When my daughter was diagnosed with autism I always wondered how I would tell her big brother. As my son grew older, he heard words such as “autism” and “special needs” and began to ask questions. I always tried to simplify everything by saying, “Your sister has special needs.” I did not really focus on … [Read more…]
Giving back to the community is how a friend and colleague described the first smile a baby provides their parent. After all the tireless nights, tears, and adjustment to a newborn, a smile has a deeper meaning for first time parents. The smile expresses connection and a milestone. In the modern child’s life, milestones are … [Read more…]
Against the backdrop of winter in New Jersey, the bright red and pink hearts brighten our days as we usher in Valentine’s Day. While this celebration has its roots in Christianity, the exchange of paper cards has been taking place for over one hundred years. At Mommy University, we love a fun celebration yet we … [Read more…]
Since the moment you get pregnant, all you hear is, “Don’t worry, it gets easier when…” It will get easier once you reach the second trimester (it didn’t). It will get easier when you reach the third trimester (it didn’t). For some, that may have been the case, but for me, each trimester brought on … [Read more…]
At Mommy University, we love the performing arts, and we especially love encouraging families to bring their children to local shows. This experience, however, can be challenging, overwhelming and difficult for some families. For those with children who have sensory needs, you know all too well how a trip to the theatre can be a … [Read more…]
Hello. My name is Melissa and my son, Billy, was diagnosed at age 2 with moderate/severe autism and sensory issues. It was an over 8 month process to get him to his diagnosis. It started with noticing some signs after he turned 1 which then led to the many doctors we had to go through … [Read more…]
A review of The Flying Ace from Wonder Forge When Charles Schultz created his characters in the Peanuts comic strip, one of the messages that came across that resonated with audiences was to Dream Big. One of the most iconic and America’s most loved Beagles Snoopy conveys this idea frequently. As the charismatic companion to … [Read more…]
Fun Ways to Boost Language Development This Holiday Season As the mom of a child who struggled with speech, I found myself constantly looking for opportunities to encourage language development. Whether it was identifying objects, practicing prepositions or labeling colors and shapes, I was always trying to exhaust words. I found these teachable moments could occur … [Read more…]
This is the sensory bin that Star Wars fans have been waiting for! In our household Star Wars has a level of mystique quality which is no surprise since we had a “May the Fourth Be With You party.” When the new Star Wars toys were released in the store, my family took a trip to … [Read more…]
We are so excited to bring you this year’s Play and Learn Stocking Stuffer Guide. We are thrilled to partner with Crayola, Educational Insights, SmartGames and Creativity for Kids who provided some of the brain boosting toys on this list so we can share them with you this holiday season. Ever since I was a … [Read more…]