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Posted in: Family // 0 Comments
By Mary Lauren Eubank
According to the website www.salary.com, the typical stay at home mom works 40 hours at base pay and 52 hours overtime for a total of 92 hours a week. The website states the job has an earned salary equivalent to $138,095 per year. The stay-at-home mom is the CEO of the household so here are a few tips to keep the business running smoothly.
1. Agenda: Follow a schedule. Your children will find comfort in a routine and you will avoid added stress by knowing what time you need to be ready to walk out the door.
2. Office Hours: Designate a certain time of day to get errands run, emails answered and the house picked up. While you’re at it, make sure a portion of that time is your undivided attention to your family. It’s amazing what 15 minutes of quality time can do even when you think you are too busy to sit down and play.
3. Delegate: No one can do everything by themselves, at least not well. Get the entire family involved to help the household run. Husbands are willing to help but usually need clear instructions on what and how to do it. Chores are win-win tools that will take a task off your plate while teaching children responsibility.
4. Evaluate/Conference: Periodically evaluate how you and your family are doing during the work week. What is working and what needs to change? Brainstorming with your family will give you more ideas on how to make things smoother around the house. And ask your friends what works for them rather than always reinventing the wheel.
5. Vacation Days: Just like in a “real” job, you earn vacation days during the year. Even if it isn’t possible to leave town, get a babysitter and do something for yourself. The entire family will benefit from you being able to relax and recharge.
Posted in: Family // 1 Comment
How is autism defined?
“Autism is a language disorder first and foremost – a disorder in the way that language develops and functions; it is a combination of delayed language and language that is disordered in its developmental patterns,” says David O. Childers, Jr., M.D., Chief, Division of Developmental Pediatrics, U.F. College of Medicine, Jacksonville. “There is something wrong with the way that language is organized and the way language progresses.” The child may say words for a while but they might regress; the words never fully locked for the child.
“The three primary diagnoses in the autism spectrum include autism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s syndrome,” Dr. Childers explains. “The autism spectrum is called that because it includes a range of complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social and communication difficulties,” adds Jodi Morgan, Clinical Research Liaison and Speech-Language Pathologist with Brooks Rehabilitation. “The spectrum goes from very mild symptoms to very severe symptoms – it is a big umbrella – but many people in the community think of autism in the terms of the most severe,” she adds.
“Males are five times more likely than females to have an autism diagnosis. Researchers are starting to link this to genetics and finding a chromosomal link that is more prevalent in males than females,” says Morgan. She adds that there is a lot of inconsistent literature on the theory that normal baby vaccinations are linked to autism.
“Parents need to be aware of the early normal developmental milestones and note if their child is not babbling or talking on time. It is important to notice if the child starts talking and then stops. Pay attention to a loss of language or social skills as well as repetitive behaviors,” explains Morgan. A hallmark of autism includes a failure to recognize family members as family members and a failure to share frames of reference with other people.
What to do?
If you think that your child has autistic symptoms, Morgan suggests calling your pediatrician and ask for a referral to a specialist.
At Dr. Childers’ pediatric clinic every child who comes through with developmental concerns by the parent is examined by specialists using the adaptive behavior scale. Interestingly, their data is mirroring the national data. “Eighty percent of the children who come in for an autistic screening are not autistic,” says Dr. Childers. “It doesn’t mean that there aren’t issues. There are a lot of things that could be wrong, that are not typical, but it is not autism.”
Visual, spatial and language skills are measured during the evaluation. “We look at receptive language both as rote language and functional language,” says Dr. Childers. “Rote language is language that can be taught: body parts, commands, etc. Functional language can’t be taught, it is when we say to the child ‘put a block on your head,’ or a two step unrelated command set like ‘go and find your shoes and put your cup on the table.’” Functional understanding of language means that the child has comprehension ability.
“Get children in early for therapy – the earlier the better,” says Morgan. “Even if you can’t yet help the child, you can counsel and train the family. And be persistent. You are your child’s best advocate.”
