“The path to success in helping a child meet a challenging goal is to tap into what motivates them and to set them up to feel successful in accomplishing each new task. Success ultimately builds on success.”

When a Central African Republic family stepped off the plane at O’Hare Airport for the first time last year, Gail Nusekabel was there to greet them. She had never met this family of four before, but she was ready to help them as they embarked on a new life in the U.S.

Along with other members of her synagogue, Sukkat Shalom, Gail volunteers as a JCFS Chicago HIAS Immigration & Citizenship mentor, helping refugee families get acclimated to living in a new country.

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.

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. 

Through play, children develop motor coordination, social skills, emotional regulation, as well as learn how to process the sensory input in their environment.  The occupational therapists at JCFS Chicago’s Integrated Pediatric Therapies and Therapeutic Day School make sure each child has fun at work!

From the day we are born we are a member of a community. As our development progresses and we learn to convey our wants and needs, our involvement and inclusion in family and community life increases. In some instances, infants and young children require early intervention therapy to augment their social, emotional and physical development so that they become actively engaged in their community.

By Ingrid Kenron OTR/L, Integrated Pediatric Therapies at JCFS Chicago

The colder air and gloomy winter skies can sometimes cause children to be temperamental. Here are some simple ways to keep your child happy and healthy this winter season.

by Rachel Goode, Occupational Therapist
Integrated Pediatric Interventions at JCFS Chicago

The holiday season can be frustrating and confusing for a child with common sensory sensitivities.  Bright lights, loud music, new foods, crowded rooms, gift giving and different expectations can cause meltdowns and other disruptive behaviors.

We have some tips to help prepare your child for the excitement of the season, and a joyful December!

In this technological age, it’s easy to overlook the importance of handwriting. Pen and paper are no longer the primary means by which most people write. Instead, we favor keyboards and touchpads to communicate. While these modes are certainly less messy and more convenient, studies show that children who do most of their reading and writing on the computer have a harder time retaining and processing information. (American Journal of Occupational Therapy, July/August 2006). For this reason, educators and occupational therapists alike are encouraging children and their parents to make building handwriting skills a priority.