Bright Beginnings Pediatric Services

Meet one of our super-talented Therapeutic Learning Coaches, Grace! Grace helps our kiddos build a solid foundation of cognitive learning skills, such as executive function, processing, and core learning needed for higher academic success. Learn more about her below! My name is Grace Liau and I attended UCLA. I have been keeping busy during quarantine by cleaning my house, taking walks with my family, and baking lots of fresh bread!... My favorite part of my job is helping kids become confident learners! If I could learn to do anything, I would learn to walk on a tightrope to help me overcome my fear of heights. My favorite outdoor activity is kayaking in the ocean. #bbps #learningtherapy #schoolathome #adhd #pediatrics #losangeleskids #earlyintervention #learning #learningchallenges #development

Some of our proud voters! #bbps #speechtherapy #lakids #adhd #learningtherapy

Kicking off our Feeding Tips Fridays (sorry, it’s actually Thursday - but we’re celebrating Halloween tomorrow!) with one of our amazing speech-language pathologists and feeding specialists, Faye! Read below for a helpful tip for our picky eaters: Lots of our picky eaters (PE) restrict themselves to only familiar textures. One of our go-to strategies to boost sensory experience and getting over their fear of textures is by playing in various sensory bins. In the spirit o...f Halloween, this week our PE Friends are exploring pumpkins. We target language skills to expand vocabulary and describe what they’re feeling. The pumpkin is wet and stringy! I’m scooping! #bbps #pickyeaters #sensory #texture #feedingtherapy #halloween #lakids

Get to know one of our amazing speech-language pathologists, Patrick! He’s been on the speech team at BBPS over two years and specializes in stuttering and speech sound disorders. Learn more about him below! My name is Patrick Knisely and I went to Cal State University, Los Angeles. I have been keeping busy during quarantine by doing a lot of walking and riding my bike. My favorite part of my job is listening to my kids tell me their stories.... What’s your least favorite mode of transportation?Camel. What is one of your favorite quotes? Pain is inevitable suffering is optional. #bbps #pediatrics #speechtherapy #earlyintervention #lakids #adhd #learning #stuttering

Kicking off our Talking Tips Tuesday is one of our awesome speech-language pathologists, Marni! Read below for a helpful tip on managing behaviors during speech sessions, virtual school, and structured tasks: Remote learning can have so many distractions! So many new buttons to push on the phone, tablet, and computer. One of Ms Marni’s favorite ways to redirect away from touching/clicking/pressing, is to tell kiddos to show Quiet Hands (awesomely demonstrated by our s...weet Ever). Sometimes when kiddos hear Don’t touch they have a way of doing it more. With prompts like quiet hands,you’re letting your kid know what they should be doing instead. Have you ever tried something like this? Comment below! #bbps #teletherapy #speechtherapy #behaviors #remotelearning #learning

We are SO excited to introduce our newest BBPS family member: Jenny Philp! She is completing her speech-language pathology clinical fellowship with us and has been an awesome addition to our speech team. Get to know her below: My name is Jenny and I went to Arizona State University for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I have been keeping busy during quarantine by taking nightly walks around my neighborhood and having Netflix Party movie nights with friends.... My favorite part of my job is sharing in the excitement when a little one first experiences success with their words or their sounds. One of my favorite quotes is: "It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson Mandela. I think the thing I miss most about being a kid is getting home from school, having a snack, and going out to the backyard to lay on our trampoline and read a book. There's just something about the whimsy of reading about fantastical worlds and people as a kid that isn't quite the same as an adult. #bbps #pediatrics #speechtherapy #earlyintervention #lakids #adhd #learning

Our warm coat drive was such a success! Thank you SO much to our Bright Beginnings families for sending in over 70 coats, sweaters, and jackets for us to provide to a LA county elementary school in need. Thank you thank you! #coatdrive #bbps #lakids #pediatrics

When smart children or teens struggle in school or have to work harder or longer than they should in order to keep up or make good grades, it is almost always because there are one or more areas of underlying processing (or learning) skills that are not supporting them well enough. Accommodations in school and tutoring after school may help students to get by, but just putting a bandaid on the problem is not the answer (and it is not fair to the student). These underlying pr...ocessing (learning) skills can be dramatically improved or completely corrected through specific brain training - ending the need for years of tutoring. With the right kind of help, children and adults with learning and attention challenges can work to their full potential comfortably and independently. If you suspect your child is falling behind in school, Bright Beginnings can help you uncover the problem and start the process of fixing it. While the world and schools are moving at a slower pace, use this time to help your child bridge the gap between their performance and their potential! . . . #closethegap #adhd #dyslexia #learningdisability #readinghelp #writinghelp #mathhelp #tutoring #homeschool #virtualschool #covidschool #speechandlanguage

What’s really going on when smart students struggle in school? When a smart child or teen has to work harder and longer than they should in order to keep up or make the grade, it is almost always because there are one or more areas of underlying processing (or learning skills) that are not supporting them well enough. Accommodations at school and tutoring at home may help students get by, but just coping with a problem throughout school isn’t the solution (or necessary). Th...ese underlying processing (learning) skills can be dramatically improved or completely corrected through specific and targeted brain training. With the right kind of help, children and adults with learning and attention challenges can work to their potential, comfortably and independently. Make the most of our slowed down world right now and use this time of remote learning to boost your child’s brain power and academic performance. Call Bright Beginnnings today to find out how: 323-525-0247 or schedule a director call on the web at www.BrightBeginningsLA.com . . . #levelup #lessenthegap #virtualschool #adhd #dyslexia #speechandlanguge #executivefunctioning #learningdifferences #brainboost #cognitivetherapy #readingskills #writingskills #mathhelp

