Month: January 2016

Self-Regulation in Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder: Boost Skills By Creating Routines and Limits

Occupational therapists are routinely asked to help young children that have poor self-regulation or modulation skills.  What do difficulties regulating alertness and arousal look like in a very little person?  Big shifts in excitement/agitation over seemingly minor events, sleep that isn’t very deep or very long for their age, and difficulty switching between locations/activities.  Often…… Continue reading Self-Regulation in Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder: Boost Skills By Creating Routines and Limits

Are Babies Addicted to White Noise? Yes….and No

White noise helps colicky newborns calm and sleep.  It can help newborns develop essential self-calming skills in the first 3 months of life.  It can help older babies tolerate teething and their first colds.  It can even help babies transition to a shared bedroom with a toddler sibling.  The magic of white noise is not…… Continue reading Are Babies Addicted to White Noise? Yes….and No

When Kids Climb Into Mom’s Bed at Night

I recently chatted with a single mom who works long hours.  Her 5 year-old wakes in the middle of the night and climbs into her bed.  She wanted some suggestions and some reassurance that the “snuggle time” they got (and the loss of sleep for both of them) wasn’t a bad idea.  Her son’s behavior…… Continue reading When Kids Climb Into Mom’s Bed at Night

Why Low Muscle Tone Affects Pencil Grasp

Low muscle tone can cause a child to struggle with holding crayons and pencils.  Those little fingers wrap around them, fold over them and sometimes ball up into a fist to hold a pencil.  How a child holds a pencil does not automatically mean that his handwriting will be illegible, but it almost always makes…… Continue reading Why Low Muscle Tone Affects Pencil Grasp

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