Let your toddler help you with chores. Your little one wants to mimic you and may want to help out when she sees you doing chores. Encourage her desire to be helpful by letting her participate in doing safe tasks. You could put on fun music and put her toys away together, or you could ask her to help you fold socks. Be encouraging and help her help you.

Build a fort using a sheet. Your toddler will love this activity—you could even call it indoor camping! All you need is a few chairs with a sheet draped over the top to create the fort. Put a comfy pillow inside for your little one to sit on. Once the fort is made, encourage your toddler to look at her picture books in there or give her a flashlight she can use to make light shapes with. You might find she makes it her own little domain that she can spend hours hiding out in. Over time, you’ll find your toddler uses her creativity and imagination to make the fort into whatever she wants it to be, whether it’s a spaceship, a pirate ship, or a castle.

Pumpkin Fine Motor Golf Tee Activity. Here’s what you’ll need: a pumpkin, golf tees, and a wooden mallet (or a small hammer, if you trust your child)! This activity promotes fine/small motor skills and hand-eye coordination!

Tubes and Pumpkins. Here is what you will need: cardboard tubes and mini pumpkins and seasonal gourds! Demonstrate what you want your child to do by standing a cardboard tube up straight and balancing a pumpkin or gourd on top. Have them try to do the same. This activity promotes: hand eye coordination, patience and problem solving.

Create an obstacle course.  One of the challenges many parents have when it comes to setting up indoor activities for 2 year olds is that they lose interest pretty quickly, which can be frustrating. A great strategy is to combine multiple ideas together into an obstacle course. You can do this in the basement, or split it up over 2 or 3 floors of your house, requiring your child to walk up and down the stairs. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy – just a combination of different movements, like following a line of masking tape, flipping pillows over, rolling an exercise ball from one end of a room to the next, etc.

Kayla Olson

My journey as a parent of a special needs child began just after my son’s first birthday. We noticed he was not meeting his speech milestones and we were able to gain his attention for sitting activities. We debated he may be behind due to the pandemic and not being able to socialize as much as if there was not a pandemic. We felt it wouldn’t hurt getting his screened by Early Intervention. During the screening process I noticed there were so many questions regarding him “spinning” and “running in circles” and not much discussion regarding his speech. After services began and we meet with our therapy team is was discussed my son has Sensory Processing Disorder and speech delay. As this was a diagnosis, I knew nothing about at the time, I was scared, but open to learning on how to support my son with this new information given by or Early Intervention team. As, we are now starting our transition out of Early Intervention services into the school setting, I am grateful to our team and the knowledge and tools I have been given to advocate for what my son needs to meet his highest potential in every setting. 

I am very excited to support you, services coordinators and providers in my new role. I look forward to talking with you about questions/concerns or requests you may have including, but not limited the following list.

Here are some of the ways I can help as a Parent Liaison:

Share information about support groups in the area and online that fir your specific needs

• Provide requested resources for additional therapies, park district classes, library programs and/or fun family friendly activities in the area
• Answer questions about Individual Education Plans (IEP) and Plans
• Provide a list of daycare centers/preschools that fit family needs
• Attend IFSP, 6-month review, transition meetings if requested
• Connect families with children with the same diagnosis
• Connect you with agencies that aid with grocery, clothing and housing needs
• Provide information about Respite care in the area
• Plan and invite all families to private EI playgroup/field tris on the area
• Send useful information about developmental activities, play groups, family friendly events and more out to you 4 times at year (This is the first addition for me!)
• Just listen when you need to talk with someone who has been through similar circumstances
• Talk about how EI can help with experiences you are facing

How can I contact the Parent Liaison?

Contact you Services Coordinator (SC) with any requests or concerns, then the Service Coordinator will provide me with information needed to contact you with a phone call or email.