Tip #7 in our series 7 Tips for Starting the Virtual School Year Off Right Keep It Consistent! In this time of uncertainty, keeping your child’s routine consistent will bring a sense of calm and order. Here are a few common sense ideas:... Wake your child up and get him to bed at the same time every day. This will help regulate his internal clock and promote good sleep (which is a neccesity, not a luxury)! Get her fully dressed and brush her hair for the school day. This will help her get in the right mindset for the business of learning. Jammies are for relaxing. Start each day with a protein packed breakfast to feed the brain. Save the sugary cereals for the weekend. Try pre-packing snacks and lunches for the kids just like you did during in-person school. This will not only reduce stress for you (it’s a pain to stop your virtual work day to make snacks and lunch) but it will also keep your kiddos from reaching for the junk food during the school day. . . . #homeschoolersofinstagram #virtualschool #speechandlanguage #learningdifferences #adhd #dyslexia #learningcenter #mommyhacks #bbpsla #learningpods

Tip #6 in our series 7 Tips for Starting Your (Virtual) School Year Off Right Set A Homework Routine Designate a set time for homework and don’t deviate from it. Guard it with your life! Having a non-negotiable homework time will reduce conflicts and pushback. Restrict phone calls, device time and even doctor’s appointments during homework hour(s).... Pick a time that works for your child’s routine as well as your own work-from-home routine. Schedule homework time earlier in the evening if possible. A tired kiddo will take twice as long to do the simplest of tasks. Even if there is no homework assigned (we’ve all heard that one!) use the designated time to study for upcoming quizzes or tests, work on upcoming projects or reports, read for fun, journal or do something creative like draw. Plan for a break in between school and homework time. Kids need 30-45 minutes of downtime to have a snack, recharge, and get set for the next phase of the day. . . . #virtualschool #homeschool #adhd #dyslexia #speechandlanguage #executivefunctioning #auditoryprocessingdisorder #bbpsla #losangeleskids #brainboost #parentinghacks

Bright Minds Learning Tip #5 in our series 7 Tips For Starting Your (Virtual) School Year Off Right : Take Movement Breaks It’s sooo hard for kids to sit and pay attention to a 2-D teacher on a computer all day and even worse for kids with #learning and #attention challenges. Check out your child’s daily routine and plan out ways for him to get moving in between classes or subjects. Even 30 seconds of purposeful movement can energize the brain, organize the body, and help ...improve focus and attention. Here are a few of our faves that can be done quickly and in very tight spaces: Do 25 Jumping Jacks. Researchers at East Carolina University found that physical activity in the classroom actually keeps kids more on task. This kind of physical activity get the heart rate up, gets more oxygen to the brain, and even encourages the growth of more brain cells! Hold a 20 second plank pose. Planks develop core strength and stability which leads to better gross and fine motor control (think: neater writing), improved breathing, and all the endorphins released will combat the stress of remote learning. Cross Crawls for 45 seconds helps integrate the right and left hemispheres of the brain and promotes whole brain learning needed for better reading, writing, and math. Soothe and refresh overworked, stressed out eyes by using the Palming Technique. Vigorously rub your hands for together to warm them up a bit then very gently place your palms over your eyes. With a relaxed back and shoulders, rest your elbows on the desk and breathe deeply in this position for 20-30 seconds. Be careful to not put any pressure on the eyes or cheekbones. Aaaahhh. . . . #learningcenter #learningtips #backtoschool #homeschoolersofinstagram #adhd #brainhealth #dyslexia #speechandlanguage #slpeeps #movementtherapy #pandemiclearningpods #pandemic2020 #bbpsla #losangeleskidstherapy

Tip #4 Get Your Tech On Track! These days, we can’t really do school without a computer or device and good, stable internet. Consider these 3 things to optimize learning and avoid connectivity fails: Make sure your connection is stable. Position your kiddo as close to the router as possible or, better yet, hardwire directly to the modem. At our office, we’ve used 100 ft. ethernet cords to plug in for therapy sessions!... Invest in a pair of headphones (with or without a microphone). We’ve found some really great ones with a mic for under $30 on Amazon! Headphones help your kiddo focus on processing what the teacher is saying while limiting distraction from noisy siblings, dogs barking, and mom or dad teleworking! Manage your audio settings on Zoom to suppress background noise. By going into the ‘Advanced Settings,’ you can reduce ambient background sounds to make listening easier. This makes for a more pleasant listening experience. . . . #learningtips #themoreyouknow #adhd #backtoschool #dyslexia #executivefunctions #learningdisabilities #uniquelearners #schooltips #virtualschool #auditoryprocessing #speechtherapy

Bright Minds Learning Tip #3 Set a visual schedule. It’s tough for grown ups to work on a computer all day long and it’s even harder for kids. Sitting in one spot at home for school can seem never ending.... Making a visual schedule for the day with the time and activity to be completed can break up the school day into smaller, more manageable chunks. It can help your student see what he’s already accomplished, what’s next on the list, and how long he has to spend on each task. You can use a whiteboard, chalkboard, or even a piece of paper to plan out the tasks for the day and at what time they’ll happen. For non-readers, swap out words for pictures. Oh, the joy when he gets to cross an item off the schedule! Don’t forget to include breaks, lunch, and homework time on the schedule. The Bright Beginnings Therapeutic Learning Coaches and SLPs use visual schedules all the time in our sessions with students. We like to save a fun reward, game, or yummy treat for the last item on the schedule. . . . #learningtips #executivefunctioning #auditoryprocessing #speechandlanguage #dyslexia #schoolhacks #virtualschool #homeschool #laparents #cognition #school2020