The Benefits of Creative Arts Therapy for Kids

Step into Seattle art therapist Mineko Takada-Dill’s studio and you’ll find an array of paints, clay, pastels, charcoal and textured papers. She uses these materials to help her clients let their guard down and experience the therapeutic benefits of art. Who hasn’t felt relaxation, focus and a sens

Read More »

Childhood Depression: Warning Signs and How Parents Can Help

Eleven-year-old Maya hates life. The Seattle resident began an emotional downward spiral after a school playground incident two years ago. Since then, she’s been sad about most things, anxious, hates school and doesn’t like activities she used to enjoy. Maya suffers from childhood depression. Almos

Read More »

Hearing Loss in Children: Screening, New Innovations Transform Young Lives

Seven-month-old Eva Sternoff of Bellevue has alert blue eyes and an infant-size hearing aid that fits on her right ear. It is neatly held in place by a pink headband. Eva was born with stage 3 microtia, a deformity of the outer ear that left her with hearing loss in one ear. Since Eva started weari

Read More »

Parenting Children with Special Needs

Not long after Rachel Trindle’s twin son Daniel was born with cerebral palsy, she noticed the friendships she’d cultivated with other parents just “withered up and died away.” After all, her life as a mom had changed dramatically. No longer could she connect with parents of typical children as she

Read More »

Barks and Babes: Preparing Your Dog for a New Baby

Unfortunately, as a dog trainer I often get calls from clients whose dog has bitten their new baby. None of these folks are bad dog owners or negligent parents, but there were definitely some things (“If they had only known...”) they could have done with their dogs that could have prevented the bite

Read More »

Giving Thanks: Gratitude Benefits Health for Kids and Parents

By Patti Skelton-McGougan, Executive Director of Youth Eastside Services The holidays offer many delights, but the pace of travel and celebrations can add stress to family life. Taking a "gratitude break" ­­— not just on one day, but every day — holds great benefits, as measured in a study at UC Da

Read More »

International Adoption: Are The Kids As Healthy As They Look?

When Portland, OR. resident Mishelle Rudzinski adopted her 5-year-old daughter, Bakha, from Kazakhstan in 2006, she was prepared for life with a special needs child: The child had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. Bakha didn’t walk at all until she was 4, and then did so wi

Read More »

Kid’s Health: Nutrition for A Healthy Teen

“It’s hard!” says Central Seattle mom Jennifer “J.T.” Thames, laughing as she considers the question of how to ensure that her kids receive proper nutrition as she looks at her teenage son holding a handful of chips. Thames is the first to admit that she has less power over her teen’s nutritional ch

Read More »