I was recently at a community event and a local pediatric audiologist came up to our table to find out who we were and what we do. She has been practicing for over 20 years, and upon discovering the services that we offer, she asked the question: “Yes, but what makes you different than all of the other places that are in the area?” I took a minute to pause and reflect on this question. For the past 20 years of running The Center for Childhood Development, what is it that makes us different or sets us apart?
Multi-Disciplinary
Twenty years ago, I started out in private practice. At that time, I quickly determined the importance of multi-disciplinary services for the kids and families coming in to see us. I added speech therapy alongside the occupational therapy services we were providing. Then I had the fortunate event of meeting some great psychologists in the area and before I knew it, we were paired together in one place.
Experience
A Commitment to Learning
Following experience comes commitment and connection to learning. We strive to commit to a lifetime of learning, collaborating with other professionals, and providing the best individualized services to all children and families. We collaborate with many professionals around the country, too many to list, to continue learning. We have always followed the principles of developmental models of treatment – meaning many mentorships with DIR/Floortime professionals for our staff.
Passion
We have added many more staff over the years – all very passionate about what they do. They work well together to create a very positive work environment that strives to make families feel comfortable and to create connections with the kiddos and their caregivers.
Thank you to the families that have trusted us with their child’s care. Your children have been our best teachers.
An OT, SLP, and a PT are serving up gift recommendations for your kids this year. See what they have in store for them.
The skills a child gains in symbolic play are directly linked to how they develop certain language skills.
Stuttering is characterized by a high frequency and/or duration of involuntary stoppages in the flow of speech. Core behaviors of stuttering include…
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic condition triggered by foods that causes inflammation and narrowing of the esophagus.
The outdoors provides a unique set of opportunities to describe surroundings, connect verbal output to immediate environment, and more.
Communication is a human right. AAC helps people learn to effectively communicate whatever they want, whenever they want, with whomever they want.
Shared book reading goes beyond simply pulling words off the page. This simple activity requires minimal effort for maximum rewards.
With early detection and treatment, torticollis can typically be resolved with no long-term side effects.
See who made the “Best Doctors & Health Care Pros in Grand Rapids” list.
Hannah’s job search ended when she found an environment that supported her desire for ongoing learning. Lucky for us, that was here.
An OT, a PT, and an SLP walked into a toy store. Here’s what they picked out for your kids!
If mealtimes feel like a battle, finding a skilled feeding therapist can make such a difference.
What makes The Center for Childhood Development unique? A reflection on 20 years of practice.
The medical world has varying opinions about how to evaluate a tongue tie and, if one is present, what should be done to treat it. Or not.
Picture this….you have just spent a long day at the park and now it’s time to go home, but guess what?
When should we be concerned about toe walking? Katie DeRoo PT, DPT, C/NDT is here to tell us.
Four reasons your child may be asking the same questions over and over (and over)…
Wendi Cuson, MS, OTR/L shares insights and tools for children with handwriting challenges.
Transport from one location to another enables participation in daily occupations (the things we want and need to do)…
If a child chronically mouth breaths, the tongue sits low and forward in the mouth. This can cause long-term problems with…
Shopping for shoes? We have helpful guidelines and recommendations for new and experienced walkers.
V/V is a language-based program that develops and enriches a child’s ability to picture a spoken or written word/sentence.
The Center has really helped me so much and I want to pay it forward to the next kid.
Supporting brain and body function with tools that can be used in the clinic and at home.
Supporting brain and body function with tools that can be used in the clinic and at home.
We are frequently contacted by concerned parents of young children when their child suddenly begins stuttering.
Our OTs and PTs spent two days learning about the assessment and treatment of motor and nervous system function.
