Kids Atoz With Dr. T

Today’s Brains in Toyland segment regards screen time and the use of various media in early childhood. Our guest is Candis Grover, Director of Literacy & Spanish Development at ReadyRosie, an organization that provides fun and family-friendly resources to help parents prepare children for school. We’ll talk about the screen time and digital media use recommendations of The American Academy of Pediatrics, how to engage with your child, and the use of technology in education. We hope you and joy. Dont forget to follow us on Facebook! Best, The KidsAtoZ Team

Today’s Brains in Toyland episode we talk about combining sign language and music to foster communicationin early childhood. Our guest is Lora Heller, a Board Certified Music Therapist and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, and Author with a Master of Science in Special Education/Deaf Education. We’ll talk about American Sign Language and the pros and cons of homemade signs and gestures, the ideal age to introduce signing, what signs are great to teach first, how to involve music for great success, and more For more information about Laura and her services please visit her website, Baby Fingers.   We hope you enjoy! The KidsAtoZ Team

Certified Music Development Specialist Ekanem Ebinne returns to talk to us about the impact that music has on early child development and some of the science that supports it. She will talk to us about developmental music psychology, the types of professionals that use this in their work, and why she has decided to do research in this area. Learn more about her and the great services she provides to families through her website: MotherInTune. Enjoy! Dr.T and the Kids AtoZ Team  

Potty Training is physical, intellectual, AND emotional milestone for children. In this Brains in Toyland episode we are talking with Dr. Ingrid Crowther, expert childhood educator and consultant and the Executive Director of Lifelong Learn. Dr. Crowther will talk to us about the changes a child goes through, the stages of toilet training, and strategies parents can consider. We’ll address what predicts how ready a child is to begin potty training, muscle and sensory changes, how comprehension plays a roll, and much more. Tune in live or download our podcasts anytime. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook too! We hope you enjoy. Best, The KidsAtoZ Team

Today’s Brains in Toyland segment regards water safety for young children and the benefits swimming has on the developing child. We have Lorene Janowski, a Life Guard/Water Safety Instructor and Advanced Clinician of Occupational Therapy in the pediatric rehabilitation program at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Are those inflatable arm bands a hidden danger? When is the best time to introduce children to swimming? What is the overall impact on devvelopment? We'll look at these questions and more.  We believe you’ll find it helpful. Don’t forget to follow of on Facebook and the show site as well as Twitter. Best, The KidsAtoZ Team

In today's Brains in Toyland episode we have Dr. Samantha Rodman, Dr. Psych Mom, sharing best practices for talking to children about divorce. We’ll address topics like breaking the news, fostering open dialogue, and working to ensure that a child’s emotional needs are met during this difficult family period. You can learn more about Dr. Psych Mom and her services at her website.  We hope you find our conversation helpful. Best, The KidsAtoZ Team ... Don't forget to follow us on Facebook for more great information on child development!  

One-on-one time is terribly important to have with your kids. It's often so hard to find the time. Chores are also an important part of developing a wide variety of skills like planning, organization, problem solving, independence, good sense of self worth, and more. Today we are chatting with Art Therapist Reina Lombardi to discuss creative and fun ways to combine these two important aspects of child development to make a great impact.  We hope you enjoy.         

At Kids AtoZ with Dr. T we bring you information about the five areas of child development, physical, intellectual, social-emotional, emotional, and moral so parents can empower their children to thrive. Today’s “All-Star Playroom” segment is called “Breast Feeding: A mother’s experience with La Leche League” Our guest is Rebecca Loonin. She’s a mom, an advocate of breast feeding, and active participant in La Leche League. We’ll be talking about this international nonprofit organization founded for mothers to be able to support one another. We’ll address its infrastructure, meeting topics, and the respectful philosophy La Leche advocates. We hope you enjoy. The KidsAtoZ Team  

Welcome to Kids AtoZ with Dr. T, bringing you information about the five areas of child development so parents can empower their children to thrive. Today’s “Brains in Toyland” segment is calledLanguage Development Birth to 6 Months: Building Skills, Relationships, & More Melanie Feller, MS, CCC-SLP is returning to talk to us about speech and language development in children birth to six months of age, what to expect, and how to foster great development. You can listen to our last interview called Floortime Play: Fostering Intellectual, Motor, & Emotional Development You can also learn more about Melanie and the services she provides at her website Alphabet Sour Speech Consultants Enjoy. The KidsAtoZ Team

Mouth development is a notably under-addressed area of child development. This “Brains in Toyland” episode will address what parents should know about teething and drooling in children. We have feeding, speech, and mouth development specialist, Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP. She is a speech-language pathologist and author of Nobody Ever Told Me (or My Mother) That! Everything from Bottles and Breathing to Healthy Speech Development. She is one of the foremost resources on Feeding, Speech, and Mouth development and functioning. You can learn more and even take webinars at her website www.agesandstages.net Hope you enjoy. 

Today’s “Brains in Toyland” segment is called “Positive Parenting and Effective Discipline” Our guest is Dr. Joshua Rosenthal a child psychologist in New York City. We’ll be talking talk about his workshop called, “Positive Parenting & Effective Discipline” that he offers to parents for children between the ages of 2 and 7 years. We’ll address the principals of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and his approaches and styles as a clinician including concepts of  “Earlier is Better” and “Input versus Output.” Would you tell us about these. As always we’ll talk about what he, as a professional, wished parents knew, address common questions parents often have, and end with our  “Five Fantastic Facts for Families”. We invite you to email with questions info@kidsAtoZ.com , follow us on BlogTalkRadio, Facebook, and Twitter. Have a great day.

