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Preparing for Thanksgiving Part 2

This is the second installment from our parent contributor Beth Lattime. If you haven’t already read it, be sure to check out part 1 here.

Don’t give your family and friends credit for understanding your child


Every child with a special need or disability comes with their own arsenal of strengths and weaknesses. As a parent, you learn quickly what your child likes and doesn’t like. Some of these things may be very odd but can bring peace to your child. My son, Ethan, loves textures of Tupperware lids, baggies, and lots of other miscellaneous things that are perplexing to spectators. I have learned to simply tell my family and friends about these desires that he has. Taking bags and filling them with toys that are more appropriate for Ethan has been my biggest go to strategy. I have given him opportunities to play with Tupperware lids while he is doing more appropriate things such as sitting and eating. In fact, I have played with the bags and lids myself to help him fit in. I have experienced the crazy looks from family members who are trying not to attend to the oddities. Everyone means well but are curious by Ethan’s differences nonetheless.

Ask yourself this, would Grandma Betty be appalled if you handed her a bag filled with feathers to play with at the Thanksgiving feast? What does your child like to do? Would Uncle Joe be ok if you turned on some music to calm your child’s sensory processing needs? Come up with a plan. Include your family and friends in that plan. Explain why it is helpful. See what they say. Does this always work for every situation? Nope. If you don’t make an attempt to share your child’s needs with your family and friends at social gatherings, they can’t make things easier for your child and your immediate family members. Remember. Be honest. Communicate.


*Beth Lattime, M. Ed. is a developmental specialist and intervention specialist. Her professional experiences span over classroom, clinical, home-based, and recreational environments. She can now proudly add her own natural environments to her list of experiences. Ethan was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms in 2012 which is a rare type of epilepsy and had a former diagnosis of dysphasia. He is currently undergoing intensive therapies at LLA for apraxia and deficits in the arenas of physical and occupational therapy as well. For more on Beth’s story, visit www.lattimeinterventionservices.com/
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Patient Reviews

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Patient Reviews

Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

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My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

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My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

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My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

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I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

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We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

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They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

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We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
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