I spent some time yesterday with the mother of a spirited toddler who pointed out that even though she saw that The Happiest Toddler on the Block technique of patience stretching works, she found it hard to be cheerful and upbeat after hours of her son’s whining and hanging on her legs. At the end…… Continue reading Stretch Your Toddler’s Patience The Easy Way, Starting Today!
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!
Defiant Kids Can Change With Dr. Kazdin’s Simple Plans
Dr. Alan Kazdin wrote “The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child” in 2008. His follow-up book, “The Everyday Parent Toolkit” came later. He is the director of the Yale Parenting Center, and he has seen some hardcore kids. You do not get the feeling that he has treated a lot of children younger…… Continue reading Defiant Kids Can Change With Dr. Kazdin’s Simple Plans
Transition Your Toddler Without Tears
Transitioning is a huge concern for parents and educators of toddlers, both for the typically developing and special needs kids. Struggling to get their child to leave the playground, come to the dinner table, or enter/leave the tub are very high priority concerns for a lot of the parents I meet as an occupational therapist.…… Continue reading Transition Your Toddler Without Tears
Low Tone At Preschool: How Tone Affects Safety and Play
Low muscle tone can create safety issues and difficulty using toys at school. Here are some reasons why things can fall apart (literally, sometimes!) and how small changes make the difference between success and failure at school. First, there are good reasons that children with low tone struggle to sit, stand or move around the…… Continue reading Low Tone At Preschool: How Tone Affects Safety and Play
Halloween With Sensory Sensitive Kids: The (Sensory) Tricks of the Holiday
Sensory sensitive kids aren’t always able to handle the excitement of Halloween without a little support. Here are some strategies to help parents create as much fun as possible, and what to do when there are more bumps in the night (or day) than expected: Costumes, especially masks and hats, aren’t always willingly worn. Your…… Continue reading Halloween With Sensory Sensitive Kids: The (Sensory) Tricks of the Holiday
Preschool Pencils That Develop Hand Control (and with tips that won’t constantly break!)
Most preschoolers with older siblings are aware that the “big kids” use pencils for their homework. Just like the fight to avoid the booster seat, older toddlers and preschoolers aspire to the next stage of development. The problem with using #2 pencils before kindergarten? Many children do not have the required small muscle strength and…… Continue reading Preschool Pencils That Develop Hand Control (and with tips that won’t constantly break!)
Prepare Your Toddler Before Bringing a New Baby Home
Look at it as if your spouse announced that a new, younger, and more vulnerable wife was joining your family: ” She will need a lot of my close attention at first. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you just as much, sweetie, but I won’t be as available to you as I used to…… Continue reading Prepare Your Toddler Before Bringing a New Baby Home
When to Stop Using the Infant Swing with Your Newborn
Weaning the swing can happen earlier than weaning swaddling. Somewhere about 2.5 months old (adjust for prematurity if needed), many newborns no longer get more peaceful while swinging. There will always be babies that prefer to be jiggled on your shoulder or in your lap from the beginning. There will also be babies a bit…… Continue reading When to Stop Using the Infant Swing with Your Newborn
Kids With Low Muscle Tone Can Sit For Dinner: A Multi-Course Strategy
Low muscle tone can create so many different issues during mealtime. Staying still and safe in a chair can be a real issue for these kids, and yet many are seen to be just “behaving badly”. They are probably not given the motor and sensory support they need. Here is your roadmap to navigate mealtimes…… Continue reading Kids With Low Muscle Tone Can Sit For Dinner: A Multi-Course Strategy
How To Get Your Toddler To Wait For Anything (Hint: They hear the Word “Wait” as “No”)
Telling your toddler to wait for anything can be almost counterproductive. You say “In a minute” and they start whining more, not less. I think that is why so many parents just hand over the cookie, iPhone, car keys (just kidding about the keys; wanted to make sure you were awake!). Toddlers do not…… Continue reading How To Get Your Toddler To Wait For Anything (Hint: They hear the Word “Wait” as “No”)
Why Head Banging Doesn’t Mean Your Toddler Is Autistic
I have worked with so many toddlers who terrify their parents with a tendency to bang their heads on the floor when frustrated. Their parent’s first question is almost always “Do you think he could be autistic?”. Sometimes the answer is yes, but it isn’t because of the head banging. It turns out that head…… Continue reading Why Head Banging Doesn’t Mean Your Toddler Is Autistic
Children with Autism Stop Screaming When You Use The Fast Food Rule to Communicate
Children on the spectrum who scream instead of “using their words” are often perceived as manipulative, on sensory overload, or incapable of better behavior until they learn more language. Try using Dr. Karp’s Fast Food Rule and watch your screaming toddler miraculously find his words. In minutes… or less. This isn’t a guarantee, but…… Continue reading Children with Autism Stop Screaming When You Use The Fast Food Rule to Communicate
Beyond Tummy Time: The Magic of Side Lying Play for Balance and Vision
Tummy time is terrific, but your baby cannot stay in that position forever, no matter how entertaining you make it, nor how hard he works to lift his head. Side lying is another great position for a young infant, one that is well-known by occupational therapists to give babies unique opportunities for head control, eye-hand…… Continue reading Beyond Tummy Time: The Magic of Side Lying Play for Balance and Vision
Will Swaddling Make it Harder to See Baby’s Hunger Cues?
