Dear Melissa: My son is in kindergarten and is having difficulty with holding a pencil, cutting, and other fine motor tasks. Is there anything we can do at home to help improve his fine motor skills? Before I delve into this question, let me give you my philosophy on...

I am often asked by parents, “How do I make my kids mind? It seems as if they are always getting in trouble!”  Parenting is tough. Kids test boundaries. Kids develop their own opinions and personalities. It is our job as parents to raise productive members of society...

In last week’s blog, I discussed some simple tips that my family has been using the last couple months to get us out of a boring dinner rut. But what if you really do have a picky eater? In the therapy world, there is the distinction between a “picky eater” and a...

This blog's question comes from my own son, Henry. Henry (while looking over my shoulder at Facebook):  Hey Mommy, what video are you watching on your computer? That looks yummy! Can we watch that video again? Can you make THAT for dinner? I have covered picky eating...

Dear Melissa,  Now that colder temperatures are hitting, I am noticing that my 7 year old son has great difficulty buttoning and zipping his coat. Do you have any suggestions?   It’s easy to forget about dressing skills in the carefree days of summer....

Halloween is coming! If your kids are anything like mine, they have been dreaming about their costumes for weeks already! I am very fortunate to live in a large neighborhood that is FANTASTIC for trick-or-treaters. Therefore, I have around 200 little pumpkins and...

Did you know that September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month? I know I am a tiny bit late, but better late than never, right? I actually didn’t know that September was Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month until I stumbled upon an article that TEAM speech therapist,...

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. In the United States in 2016, an estimated 10,380 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed among children from birth to 14 years, and about 1,250 children are expected to die from the disease. Although pediatric cancer death...

The Paralympic Games are underway in Rio in September. And like the Olympic Games, we again see a lot of brightly colored tape on the skin of world-class athletes. I was recently asked about the purpose of this tape. In the health profession we call this “super...

Everyone loves a good story about a boy who loves his dog, right? So, today I share an interview with a 15 year old young man, named Leks, who has a service dog named Megan. Megan is truly a working dog. She not only works with Leks, but she also works here at...

Last week we explored the question of what constitutes a "service animal" and discussed the differences between a service animal and a comfort companion. To recap: Service animal - provides a particular action/task for an individual with a disability and is protected...

Dear Melissa, My son will be getting a Poodle puppy in a few weeks. How do I go about getting it certified as a service dog? I would like my son to be able to take it to Wal-Mart with him so that he is calmer while I am shopping. I have been asked this question many...

Dear Melissa,  As summer is starting to wind down, and the school supply lists are popping up at my local Wal-Mart, my first grade son is becoming more and more anxious about returning to school, even though it is the same school he attended last year for...

picture of the Cunningham Twins compliments of Sarah Pope Photography What is torticollis?  Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) becomes evident shortly after birth. A key muscle in the baby’s neck is tighter on one side of the neck than the other side. This causes...

Just as with the Drowning Risks and Prevention blog, this week's blog will be a bit more of a public service announcement as opposed to answering an actual parent question. As the mercury keeps rising on these summer days, I notice how hot my car is every afternoon...

This week's blog is not a parent question. Rather, it was a request my own mother made last year - to run a water-safety blog at the beginning of summer each year. So, in discussing the special needs child: drowning risks and prevention, I begin with current...

  Dear Melissa,  I have a student in my preschool classroom who I think would benefit from physical therapy. How do I know when a child needs a PT referral?   As a mama who still has a youngster in preschool, I frequently get pulled aside by preschool teachers or...

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May as "National Asthma and Allergy Awareness month," and May 8 - 14, 2016 was Food Allergy Awareness week, deemed so by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). We're a little late with this post,...

Featured in the Peekaboo Magazine, TEAM OT Melissa Foster shares her tips for thriving on trips with kids. The car trip games and activities she suggests can help make long trips more enjoyable for everyone!  

Dear Melissa,  I am concerned that my 1 ½ year old son is only saying a few words and may need to be in speech therapy. I try to search developmental milestones on the Internet, but keep seeing scary stories of language delays being a sign of Autism. How do I know...

Did you know that we have a celebrity right here at Children’s Therapy Team? Our own Ms. Tabitha Mayberry is not only a fantastic speech therapist, but was recently named Ms. Wheelchair Arkansas! On April 20, 2016, Tabitha went to the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion and...

Dear Melissa, I have a 4 year old “typical” grandson who seems a bit behind in several areas. I am worried that he won’t be ready for kindergarten next year. How do I know if he would benefit from some type of therapy to help him be better prepared? I, too, have a...

Dear Melissa, My 3 year old son is in physical therapy for falling a lot and general clumsiness. His physical therapist said that my son may benefit from occupational therapy as well. What is occupational therapy and how is it different from PT? As I tend to do many...