Never ignore “nature’s call”. Ever. Your body is speaking. Listen up. Respect it. If you or your child is hypotonic and/or hypermobile, ignoring the urge to eliminate is a poor choice. Kids can learn this principle more easily than adults. As adults, we are able to come up with reasons to wait, reasons…… Continue reading Low Tone or Hypermobility? Don’t Ignore “Nature’s Call”
Author: Cathy Collyer
I am a licensed occupational therapist, licensed massage therapist, and certified CBT-i sleep coach in private practice in the NYC area.
I have over 25 years of professional experience in adult and pediatric treatment. It has been a joy to help people of all ages improve their ability to grow and thrive! Occupational therapists are focused on enhancing a client's functioning in everyday life. We are practical healthcare providers, interested in teaching, adapting actions and environments, and building a client's useful skills for living their best life, regardless of their challenges.
I am the author of five books, including "Staying In The Room: Managing Medical And Dental Care When You Have DID" and "The Practical Guide To Toilet Training the Autistic Child". I lecture on many subjects, including sleep, trauma, and development. Contact me to learn more about how I can help you achieve YOUR goals!
This Book Builds Your Child’s Eye Hand Coordination!
As a pediatric occupational therapist, I love recommending books. My favorite books for kids who need to build pre-writing skills are the books with flaps, pull tabs, and bubbles to poke. They are fun, they are entertaining, and children have no idea that they are working on hand control. They are simply having fun. Here…… Continue reading This Book Builds Your Child’s Eye Hand Coordination!
Should You Wait to Pee? Take a “Power Pee”? Not if You Have Low Tone or Hypermobility!
Pelvic floor therapists and urologists are telling people not to urinate “just in case”. Their reasoning is that people would be training their bladder to signal urgency too soon. They aren’t saying something extremely important: This does not apply to hypermobile people, or those with low muscle tone. WHY NOT? If your muscle tone or…… Continue reading Should You Wait to Pee? Take a “Power Pee”? Not if You Have Low Tone or Hypermobility!
Headed Back to Pee Too Soon? Do a “Double Void”!
Stop running back to the potty and get on with your life! A lot of my clients with low muscle tone or hypermobility have to run BACK to the toilet to pee again shortly after their first visit. They are surprised at how quickly this happens. Some of them don’t make it in time. They…… Continue reading Headed Back to Pee Too Soon? Do a “Double Void”!
Problems holding a pencil? The problem could be…the PENCIL!
When I look at a child’s pencil grasp, I identify anything that could be making it difficult for them. It isn’t always their fingers. Very few kids are taught how to hold a pencil. A clever and observant handful mimic their siblings or teachers. They are usually the kids who also learn how to open…… Continue reading Problems holding a pencil? The problem could be…the PENCIL!
Vaccine Reactions in Your Kid with Low Muscle Tone? Don’t Panic!
I treat a mostly non-verbal young man who has moderate-severe low muscle tone. Yesterday, he was his usual, cheerful self. And he could barely move. Nothing that usually motivates him worked. He wasn’t feverish, visibly ill, or in pain. This young man was smiling and happy to see me. He is taking a new…… Continue reading Vaccine Reactions in Your Kid with Low Muscle Tone? Don’t Panic!
The Easiest Manual Razor to Teach Your Special Needs Son to Shave
It is time to teach your son to shave. Shaving wasn’t on your radar until now. Maybe you have been shaving him or taking him to the barber. BUT…….. His beard is growing in too fast for the occasional barber visit. His coordination and safety awareness? Not as fast. He needs to learn to…… Continue reading The Easiest Manual Razor to Teach Your Special Needs Son to Shave
“Toilet Training Your Child with Low Muscle Tone” is Now an Audiobook!
This was my very first book. I think it has helped a lot of parents. But parents are so busy. Too busy to read. Sometimes too busy to shower or eat more than a protein bar! I am so happy that now parents who have no time to read a book can get access to…… Continue reading “Toilet Training Your Child with Low Muscle Tone” is Now an Audiobook!
Why Does My Kid With Low Muscle Tone Get So Tired, So Quickly?
If your child with low muscle tone seems to constantly tired, leaning, slouching, and asking you to slow down or to carry them….It is time for you to learn more the global effects of hypotonia. You will understand them better. You will feel better about your parenting. You will be a better…… Continue reading Why Does My Kid With Low Muscle Tone Get So Tired, So Quickly?
My new Audiobook, “Get Your Autistic Child to Sleep” Will Change Your (Night)Life!
