I have been treating gifted kids for years. At first, I didn’t know it. I thought they were quick learners, and I knew I needed to adapt my treatment strategies to get the best results, but I never added it all up. And then I did. So I wrote a handout pack for therapists and…… Continue reading The Gifted Child Handout Pack has Arrived!
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The Expanded Second Edition of “The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child with Low Muscle Tone”, is Finally Here!
Low muscle tone is a symptom that makes potty training harder than anyone expects. Even experienced therapists don’t anticipate all of the challenges that arise. My most popular blog post has always been, Why Low Muscle Tone Creates More Toilet Training Struggles for Toddlers (and Parents!) . There are good reasons for its popularity.…… Continue reading The Expanded Second Edition of “The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child with Low Muscle Tone”, is Finally Here!
Can Your Special Needs Child Stay Dry through the Night?
Nighttime continence is one of the mountains to climb on the way to complete toilet training. I wrote two books on special needs potty training,( The Practical Guide to Toilet Training the Autistic Child: From Diapering Differently to Using Public Facilities and The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child With Low Muscle Tone:…… Continue reading Can Your Special Needs Child Stay Dry through the Night?
Teaching Special Needs Kids How to Blow Their Noses
This is one of the most difficult self-care skills to teach a special needs child; maybe the most difficult skill I teach as an OTR. Why? Three good reasons: When they need to do it, they are uncomfortable or sick. Not a great state for learning. It isn’t a daily ADL for most kids. Many…… Continue reading Teaching Special Needs Kids How to Blow Their Noses
Why Your Gifted Kid Has A Lot of Stuff
Gifted kids (and adults) are well known for their intense interests. Their interests can be broad in scope and advanced for age. The three year-old that can tell you everything you want to know about the Civil War. The 15 year-old that built her own kiln. The 5 year-old that decided Impressionism is…… Continue reading Why Your Gifted Kid Has A Lot of Stuff
Teach a Child to Apologize Effectively
This is a skill that many adults haven’t mastered. They weren’t taught how, or they cannot bear admitting that they have wronged someone. Kids apologize without more than a “Sowwy” and rarely are required to do more than that. We fail them if we let that happen. It is a short trip from a hurried…… Continue reading Teach a Child to Apologize Effectively
Does Your Child Hate Hearing Hand Dryers and Flushing Toilets?
Hardly anyone finds public toilets a pleasant place when nature calls. But some kids (and adults!) react very poorly to the sounds of the public toilet. It might take some experience or some discussion to figure out that the sounds of the public toilet, specifically hand dryers and flushing, are what make them the most…… Continue reading Does Your Child Hate Hearing Hand Dryers and Flushing Toilets?
Teaching Special Needs Kids How to Write? I Wrote a Handout Pack for YOU!
My handout packs for pre-writing and handwriting with neurotypical kids have been a big success; lots of therapists, teachers, and parents have learned things that took me decades of professional experience and continuing education to master! NOW…it is time for children with special needs to get their own handout pack! I started with an expanded…… Continue reading Teaching Special Needs Kids How to Write? I Wrote a Handout Pack for YOU!
How to Communicate with Your Child’s School During Toilet Training
Later this month I will be speaking to a combined parent and staff group on special needs toilet training. This is a terrific opportunity to build bridges and help both groups learn more about my targeted sensory-motor approach. I am truly honored. Among the topics I have been asked to address is this one: how…… Continue reading How to Communicate with Your Child’s School During Toilet Training
Teens, Hypermobility, and Intimacy
There is SO little information out there for hypermobile teens who find being sexually active either painful or frightening. Volume III of the “JointSmart Child” series hasn’t been written yet; I have been too busy with other projects, personal and professional. Volumes I and II are available on Amazon and Your Therapy Source . But…… Continue reading Teens, Hypermobility, and Intimacy
Angelman Syndrome and Toilet Training: Start with Targeted Pre-Training!!
Children with Angelman Syndrome routinely have daunting challenges around toilet training, with very good reason. Significant delays in mobility, language, and fine motor control are common. Hardly anyone is thinking about toilet training when a child can’t stand independently and uses PECS for two desired objects. There are a lot of issues between their current…… Continue reading Angelman Syndrome and Toilet Training: Start with Targeted Pre-Training!!
Easy Handwriting Tricks for Kids with Low Muscle Tone
Low muscle tone (aka hypotonia) is a real problem during handwriting. It might appear to be weakness. It isn’t. It might appear to be poor coordination. It isn’t. Kids with low muscle tone are often holding their pencil in a fist, making so many control errors that their letters and…… Continue reading Easy Handwriting Tricks for Kids with Low Muscle Tone
Finally…A Handout Pack on Treating Trauma!
Pediatric therapists treat children with trauma histories and trauma disorders…all the time! Our NICU grads, kids with chronic medical conditions, and abuse survivors. They all can have trauma histories that make their treatment in OT, PT, and in speech therapy more challenging. I finally decided that I needed to share what I know about treating…… Continue reading Finally…A Handout Pack on Treating Trauma!
My New Handout Pack on Handwriting is ON SALE!!
I just finished “Handwriting Success”, the newest handout pack sold by Your Therapy Source . And it is on sale for the next week, until 3/13/23! After years of working with struggling writers, frustrated parents, and overwhelmed teachers, it was time to make something they can use. It pulls together all of the practical strategies I…… Continue reading My New Handout Pack on Handwriting is ON SALE!!
Two Causes of Bedwetting Your Pediatrician Might NOT be Mentioning
ADHD and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can increase a child’s bedwetting at any age. When you think about it, this make a lot of sense. So…let’s think about it. ADHD: Kids with ADHD often struggle to settle down for the night. They still have to get up for school at the same time in the…… Continue reading Two Causes of Bedwetting Your Pediatrician Might NOT be Mentioning
Are You Potty Training TOO LATE?
There is a simple answer: you train when you and your child are ready to train, and not a minute before that. But… you can miss the signs and train too late. Your pediatrician won’t tell you this, but there are hidden consequences to waiting to train. In the current tide of emotions on social…… Continue reading Are You Potty Training TOO LATE?
Can Adaptive Equipment Be Dangerous to Your Child?
That was a trick question: of course it can. The wrong adaptive equipment can create hazards as well as bad habits that are hard to break. And it happens all the time now, as parents and patients decide that they know exactly what is needed. It also happens when they aren’t provided with access to…… Continue reading Can Adaptive Equipment Be Dangerous to Your Child?
Is Independent Walking in the Classroom Overrated?
The “Holy Grail” for most parents of physically disabled kids is their child being able to walk around independently. This includes walking while in school. Most schools are not fully ADA accessible, making walking an easier choice many times. The oldest schools and the poorest districts frequently have the biggest problems and the least access…… Continue reading Is Independent Walking in the Classroom Overrated?
Sugar Might Not be the Only Villain Stealing Your Kid’s Sleep !
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the costumes, the focus on fun and terror in equal measure, and particularly the candy. It could be hard to get a child to settle down after a night of going door to door, collecting treats. Some parents think that their child’s difficulty falling asleep after eating some…… Continue reading Sugar Might Not be the Only Villain Stealing Your Kid’s Sleep !
Screens, Sleep, and the Special Needs Child
Since becoming a certified sleep therapist I am now helping an OT client with their struggle to fall asleep. The child is taking stimulant medication as well as an anti-anxiety medication. Both drugs contributing to his difficultly falling asleep in the evening. The side effect profiles of these drugs are not surprising. The ASD…… Continue reading Screens, Sleep, and the Special Needs Child