Sometimes it must seem that OTs and PTs are the ultimate buzz killers. “Don’t do gymnastics; it could damage your knees” and “I don’t recommend those shoes. Not enough support”. Just like the financial planner that tells you to sell the boat and save more for a rainy day, we therapists can sound like we…… Continue reading Is Your Hypermobile Child JointSmart?
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Parents of Formerly Picky Eaters Can Feel Like The (Food) War is Still Going On
What do parents of children who have had successful treatment for oral sensory sensitivity have in common with Vietnam veterans? Parts of them do not know that the war is over. Raising a child that can become unglued over the texture or taste of a new food is like walking through a minefield. As a…… Continue reading Parents of Formerly Picky Eaters Can Feel Like The (Food) War is Still Going On
Want A Stronger Pencil Grasp? Use a Tablet Stylus
The trick? They need to use a short stylus and play apps that require primarily drag-and-drop play. Stop them from only tapping that screen today, because tapping alone will not make much of a difference in strength and grading of force. Why will drag-and-drop play work? The resistance of the stylus tip on the…… Continue reading Want A Stronger Pencil Grasp? Use a Tablet Stylus
Wait Out Your Whiner Before Reacting And Everybody Wins!
Whining/whinging can drive a calm parent to the edge. Like nails on a chalkboard, the effect of a small person squealing their demand may unhinge you. Add refusal to comply with a reasonable request, and you have a recipe for disaster. OK, maybe not disaster, but how your react can inflict damage on the warm…… Continue reading Wait Out Your Whiner Before Reacting And Everybody Wins!
Hypermobility and Proprioception: Why Loose Joints Create Sensory Processing Problems for Children
When most parents think of sensory processing issues, they think of the children who hate clothing tags and gag on textured foods. Joint hypermobility, regardless of the reason (prematurity, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, head injury, etc) can result in kids who stumble when they move and wobble when they rest. They are seen by orthopedists and…… Continue reading Hypermobility and Proprioception: Why Loose Joints Create Sensory Processing Problems for Children
Teach Your Child To Fail Today. You Can Thank Me Later
Yes, I said it: fail. We all will fail at something sometime. Even, and most especially, the gifted kids who experiment and explore constantly, will fail at something. Knowing what to do with your feelings when you fail is essential for a happy life. And that is why you will thank me later. Angel Duckworth…… Continue reading Teach Your Child To Fail Today. You Can Thank Me Later
Your Bossy Baby or Toddler May Be Gifted. Really. Here Are The Signs You Are Missing!
Very young children can be a challenge at times. Tantrums over broken cookies, insistence on hearing “Goodnight Moon” for the 11th time in one night, etc. They can be adorably cute and amazingly difficult in the same 15 minute period! Lurking inside all that chaotic behavior may be signs of genius. Here are some…… Continue reading Your Bossy Baby or Toddler May Be Gifted. Really. Here Are The Signs You Are Missing!
Infants With Sensory Sensitivity: When Your Fussy Baby Takes Over Your Life
fpsyg-08-00789 Parents are often the first to suspect that their infant’s constant and intense complaints are more than just fussiness. Sometimes pediatricians pick up on a pattern of edginess that cannot be explained by all the usual suspects: teething, food sensitivity, temperament. Having a baby who complains bitterly about the most common events, such…… Continue reading Infants With Sensory Sensitivity: When Your Fussy Baby Takes Over Your Life
Help Your Newborn Adjust to Daycare By Using Happiest Baby on the Block Strategies
Returning to work soon after delivery can mean putting your 3-month old in daycare. As challenging as this can be emotionally, it can also be a struggle for your baby, especially if her only self-calming strategy has been nursing. Should you (or could you) quit your job or just tough it out? There is another…… Continue reading Help Your Newborn Adjust to Daycare By Using Happiest Baby on the Block Strategies
Child Writing Too Lightly on Paper? It Might Not Be Hand Strength Holding Him Back
If your child barely makes a mark when he scribbles or writes, most adults assume that grasp is an issue. Today’s post suggests that something else could be the real reason for those faint lines. Limitations in postural and bilateral control contribute far more to lack of pressure when writing than most parents and teachers…… Continue reading Child Writing Too Lightly on Paper? It Might Not Be Hand Strength Holding Him Back
Low Tone and Toilet Training: Learning to Hold It In Long Enough to Make It to The Potty
If your child can’t stay dry at night after 5, or can’t make it to the potty on time, there are a number of things that could be going wrong. I won’t list them all, but your pediatrician may send you to a pediatric urologist to evaluate whether there are any functional (kidney issues,…… Continue reading Low Tone and Toilet Training: Learning to Hold It In Long Enough to Make It to The Potty
Does An Atypical Pencil Grasp Damage Joints or Support Function In Kids With Hypermobility?
