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”)
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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
The Pencil Grip That Strengthens Your Child’s Fingers As They Write.
Pencil grips are frequently recommended but mostly ineffective in improving pencil grasp. They are often placed at the wrong part of the pencil for best use, or quickly and repeatedly lost like mittens. I wrote a post on how to decide if you need a grip for a child Should Your Child Use A…… Continue reading The Pencil Grip That Strengthens Your Child’s Fingers As They Write.
Start the School Year With Strategies For Kids With Sensory Processing Issues
Sensory processing can create unique issues around this time of year. Regardless of whether a child received summer services or not, things in the classroom change in September, and change is not always easy for these kids to handle. Here are a few suggestions that could help your child make the transition to a new…… Continue reading Start the School Year With Strategies For Kids With Sensory Processing Issues
Add Massage To Your Child’s Sleep Routine, And Both of You Could Sleep Better Tonight
Massage is a wonderful way to connect with your child, and it can be a great technique to send him off to sleep without tears or guilt. After the books are read and the last feeding has finished, you can use a short and restful massage to relax him and assure him that it is…… Continue reading Add Massage To Your Child’s Sleep Routine, And Both of You Could Sleep Better Tonight
Ten Problems That Cause Parents to Abandon Happiest Baby on the Block
Learning to use The Happiest Baby on the Block 5 S’s can be tricky. In addition to teaching group classes, I also teach parents privately to help them get the techniques down correctly and answer all of their questions on the spot. I meet parents who have watched the DVD or read the book but…… Continue reading Ten Problems That Cause Parents to Abandon Happiest Baby on the Block
Turn Around Toddler Defiance Using “Feed the Meter” Strategies
Tantrums, back-talk, throwing toys, hitting. It can be an occasional episode, or it can be a daily slog through toddlerhood. If a chronically defiant toddler isn’t having a major life change (new school, new caregiver, illness, new family stressor), then it’s possible that she has just developed a habit of relating to adults in this…… Continue reading Turn Around Toddler Defiance Using “Feed the Meter” Strategies
Why Low Muscle Tone Creates More Toilet Training Struggles for Toddlers (and Parents!)
Most parents assume that toilet training a child with low tone (also called hypotonia) isn’t going to be easy. A child with low muscle tone often crawls later, walks later, and may speak later. Low tone can affect toilet training in ways both obvious and subtle. As an occupational therapist, I want to…… Continue reading Why Low Muscle Tone Creates More Toilet Training Struggles for Toddlers (and Parents!)
Teaching Pencil Grasp Can Start with Edison Chopsticks
I love these Edison training chopsticks. You could eat your lunch with them, but you could also pick up little toys and game pieces. Every preschooler that I work with that has difficulty with controlling their pencil has fun with these chopsticks. They have no idea that my goal is to get their finger strength…… Continue reading Teaching Pencil Grasp Can Start with Edison Chopsticks
Teaching Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night
No baby sleeps all night. Not one. Neither do adults. Surprised? A normal sleep cycle bring us into a foggy awake stage and only then do we return to sleep. This happens many times throughout the night, but good sleepers send themselves right back into a deeper sleep without being held, an extra feeding (excluding…… Continue reading Teaching Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night
Lakeshore Scissors for Toddlers That Only Cut the Paper, Not the Toddler
Lakeshore Learning sells their own brand of plastic safety scissors, and I like then so much that I wouldn’t recommend any other brand for children under 4. Toddlers are just too curious about how scissors work and too excited to listen to safety precautions. These scissors mean that they can develop solid hand skills earlier…… Continue reading Lakeshore Scissors for Toddlers That Only Cut the Paper, Not the Toddler