ECI Monthly news & updates
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Early Communicator Calendar |
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Expanding Language Calendar |
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Tried & True Tips from a Therapist
by Jennifer Parpacen-Smith, OTR/L
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Children learn best through play. This is also true when it comes to food and learning to eat well. Allowing babies and children to play with their food can decrease food aversions. Playing with food can also help with language development, problem solving skills, concentration, and comfort in trying new things, like foods.
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Food play can look different depending on the child’s age or developmental stage. Here are some ideas for how to use play with food for children at different stages.
Birth-2: During this stage, children learn through their five senses and through movement and exploring with their environment.
- Allow baby to explore foods with messy play while seated in the highchair. Place wet foods out on the tray or plate and allow the child to explore with their hands/tools (teethers, utensils).
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Set up a tablecloth on the floor and try some of these edible play activities.
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Age 2-6 Children start playing more pretend games and role-playing games.
- Pretend play with dolls, actions figures or other toys, that can be “fed” the foods alongside your child.
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Create funny faces on a paper plate using various food items. Click here for more ideas like this.
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Include children in the preparation of meals and snacks by giving them safe jobs, like stirring ingredients, washing fruits and vegetables, and serving their own drinks.
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Age 7-10 Play takes the form of problem solving and figuring out the world around them.
- Continue to include children in the kitchen with jobs like peeling fruits and vegetables, researching and reading recipes, and gathering ingredients.
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Introduce food themes to try new things together (homemade pizza night, sushi night-kid-friendly)
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Children of all ages should always be supervised during meals, snacks and while preparing food. Ask your ECI team for more information on the importance of playing with food.
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Spotlight Story - Avery Pena |
by Desiree Garcia
My husband and I welcomed our extra beautiful and extra sweet baby girl on August 1, 2019. At 10 weeks pregnant I found out my baby would have the possibility of being diagnosed with Trisomy 21. At 26 weeks pregnant the diagnosis was confirmed. She was fearfully and wonderfully made and blessed with a 21st chromosome. She is such a gift. Three months after Avery was born, she began her journey with ECI. This program has been a godsend and the best guide for our family. Not only has our ECI team taught me to work with Avery to help her meet and exceed her developmental milestones, they have also provided support, comfort and reassurance to me as Avery’s mother. Avery and I have built a great and comfortable relationship with all of her therapists, Elena OT, Erika ST, Kathy PT, Michele EIS and Cheryl, case manager. The team of therapists along with Cheryl as our service coordinator has been top-tier incredible in the help they have provided to our family.
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Since Avery started with ECI she has excelled at every milestone that is in front of her. While Avery amazes me every day, I have to say that these milestones would not have been reached as easily or as gracefully as they have without the guidance of her therapists.
Elena, Avery’s OT, has always been two steps ahead to make sure that Avery would never fall behind and I am grateful for the gentle and comforting approach she has had with Avery from day one. We have been so blessed with Avery not having many medical issues at all but she has had two main concerns that we have worked on with therapy, those being low muscle tone and aspiration. I am so proud to say that with the help of Elena and Kathy, Avery began walking at 19 months without needing any type of ankle brace or walker assistance.
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Another exciting milestone came a little after two years of age when Avery quit aspirating and was completely cleared of her swallowing problems. With Erika’s care we were able to get Avery off of thickened liquids and we are filled with relief and happiness. Once we were no longer concerned with aspiration, Erika has helped Avery stay on top of her speech development. Avery began signing at six months and she is now saying small sentences. I’m very grateful for the kind approach that Erika uses to work with Avery. She has helped with the communication between my child and me and that is huge. Among these two advances were a bunch of smaller milestones that were surpassed with the help of ECI.
