Now Celebrating 27 Years!
Up Wee Grow, Inc. is an agency approved by the NYS Early Intervention and CPSE programs to provide evaluations and services to children and families in their homes and schools, In-Person (or via Telehealth). Evaluations and Therapies are provided for children from birth through age 5 in Suffolk County, Nassau County, and all 5 Boroughs of New York City.
Our services are provided to children by fully licensed therapists and certified teachers through the New York State Early Intervention Program and the New York State Board of Education Committee for Preschool Special Education.
ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis
Psychology
Service Coordination
Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Audiology
Special Education
Physical Therapy
Social Work
Serving seven counties of New York State: Suffolk | Nassau | Queens | Brooklyn | Bronx | Manhattan | Staten Island
Contact us and speak with an Early Intervention Specialist.
Birth To 3
Early Intervention
Birth To 3 - Early Intervention
Up Wee Grow, Inc. is approved by New York State and has contracts with Suffolk, Nassau, New York City, and Westchester to provide Early Intervention services.
Ages 3 to 5
CPSE
Ages 3 to 5 - CPSE
If you are concerned about your child's development between the ages of 3 and 5 you may refer him/her to your School District’s Committee for Preschool Special Education (CPSE) to request an evaluation.
Autism
ABA Program
Autism - ABA Program
Up Wee Grow, Inc. provides the highest quality A.B.A. programming (Applied Behavior Analysis) at the direction of our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Psychologist (Ph.D.).
We teach parents Maximum Strength Parenting through use of F.E.A.T.S. (Family-friendly Evaluation and Teaching System), our comprehensive system to empower parents to promote positive growth across six developmental domains with a multi-modal approach. This includes six interactive charts that we created based on 22 well-normed, peer-reviewed assessment instruments to provide families with realistic guidelines regarding typical developmental milestones in six areas from birth through kindergarten.
F.E.A.T.S Tips For Parents
Rotary/Diagonal Chewing Patterns
“CHEW YOUR FOOD!” Present your child with a variety of foods. Vary the texture (e.g., mushy, crunchy, lumpy, etc.). Place the foods in different parts of your child’s...
Mommy Cheerist: Do parents have a moral obligation to their children to be happy?
Do parents have a moral obligation to their children to be happy? First, let’s consider a few things about “happiness.” Dictionary definitions of “happy” include...
Lying: Liar, Liar, pants on fire!
Why does my child lie? Children younger than age 5 or 6 frequently blur the line and can have difficulty making the distinction between fantasy and reality. Beginning...
“Divide and Conquer”
Alright, maybe the “battle cry” of “divide and conquer” is not especially nice when we’re talking about our children, but I’m quite sure that many of you have been...
Anger: It’s all the rage
“You gotta vent, let it all out, go ahead, it’ll make you feel better.” Such is the common wisdom about anger. It seems, though, the...
“How long should ‘Time-Out’ last?” (Use the Clock and the Calendar)
The best known and most generally accepted guideline for the duration of “Time-out” is one minute per year of age (e.g., 2 minutes for a 24-month-old; 2-½ minutes for a...
Cruising
Oh, You’re Cruising” Place a favorite toy a few feet away while your child holds onto the couch. Play “ring around the rosy” (which involves side-to-side movements with...
Define specific behavior problems/goals
Step 1: Clearly define a Goal – a specific negative behavior that you want to decrease or a specific positive behavior you want to increase By clearly defining a...
Kicking A Rolling Ball
“Getting Your Kicks” Have your child stand in one place. You roll a ball directly towards your child. As the ball is near him, state “Kick the ball!” Watch for the...
A-Ha!
I was greatly inspired by the book “Single Session Therapy: Maximizing the Effect of the First (and Often Only) Therapeutic Encounter,” by Moshe Talmon. Psychologists...
Mother Nature’s guidelines for giving up the bottle/pacifier
There is evidence that babies have used some version of a pacifier for “non-nutritive sucking” since 1,000 B.C. Also, “non-nutritive sucking” begins in the womb and is...
Mother Nature’s ‘optimal’ Birth Spacing
Due to economic and social factors, couples are waiting longer and longer to have their first child. As a result, there has been a decrease in “birth spacing” (i.e.,...
“Forget my child…I wouldn’t mind a little ‘Time-Out’ for myself!”
