When children attend preschool, many times it’s their first experience outside of the home. So, JCFS Integrated Pediatric Therapies (IPT) and JCC Chicago thought that preschools might need guidance to help to those who may have missed out on core developmental opportunities.

There are hundreds of sign languages used globally, each with its own unique gestures, syntax, and facial expressions native to the countries they originate from.

In honor of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), JCFS Chicago is proud to join Jewish local and national organizations in a unified effort to raise awareness and elevate the voices of people living with disabilities.

Summer is a great excuse to plan special activities that can get your kids excited to complete occupational, physical, and speech therapy.

The amygdala is an almond-shaped cluster of nuclei located deep within the human brain that processes memory, decision-making, and emotional responses. An enlarged amygdala has always been theorized to play a significant role in the development of autism.

Telehealth services have reduced some of the barriers to receiving mental health counseling using digital technology. Teletherapy (also known as telehealth counseling) is especially helpful to clients that do not have the ability to visit with their mental health counselor in person.

For over a year, Jennie Marble, Director of JCFS Integrated Pediatric Therapies (IPT), has been cultivating a relationship with program staff from Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS) in Boca Raton, Florida.

We applaud UIC Associate Professor Kristin Berg and the Behavioral Health Stratified Treatment (BEST project) for seeking to better understand the needs of young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We at JCFS Chicago share the project’s goals of early identification and treatment of mental health challenges to improve health and vocational trajectories across the life.

It’s wintertime and we often feel sluggish. Knowing that the winter months have an impact on our mood and behavior, it's vital that we keep moving. 

One way we learn is by watching others. A way to enhance skills is by positive reinforcement that leads to repeating an action. Some individuals think in pictures. These reasons make video modeling an enticing way to learn.