CLAREMORE — Child Guidance is a statewide program that promotes and supports healthy family relationships and child development.  In spite of recent reduction of Child Guidance services statewide, Rogers County was able to maintain and become a regional site for continued Child Guidance services. The regional site now serves Osage, Washington, Mayes, Craig, Ottawa, Nowata, Delaware and adjacent counties.

The purpose of Child Guidance is to promote optimal development, healthy behaviors, and effective interaction for families with children. Services are provided for children ages 12 and under and their parents. The services include: Individual and family counseling, parent education, audiology, speech/language services, educational and psychological evaluations, general child development services, parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), childcare consultations, and the neurocognitive diagnostic program.   

The staff is currently comprised of Tina Humphries M.S., LPC/LMFT- Psychological Clinician and Kim Larmon M.S., CCPS - Child Development Specialist. They plan to add a speech language pathologist in the future. They are also making appointments with Joan Burns, audiologist. Fees for the services are based on sliding scale according to income. They accept Sooner Care and Medicare. No one will be turned away for an inability to pay.

Brief descriptions of the services included are:

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): The PCIT program is a 10-14 week program that coaches parents on how to interact with their children who exhibit behavior problems that are beyond what is considered to be normal for their developmental age. These children are often overactive, attention seeking or impulsive. The program is designed to teach parents of behavior disordered children, ages 2-7, on how to improve discipline techniques and at the same time enhance the quality of the relationship between the parent and child.

Childcare Consultations: These are free consultations offered in conjunction with the Warmline to childcare centers that have questions or concerns regarding young children. Intervention strategies are offered for children who exhibit challenging behaviors. Observations, follow-up and referrals as needed are offered to the family and/or staff.  We are also available to attend and conduct parent meetings to address parent/child concerns, and in-service trainings to fit staff development needs.  

Evaluations: Speech language and audiological evaluations are offered. In addition, psychological assessment of function, ability and achievement as well as emotional evaluations are available for children from preschool to 12 years.  

Neurocognitive Diagnostic Services: The NCD program is a diagnostic and consultative service designed to look at how well a young person can read, think, remember, learn, pay attention, and/or achieve at school or work. The goal of the program is to take assessment results and use that information to help parents, physicians, teachers, social workers, counselors and family members to implement methods and practical plans on how best to work with the young person.  

Screenings: Child Guidance offers screenings for development, autism and behavior for children from infancy through 6.  

Parent Education: Information on behavior, discipline, growth and development are provided to parents of young children. Topics include understanding infants and children from birth to 5 years. Help with common concerns such as thumb sucking, bed-wetting, biting, hitting, nightmares, fears, toilet learning, mealtime and bedtime hassles.  

Therapy Services: Counseling is provided for children and their families for age infancy through 12 years.

Their focus includes but is not limited to: Parent-Child Relationships, Child Development, Foster Care and Adoption Issues, Children‘s Behavior, Communication Skills, Hearing, Infant/Toddler Mental Health, Discipline, Sleep and Bedtime Routines, Children and Divorce, Grandparenting, Children with Special Needs, Teen Parenting, Social Skills-Making Friends, Dealing with Anger, Aggression, Grief and Loss.  

For more information, call the Rogers County Health Department at 341-3166.