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
Trichotillomania (Self Hair Pulling)
What is Trichotillomania? Trichotillomania (sometimes referred to as TTM or "trich") is a disorder involving the repeated urge/behavior of pulling out one’s own hair. ...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
Safely Exploring Cabinets and Drawers
“Christopher Columbus, Magellan, and Now: Your Child!” Create opportunities for your child to safely explore household objects. Empty one or two drawer cabinets and...
Transitions
How can I get my child to ‘Go with the flow’?” When your child’s routine is interrupted and/or when transitions are imposed, he may become frustrated, resist, and/or...
Test your “vision”
Agree or Disagree? The glass is Half-Empty. Agree or Disagree? The glass is Half-Full. Agree or Disagree? It is TERRIBLE for a toddler...
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...
“Where did God come from?” asked my 5 year old
It took me a few seconds to get my mind around his question when my 5-year-old son asked one day, “Where did God come from?” On another day, my 4-year-old daughter...
“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...
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...
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...
What were the names of your great-grandparents?
Are you just two generations away from being forgotten? These can be biting questions, but, nevertheless, they are questions that beg answers. “What were the names of...
Washing Hands
“Did You Wash Your Hands?!” Encourage your child to wash hands as part of a daily routine (e.g., before eating, after using the toilet before coming in from outside,...
“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...
Removing Shoes
“Take Off Your Shoes and Wipe Your Feet!” Provide your child with adult shoes that can be easily removed. Allow several opportunities throughout the day for your child...
Using a Napkin
“Wipe That (Messy) Look Off Your Face!” Give your child opportunities to wipe his face with a cloth, towel, blanket, tissue and wipes. Point to the napkin and then to...
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...
SLEEP: Good Night!
How much sleep do we need? Infants usually sleep about 16 hours and 2-year-olds sleep about 10 to 14 hours (including naps). How common are sleep problems? 25% of kids...
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...
Shyness
How much of shyness can be attributed to “nature” and how much to “nurture?” While we cannot say with certainty, it is clear that shyness has a strong...
Words that Wound: The worst fairy-tale you can tell your kids
Let’s say your child speaks nastily. You then try to teach Junior to be kind, and you say, “When you say that, it makes me sad/angry/feel bad.” That sounds simple...
Putting Shoes On
“Well Heeled” Have your child try on shoes that are much too big, so he learns the feeling of slipping into shoes. Have your child watch as you place shoes on your...
Running From a Caregiver (in public places)
Many young children run away from their caregivers in public places. You may find yourself conflicted about how to react, due to anxiety, anger, and/or concern with...
Are you some sort of wise apple?
Nature thrives through giving and receiving. In order to inhale, we must exhale. To receive a handshake, we must give one. If the flow of blood and 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...
“Sleep: Those little slices of death, how I loathe them” – Edgar Allen Poe
Bedtime often is a stressful, hectic time, and if you need help managing Junior’s sleep, refer to the section in Chapter 4 entitled “Sleep: Good Night.” Once you get...
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...
“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...
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...
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...
Holding Own Bottle
“Message in a Bottle: MMMMM!” Position your child at a 90-degree angle. Make sure both you and your child are comfortable and supported. Present a bottle to your child,...
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,...
Hitting (of Others by a Child)
Kids hit. There, I said it. But that’s not good enough, right? You want to figure out “why” your kid hits. Fine. A child may hit when: others do not understand...
The Best “Time-Out” Happens with “Time-In”
In our “A.T.I.P.” model of discipline (i.e., Avoiding, Teaching, Ignoring, or Punishing), by definition “Time-Out” falls into the “Punish” category, because it is...
Discipline Using Physical Contact (that is NOT Corporal Punishment)
Corporal punishment refers to the use of physical pain to punish and change a person’s behavior. In this section, we consider discipline involving the use of physical...
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...
Toilet Training “Triumph!”
“Readiness”: We don’t teach algebra in kindergarten because 5-year-olds aren’t ready. So how do you know when your child is “ready” for training? To begin training,...
“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. ...
AWE you? Or AWE you not?
To take stuff “for granted” is to be stagnant. To be stagnant is to survive rather than thrive. If you have allowed yourself to become “bored”...
