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August 2024 Connections
Information for caregivers to help children thrive!
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This month we're explaining why we may create a sensory diet for your child and inviting you to our annual event on September 26 - please read! | |
Join us to honor Dr. Nicole Tartaglia of Children's Hospital Colorado
as a Champion of Engaged Belonging with the DFX HUG Award! | |
We established the DFX HUG award to recognize an individual who exemplifies the spirit of Heart, Understanding, and Generosity needed to ensure that children with additional needs feel understood, included, and have the support they need to live to their fullest. Our first honoree, Dr. Nicole Tartaglia, embodies these qualities through her tireless dedication to providing the highest quality of care, her commitment to teamwork, and her willingness to partner with clients and teams to ensure the best quality of life is always the priority. | |
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Dr. T, as she is fondly known, is a specialist in neurodevelopmental disorders including Fragile X syndrome, autism, and other genetic disorders. She founded and leads the eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic at the University of Colorado and Children's Hospital Colorado. | |
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Reserve Your Tickets Now for September 26
DFX's second annual Soiree will be on Thursday, Sept 26 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. We've got a fun evening planned. We hope you will join us to enjoy delicious food and drinks, and opportunities to learn more about our work and support us through a silent auction and a paddle raiser.
Our theme this year is “Innovating to Support Engaged Belonging”, which will allow us to highlight the powerful and transformative work that DFX is doing to improve the lives of children and young people who are neurodiverse, to expand understanding of the strengths and skills that diverse learners can bring to the table, and to dismantle barriers so that those with developmental and mental health challenges can be accepted and supported in living to their fullest.
Tickets: $75/Individual, $275/Patron; $1,000/Table for up to 10 guests
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At Developmental FX, our team uses a variety of techniques to support engaged belonging for your child. This month we are spotlighting one tool your DFX therapist might suggest as part of therapy: the “sensory diet”.
A sensory diet is an individualized set of activities designed to meet your child's unique sensory needs. Much like an exercise routine can be designed to support physical health, a sensory diet outlines a set of activities targeted to support sensory integrative processing. These activities are thoughtfully integrated into daily routines to promote engagement, participation, and overall well-being.
The term sensory diet conveys that, much like we eat balanced meals as nourishment to support our well-being, our nervous systems need special sources of fuel and the nourishment of ‘sensation’ to support our ability to manage the stressors and challenges of navigating people and the world around us.
A sensory diet is a special type of sensory support plan that is more individualized than general sensory support plans, so often the choice we select as we opt to provide the highest level of care for all of our families!
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Why are Sensory Diets Important?
Children with sensory integrative processing differences might face challenges interacting with their environment, which can affect engagement in home, school, and leisure activities. A sensory diet helps address these challenges by providing the right type and amount of sensory input throughout the day. This approach can help your child participate in desired and necessary activities by supporting self-regulation, focus and attention, sleep, and more.
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How do we develop a sensory diet to meet your child's needs?
Creating an effective sensory diet involves collaboration between you, your child, and your child’s therapist(s). The process typically includes:
Assessment: Therapists observe and evaluate your child’s sensory needs and preferences, and ask you questions about your home routines, values, and challenges.
Creation: Based on the assessment a sensory diet plan is designed to correlate with your child’s specific sensory profile and your family’s daily activities. Activities vary widely and might include things like engaging in deep-pressure activities before tasks that require focus, starting the day with a specific energizing activity to get going, and joining in co-regulatory activities with you through deep breathing for regulation and connection. At DFX we will work with you to ensure your child’s sensory diet is thoughtfully designed based on our clinical reasoning processes to best suit your child’s needs and goals.
Implementation: Sensory activities are integrated into your child’s routines, including at home, school, and in the community. Your therapist will include similar activities during therapy sessions so your child will have a chance to practice them with their therapist.
Review and Adjustments: At DFX, we include regular touch-points with you to monitor progress and make adjustments to the sensory diet as needed.
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Integrating a Sensory Diet at Home
To start integrating a sensory diet into your child’s routine, talk with your DFX therapist. If it seems like a good fit for your child and family, they can guide you through the process, help create a customized plan, and offer strategies to implement sensory activities effectively at home.
By understanding and incorporating sensory diets into your child's every day routines, you can play a crucial role in supporting your child’s therapy and overall well-being, and helping them develop mechanisms for self-regulation. We’re here to help you every step of the way and look forward to continuing this journey together!
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DFX is grateful to Denver CALC - we received a grant that helped us plant and care for our raised bed in the Clayton Community Garden. Our kiddos are enjoying learning about growing vegetables and herbs! | |
Other Resources...
On October 8 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm, The Havern School is offering a presentation by Craig Knippenberg, LCSW, M. Div., and author.
In the discussion, entitled "I Was A Turtle: Supporting the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Development of Exceptional Students", he will draw on his book, Wired and Connected: Brain-Based Solutions to Ensure Your Child's Social and Emotional Success.
The presentation is open to the public and free but you need to register in advance. Click on the QR code below for full details.
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WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE 2024 SEPTEMBER SOIREE SPONSORS | | |
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Dr. Michael Frank
Cindi & Chris Rogers
Karen Onderko
Nitro Plumbing
Tracee Eisenberg
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Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available
Thank you to Cigna Healthcare, Developmental Pathways, The Standard, and Denver International Airport (DEN), Children's Hospital Colorado, Southeast Denver Pediatrics, Dr. Michael Frank, Cindi & Chris Rogers, Karen Onderko, Nitro Plumbing, and Tracee Eisenberg for joining us as event sponsors! We'd love to have your business as a sponsor too! For information, email Susan Kramer at susan@developmentalfx.org or
Click here for sponsorship benefits and levels.
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DFX is working to create systemic change by establishing a culture of engaged belonging in which children of all abilities and backgrounds will thrive. | | | | |