“Time-out” is as much for you as it is for your child. Take your child’s “Time-Out” as an opportunity for you to calm down and “take a break.” You can view his...
Riding a Tricycle
Riding a Tricycle with Pedals, Maneuvering Around Obstacles, Turning, Stopping and Starting “Road-Test” To determine if the tricycle is the right size for your child...
Cooperating with Dressing and Undressing
“Dress-Up: Mess-Up or Yes-Up?” Create a calm and relaxed environment while dressing and undressing your child. Make dressing a fun activity. Sing songs, put on music,...
Independently Dresses
“Dressed to the Nines” Give your child opportunities to assist with dressing. Make dressing fun and interesting for your child. Make sure the environment is relaxed and...
“Morning Express” Yourself: Do you just rise, or do you rise and shine?
If your mornings are too stressful, here are some tips for you’re a.m. routine so that you won’t just rise, you’ll rise and shine. Go ahead and “express yourself”: 1....
Fun
I was recently reading “The Dangerous Book for Boys” by Gonn and Hal Iggulden. The contents included (but were not limited to): the greatest paper...
Giving Up The Bottle
“What Do I Look Like, Some Sort of Baby?” Once your child has mastered drinking from a cup, gradually decrease the amount of liquids in the bottle. Give bottles less...
How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? One, but the light bulb has to want to change
Try to guess the best predictor of success for those who engage in therapy with a psychologist. Is it a patient factor, like the patient’s age, intelligence, or...
Head-Banging
It is not especially uncommon for a child to bang his head in the context of a temper tantrum, however, it is important to take head-banging seriously. Given the...
Paving the Road to Self-Regulation (for children with hyper-sensitivity/anxiety)
Self-regulation of hyper-sensitivity/anxiety occurs along a continuum. Recognition of the steps along that continuum is important so that you can help your child grow...
Don’t Berate, Educate!
The son refused to clean up the mess. The Daddy yelled, “How many times have I told you?! You know better!” The Daddy drove off for work...
Well-Rounded or Sharp? Will your child be heard from the herd?
Do you consider yourself well-rounded, accomplished in many areas, and a Renaissance Person? Or do you consider yourself an “expert” in one or two particular areas? ...
Pulling to a Standing Position
“You’ve Gotta Pull Your Own Weight” Draw your child’s attention to a favorite toy that you have placed on a couch or low table. Then place your child in various...
When All Else Fails – “I have tried everything and nothing @#%^$ works!”
Which category you choose (Avoiding, Teaching, Ignoring, or Punishing) to manage a given negative behavior is less important than your consistency and your...
Wiping Nose with Help
“Don’t Look Down Your Nose At Me!” Leave a box of tissues within your child’s reach. Make sure the tissue is soft so it doesn’t irritate your child’s nose. During play,...
Warning: If your MOOD is backward, that spells DOOM!
If nothing else, you’ve got to show up at race wearing sneakers, and you’ve got to show up at the parenting game with your mood on straight. Indeed, if your mood is on...
“But my child doesn’t understand ‘Yes-When Deals’!”
Of course, your child may not fully understand the “Yes-When deal” that you offer. No problem! There are plenty of ways to make “Yes-When” deals developmentally...
Drinking From a Cup Independently
“CHEERS!” Make sure your child is in an upright, comfortable position. Give your child a cup that is an appropriate size. A cup with a handle is easier for him to...
All the simplicity money can’t buy
It’s a classic scene: the birthday gift sits in the distance, while the kids play with the wrapping paper and box the gift came in. It’s enough with...
Behavior, Understanding & Language: How are the three related?
Parents and professional often assume that a child’s behavior will improve when his language skills and understanding advance. While this may be true, it...
“I tried ‘Time-Out’ and it doesn’t work!”
As indicated above, the term “Time-Out” is an abbreviation and originates from the longer phrase “Time-Out from reinforcement.” As such, there are many ways to conduct...
Picking Up Small Objects with a Pincer Grasp
With a PINCER GRASP (the tips of the index finger and thumb) Use of the Pincer Grasp allows for more refined manipulations of objects that is required for some more...
Amazing Grace
John Newton is generally credited with writing “Amazing Grace” based on his reading of the Old Testament as he prepared a sermon about his conversion while on a slave...
