Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/281401
Some 100 children be- tween the ages of 3 and 5 years receive services for special needs in Tehama County. But many more live with undiagnosed disabili - ties, hindering their poten- tial to thrive. Studies show that early identif ication, education and treatment can make a significant difference in the life of a child with special needs. First 5 Tehama realizes every child develops dif - ferently. Parents and care- givers can foster healthy growth and development by being aware of their child's needs. Because there are many types of special needs, ranging from social, emo - tional, physical and mental challenges, First 5 Tehama offers the following indi- cators to help parents and caregivers recognize poten- tial difficulties as their child grows. Consult a health care provider if your child: By 6 months: Doesn't coo or smile Doesn't react to loud noises Has difficulty holding his or her head up by three months Doesn't turn his or her head to follow sounds, voices or objects with his or her eyes Arms or legs are stiff, posture is floppy or limp, or arches his or her back away from you when you try to pick him or her up 6 months to 1 year: Doesn't play games like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake Has problems respond- ing when being called from across the room Has diff iculty sitting, standing up, reaching for objects or picking up objects without help Has sleeping, feeding, or eating problems By age one, has not started to say simple words like "mama" or "dada" By age 2: Has not learned to speak more than 20 words Doesn't combine two words to communicate, like "more juice" or "Daddy go" Can't make his or her words understood by others Is not interested in to sim - ple stories and songs Can't feed him or herself using a spoon and cup By age 3: Can't follow two-step in- structions such as "get the ball and put it on the table" Can't jump in place, kick a ball or ride a tricycle Doesn't know his or her name, age and sex Can't feed and dress him - self or herself with assis- tance Doesn't show early imag- inative behavior By age 4: Can't sing a song Can't distinguish make- believe from reality Can't give first and last name Can't talk about daily ac - tivities and experiences Has trouble with physical coordination activities like jumping on one foot, riding a tricycle or throwing a ball overhand By age 5: Can't dress himself or herself without help Doesn't know his or her address and telephone num - ber Can't count on his or her fingers, copy a triangle or square or draw a person with a head, body, arms and legs Can't recognize or print letters of the alphabet Doesn't play make-believe or dress-up The following tips are for parents or caregivers who spot potential developmen - tal delays in their child: The Parent Kit offers an Ages and Stages book about what to expect to see in your child's development. This kit is free to all parents of children 0-5 and pregnant women. To order your kit, call 528-1395. Get help early: If you think there may be a prob - lem or even if you are not sure, seek help. Visit a health care provider; have children screened for special needs or call to learn more about other available resources. Learn more about the child's disability: Go to the library or search the Inter - net to learn about a child's diagnosis. Talk to a health care provider and do not be afraid to ask questions. Look for support: Parents and caregivers and the child may need emotional support and advice on finding the in - formation and resources. The most encouraging help may come from other par- ents who have children with disabilities or special needs. Contact Far Northern Re- gional Center at 221-9500 for special needs support and local resource options. Tehama County Depart - ment of Education also offers local School Readiness Cen- ters in Corning (824-4111) and in Los Molinos (384- 7833) and can offer assess- ments and parent support. Northern California Child Development, Inc provides the Early Start and Head Start programs for fami - lies in our community – con- tact their office at 529-1500 for more information. Te- hama County Health Ser- vices Agency has a Healthy Beginnings program (527- 6824). Visit http://211norcal. org/tehama/find-help for a comprehensive list of local and state resources. Love, encourage and nur - ture children: As children grow, they need opportuni- ties to play and learn regard- less of their developmental level. Help special needs chil- dren find ways to do things independently or with the least assistance possible. Involve special needs chil - dren in making decisions, which will build confidence and help him or her become a self-assured and capable adult. If you think your child or a child in your care may have special needs or you would like more information on recognizing developmental milestones, call 528-1395 or visit www.first5tehama.com. Parenting Identifying special needs, disabilities Since I retired from fighting several months ago, I have been feeling like a new person. No bruising, no swelling, no ribs out of place, no headaches from getting hit. I figured I was fit as a fiddle. I've toned down the workouts, a lot, but I still get out there and run, hit the bags, lift weights. I no - ticed recently that I was suffering from hip pain. I was thinking I'd proba- bly developed some arthri- tis from the pounding I put myself through. I decided to get a mas- sage from Jerri, to see what was going on. She noticed that one leg was shorter by almost two inches and that my back and neck were re - ally out. She did her best to patch me up, and I did feel a lot better afterwards. The next day I could really feel where I was out, so I went to my chiropractor who was shocked at how out I was. A couple of visits, and I was good as new. My observation about this was that I'm not living in a lot of daily pain from the pounding of fighting, so to notice something as minor as my neck or low back be - ing out (probably from typ- ing at the computer at work so much) just didn't occur to me. I wasn't practic- ing good self awareness. I was ignoring what my body was trying to tell me. I wasn't engaging in good self care by getting regu - lar massages that I need to stay healthy. So, all you desk jock- eys out there (myself in- cluded), sit still for a min- ute and listen to what your body is telling you. Get up and stretch every hour. Go get a massage (every month if you can). Walk on your breaks, and make sure you take your breaks — I'm sure most of you don't. Take some good, deep breaths and think about all the blessings in your life. Your body will thank you. Speaking of taking care of yourself, crime is climbing high in our community. People are getting attacked, bullied, robbed. Learn some self defense tactics and practice with a friend to keep them fresh in your mind. I taught a self de - fense class recently and five ladies showed up. We went through a lot of good moves, but the best method of all is being aware. Pay atten - tion to your surroundings always. Pay attention to your gut, and don't ignore the warnings it gives you. Most of all, don't put your - self in a situation that could be dangerous. These warn- ings should be given to your kids every time they leave the house. As for the Eskimo Olym - pics, I'm still training for them. I plan on bringing home the gold. I'm meeting with my producer this weekend and am hopeful that she has secured some funding for our proj - ect. We are always open for sponsors, so if anyone wants to be a part of this crazy fun project, hit me up. All I need is a few brave souls to practice with. Any - one up for the ear pull? Go to the WEIO website at www.weio.org to see what I'm talking about. It shows all the events. I've been too scared to try the ear pull for many years now. I think I'm mentally ready for it this year. The only thing I have to lose is an ear. The hospital is nearby, though, so I'm sure it'll be ok. COLUMn Importance of self awareness Courtesy Avery Vilche, right, participates in self defense training. Avery Vilche $ 37,495 2013 GMC YUKON SLT PRIOR RENTAL, LEATHER ALL PRICES PLUS SALES TAX, LICENSE FEES, DOC FEES, ANY FINANCE CHARGE, ANY DEALER PREPARATION CHARGE, ANY EMISSION CHARGE, ANY DOCUMENTATION PREPARATION CHARGE, ANY SMOG FEES AND ANY TIRE FEES. ALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE & CREDIT APPROVAL. 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