Up-to-3 Early Intervention Quarterly Newsletter

A word from our Program Coordinator...

Hello,

I loved this quote shared by our Institute Director, Matt Wappett:

"It is not more bigness that should be our goal. We must attempt, rather, to bring people back to the warmth of community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility, and of individuals working together as a community, to better their lives and their children’s future." ~Robert F. Kennedy

Up to 3 providers join families where they're at - in their community - to "better their lives and their children's future." In 2022, Up-to-3 received 650 referrals and had 453 children determined eligible. During that year, Up-to-3 provided 12,671 visits to families.

The CDC describes early Intervention as "the services and supports that are available to babies and young children with developmental delays and disabilities, and their families" which "can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn new skills and overcome challenges, and can increase success in school and life."

Marla Nef

2011 - International Self-Care Day

This day is founded to increase awareness of the significance of self-care and to equip individuals with the information and skills necessary to participate in their wellness.

The history of International Self-care Day (July 24th)

Self-care is a crucial cornerstone of health, and International Self-Care Day was established by the International Self-Care Foundation in 2011 to raise awareness about it. The celebration of International Self-care Day on July 24 emphasizes the advantages of self-care that can be felt at any time of day or night, seven days a week, regardless of the season. The benefits of self-care, to put it another way, last a lifetime and are not limited to a single day. The International Self-Care Day simply provides a wonderful focus and a chance to publicize or reflect on self-care programs in action.

Revolving around a yearly theme, International Self-care Day serves as a focal point and an opportunity to increase awareness of healthy living self-care programs all over the world. The concept of self-care has been around for a while, but it has recently received a lot of attention because of its emphasis on wellness. This can include anything from following a healthy diet and exercising proper cleanliness to developing disease-prevention strategies in one’s daily routine.

Significant progress has been achieved in the availability and accessibility of novel self-care interventions, and the self-care movement continues to rise. A wide range of health issues, from mental health to therapy for chronic diseases, can now be self-administered thanks to new approaches and technological breakthroughs.

5 Interesting facts about self-care:

1 - Perform at your best: Self-care helps you perform at your best and have a higher quality of life.

2 - Maintain self-esteem & self-confidence: When you prioritize self-care it helps boost your self-esteem and self-confidence.

3 - Resilience: when we take care of ourselves, we can handle challenges better, which is important for maintaining resilience.

4 - Done in minutes: Self-care does not need to take a long time; it can be as simple as taking a bath or picking up a new creative outlet.

5 - Reduce stress & Increase energy: Self-care reduces stress and has several benefits, including increased energy, better sleep, and increased clarity.

Self-care for children:

* Carve out daily quiet time together. A few minutes of singing, reading a book, telling them a story, or listening to kid-friendly YouTube meditation can strengthen your connection.

* Consider incorporating a 'slow-down' time in your family's routine; this will also help train their brain to make mindful choices. Try Rainbow Relaxation, Mindful Looking, Salamander Yoga, or Panda Poses.

* Make a calm down box (5-minute activity).

* "Leave it at the door" exercise.

* Remember to breathe! Practice breathing by blowing on a pinwheel or blowing bubbles. You can also try Sloth Breathing.

* Take a self-compassion break. "I've done my best with_____." "Everyone finds it hard to learn new things like _____." "We all make mistakes sometimes." "I don't have to be perfect at _____."

* Engage the senses without a phone, tablet or other screen.

* Do something for others.

* Help your children label and understand their emotions, maybe using an Emotion Chart, or by drawing emotions on Post-it Notes. Encourage your child to use the faces to tell you how they are feeling.

* Together, review things you're grateful for each day.

* Draw yourself upside-down exercise. To express thoughts and feelings related to the changes in daily life and to understand perspective.

Most important of all:

Tell your child every day how much you love them. Give them

little kisses on their nose, ears and fingers and say,

"I love your nose! I love your ear! I love your finger! I love you!"

Here's a 5 Minute, Guided Self-compassion Break

Spotlight on our two new Service Coordinators!!

Kate Ellefson - Kate likes the environment at Up-to-3 and said, "The Team is all about support." Since coming to Up-to-3, she's overcome her anxiety about phone calls. She also really loves the adorable kiddos she gets to work with every day.

If Kate could travel through time, she would really like to go back in time to see the Salem witch trials. Kate's bucket list includes visiting Hawaii and Puerto Vallarta, and seeing the elephants in Thailand. Hopefully all of these places serve sushi, since that's her favorite food.

Stephanie Sogle - Stephanie has only been working with Up-to-3 for two months, and, so far, she's gained a lot, including a lot of knowledge about the specifics of helping children with developmental delays and disabilities. She also gained some fantastic coworkers. Her favorite part about working here is that she can talk to others about child development things and it's a reciprocal conversation, instead of her just talking to others about how cool it is. She loves that there are so many people to learn from in this program.

Stephanie has been interested in working with children since college, when she knew she wanted to learn about child development and work in early intervention. She has wanted to work with Up-to-3 for the past nine years! Her cousin had some developmental delays, and it was through her that Stephanie learned about Up-to-3. Then she had a few acquaintances who worked here, and she loved learning about their jobs.

Stephanie loves any quote from The Office - she quotes the show A LOT! Like a lot a lot. She has lived in Wisconsin, Idaho, Mbale, Uganda, and Cache Valley, Utah. As much as she really loves Cache Valley, she'd love to move back to the Midwest, minus the humidity.

The most important thing she's learned in the past five years is that it's ok to not know everything all the time. It's also ok to make mistakes, and to change your mind. Being a person means it's ok to be flawed, and it's ok to learn and do better next time. It doesn't mean you were stupid or wrong, it just means you're human.

Stephanie's bucket list includes more traveling, owning her own home, and riding a tractor with her son. She said, "The pure JOY he would have in being able to ride his FAVORITE thing would be really amazing."

If you have concerns about your child's development, scan the QR code for an intake questionnaire. Once you've completed the questionnaire, we'll call you to schedule a FREE evaluation.

Si tiene inquietudes sobre el desarrollo de su hijo, haga escanar aquí para obtener un cuestionario. Una vez que haya completado el cuestionario, lo llamaremos para programar una evaluación GRATUITA.