannot grasp the concept. For children 
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Fine motor skills are those that involve a refined use of the small muscles which control the hand, fingers and thumb. With the development of these skills, a child is able to complete important tasks such as writing, feeding oneself, buttoning and zippering. These abilities gradually develop through experience and 
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