This question is the one I have heard repeatedly from parents and birth educators. Here are the facts as I know them: Hunger is natural, hunger is strong in most infants, and hunger is more powerful than the swaddle. In fact, a great way to know if your fussy newborn is hungry or just fussy…… Continue reading Will Swaddling Make it Harder to See Baby’s Hunger Cues?
Special Needs Kids and Toothbrushing, Part 3; The Sensory-Motor Experience and the Behavioral Strategies that Support Success
Now that you know what issues your child have that made toothbrushing difficult, and you have made brush and paste/rinse choices, it is time to think about the influence of timing, the environment, and the approach to the task. I often recommend that families practice skills outside of their natural timing. Let’s face it; running…… Continue reading Special Needs Kids and Toothbrushing, Part 3; The Sensory-Motor Experience and the Behavioral Strategies that Support Success
Special Needs Kids and Toothbrushing, Part 2: Selecting Your Tools for Success
Once you have recognized the issues that contribute to your child’s difficulties, it is time to think about what brushes and toothpastes you are using. The choices you make could improve or aggravate your situation. Toothbrushes come in a wide range of styles and designs. Motorized toothbrushes frighten some kids but enchant others. Sensory…… Continue reading Special Needs Kids and Toothbrushing, Part 2: Selecting Your Tools for Success
Kids With Sensory Differences and Toothbrushing, Part 1: What You Need to Know
Brushing your child’s teeth and/or teaching them to brush can seem overwhelming. Toddlers with special needs are even more likely than typically developing kids to throw monumental fits when the toothbrush comes out. Parents can tell themselves that this isn’t the issue to battle over tonight. Or the next night. Or tomorrow morning. It can…… Continue reading Kids With Sensory Differences and Toothbrushing, Part 1: What You Need to Know
Why Learning to Cut With Scissors Matters
Handwriting seems like first important fine motor skill a child learns. Maybe not. There is a reason that every preschool fine motor evaluation includes the ability to use a scissor. This skill is indicative of a wide range of visual-motor milestones. The list starts with the ability to move both hands effectively while centered around…… Continue reading Why Learning to Cut With Scissors Matters
Lakeshore’s Rubbing Plates Build Hand Strength and Coordination While Having Fun!
This simple activity uses just paper ( I use the back of scrap paper to be mindful of the environment), a crayon and Lakeshore’s rubbing plates. I included a sample photo of the number plates, but the letter plates are used in exactly the same manner. Such an easy activity, and yet it builds sensory-motor…… Continue reading Lakeshore’s Rubbing Plates Build Hand Strength and Coordination While Having Fun!
Baby Waking Up Early? Reset that Habitual Pattern Tonight
When infants and toddlers wake at 4 am, and it isn’t diapers, hunger, or illness, it is time to consider that this is a habitual sleep pattern. Everyone is vulnerable to habitual waking, even adults. The garbage pickup can trigger it, a spouse that rises early to go work out, etc. You find yourself waking…… Continue reading Baby Waking Up Early? Reset that Habitual Pattern Tonight