The Center for Child Health and Development, LLC, is a resource for families with one goal: to provide a uniquely individualized and comprehensive program to aid in the development of children, for their families who may need help managing behaviors and a variety of development and/or learning challenges including those often associated with adoption, foster care, trauma or loss.
A child’s development and their relationship with their parents is unique and perhaps, complex. This relationship can be strained when a parent is not sure whether their child is developing on target, worried about their child’s behavior or their child has just received a diagnosis and are seeking support. Parents may feel as if they have exhausted all possible treatment options and no one seems to be able to give them a comprehensive way to address the issues that they are seeing related to their child’s development. CCHD is here to help and to partner with parents related to their child’s development.
Our strategy is a comprehensive, family-centered, home and clinic- based treatment approach where we focus on helping the child in all areas of their development and behavior. We don’t just stop there. We recognize and understand how certain situations can impact an entire family, so we provide tools parents can utilize for a more positive future. We partner with parents by providing support, building trust and a strong relationship so that, in the end, parents can handle what may lie ahead.
Services are broad in scope of which might include assessment of development with consideration for same-aged peers, assessment of behavior or implementation of specific supports after a diagnosis has been identified. Of particular focus are families and children of whom parents feel they have exhausted all treatment options and cannot find a comprehensive approach, to address issues parents are experiencing related to their child’s development.
There’s an ancient proverb that we’ve all heard: “It takes a whole village to raise a child.”
The mission of the Center for Child and Health Development is simple and straightforward: to provide a uniquely individualized and comprehensive program to aid in the development of children and their families. This comprehensive approach allows us to do much more than just address one aspect of your child’s development, but rather, the child as a whole and the impact that their behavior and development can have on the entire family and learning. We focus on a variety of developmental and/or learning challenges including but not limited to those associated with adoption, foster case, trauma or loss. Each of these challenges can have a significant impact on a child’s development resulting in a formal diagnosis. Diagnoses might include or be related to: developmental delay, general behavior and regulatory challenges, social- emotional challenges (including attachment related challenges, reactive attachment disorder), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, executive function disorder, autism spectrum disorder as well as, motor (fine and gross motor) and activities of daily living skills challenges (independence in feeding, sleeping, toileting and dressing). We unite with families to overcome barriers in their child’s development, ability to cope and learn.
About Wendy
Wendy Schmidt, OTR/L, MPA, is the founder and CEO of the Center for Child Health and Development, LLC (CCHD – est. 2009) and Wendy Schmidt, OTR/L, MPA, LLC (est. – 2003). She began the Center for Child and Health Development, LLC to provide a comprehensive child focused assessment, treatment, referral and education center serving children and families. Wendy has a keen sensitivity for children and a caring touch that so often, is forgotten in the clinical world. She has traveled extensively throughout the world helping children. She has been a consultant to many child health projects focusing on child adoption assessments; adoption family preparation; child development and behavioral interventions before and during the adoption process in Russia, Romania, Poland, Thailand, Laos, Africa and the United States. In addition, she has also worked with government officials, participated in orphanage administration, recommended treatment plans for children in orphanages and helped children and families navigate the international adoption process.
Wendy believes in every child she works with as well as their families. Her goal is to help families become self-sustainable by giving them the tools they need to help them face what’s needed on the path ahead. To quote her, “My work model is similar to that of the Peace Corps. My aim is to work myself out a job by empowering parents and provide a comprehensive treatment plan in the best interest of the child and family.” She wants to give families hope, peace and empowerment when it comes to the development of their child. She knows how often parents can feel overwhelmed, out of control and unable to move forward when faced with their challenges related to their child’s behavior and development. Wendy seeks to build a personal connection and provide a trusted method where families can partner with her to provide the best possible outcome for their child’s development and in the end, become self-sustaining.
Wendy provides a personal, home-based and family centered approach because she believes this is the best way to reach children and their families. With years of research, education and consulting, she has had numerous experiences with organizations such as Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in gaining important insight in developing her unique treatment model. Her approach is child focused but also recognizes the importance of parent involvement within the context of family dynamics. As part of her treatment she uses the following methodologies: Applied Behavior Analysis, Floor time therapy derived from the Developmental Individual-difference Relationship-based model (DIR), The SonRise Program/Options Institute and more traditional sensory, motor-based approaches. As part of the comprehensive care approach, monitoring and assessing general infant/child development and coping/regulatory systems (behavior) with parent and/or child care providers is also considered part of her treatment model.
Wendy was educated at the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science in Wellness and Sports Medicine/Athletic Training. She later went on to secure a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration/Public Administration as well as a certification in Occupational Therapy from Cleveland State University. Since then, Wendy’s joined many professional organizations including affiliate membership of three sections of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is fully licensed by the Massachusetts and Ohio Board of Allied Health Professionals as well as the National Board of Certified Occupational Therapists. To read more about Wendy’s professional experiences, certifications and affiliations, please download or view her resume here.