This information sheet from the American Speech Language Hearing Association gives the developmental milestones for speech from ages 1-5 as well as ways parents and caregivers can help children build language skills.

How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?.

Here are a few book resources, which link to Amazon.

Orange County Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous, Inc..

ANAD Groups (National Asssociation of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders)

There is one Anorexia Anonymous meeting at the current time:

Lake Forest, CA Sundays @7:00 PM (D) Women’s meeting  Rebecca’s House Extended Care for Women with Eating Disorders. For directions please call the house manager at 949-280-9399.

ESL Worksheets: Feelings Worksheets

The site also offered helpful information related child and senior care.  Many adults are now caring for children and aging parents- finding caregivers and information on how to care for aging parents is an unexpected challenge.

Everyone and the house are fine. Even the air quality on our hill is good- the smoke blew west. After I came home, the neighborhood was evacuated and we were allowed to re-enter the next day. No damage to our home, but sadly many homes in our tract were burned to the ground as the fire was moving so quickly. There were also many more homes that were saved thanks to quick thinking neighbors who put out trees/landscaping that caught on fire with garden hoses. The firemen did not have time/warning to get there with all the fires in the area and pump station down.

So- husband, 3 dogs, cat, and caterpillars spent a night away. We came home to find everyone (even the wild bunnies in the woodpile) just fine except for some -okay a lot- of soot and ash.

We received many calls from friends, family and clients. We are safe and well and hope everyone else is too.

-Lisa

Also- we did receive alerts on our home and cell phones about the evacuation notices through alertOC.  This is an emergency notification system that will call or text your home/cell (you specify) with emergency warnings and updates.  Had we been sleeping while the fires came through, this would have been very helpful.

I am always using, losing and re-creating the list of low cost housing links for the Orange County, CA area. I figured if I posted them here, there are limits on how many more times they can be lost. Nothing can be lost once it’s on the internet, so I am told.

• Orange County Community Services page with links to rental assistance guides and application (when open) as well as first time buyers, mortagage assistance programs, and homelessness prevention.
• Public Housing Authority – California Links to the main page to PHA websites in California. Each city/county office has their own programs for rental assistance/first time buyer programs. See each office for details. Preference will generally be given to those who live or work in the city in which they are applying or if the person is elderly or has a disability.
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Government main housing page.
• Orange County Rescue Mission Orange County Homeless Shelter
• 211oc.org Resource guide for many types of aid in Orange County. More accurate and up-to-date information can be obtained by calling 211 in Orange County
• CASA Youth Shelter

I do consider a child’s ability to self-soothe, relax, and calm their own mind to be a necessity. In a therapy environment- handling a child’s clinical anxiety or trauma response involves a bit more skill than can be learned in a single book or tape. Living a balanced life (homework/play/exercise/friends/family/good nutrition) is also extremely important in how a child handles stress.

That being said, when I am asked to recommend resources for parents, therapists, or teachers- I almost always recommend the series of stories by Maureen Garth(below). They are meant to be relaxing stories read out loud to children by a parent or caregiver, and children like them. I have recommended them for years- even while working in a children’s oncology unit. Some are even published in Spanish.

I do not have any current CD’s I recommend for children. I know many families have favorite calming music they use to help soothe their kids at night or on trips etc. If you are looking for a children’s relaxation CD or guided imagery for children, you can search Amazon and preview some of their selections Children’s Meditations. Adults may want to check out Relaxation and Meditation iMix on iTunes

Below are the books available at Amazon or at your local bookseller.

For substance abuse, try the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator

Have a troubled teen and looking for a residential program or extended wilderness or camp experience? Search by age gender, type of experience at the accreditation agency- National Association of Therapeutic schools and Programs

Looking for an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? Find out how to locate a meeting near you at the Alcoholics Anonymous National Website

Looking for a therapist trained in EMDR? Find an EMDR trained therapist at the EMDRIA website.

Whether you have a health condition, a child with special needs, or a desire to keep the planet and your family healthy- you have woken up to a green world. And if you- like me- have realized that eating green does not mean eating on a budget… welcome to the club. If you can’t be at whole paychex, then check these out.

Eating Green.

Treating a person through outpatient therapy for an eating disorder can be complicated and dangerous. The successful treatment of a person who has been newly diagnosed or has just decided to see treatment often depends on a team of professionals including a therapist, psychiatrist, dietician, and primary care physician. Group, family, and individual therapies are sometimes necessary. Many books, television shows, and movies seem to “teach” young women how to hide their disorder or binge/purge in different ways, and I am reluctant to give out those references for that reason.

However, these are some websites and books that may help those interested gather information and seek treatment.

• AED Academy for Eating Disorders- professional organization, provides information about research, treatment, and training in the field
• ANRED-Anorexia Nervosa and Related eating Disorders Information and Resources
• BulimiaGuide.org Treatment information and research for people struggling with bulimia and their families
• Eating Disorders Anonymous Find a group
• Eating Disorder Foundation Information about eating disorders, treatment, support groups
• F.R.E.E.D. Foundation-Gail R. Schoenbach F.R.E.E.D. foundation – promotes recovery from eating disorders and offers some financial assistance to those that cannot afford it.
• Jessie’s Wish Non-profit 501c3 organization providing information and financial resources to those who cannot afford treatment for an eating disorder
• National Association for Males with Eating Disorders
• National Eating Disorders Association Information, support, and research
• Renfrew Center Treatment facility, funded by nonprofit foundation. Comprehensive outpatient and residential services
• Something Fishy Extensive list of resources for treatments, support, and information on eating disorders