Quiz: Are you a Democrat, Dictator, or Doormat?
To determine your parenting style, take this little quiz by circling what you would do in each of the following scenarios. Of course, “it depends on the...
I was walking down the street one day…
Imagine being on a walk with your child and you are approached by a frail, physically non-threatening stranger who begins to yell at Junior. Given the...
“What is the difference between Rights and Privileges (and why is that SO important)?”
There are rights and privileges in the world. In each country, governments decide for their citizens what is a “right” and what is a “privilege.” In your role as...
Resistance of Sharing
“Mine, mine, all mine!” or “Share, share, that’s fair!” Of course, sharing can be very difficult for some children (at any age). Often children do not distinguish...
The Terrible (or Terrific?) Two’s
The “Terrible Two’s” need not be “Terrible” at all. In fact, the “Terrible Two’s” could just as easily be called the “Terrific Two’s”. The supposed “Terrible” aspect...
“It’s Not FAIR!”
Definitions of “fair” vary. To be “fair” can mean being free of bias, injustice, or deceit. “Fair” can mean moderate conditions or quantities (e.g., fair weather,...
“But my child will just ignore me and do whatever he wants on his own.”
Never forget that you control the privileges, and therefore you control the “Yes-When deals.” If you allow your child to wander off and enjoy freedom after he has...
“What educational principles are “F.E.A.T.S. Techniques” based upon?
Two of the most well-known and well-respected theorists in the field of early childhood development are Jean Piaget (1896 to 1980) and Lev Vygotsky (1896 to 1934)....
“How do I build my child’s self-control through Time-Out?”
“Time-Out” is clearly a technique of “Punishment,” as it is intended to decrease negative behavior. However, “Time-Out” can (and should) become a technique of...
“OPEN WIDE!”
FEEDING During feeding, make sure that your child is always positioned appropriately (upright, at a 90-degree angle). Never leave your child unattended. Make sure all...
“But my child does not care when I withhold privileges”
I have just advocated patience, reasonable criteria in your “Yes-When deals”, and consistency. But perhaps most importantly, never conclude from your child’s...
Does success leads to happiness, or does happiness leads to success?
Do you believe that you will be happy when you are successful, or that you will be successful when you are happy? For those who define “success” in...
The “Dirty-Dozen”: 12 Reasons Why YOU WILL FAIL with your Behavior Management Strategies
Here are the “Dirty-Dozen”: Twelve reasons why your behavior management efforts will fail. These are different types of common, yet irrational, factually incorrect...
Imitating Adult Actions
“Do As I Do (AND as I say)” Allow your child to participate as you do household chores. When preparing meals, give your child a spoon to help mix. Give your...
Mouthing Solid Food and Toys
“Eatin’ the Leg Off the Table” Place something sweet or good tasting on your child’s toys. Give your child a food they can hold in their hand. Make sure it is something...
Monitor your own attitude and behavior in this process
Step 5: Monitor your own attitude and behavior in this process You may recall from the previous chapter, the “Dirty-Dozen” reasons why your behavior management efforts...
Looking Both Ways Before Crossing the Street
“What is the Chicken Supposed To Do Before Crossing The Road?” Accompany your child to a road or street where there is no traffic light and explain that you are going...
Assisting with Bathing
“SCRUB in the TUB” Give your child a basin, a bar of soap and a washcloth. Provide your child with opportunities to wash dolls, toys, and dishes. Guide your child’s...
“At what age can I begin to use ‘Time-Out’?”
Remember that “Time-Out” by definition is a “Punishment” as it is intended to decrease negative behaviors. Nowhere in the definition is it mentioned that a child must...
Yes-When, If-Then, or No-Until?
When you use “Yes-When” deals it is important that you remain positive in your tone of voice and demeanor. When parents experience frustration, it is very easy for...
Smearing Feces
“UGH” Children sometimes smear their own feces. Among very young children who are not yet toilet-trained, this behavior is more common than you would think. It is...
Zipping and Unzipping
“Just Zip It!” Practice makes perfect. Give your child opportunities to zip and unzip. Present your child with sweaters, coats, pants, zip-loc bags, pocket books,...
Indicating a Wet or Soiled Diaper
“HELP! Somebody, Please Save Me (From Myself)!” Observe your child’s verbal and non-verbal signals for indicating a soiled or wet diaper (e.g., vocalizations, hugging,...