Combing/Brushing Hair
“Doin’ the Doo” Have your child go with you to the store to buy a comb or brush. Buy a small comb or brush for your child to use to brush a doll’s hair during play....
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...
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...
Drying Hands Independently
“Dry As A Bone” Encourage your child to wash hands as part of daily routines (e.g., before eating, after toileting, when coming in from outdoors, after messy...
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....
“Your Duty, Honor, and Privilege”
It is every parent’s duty, honor, and privilege to teach their child. No doubt, you will find that many of the following “F.E.A.T.S.™ Techniques” are obvious, but...
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...
“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...
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...
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...
Crawling
“You Gotta Crawl Before You Walk” To achieve a quadruped position (on hands and knees): While your child supports weight with forearms or hands, lift the pelvis and...
How Much Do Parents Really Matter?
The classic question of “Nature versus Nurture” has long ago given way to the question of the “Nurture of Nature.” There have been outstanding, thought-provoking books...
Returning Objects To Their Proper Location When Finished with Them
“CLEAN UP THIS MESS!!” Go with your child to where the toys are kept (playroom, den, basement, bedroom). Take out a variety of toys that you know he likes to play with ...
SILENCE! (for your moment of Zen)
When was the last time you were in total silence for 20 minutes? I mean total silence. Not with Seinfeld or Green Eggs and Ham. Not with Barney or Beethoven. Not...
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...
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? ...
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...
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...
Modify as needed
Step 6: Modify as needed Based on the results of Step 4 (Monitoring the Effectiveness of my Strategy) and Step 5 (Monitoring my own attitude and behavior in the...
Knows Edible vs. Non-Edible
“To Eat or Not To Eat? That is the Question”. Does your child mouth non-edible objects? If so, take the objects away and present something else. Give your child an...
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...
“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...
“But I’m too busy to be able to teach with all these fancy techniques!”
“F.E.A.T.S.™ Techniques” are specifically designed to be easy to implement, fun, and effective. The “F.E.A.T.S.™ Techniques” are...
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...
“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...
The Sacred Parent-Child Relationship
As we wrote this book we always remained mindful that the parent-child relationship is sacred. We have great respect for this sanctity, and we will not desecrate your...
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...
Carefully Compare
“Keeping up with the Joneses” drives the economy. Making comparisons of oneself to others is one way to “participate” in society (e.g.,...
Choose and implement the solution(s) most likely to work
Step 3: Choose and Implement one/some of you’re A.T.I.P. techniques Choose the technique(s) that are most likely work based on your knowledge of: what has been...
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...
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...
Skipping
“Don’t Skip The Basics” Skipping can be a difficult skill for your child as it requires using both sides of the body in a cross pattern (i.e., left arms swings forward...
Placing Outerwear into Assigned Locations
“How Many Times Do I Have To Tell You To HANG UP YOUR COAT!!?” If your child is reluctant to hang up a coat, hat, etc, he may have some difficulty remembering where the...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
“What is ‘Time-Out’?”
The term “Time-Out” is an abbreviation that originates from the longer phrase “Time-Out from opportunities for positive reinforcement.” It may be defined as “a...
Holding a Writing Implement Properly
Holding a crayon or pen properly is important because it builds good habits that will facilitate neat and efficient hand-writing. Use writing implements that...
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,...
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...
“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...
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,...
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...
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...
Knowing the Proper Place for Objects and Toys
“Have You Seen The Cordless Phone?”----“No, But Why is the Dog Ringing?” Everything has a place. During daily routines, show and tell your child where things are...
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...
Magical things every parent should know about Peter Pan
James M. Barrie was born in 1860, as the ninth child of ten in a large Scottish family. James was 6 years old when his brother, David, died in a skating accident, just...
“Show-and-Tell Scaffolding”
“Show and Tell” is an easy way to remember and implement the technique of scaffolding. “SHOW” involves providing your child with...
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...
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...
Generate a list of possible solutions
Step 2: Generate several possible solutions from the categories of A.T.I.P. Of course, each of the categories in A.T.I.P. may not be applicable in all situations...
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....
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...
“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...
Anxiety and Fear
The expression “Time heals all wounds” is nice, but not entirely true. Specifically, time heals most wounds, but not anxiety. For example, if you have a fear of...
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...
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...
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.