Parents need more support to address sleep problems with their autistic kids. Too many sleepless nights. Too many terrible mornings. Good luck finding a provider that is both a licensed therapist AND a certified sleep therapist. Wait…. You just did; I am on of those rare unicorns, and I wrote a short ebook for you!!…… Continue reading My new Audiobook, “Get Your Autistic Child to Sleep” Will Change Your (Night)Life!
Build A Child’s Utensil Skills (Spoons, Forks, Knives) with my New Handout Pack!
Using a spoon and a fork are the beginnings of skilled tool use for children. It isn’t always easy. For special needs kids, these skills can take time to develop. Sometimes, kids decide they will use their fingers or suck their meals from a pouch. They will let someone else cut their meat for…… Continue reading Build A Child’s Utensil Skills (Spoons, Forks, Knives) with my New Handout Pack!
“The Young Gifted Child: A Quick Reference Guide for Parents” Has Finally Arrived!
Parents of Young Gifted Children: This is the Information You Have Been Searching For! Young gifted kids are some of the most interesting kids I see all year. Really. Gifted kids are wonderful. They are always surprising me. They are the people who will improve our world. I am working with a young gifted child…… Continue reading “The Young Gifted Child: A Quick Reference Guide for Parents” Has Finally Arrived!
Does Your ASD Child Avoid Looking at You? Figure Out if Your Child Has Gaze Indifference or Gaze Aversion
There is a BIG difference between reducing gaze indifference and reducing gaze aversion. One requires treatments that focus on sensory processing to lower a child’s overall neurological arousal level. The other won’t respond significantly to sensory treatment, and requires behavioral and psycho-educational strategies. Can you tell the difference between them? Gaze aversion has a distinct…… Continue reading Does Your ASD Child Avoid Looking at You? Figure Out if Your Child Has Gaze Indifference or Gaze Aversion
Help Your Kid Get Over Their Fear of the Public Potty!
One of my consultation clients is having tons of success with special needs potty boot camp. But her son was afraid to use the toilet in their place of worship. This is soooooo common! Kids finally get used to the set up in their home bathrooms. They know how long it takes to get there,…… Continue reading Help Your Kid Get Over Their Fear of the Public Potty!
Low Somatic Awareness, with Any Diagnosis? Grab Your Vibrating Pool Noodle!
Yes. I did indeed say, “Vibrating Pool Noodle”. Occupational therapists that treat sensory processing disorders frequently see hypoarousal in our clients. But low somatic awareness happens with mental health issues too. It can be just as disabling as hyperarousal. It is also harder to treat if you don’t understand the nervous system well. Fortunately, some…… Continue reading Low Somatic Awareness, with Any Diagnosis? Grab Your Vibrating Pool Noodle!
7 Reasons Your Kid Autistic Kid Isn’t Sleeping Well
I treat kids on the spectrum every day. Parents have to understand where their sleep problem(s) are coming from: Many of my older kids are medicated for attention and anxiety. These drugs either are stimulants or have side effects that are stimulating. Sleep needs the opposite. Taking those medications too late in the day or…… Continue reading 7 Reasons Your Kid Autistic Kid Isn’t Sleeping Well
Kids and Sleep: 15 Handout Sheets That Will Immediately Make YOU an Expert!
I wrote my latest handout pack, “Kids and Sleep” for Your Therapy Source because it is the perfect melding of my training as a certified sleep therapist (thanks, UC Berkeley!) and my long career as a pediatric occupational therapist. Sleep is foundational for health. Full stop. Even though little kids can remain asleep while…… Continue reading Kids and Sleep: 15 Handout Sheets That Will Immediately Make YOU an Expert!
How to Get Sunscreen on Your Child Without Tears (From Anyone!)
Wirecutter just put up a piece on this, looking specifically at a cute little sponge applicator. Then they reviewed other sunscreens and application choices. The cute applicator was a FAIL. For effectiveness, for convenience, for hygiene, for kids NOT getting it covered in scratchy sand and pitching a fit on the beach in front of…… Continue reading How to Get Sunscreen on Your Child Without Tears (From Anyone!)
Hypermobile? Don’t Sit Too Long on the Toilet!
A lot of hypermobile kids and adults get constipated. If they have low muscle tone along with hypermobility, or are couch potatoes, being constipated is even more common. This can lead to extended periods of sitting on the toilet to have a bowel movement. They bring in a screen (ewww!) or a magazine. And then…… Continue reading Hypermobile? Don’t Sit Too Long on the Toilet!
A Fun Game to Build Your Child’s Attention
Toilet training is, at its heart, building a child’s attention to their bodily needs and teaching them to physically manage them. They aren’t born knowing how far to push their pants down or how quickly they will need to get to the toilet after they sense urgency. The motivation will be there if they don’t…… Continue reading A Fun Game to Build Your Child’s Attention