“But my child doesn’t comply when I offer “Yes-When deals” Instead of obeying, he throws tantrums or hits!”
Everyone wins with “Yes-When deals”, regardless of your child’s response. Here’s why: If your child does not give you the compliance that you are requesting in your...
Finding Your Cool: “But I lose my cool…I can’t help it!”
No matter how difficult it is, try to remember the following points about discipline and behavior management: Pick and choose your battles wisely, and stay firm...
Cleaning Up A Spill
“Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk!” Allow your child to assist with household chores. Give your child a cloth, a dishtowel, or a paper towel. Physically guide your child...
Siblings (with or without) Rivalry?
In the classic 1994 book, “Siblings without Rivalry: How to help your children live together, so you can too” authors Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish make several...
Requesting Help To Clean-Up Spills
“Into Each Life, A Little Spill Must Fall” Your child may be resistant to help or may not know when or how to ask for help. Here are suggestions to help: When...
Snaps and Unsnaps
“SNAP TO IT!” Have your child practice snapping on coats, pants, shirts, and sweaters that your child is not wearing. Demonstrate how to hold one piece of the snap with...
“I Know I shouldn’t compare kids, but…”
Comparing Kids? Go Ahead! COMPARE (but do it right): Somewhere along the line, a notion has evolved: “YOU SHOULDN’T COMPARE KIDS.” Still, many parents go right on to...
The Short Tale of WAGE and SAGE
Two old friends (one named “Wage” and the other named “Sage”) crossed paths. Here’s what they said: WAGE: So how old is your son? SAGE: 2 years, 4 months, 10 days...
Hopping Forward Ten Feet on Either Foot Without Help
“Let’s Go Do The Hop!” Demonstrate hopping forward on one foot for your child. Talk about what you are doing as you are completing the skill. Repeat hopping several...
“I Can’t Use Time-Out Because my child (1) doesn’t care, (2) screams and fights, AND/OR (3) laughs in my face!”
When in “Time-Out” most children either (1) scream/cry/physically aggress, (2) appear unaffected, or (3) appear to enjoy time-out (e.g., laugh, test-limits), and very...
“What is a “Yes-When” Deal? And why are “Yes-When’ Deals ‘The Way of the World’?”
Every child should have a RIGHT to certain things. These RIGHTS (or entitlements) include food, shelter, love, and education. Aside from these RIGHTS, children have...
The Missing Tile Syndrome
The “Missing Tile Syndrome” refers to a preoccupation with imperfections and anomalies. Picture a large beautiful tile mosaic where out of the 1,000 tiles, 10 are...
Remaining in Designated Play Areas
“STAY PUT!” Bring your child to a place such as an outside playground, a friend’s house, an indoor play area. Show where your child is allowed to play and explain that...
Your moment, make it a good one
Fast forward many years: The master plan was kind to you. Your “moment” has come. You had a nice run, and you’re ready to check out. Hopefully, you won’t be in too...
Without failure, improvement is impossible
My dear friend Trevor Smith wrote: When I was learning to walk, often I would fall. Never asking “why”, I’d stand back up. As time went by, I would still fall, but...
“What is the PURPOSE of ‘Time-Out’?”
While “Time-Out” is a simple enough concept, its purpose is subject to great interpretation, complexity, and nuance. Some say that “Time-Out” is intended to be a...
What is Maximum Strength Parenting?
Maximum Strength Parenting is the art of using all of your gifts and knowledge in the most important and influential job you will ever have, parenting. “Maximum” refers...
Where there’s a Will there’s a way – The importance of having a Last Will and Testament
Sure it’s an unpleasant topic, and of course, we can’t control the world from the grave, but having a will is an important legal document not only for leaving assets to...
Walking on egg-shells is for chickens
Do you S-P-E-L-L O-U-T W-O-R-D-S in front of your kids to purposefully prevent them from understanding what you are talking about? I’m not talking about spelling out...
“What is the process of a ‘Yes-When Deal’?”
“Processes” are used with most jobs. Consider two examples: flying to the moon and doing the laundry. When flying to the moon your process is complex: Build a rocket,...
The Gift of Adoption
The first recorded evidence of adoption is in antiquity, yet there has been more change in the world of adoption over just these past five decades than in all of...
