Orlando Central - Issue #5 (July 2025)

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OFM PARENTING GUIDE 0725 - FINAL - CENTRA_Pages 6 / 9 / 25 5 : 30 PM Page 9 Extended Care ( PPEC ) nursing and therapy center Parenting Guide 2025 that specializes in skilled nursing as well as occu - pational , physical and speech therapy . It serves children who are dealing with diagnoses such as premature birth , Down syndrome , cerebral palsy , SPECIaL NEEDS metabolic disorders , seizure disorders , brain disor - ders and chronic lung issues . Julie Rosenzweig , an occupational therapist at BrightStart , says following the PPEC model and Embracing havingthese comprehensive services in one singular location allows its therapy team to better meet the needs of each child . the Individual “ All our children have specific needs based on their medical history , diagnoses and current medical Every child with special needs is unique and it takes a status . Each discipline [ of our therapy team ] com - pletes a comprehensive evaluation and develops a personalized approach to provide the best possible care . plan of care based on each individual child’s areas B Y P E T E R P R O K O of concern . Personalized attention is crucial to fa - cilitate each child to reach their therapy goals and have success . Since all therapies are under the same roof , we can work side - by - side to collaborate and work cohesively as a team , ” says Rosenzweig . Krista M . Marchman , Ph.D . , founder and di - rector of Educational Consulting Associates , spe - cializes in psychological , psychoeducational and neurodevelopmental evaluations and interventions for children , adolescents , young adults and their families . With 35 years of experience in the field , she says it’s paramount that every evaluation she does takes an individual approach because there can be overlaps leading to a misdiagnosis . “ Attention - Defecit / Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) , behavioral disorders , anxiety , depression , autism — all those things have overlapping similar - ities . Children coming from divorce or maybe be - reaving a death could be experiencing anxiety , or maybe depression and sadness ; they may have prob - lems with attention , but it may not be ADHD as a diagnosis . You could have a child that presents with similar things , but it could be for different reasons , ” she says . “ Everything I do comes from a neuropsycho - logical evaluation standpoint , ” Marchman contin - ues . “ I’m looking at data points that tell me why a child may be struggling , and all those data points have to be very individualized to that child . [ Oth - erwise ] , that’s how we end up with misdiagnoses . If it looks like a duck , it doesn’t always mean it’s a duck . ” When children are faced with learning diffi - RAISINGAYOUNGCHILDWITHSPECIALNEEDS Debra Beckman is the founder of Beckman culties , no two experiences are identical , making can present a unique set of challenges for many and Associates , a specialty therapy clinic in Mait - one - size - fits - all educational strategies ineffective parents who find themselves trying to navigate land that offers services to children who demon - andpotentially counterproductive to their academic unknown territory . Whether a child has emo - strate a need for speech , occupational and physical growth . tional , behavioral or learning difficulties , special therapy . She says a key first step is determining Pace Brantley is a school in Longwood that needs require special attention . No matter what how to encourage a child and building from there . specializes in teaching students with ADHD , ob - a child’s diagnosis may be , it’s crucial to connect “ You have to find out what motivates them sessive - compulsive disorder , dyslexia , autism and with them personally to increase their comfort and make sure they have access to that so they feel other learning disabilities . Pam Tapley serves as its level and help them unlock their full potential . comfortable , ” says Beckman . “ Their learning is go - head of school and says the key lies in recognizing That personalized approach is vital because ingto be enhanced if their state is calm . Find where that each child brings a distinct constellation of each child presents their own strengths and weak - they’re comfortable and work with them where strengths and challenges to the classroom . nesses ; though they may share a particular diagnosis , they are , you can always gradually modify . You “ Rather than applying standardized interven - their needs can vary and may need to be addressed want them to be happy . ” tions , educators must first understand where each in different ways . BrightStart Pediatrics is a Prescribed Pediatric student currently stands in their learning journey , 38 ORLANDO FAMILY july 2025 ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM

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OFM PARENTING GUIDE 0725 - FINAL - CENTRA_Pages 6 / 9 / 25 5 : 30 PM Page 10 then craft pathways to honor their individual pace and style of processing information , ” she says . S That personalized approach helps transform education from a rigid system to a responsive part - P nership . With tailored instruction and meaningful E connections being made , students are able to build upon small successes . C “ It may seem small , but without those incre - mental successes , you can’t get to those bigger mile - I stones , ” says Melissa Lopez , director of Quest Kids A Academy , a small Orlando private school that spe - cializes in creating a supportive environment for L children with developmental disabilities . “ So as we celebrate these things and use lots of positive rein - forcement , our kids get excited and they want to N learn more . ” “ The smallest milestones are huge for the chil - E dren that I treat and we celebrate every success , ” says Rosenzweig . “ Developing rapport and a ther - E apeutic relationship with each child is heartwarming D and fills my professional cup on a daily basis . I love seeing their smiles and getting high fives with S each new skill . ” Of course , incorporating families to be directly involved in the process is also critical . While chil - dren may be receiving expert care and guidance in a therapy session or in the classroom , making sure there is a carryover effect that enters into the home is equally important . “ If you don’t have the family members [ in - volved ] , you’re not going to have a successful out - come ” says Beckman . “ I’ve had parents tell me , ‘ Well , he usually does better if I’m not in the room . ’ But in real life , you’re going to be in the room , and you’re the main team leader here . ” That is why Beckman makes sure parents are present with her whenever she’s conducting a ther - apy session so they can work as a team to see what works and what doesn’t . “ I want them to see those beginning steps and that if something doesn’t work , you can do this next . If that doesn’t work , you can do this . This way the caregiver can take that information and help it to grow in their home setting , ” says Beck - man . Likewise , Rosenzweig says BrightStart is con - stantly working to involve families so children con - tinue to reach new heights . “ As a therapy team , we encourage our families to come in and be part of their child’s therapy journey . Educating and enabling parents and care - givers to carry over therapeutic activities at home creates a holistic approach for each child to meet their goals , ” she says . Engaging families also provides useful infor - mation that parents can use moving forward , and Marchman says it gives them hope for what the possibilities are based upon what she’s found during an evaluation . “ I can direct them to the correct services and resources , and I’m very specific about that , and I prioritize that . For the parent , I am trying to answer all of those questions and point them in the right direction . And it’s so rewarding to me when a par - ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM july 2025 ORLANDO FAMILY 39

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