The Dad Beats are four rockin' dads who describe themselves as "a power quartet wrapped in a playdate with a hootenanny garnish." We'll talk about how their music brings families together and inspires children to be creative.  Their fun music with surf, rock, and country flairs foster important life lessons and skills with songs like, “I Will Not Crush My Baby Brother” and “Dad, Put Down the Phone.” Visit their website to listen to their music, see where they are performing, and contact them to play an unforgettable playdate near you. As always, send your questions and suggestions to info@KidsAtoZ.com  You can follorw Dr T and the show on BlogTalkRadio, Facebook, and Twitter.  Enjoy!

If a child is born with a disability or disorder the challenges can be great. Many parents are not aware of their rights, the law, or the best steps to take to make sure that their children get the best care for optimal development. Today’s “Brains in Toyland” segment addresses steps parents should consider and resources they should know about if their child is born with a developmental challenge. Our guests are education attorneys Eileen Libutti and Jennifer Frankola of Lewis Johs Avallone Aviles, LLP who are experts in family advocacy. We hope this is informative. Email us any time with questions and suggestions info@KidsAtoZ.com. Follow us on Facebook or Dr.T on Twitter Best, The KidsAtoZ Team.  

The ability for families to get services for children with developmental disabilities may increase if a new rule proposed under the Affordable Care Act becomes final. In this "Kids News Extra" segment Dr. T reviews the article, "Proposed Rule Mandates Coverage of Habilitation" from the ASHA Leader about proposed mandate to cover habilitative services. "Habilitation" is intervention to help a child build skills in which they are delayed or disordered. It's similar to the more familiar term of  "rehabilitation" whereby an individual receives intervention to regain skills that are lost second to an accident, a disease, or the like.  The ASHA Leader is a publication of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association which provides information for the public and governs the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology. This proposed rule goes beyond speech-language and hearing services and regards global developmental issues. We hope it's helpful. Send your comments and quesitons to us at info@

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) the process of acquiring the knowledge and skills to be successful in life. It’s how we understand and manage emotions, forge and cultivate good relationships, feel and demonstrate empathy, make good decisions, and accomplish healthy goals. For the first time Kids AtoZ will be broadcasting from the road with the help of Hidden Chapel Studios. We're presenting a panel discussion with SEL experts at a training for the staff of the New York Center for Child Development to help them better serve their families. The content is parent friendly and is helpful for caregivers to develop skills in themselves and their children. Our panel includes art therapist Dr. Margaret Carlock-Russo, art therapist Rachel Brandoff, and music therapist Maya Benattar. We hope you enjoy. Best, The Kids AtoZ Team

Most of us don’t think about how a child’s mouth develops, but there is a developmental process that impacts feeding, speech skills, and more.   Feeding Specialist and Speech-Language Pathologist, Diane Bahr, is back with us to talk about what most people don’t know about mouth development, mouth behaviors, and mouth toys.  She’ll talk with us about the process, common problems, and best practices. We'll talk about the pros and cons of pacifiers and thumb sucking and how to successfully wean children from these behaviors and set them on the path to good mouth development and so much more.  Learn more about mouth and feeding development, Diane's books and parent resources and her new eCourse at her website Ages & Stages  Enjoy.      

Welcome to Kids AtoZ with Dr. T, today’s Brains in Toyland segment is a nice example of how to promote physical, intellectual, and social emotional development. We have Dr. Suzy Lederer, a speech-language pathologist and Associate Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Adelphi University in New York, here to share some great information with us. Dr. Lederer is an expert in speech and language disorders in young children, emergent literacy, pretend play, and yoga for children. She is well published in both the academic and popular media. Some of her publications for the public include a book called, “I Can Do That” from Dynamic Resources and a CD called “StoryBook Yoga” from Educational and Activities, Inc. Today were going to focus on “StoryBook Yoga” As always, feel free to email us at the show with comments, questions, and suggestions at Info@KidsAtoZ.com Enjoy.

Today’s Segment of Brains in Toyland on KidsAtoZ talks about the importance of play, and specifically, dramatic play on child development. Our guest, Dr. Dana Battaglia, is an Assistant Professor at Adelphi University in New York who looks at play in children. We’ll talk about what play is, how it development, and what areas of development it can foster. We’ll give parents ideas for things they can do at home to help maximize their child’s development and potential in this area. As always, please contact us at the show with any questions you have that you’d like us to address on the show. Send us your comments and suggestions for topics as well. info@KidsAtoZ.com Join us on Facebook or follow Dr. T on Twitter Enjoy, The KidsAtoZ Team 

  Today’s All Star Play Room segment regards helping parents help children thrive by fostering great school readiness skills in early childhood. That is, making sure children have the skills and knowledge for success in school before they get there so they get a great start that flourishes across the lifespan. Our guest is Emily Roden, Co-Founder of ReadyRosie an organization that provides parent friendly resources to help parents prepare children for school. Access Ready Rosie at www.ReadyRosie.com  As always, please contact us at the show with any questions you have that you’d like us to address on the show. Send us your comments and suggestions for topics as well. Send you emails to: info@KidsAtoZ.com Join us on Facebook or follow Dr. T on Twitter Enjoy, The KidsAtoZ Team    

Stories are powerful. Stories teach so much. Stories connect so many. Fables are particularly powerful for teaching social-emotional and moral skills, problem solving and decision-making Today we have an “All Star Play Room” segment are will talk about a book called the Princess Fables with the book’s author, Marc Clark. The Princess Fables is a series of 11 fables that present common challenging situations for children and gives them means for navigating through these challenges in productive successful ways. Learn more about the Princes Fables, Marc Clark and his other wonderful publicatins and projects through the link below. The Princess Fables As always, send your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to info@kidsatoz.com Visit our website for tips of activities and toys for kids in our SMART ToyStore and more at www.KidsAtoZ.com  Enjoy. Dr. T and the Kids AtoZ Team