Keep the boat (and behavior) on course: “The Navigator’s Mind-Set”
Medical doctors often strive to cure diseases (e.g., an antibiotic “works” because it “fixes” and eliminates an ear infection), however, it is equally important for...
Feeding Fixes for your Toddler and Preschooler
DISCLAIMER: This information is NOT meant to apply to children with oral-motor or other medically- or physically-based feeding difficulties or disorders of sucking,...
“Should I Use ‘Time-Out’? What do the experts say?”
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) stresses the importance of teaching coping skills to children and therefore concludes that...
Paving the Road to Empathy
Of course, demonstrations of empathy depend not only on individual characteristics but also on situations. Still, here are some age-based guidelines regarding the...
Should I give ‘warnings’ to my child before implementing ‘Time-out’?
No. If you give your child a warning (or two, or three!) before placing him in “Time-Out,” all you are doing is demonstrating inconsistency, which will undermine the...
Knowing “9 – 1 – 1” and When To Use It
“Just in Case” It is very important that your child knows how to reach someone in an emergency as soon as possible. Discuss various situations that your child...
Monitor the effectiveness of your strategy
Step 4: Monitor the effectiveness of your strategy Periodically monitor the effectiveness of your behavior management strategy. You may need to monitor more frequently...
Walking Alone
“These Boots Are Made For Walkin” Walk holding both of your child’s hands, hold just one hand, then briefly withdraw and re-introduce your hand(s) for support....
Using a “Hurried” Walk/Running
“Oh My, Aren’t You In A HURRY!” Prompt your child to engage in games of chasing and being chased. Play “follow the leader” and introduce running into behaviors to be...
Brushing Teeth
“Show Them Pearly-Whites” Take your child to the store to choose a toothbrush. Make sure it is developmentally appropriate, colorful and interesting. Buy a second...
Teacher or Torture?
It’s the day after Halloween. Do you hide the bowl of candy (to avoid tantrums), or do you keep it within your child’s view (and set limits on when and how much candy...
The “Pain of the Problem” versus the “Pain of the Solution”
Marie Meyer, Ph.D. was a professor emeritus in the Psychology Department at Hofstra University, who taught that “people make changes only when the pain of the problem...
How ‘useful’ is your opinion?
Psychologist Carl Jung said, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” Try to keep that in mind on our journey together...
Telling the Name of a Parent
“Family Tree” This skill becomes very important as children become more independent. If separated from you, Your child will be reunited with you much faster if your...
Eats Solid and Semi-Solid Foods
“Breakin’ Bread” Using foods of different textures, allow your child to accept new foods. Position the food toward the back of your child’s mouth to elicit a swallow....
“What’s the difference between Punishment and Discipline?”
“Punishment” only refers to decreasing negative behavior, while “Discipline” not only refers to decreasing negative behavior but also to increasing positive behavior. ...
Finger Feeding
“Finger Foods” Eating with the fingers allows your child to enhance skills such as coordination, grasping, and independence. Introduce foods that are easy to...
Illusion of Invulnerability: The source of actions, both great and crazy
George Bernard Shaw said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” But what if some young whipper-snapper quips, “Experience and knowledge are wasted on the old”? In youth,...
Caution, this website may make you dizzy
Buckle up. The “flavor” of Maximum Strength Parenting varies greatly from chapter to chapter (and sometimes moment to moment). At various points throughout this book,...
Frustration and Easily “Giving Up”
“My child frustrates very easily…I feel like I’m always walking on eggshells” When an activity could not be completed or a goal could not be reached, your child’s...
Pouring Liquids
“Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk…Just Learn How To Pour” Position your child in a sturdy position. Demonstrate pouring the liquids into both a cup and a bowl. Give your child...
Up Wee Grow, Inc. was founded in 1996 by Andrew Vaughan, Ph.D., Lauren Resnick, M.S., CCC, SLP, and Anne Long, M.S., Sp.Ed..
We value Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and although these ideals are never truly fully achieved and completed, we strive to keep them ever-present in our day-to-day work.
We value equal access to opportunity, engagement, education, health, stability, respect, and compassionate care in all communities.
The obvious and subtle qualities that make us different also make us resilient and strong. Join us as we celebrate our passion and work: Taking care of each other.