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Michele has recently joined our team to help with the transition out of the program and into school and she has also been just as amazing as everyone else. Needless to say ECI has a team of angels and we are definitely going to miss every person we’ve had the pleasure of working with. |
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Our Easter Seals organization recently lost a member of our family. Dora Clevenger passed away December 8, 2021 following a long battle with cancer. Dora served ECI children and families for 19 years at Easter Seals. Prior to coming to Easter Seals she served children and families through the PACES ECI Program with the Center for Health Care Services. Dora gave the families and children she worked with her very best. For those of us who were fortunate enough to know her, Dora was a true friend. She seemed to know if someone was having a struggle and regardless of how she felt, was there to offer encouragement and a smile. Dora will continue to be missed by all of us. We were truly blessed to have had Dora as part of our Easter Seals organization. |
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"Dora was my dear friend who I miss so much each and every day that passes by. She was the most compassionate and loving person. Her smile made me smile. Dora is someone who touched the lives of so many and will be remembered in many ways. I miss you, Dora. You are always in my heart." -Velma Hudson, EIS
"Dora was such a beautiful friend of the heart. No matter what was going on, she always had something positive to say and had a smile on her face. She was always willing to do what she could to help others and made sure everyone was okay. I remember the thoughtfulness and detail she put into making sure my baby shower was perfect over 22 years ago. No matter what we talked about or how many times we got on each other's nerves, we always ended our conversation with, 'okay friend, be careful and take care.' Dora will forever be loved and missed."
-Sarah Washington, EIS
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A plaque will be hung in the lobby of Easter Seals in her memory.
Please share any memories or photos you have of Dora.
A collection will be put together for the family.
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The Spring Tee 2022 was held March 5th. This event was part of our Family Engagement Series. We had several families come out and participate in putting, photos, accessible SNAG Golf, and the raffle. |
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Many thanks to our sponsors:
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Please watch your email for upcoming Family Engagement events. These events aim to bring experiences, workshops and family fun to ECI families in a sensory-friendly environment. |
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The 5th Annual Easter Seals Calendar Raffle was a HUGE success with over 950 tickets sold!
Thank you to everyone who supported our ECI program through the purchase of raffle tickets and to all the donors who made the amazing prizes possible.
Congratulations to all the winners. To view the complete list of WINNERS click here.
We look forward to another great raffle next year.
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2022 Calendar Raffle Donors |
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Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center will be closed April 8, 2022 in observance of Battle of Flowers. |
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Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center will be closed April 15, 2022 in observance of the Easter Holiday. |
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We'd love to share your child's
ECI journey!
If you'd like to be featured in the
"ECI Spotlight Story"
segment, click below.
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Check our website periodically for the latest memos from our Executive Director, Linda Tapia, click on the orange alert bar at the top on the page.
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April Awareness Observations |
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April is Occupational Therapy Month! |
Every April, we celebrate Occupational Therapy Month to honor this vital profession and the meaningful differences it makes in the lives of our families. Thank your OT today!
Pediatric OT: Where PLAY gets the WORK done!
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Month-Long
- Alcohol
- American Cancer Society Month
- Autism
- Child Abuse Prevention Month - (U.S.)
- Community Service Month
- Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Limb Loss
- Occupational Therapy
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Oral Health Month
- Parkinson's Disease
- Primary Immunodeficiency
Days
- April 1 - Youth Homelessness Matters Day
- April 2 - World Autism Awareness Day
- April 4 - Auditory Processing Disorder
- April 9 - National Alcohol Screening Day
- April 10 - National Youth HIV and AIDS
- April 11 - Parkinson's Disease International.
- April 13 - Functional Neurological Disorder
- April 17 - World Hemophilia Day
- April 22 - Earth Day
- April 25 - World Meningitis Day
- April 25 - World Malaria Day
- April 29 - Make-A-Wish Day
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2203 Babcock Road
San Antonio, TX 78229
phone: 210.614.3911
fax: 210.625.3162
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Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center
is a contracted provider of
Texas Early Childhood Intervention Services and partially funded by
Texas Health and Human Services.
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