Surviving the Holidays

We all have a picture in mind of the perfect holiday. The kids would be dressed in their sweet holiday outfits, singing songs, decorating cookies and behaving like perfect angels. Unfortunately...at my house, that never happens! We finally got our tree up and last night, the cat knocked it over just after midnight. Some gifts have been purchased, none have been wrapped. I think I have some paper somewhere but the tape has disappeared. Instead of Christmas carols the sounds I hear are my kids fighting...and the days keeping passing by! It feels like the holidays will be over before I am even ready for them to begin. 

If you are feeling the stress of the season, imagine how it feels for children. Especially children with language delays, sensory issues and other disabilities. There are lots of things you can do to help your child enjoy this time without becoming overwhelmed and in turn, it will help you out as well. 

1. Keep it simple! The truth is, what your kids really want is more of you. Not more stuff, more toys, more candy, more parties...they want to be with you doing simple things like reading stories, making simple crafts and helping in the kitchen. It doesn't have to be anything big and fancy, keep the holidays simple and you'll find your kids are calmer and happier.

2. Stay on a routine. Even if your routine for the holidays is different from your usual routine, kids need predictability. They need to know what is going to happen before it actually happens. A printed schedule of pictures or words can be helpful for the child who thrives on structure. Some parts of your child's normal routine like wake-up and bedtime routines, household responsibilities and mealtimes should remain consistent throughout the holiday season. It makes getting back on track in the new year much easier. 

3. Create a quiet place. If you entertain in your own home, designate a space that your child can go to if he or she feels the needs to escape the crowd. If you are going out, discuss ahead of time a way your child can alert you if he or she becomes overwhelmed and needs some down time.

Check out these other online resources for more helpful holiday tips:

Not Just Surviving the Holidays

The 12 Days of Coping

Holiday Survival Guide

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Down Syndrome Center

2016 Down Syndrome Center calendars are here!

The Down Syndrome Center
2016 Calendars are in!!!

Our calendars make a great holiday gift for your family, friends, teachers and other professionals. What an awesome way to support the work of Hope Haven's Down Syndrome Center in our effort to assist families in our own community and beyond. Your purchase helps fund therapies, programs and materials for our clients. At only $15 per calendar, these are a great buy! The calendars have beautiful professional photographs of some of our Down Syndrome Center clients. Information about the range of services Hope Haven provides is also included in the calendar. Please contact us at downsyndromecenter@hope-haven.org.


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Down Syndrome Awareness Month Spotlight on Kennedy

The Down Syndrome Center at Hope Haven

We are off to a wonderful October and heading toward our Buddy Walk on November 7th. This month we are celebrating some of our past and present clients with that little something extra. Today our star is...drum-roll please...

KENNEDY!!!

From Kennedy's mom:

What a great idea to celebrate Down syndrome awareness month and I love any chance I get to brag on Hope Haven. As Kennedy just celebrated her 3rd birthday, I'm especially thankful for Mrs. Kris. When we first started regular therapy with Kris, at about 4 months old, we had no idea we'd be meeting one of our biggest cheerleaders. One of my favorite things about Mrs. Kris, aside from her singing, is the fact that she always treats Kennedy as a unique individual. She never uses the diagnosis to classify what our girl is or isn't capable of or how she should be treated. Kennedy is her own unique person in Kris' eyes and is always loved and challenged with a fun mix of songs and play with her "work." Mrs. Kris deserves so much praise for her dedication to excellent service. 

We are thankful for all of the growth that Kennedy has experienced at Hope Haven and look forward to continuing that growth with your wonder team of therapists.

Thank you for sharing your experience with Hope Haven and Mrs. Kris. We think she's awesome too!

    Hope Haven website

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If you'd like more information on our Down Syndrome Center,

please email us at downsyndromecenter@hope-haven.org

. 

Boys Will Be Boys!

Today we celebrate 2 of our little buddies from our kindergarten class. Before school started, they did not know each other. As you can see, they are now great friends. They love to greet each other each morning and they get into lots of mischief together. They can usually be found in the reading center looking at books, laughing, talking and making noises that little boys like to make. These 2 seem to find each other no matter what we are doing at school, they just want to be together.

Isn't that what we want for all our kids? To find meaningful friendships with others who like the same things. To be a valued part of a classroom community is the right of every child. We are so thankful to have these 2 friends be a part of our first kindergarten class. A class where every child is included, valued, loved and cherished. A great beginning to a wonderful school year.

