Month: March 2016

Teaching Handwriting To Kids with ASD

Handwriting still matters, and it matters just as much to kids on the spectrum. Teaching handwriting to kids that have difficulty focusing and that learn better with individualized instruction can be a challenge for any teacher, including special education teachers in a self-contained classroom.  For teachers in an integrated classroom, it can be an overwhelming…… Continue reading Teaching Handwriting To Kids with ASD

Homeschooling? Make Learning to Write Easy for Everyone

Handwriting is a skill that powers the development of language and literacy, as well as math skills.  This is an important early foundation skill.  Keyboarding does not replace writing at any age.  If you doubt me, gather up all your pencils and pens for a day or two.  See what happens. If they are truthful,…… Continue reading Homeschooling? Make Learning to Write Easy for Everyone

End Toddler Biting Using Clear But Compassionate Messaging

I couldn’t resist it.  Nip. Biting. Bud.  But toddler biting is no joke.  According to one of my clients, a child can be asked to leave preschool or daycare if they are a repeat offender.  The problems that lead to biting are easy to see, the solutions are not.  Here are my explanations for why toddlers bite,…… Continue reading End Toddler Biting Using Clear But Compassionate Messaging

Why “Go The F**K to Sleep” Resonates With Parents of Special Needs Toddlers

  I have been asked to teach a short class on sleep and special needs kids this spring, so of course this funny little book came to mind.  Truthfully, when I heard of it, I laughed out loud.  But bedtime struggles are not fun when you are in the middle of a tantrum at 11…… Continue reading Why “Go The F**K to Sleep” Resonates With Parents of Special Needs Toddlers

Why Do You Start (Uppercase) Letters at the Top? Speed and Accuracy

Another week, another second-grader showing me how he writes uppercase letters starting on the baseline.  You don’t have to use Handwriting Without Tears to use correct start and sequencing of strokes; no standard letter style starts uppercase letters on the baseline.  For a reason.  It is harder to achieve good control of your fingers in…… Continue reading Why Do You Start (Uppercase) Letters at the Top? Speed and Accuracy

Baby Wearing For Better Infant Sleep

Most parents use carriers/wraps for two reasons:  practical and personal. But did you know that wearing your baby can also help your newborn sleep better? Being able to carry your baby allows you to have both hands available. Baby wearing is an intimate connection that parents usually enjoy.  Babies feel their parent’s heartbeat and listen…… Continue reading Baby Wearing For Better Infant Sleep

Too Fussy to Breastfeed? It May Not Be Latching-On Issues

Latch-on is a big deal when you nurse.  Getting a newborn to achieve that solid seal and then synchronize the suck-swallow-breathe rhythm is essential.  When I was a younger occupational therapist, I was all about the mechanics of achieving oral control and teaching that rhythm.  Some babies have medical issues that make it harder, but…… Continue reading Too Fussy to Breastfeed? It May Not Be Latching-On Issues

Why Cutting Nails Is Such a Challenge for Autistic and Sensory Kids

Most children resist nail trimming.  But kids on the autism spectrum, kids with sensory sensitivity, and children with significant language delays can turn this simple grooming task into an epic contest of wills. Parents tell me that it is two-person job, and can be the hardest thing they do all week.  Nobody wants to let…… Continue reading Why Cutting Nails Is Such a Challenge for Autistic and Sensory Kids

Will Swaddling Affect Newborn Sleep?

The short answer?  It almost always gives them a slightly longer sleep cycle.  The longer answer:  many babies need more than a good swaddle to add that extra hour or so to their sleep cycle. Interestingly enough, research and the American Academy of Pediatrics have suggested that swaddling makes a newborn’s sleep lighter.  Lighter isn’t…… Continue reading Will Swaddling Affect Newborn Sleep?

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