As a pediatric OTR, I am often asked to assess and teach proper pencil grasp. Once you start looking, you see a lot of interesting patterns out there. When a child clearly has low muscle tone and/or hypermobile joints, the question of what to do about an atypical pencil grasp used to puzzle me. I…… Continue reading Does An Atypical Pencil Grasp Damage Joints or Support Function In Kids With Hypermobility?
Is Your Gifted Child Also Your Most Strong Willed Child?
Parents of some gifted children know that this gift comes with more than a quick intellect. It can come with a will of iron and incredible emotional range. Gifted children can be expansively happy one moment, and intensely sad the next. No, it isn’t bipolar disorder, and it probably isn’t ADD (gifted kids are misdiagnosed…… Continue reading Is Your Gifted Child Also Your Most Strong Willed Child?
Why Dot-To-Dot Letter Practice Slows Down Writing Speed and Legibility
Most workbooks feature dot-to-dot practice for writing letters. They shouldn’t. Why? The answer is obvious if you know how to teach handwriting. The biggest problem is that so few people understand how children learn to write, and what gets in their way. There are 3 stages of learning: imitating an adult, copying printed materials, and…… Continue reading Why Dot-To-Dot Letter Practice Slows Down Writing Speed and Legibility
Strengthening A Child’s Pencil Grasp: Three Easy Methods That Work
When a child makes fast progress from a fisted grasp to a mature pencil grasp in therapy, parents notice. This isn’t easy to accomplish, but it is possible. I spent the first decade of my pediatric OT career thinking that finger exercises were the answer. Nope. Here are my three favorite strategies to…… Continue reading Strengthening A Child’s Pencil Grasp: Three Easy Methods That Work
Sensory Sensitivity In Toddlers: Why Responding Differently to “Yucky!” Will Help Your Child
Sensory sensitivity and aversive behaviors are among the most common reasons families seek occupational therapy in Early Intervention. Their kids are crying and clinging through meals, dressing, bathing and more. What parents often don’t see is that they can help their child by being both empathic and educating them throughout the course of the day.…… Continue reading Sensory Sensitivity In Toddlers: Why Responding Differently to “Yucky!” Will Help Your Child
Avoiding Letter Reversals In Preschool
Are letter reversals in preschool normal? Yes. Can you avoid them, and thus speed up the accuracy and automaticity that are hallmarks of successful handwriting? Sure! This post will explain why reversals are slowing kids down unnecessarily and how to limit letter and number reversals right from the start. Writing letters backward is very common…… Continue reading Avoiding Letter Reversals In Preschool
Hypermobility in Young Children: When Flexibility Isn’t Functional
Your grandma would have called it being ” double jointed”. Your mom might mention that she was the most flexible person in every yoga class she attended. But when extra joint motion reduces your child’s performance or creates pain, parents get concerned. Sometimes pediatricians and orthopedists do not. Why would that happen? A measure…… Continue reading Hypermobility in Young Children: When Flexibility Isn’t Functional
Your Gifted Child: More Than An Amazing Intellect
The characteristic that convinces a parent that their child is gifted is often an impressive vocabulary or mathematical ability. This is the criteria that will get them into the “G and T” program in school, and is often a source of pride for both parents and children. Wait! There are other characteristics of giftedness…… Continue reading Your Gifted Child: More Than An Amazing Intellect
Overwhelmed With Your Toddler’s Demands? How To Cut Tantrums in Half!
Do I have your attention? Good, because to achieve this amazing feat you will need to learn some new techniques, and understand your toddler’s perspective more clearly. Take a look at two of my popular posts on toddler behavior, then practice a bit until your new communication skills shine. The posts that will teach…… Continue reading Overwhelmed With Your Toddler’s Demands? How To Cut Tantrums in Half!