   

Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Today is October 1st and also the first day of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. We are going to take this month to share with you some of our favorite people. They are our favorites because they make us laugh, they inspire us, they make us wonder and they bring us joy. They can also exasperate us, aggravate us, exhaust us and make us question our own sanity! They are sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, students, friends and family. Oh...and they also have Down syndrome. It is not who they are, it's just a part of them. One part of the many things that make a person who they are. And while that part makes them different, there is much more that is alike than different.

People with Down syndrome have hopes, dreams and desires like we all do. Fortunately, more of them are able to realize those dreams but we still have a long way to go. Although there are now many more opportunities for people with all types of disabilities, we are a long way from where we need to be. Until then, we must continue to do the hard work, have the uncomfortable conversations and press forward to ensure all people with Down syndrome are provided with what they need to be successful. 

The Down Syndrome Center at Hope Haven is proud to be a service provider for families of children with Down syndrome and other special needs. From brand new babies to young adults and every age in between, we can help you navigate the journey of parenting a child with a disability. We can also provide you with therapies, educational advocacy, summer camps, preschool, kindergarten and tutoring. Please contact us with any questions. 

terrig@hope-haven.org

Hope Haven Discovery Kindergarten needs you!

Are You Ready for Kindergarten?

Hope Haven Discovery Kindergarten challenges

children of ALL ability levels to reach their

greatest potential. Although we are new to kindergarten, we are growing by leaps and bounds! We are looking for an energetic, creative, patient and loving person to join our education team as a kindergarten classroom assistant. 

If you have experience working with preschool or kindergarten age children, this may be the right job for you. We need someone to be in the classroom Monday through Friday from 7:30 am-12:30 pm. If you are interested, please email me at terrig@hope-haven.org

I can promise you one thing, you will LOVE being back in kindergarten!  

Hope Haven's website: Hope Haven

The Down Syndrome Center's website: The Down Syndrome Center

The Down Syndrome Center on Facebook: The Down Syndrome Center

The Down Syndrome Center at Hope Haven

 

Spotlight on Speech and Language

Why say ‘goodbye’ to the prized pacifier?

Do you have a toddler that is still using a pacifier?  Does the thought of throwing all pacifiers away scare you, as a parent?  I know how you feel!  The thought of change and taking something away that soothes your child is stressful, overwhelming, and scary.  Many Speech Language Pathologists recommend using a pacifier to stimulate a suckle at birth but by the time your baby turns one it is time to say goodbye to the pacifier.  So why do many Speech Language Pathologists recommend not using a pacifier after your child turns one or if they don’t need to stimulate the suck reflex?  Pacifiers can create an open bite that can in return affect speech production and tongue retraction.  Sound distortions are then difficult, if not impossible, to fix because of structural problems.  Many children then need to be referred to an orthodontist/dentist to fix any structural issues before beginning speech therapy.  Using a pacifier for a prolonged period of time also causes problems with tongue retraction because many children place their tongue under the nipple and use their tongue to suck.  So say ‘goodbye’ to these treasured pacifiers before it is too late! 

-Meredith Heck

MA-CCC/SLP

Hope Haven's Heroes

It's Buddy Walk time!

Join our Buddy Walk team and help raise awareness and funding for people with Down syndrome right here in our own community. Hope Haven has our own Buddy Walk team and we need you! You can join our team and the funds raised allow the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville to help families access vital therapies and programs. Follow the link below to join!

Hope Haven's Buddy Walk Team

Check us out on Facebook!

The Down Syndrome Center on Facebook

Hope Haven Children's Clinic and Family Center website

Hope Haven

Welcome to our new blog!

You learn something new every day!

For our kindergartners, it may be shapes and colors. For this not-so-young learner, it is how to blog. Today is the first day and I am jumping in head first with both eyes open. Technology has advanced and so must I. It used to be that a note in the mail or a newsletter in a backpack was the way we communicated but today we live in a new world. Everything moves faster and so it's time to catch up! 

Keep your eyes on our blog to find out all the exciting things that are happening at the Down Syndrome Center. Like my friend here, I'm going to work hard and try to keep up with the changing times. 

I hope you will all join me on this new adventure.

Terri George

Program Director

The Down Syndrome Center at Hope Haven Children's Clinic and Family Center

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The Down Syndrome Center at Hope Haven Children's Clinic and Family Center

To find out more information, please visit our website.