Reflexively, your baby is born with the ability to suck. It makes sense. After all, your little one must be able to suck to get nutrients, whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. Thumb sucking also has the ability to soothe and calm your little one. However, there are moments as your child gets older where thumb-sucking may become a problem. Your pediatrician can provide you with the tips and tricks to help your little one grow out of this habit.

• Do not tease or punish your child for using a pacifier, but instead praise them when they do not use it. Provide them with rewards when they go without it.
• Some children use pacifiers out of boredom, so give your child something to do to distract them such as playing with a game or toy (to keep their hands busy).
• If incentives and rewards aren’t enough and your child is still using a pacifier, your pediatrician may recommend a “thumb guard” that can prevent your child from sucking their thumb. While you may feel in a rush to get rid of your child’s pacifier, it’s important to be patient. All children eventually stop this habit.

Helping a child on the autistic spectrum poses many challenges which can be quite rewarding if we are equipped with the right tools to respond. If you have any questions or concerns about helping your autistic child gain valuable life skills and have some fun while doing so, come see our staff at ABC Pediatrics in McKinney, TX, for support.

Helping Your Child With Autism

All children need consistency, especially when reinforcing household rules and acceptable modes of behavior, but autistic children thrive in environments where they know what is expected of them.

Self Care

Time apart from your child may serve both of you well. Getting away from the home and coming back with fresh eyes helps to stave off frustration from both sides.

Become More Attentive

Each child with autism is unique and has quirks that you must get to know and accept. Some of these quirks are non-verbal or vocalized with others. Being conscientious in your communication will increase the quality of life for you and the child with autism.

Positively Reinforce Desirable Behavior

Working with your child is a learning process for everyone. If you show your child which behaviors you think are more beneficial, they will understand what you want more readily.

Break Things Into Smaller Steps

Sometimes, we want to keep our children calm while we ask them to do a favor or a chore. Because symptoms often lead them to become overwhelmed easily when being told what to do, the main thing is to maintain your patience and break the request down into smaller pieces to ensure that you are easily understood.

Do you need some autism support in McKinney, TX? ABC Pediatrics offers a range of services to help you help your child on the autistic spectrum. Contact our staff to schedule an appointment today at (972) 569-9904!

In the past, the most common type of diabetes to affect children and teens was type 1 diabetes. This is also referred to as juvenile diabetes. In children with type 1 diabetes, their bodies do not produce insulin, a hormone responsible for helping deliver glucose into the cells. While type 1 diabetes is quite common in children, pediatricians are also seeing a rise in type 2 diabetes in children and teens. This coincides with an increase in childhood obesity rates.

• Frequent urination, particularly at night
• Excessive thirst or hunger
• Weight loss, despite increased appetite
• Cuts, bruises, and wounds that don’t heal or are slow to heal

• Blurry vision
• Severe fatigue
• Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, likewise known as ADHD, is a condition marked by specific differences in brain activity and development that negatively impact a child’s self-control, attention, and focus. It could affect children at home, school, and in relationships. If you suspect that your child might have ADHD, consult your pediatrician at ABC Pediatrics in McKinney, TX.

It’s very common for all children to sometimes struggle with sitting still, paying attention, waiting for their turn, or following and listening to instructions. Children with ADHD, however, struggle harder, and usually, all the time.

How Do I Know If My Child Has ADHD?

Children with ADHD typically display signs from at least one, two, or all these categories:

• Hyperactive children are usually easily bored, restless, and fidgety. They might have difficulty staying quiet and sitting still. They might likewise rush through activities, resulting in careless mishaps. Additionally, they might roughhouse, jump around, or climb when they should not. Put simply, they might act in a disruptive manner.
• These are kids who get distracted easily, are inattentive, and have difficulty concentrating, staying on task, and focusing their attention. They might have trouble listening well to instructions, finishing things that they’ve started, and miss crucial details. Likewise, they might appear forgetful or absent-minded, dawdle or daydream too much, and easily lose track of things.
• These are kids who act too quickly before they think and do things. They might have trouble waiting for their turn, grab or push, and interrupt. They might also be too emotional in situations that don’t seem intense to others. Sometimes, they might engage in risky behaviors such as taking stuff that is not theirs and/or without permission.

How Do I Help My Child?

Keep in mind that self-control and focus are not things that you’re born with, as kids usually develop these traits, as they grow older. However, some children might not get better at waiting, listening, focusing, controlling their impulses, or paying attention. When this happens, it will eventually cause issues at home, school, and with relationships.

It might also mean that your child has ADHD and that you should consult with your pediatrician in McKinney, TX, as soon as possible. This way, you can start exploring the most appropriate supports and interventions for your child’s needs. Untreated ADHD could make navigating the world more difficult for your child. In turn, this could result in poor self-esteem, depression, anxiety, defiant and oppositional behavior, relationship conflicts, failure at school, and risky behaviors.

Most importantly, remember that your child will have ADHD for the rest of their life. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t outgrow ADHD—children with ADHD grow up to be adults with ADHD. But with the proper supports and accommodations in place, your child will learn to manage the negative effects and optimize the positive aspects of ADHD and go on to live a happy life, even with ADHD.

For Any Questions and Advice on ADHD, We Can Help

Set an appointment here at ABC Pediatrics in McKinney, TX, by calling (972) 569-9904.

Accidents happen. Perhaps your child hurt themselves falling off their bike or taking a rough tumble down the stairs. In these instances, the first thing you’ll probably do is check your child over for bumps, bruises, and possibly broken bones. It’s important to recognize whether your child could be dealing with a broken bone so that you can bring them in to see their pediatrician right away.

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Tenderness
• A popping or snapping sound at the moment of impact or injury
• Trouble straightening out the limb or affected area
• Unable to put weight on the area
• Limited range of motion or unable to move normally