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Susan Roberts of Which School Advisor seeks answers to common questions such as: at what point is late speech and/or language development considered delayed and when should a parent seek expert support? 

Learn more about Strep A as kidsFIRST specialist pediatrician, Dr. Syed Ahmed Rais, shares details about the infection

“Over the past few weeks, the numbers of infections have certainly been very high…, as we have over protected ourselves for the past two years. It’s a little bit of pay back time with interest, it seems.”

kidsFIRST’s psychologist, Praseetha Yezhuvath shares that “For two long years, children and teens have become used to hiding their emotions behind the mask or shielding themselves from any perceived judgement from others.”

“Research shows that this relationship (teacher-parent) is a significant factor in children achieving academic success as well as improving their overall social competency and emotional well-being.” Dr. Amy Bailey

Dr Amy Bailey, Clinical Psychologist at Kids First Medical Centre explained: “Children who are bullied are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.”

Learn how you can help your child with tips from kidsFIRST’s speech and language therapist, Nikki Hill.

“They (kids) had limited exposure to other children, even within their own families. This contributed to delays in language development in some children and also delayed any face-to-face assessment.”

“A healthy body image among young people, especially men, is really important as numerous studies have shown that body dissatisfaction predicts numerous mental health outcomes and health risk behaviours later in life” said Lenneke van Nes, Clinical Psychologist at kidsFirst Medical Centre

“Ms Bailey said a lack of interaction with others could also have a direct impact on a child’s language development and their “overall development and functioning in later life”.

“Building bricks such as LEGO DUPLO are some of the first toys a toddler can start getting creative with, and the possibilities are endless,” says Nannette Wicker, Occupational Therapist at kidsFIRST Dubai.

“One of the best things we can teach our children, is that uncertainty is okay.” – Dr. Amy Bailey

Did you know that behavioral problems, anxiety and dysregulation can be linked to a lack of physical activities? kidsFIRST’s physiotherapist Nawvi shares some fun ideas to keep everyone happy and healthy even while at home.

Learn how to build your child’s language skills using this ingenious toy with Clinical Manager and SLT, Souad Mouawad.

kidsFIRST’s parent educator, Therese, gives us some great tips on how to effectively use praise on children and even our teens.

Baking or cooking can be a fun fine motor activity but did you know that it can also help develop your child’s language skills? Learn some helpful tips from SLT Seeta Shah.

Did you know that you can help your child improve early story telling – the foundation for later writing skills using everyday scenarios? kidsFIRST speech therapist Dalia Al-Zyod provides some lovely tips on how to polish your child’s language skills.

Master following simple to complex instructions with kidsFIRST’s SLT clinical manager, Claire Whitehead. Claire shares more tips and activities you can do at home to enhance your child’s language skills while having fun!

kidsFIRST’s speech and language therapist, Noha Chedid, shares how you can improve your child’s language skills through play without the use of toys.

Research shows that there are six conditions in a child’s environment that promote language learning. All six conditions can be promoted while parents read with their child (Dickinson et. al., 2012). In Part 2, our head of speech and language therapy, Michelle Tolan, shares further tips on how to use books to enhance your child’s language development.

Master following simple to complex instructions with kidsFIRST’s SLT clinical manager, Claire Whitehead. Claire shares some tips and activities you can do at home to enhance your child’s language skills while having fun!

A lot of school related tasks make use of fine motor skills. These include holding a crayon or pencil, stacking blocks and stringing beads, drawing pictures and writing neatly, and using scissors, rulers and other tools. Our occupational therapists Arlette and Zaakirah demonstrate some helpful activities you can do at home that can help your child improve their fine motor skills.

“Whilst a pandemic undoubtedly has implications for all children, children on the autism spectrum, for instance, are at a particular disadvantage because they rely on rituals and structure to control their anxiety. They are less able to simply change their routines. In this time of change, their need to control their anxiety and maintain routine is paramount,” she said.

Dr. Amy Bailey shares some lovely relaxation strategies that you can teach your child. Helpful for adults too!

Research shows that there are six conditions in a child’s environment that promote language learning. All six conditions can be promoted while parents read with their child (Dickinson et. al., 2012) Our head of speech and language therapy, Michelle Tolan, shares how to use books to enhance your child’s language development.

Squeeze, pinch, stretch or twist! Did you know that TheraPutty is used to strengthen hand muscles, improve fine motor skills, and decrease stress? Watch kidsFIRST OT Kamal Dasani and learn some awesome Theraputty exercises that you can do at home.

What does anxiety look like in a child? Our educational psychologist, Bene Katabua, shares some insight on managing anxiety in children especially in these seasons of transition.

Did you know that you can stimulate your child’s language skills during daily routines? Here’s how, from kidsFIRST Clinical Director and speech and language therapist, Vridhi Samtani

“If a 3-year-old goes 6 months without therapy, that could be detrimental (T. Grandin, 2020).” kidsFIRST team is fully equipped to conduct teleTHERAPY to continue providing quality services during this season. See what happens during teleTHERAPY with snippets from one of Marissa’s SLT sessions. We’re spreading fun in the virtual space! 🙂

Squeeze, pinch, stretch or twist! Did you know that TheraPutty is used to strengthen hand muscles, improve fine motor skills, and decrease stress? Watch kidsFIRST OT Kamal Dasani and learn some awesome Theraputty exercises that you can do at home.