These cars and trucks are so well crafted and have such sophisticated styling that they even impress adults. They certainly have made me a big fan! Automoblox are small vehicles that your 3-6 year-old child assembles by themselves or with some initial help. They have small pieces, so they are not for children…… Continue reading Automoblox: For the Discriminating Preschool Gearhead
Blog
Holidays Hints For Sensitive Kids
The stores are full, your inbox is too, and you are wondering how to handle your sensitive child’s reactions to family and school events. You are not alone. Everyone knows about the “holiday blues”, where our dreams and expectations come up against real life: awkward family relationships, conflicting demands on our time and finances, etc.…… Continue reading Holidays Hints For Sensitive Kids
Why You Still Need the 5S’s, Even If You Bought a SNOO
OK, I won’t make you wait to get the answer to this question: your newborn won’t spend all day, every day, in the SNOO! Don’t know what the SNOO is? The SNOO smart sleeper was designed by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp as a bassinet that uses many of his fabulous Happiest Baby on…… Continue reading Why You Still Need the 5S’s, Even If You Bought a SNOO
OT and Non-Disabled Gifted Children
I was asked to write another guest post for Therapro, the fantastic OT equipment and materials company that I have been using for clinic and home items for years. This time the subject is gifted children: Do Gifted But Non-Disabled Children Need Occupational Therapy?. The first time you encounter a young gifted child, you may…… Continue reading OT and Non-Disabled Gifted Children
The Elf on the Shelf Could Get Your Child to Write a Letter to Santa!
‘Tis the season, and Elf On The Shelf is back for more fun! Some parents adore the concept and cannot wait to move that little elf around the house every night, and others mock him and his expanding merchandising. Now that he is getting kids to write and draw, and parents will be able…… Continue reading The Elf on the Shelf Could Get Your Child to Write a Letter to Santa!
Gifted Or Disordered? The Unrecognized Behavioral Traits of Young Gifted Children
Here is a short list of many common behavioral characteristics of gifted children that get labeled as “disordered”: Spontaneous. Very. Boundless enthusiasm. Intense focus on passions. Highly energetic. This is the child who doesn’t seem to need as much sleep or downtime as peers. Constantly asking questions. Constantly. Insatiably curious. Everything is interesting,…… Continue reading Gifted Or Disordered? The Unrecognized Behavioral Traits of Young Gifted Children
Helping Little Kids Cut With Scissors
I am very proud to share my latest post on Therapro, a terrific company that I have used for years to find quality therapy equipment. They were nice enough to allow me to be a guest blogger this month, and so I wanted my readers to have the chance to go over there…… Continue reading Helping Little Kids Cut With Scissors
Why Eating From a Pouch Isn’t Helping Your Child As Much As You Think
Sucking food from a pouch has become a common way to funnel fruits, veggies and even protein into young children. Few kids are eating them because they have oral motor or sensory processing problems that don’t allow them to eat solid food. Most of the pouch kids are picky eaters or eating a…… Continue reading Why Eating From a Pouch Isn’t Helping Your Child As Much As You Think
Make Wiping Your Child’s Nose Easier With Boogie Wipes
It is cold and flu season here in the states, and I have already seen my share of snot-caked little faces. Little children get more colds than older kids and adults, and they can turn into an agitated mess when you say “Honey, I need to wipe your nose”. These wipes are going to make…… Continue reading Make Wiping Your Child’s Nose Easier With Boogie Wipes
A Simple Strategy To Improve Your Child’s Posture In A Stokke Tripp Trapp or Special Tomato Chair
The Tripp Trapp chair: The one therapists often recommend. These well-designed seats can be wonderful for kids that need solid foot support. Even the best hip and chest strapping doesn’t always mean that a child is actively using their feet for postural control. You will never guess what the secret weapon is to keep…… Continue reading A Simple Strategy To Improve Your Child’s Posture In A Stokke Tripp Trapp or Special Tomato Chair
Help Your Special Needs Toddler Make The Transition To School Routines
Many developmentally delayed toddlers move their therapeutic and educational services to a toddler developmental group, A.K.A. special needs program, when they are between 18 and 30 months old. Not all of them slide into the routine easily. There can be a few tears and a lot of complaining about fitting into a schedule…… Continue reading Help Your Special Needs Toddler Make The Transition To School Routines
Should Hypermobile Kids Sit On Therapy Balls For Schoolwork?