For children younger than three years old, the Early Steps program (Early Intervention) provides a no cost eligibility assessment for children within 45 days of contact. Contact (904) 360-7022. For children ages three to five years, the Child Find program (Crown FDLRS) provides a no-cost eligibility assessment for school-based services. Contact (904) 348-7784. Click here for more info.
Posted in: Fitness // 1 Comment
Advice on Training With or After an Injury
By Doug Alred
Getting sidelined because of an injury is probably the most frustrating thing a runner can face. Many runners adopt the “no pain, no gain” attitude and press on despite an injury. This mentality can be very detrimental. Here is some advice to consider when faced with an injury.
It’s important to note that there are separate strategies for running with an injury and making a comeback after an injury has healed. We will cover both. In both cases, you must monitor your body. Make sure you don’t push yourself too hard; it could mean a longer recovery or even a re-injury. Know your limitations. Know when to run and when not to run. And always discuss your injury with your physician and follow his or her advice.
General guidelines for running with an injury:
1) Dull pain versus sharp pain: While dull aches are typically okay, sharp pains are not. For example, if you have dull ache in your calf, you will probably be okay. However, if you feel a sharp pain in your calf, stop running and walk. Ask yourself this question: “Is running the rest of this run today worth having to take three months off with an injury?” I’ve walked away from plenty of runs to avoid injuries. Remember that it’s always better to rest if it means you can fully recover. Sometimes, an injury that can heal in a week can turn into a three month ordeal if you continue to run.
2) Stick to shorter, slower runs: If you decide to run with an injury, run a shorter distance at a slower pace. If you don’t overdo it, you may not have to face a total shutdown. If you back-off, you can maintain your fitness level and stick to your training schedule. You don’t have to do an endurance run every week to keep up with your training. Every ten days is fine and will keep you on track, but if your body can’t handle it, skip the longer runs altogether. Scale back and remember that something is better than nothing.
3) Know when to power through and when to quit: You might be able to power through certain injuries as long as you take corrective measures on your run and during your cool down, warm up and off time. Many people run through plantar fasciitis if it’s not out of control. Never try to run through a pulled hamstring or calf muscle. It’s better to take time off. Let it heal.
Hitting the Payment Post-injury:
1) Put the past behind you: Forget about your training regimen pre-injury. It’s a new reality. The important thing is to get you back running and rebuilding your endurance. Slow down the pace. Decrease the mileage. Take it easy. Ease into it. Don’t start with five miles if you’ve been running ten; try one mile first. If you feel good, try it again. Set weekly goals and build slowly. You’ll get back before you know it and you can’t rush it. You can do it in minutes too. 10 minutes first week, 20 second week, etc… Don’t do seven miles one day and eight the next. Give your body time to ramp up and see how you feel. If you feel up for an endurance run, only do it one day a week or every 10 days.
2) Don’t make the same mistake twice: When you got injured, what happened? Was it something you did? Were you overtraining? Did you not take enough time to let your body adjust to your regimen? Were you wearing the correct shoes? Remember, shoes can change. If you ramp up in mileage you may need another shoe. Assess if your injury had anything to do with equipment or training regimen. Think about terrain, distance, time, shoes, etc… If you’ve made a mistake and can identify that mistake, make sure not to repeat it.
3) Modify as necessary: Wrap your hamstring for a pulled muscle. Support arches with tape for plantar fasciitis. Try compression socks for calf problems. Talk to the 1st Place Sports staff and ask them what modifications and methods might help you. Chances are we’ve seen it.
4) Know when to say when: If it doesn’t get better, then stop. It needs to feel better, not worse. The “If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger” mentality does not work when it comes to an injury. That attitude could sideline you for good. Take care of your body. Turn off the competitor and get back to the basics. Run to feel good and be fit. Listen to your body and react to it in a timely manner. I tell runners all the time that the number one injury is re-injury.
Doug Alred, owner of 1st Place Sports, contributes a monthly column on running to HealthSource magazine. If you have runnings question for Alred, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