They are everywhere; colorful therapy balls have migrated from the clinic to the classroom. You can buy a base or a whole chair with a ball attached. But do kids with hypermobility benefit from using them, or will they create more problems than they solve? Hypermobility in infants and very young children is common,…… Continue reading Should Hypermobile Kids Sit On Therapy Balls For Schoolwork?
Have More Halloween Fun When Kids Don’t or Can’t Trick-Or-Treat
Kids big and little are anticipating Halloween, but this holiday isn’t always enjoyable for children with ASD, SPD, anxiety or motor issues. Putting on a costume can be difficult for some kids to tolerate and nearly impossible for kids that have mobility issues. Kids with endurance and mobility issues struggle to walk up to…… Continue reading Have More Halloween Fun When Kids Don’t or Can’t Trick-Or-Treat
Is Your Gifted Child Is A Perfectionist?
Do you know a child who is always trying to get to “perfect”? Being called a perfectionist is almost universally a criticism in our society. It doesn’t have to be. Some kids that are reaching for the ultimate aren’t unnecessarily stressing them selves out. They may gifted. The gifted child is capable of seeing…… Continue reading Is Your Gifted Child Is A Perfectionist?
An Affordable Sensory-Friendly Clothing Line Has Arrived!
Here in the US, kids are getting ready to start the school year. A mom mentioned to me that Target is now carrying sensory-friendly clothing by Cat and Jack; attractive and functional clothes for kids who find tags, seams and textured clothing uncomfortable. I went to check them out online. Here is what I…… Continue reading An Affordable Sensory-Friendly Clothing Line Has Arrived!
Address A Child’s Defiance Without Crushing Their Spirit
Kids that defy adult instructions, even instructions that are ultimately for their benefit, often get begged or threatened into compliance. Pleading with your child to pick up their mess, or threatening your child that those toys on the floor will be given to a charity shop isn’t always going to work. Why? Probably because your…… Continue reading Address A Child’s Defiance Without Crushing Their Spirit
Hypermobility and ADHD? Take Stability, Proprioception, Pain and Fatigue Into Account Before Labeling Behavior
ADHD is a disorder that is diagnosed clinically. This means that there are no brain examinations, no measures that are not behavioral, when determining whether or not to give a child this label. The younger the child, the less accurate behavioral measurements are. But the risks in quickly giving a child this label are significant.…… Continue reading Hypermobility and ADHD? Take Stability, Proprioception, Pain and Fatigue Into Account Before Labeling Behavior
How To Teach Your Child To Wipe “Back There”
Potty training is a process. For most kids, the final frontier is managing bowel movements. Compared to learning to pee into the toilet, little kids are often more stressed by bowel movements and have less opportunities to practice. Most children don’t have more than one BM per day, but they urinate many times per day.…… Continue reading How To Teach Your Child To Wipe “Back There”
Negotiating With Toddlers? Why They Think That 90/10 Is A Good Deal
Toddlers can make you doubt your sanity. They really can. How can a crushed cookie be the end of the universe as they know it? Why do they think you can make more cookies appear on demand? And how to explain to this person that thinks you hung the moon that you simply cannot…… Continue reading Negotiating With Toddlers? Why They Think That 90/10 Is A Good Deal
Make Handwriting Fun While Getting Ready For The New School Year
Here in the US, kids are getting ready to go back to school. And most of them haven’t been writing much in the last 6-8 weeks. At the kindergarten level, some children will have forgotten any lowercase letters they knew in the spring. At the 1-2 grade levels, it is not uncommon for kids to…… Continue reading Make Handwriting Fun While Getting Ready For The New School Year