Children love stickers. Kumon has created great sticker books for the 2’s or children performing at that level. I have the vehicle-themed book, but they have a zoo-themed book as well. I use their scissor books every week, maybe even every day with the 3’s and 4’s. I wanted to see what they came up…… Continue reading Review: Kumon Sticker Books For Toddlers
Category: behavior issues
Why “Hand-Over-Hand” Assistance Doesn’t Work With So Many Special Needs Children
This method of teaching fine motor skills has never worked well for me in Early Intervention. In my professional experience, it has been a popular technique for many special educators. But they aren’t always getting the results they want. Very often, the scenario is as follows: I get a call from a concerned parent, telling…… Continue reading Why “Hand-Over-Hand” Assistance Doesn’t Work With So Many Special Needs Children
Can You Toilet Train a Non-Verbal Child?
Parents of non-verbal children often delay toilet training, assuming that these kids need more communication skills to be successful. I disagree. I think children and their parents need other skills more. Here are my thoughts about what really matters for these kids: Their parents need excellent observation skills. A child that cannot easily communicate their…… Continue reading Can You Toilet Train a Non-Verbal Child?
Weaning the Pacifier From An Older Child
Weaning pacifiers can be difficult, no matter the age. I wrote a popular post a while back on pacifier use and abuse, Prevent Pacifier Addiction With A Focus on Building Self-Calming Without Plastic , but I think that I might need to write another. Once an older child, over 3, still uses a pacifier, it is a…… Continue reading Weaning the Pacifier From An Older Child
Is Slow Progress In Toilet Training A Failure?
Children that are slow to learn independent toileting come in many flavors. There are the children who resist training; they just don’t want to sit on the potty and rewards haven’t made them excited to train. Then there are the kids who develop fear of painful bowel movements. And also the children with language and/or…… Continue reading Is Slow Progress In Toilet Training A Failure?
Why Do Some Kids With ASD and SPD Refuse Toilet Training?
Toilet training is one of the few self-care skills that fall primarily on special needs parents. Speech therapists, feeding therapists, occupational therapists and ABA instructors all do assessments and create plans. Hints on toilet training from your therapy team are often very helpful, but “the boots on the ground” are yours as a parent. You…… Continue reading Why Do Some Kids With ASD and SPD Refuse Toilet Training?
Low Tone and Constipation: Why This Issue Delays Toilet Training Progress
Kids with low tone and sensory processing disorders are not the only children who struggle with constipation, but it is more common for them. The reasons are many: low abdominal and oral tone, less use of available musculature because they use compensatory sitting and standing (the schlump, the lean, the swayback) patterns, and even food…… Continue reading Low Tone and Constipation: Why This Issue Delays Toilet Training Progress
Low Tone and Toilet Training: How Your Child’s Therapists Can Help You
Over the years as an occupational therapist, I have been giving parents hints here and there. Writing my e-book this fall, and preparing an e-course (coming soon) to support families makes me realize that some clients did not ask me very many questions while they were toilet training their child. So….Are there aspects of therapy…… Continue reading Low Tone and Toilet Training: How Your Child’s Therapists Can Help You
Low Tone and Toilet Training: Parents And Children Need To Work Together
This one is simple to explain, but not so easy to achieve with some kids. Children whose interactional pattern is defiance or whining are going to be much harder to train, regardless of whether or not they have significant issues with low muscle tone. In fact, I would rather coach a very physically unstable but…… Continue reading Low Tone and Toilet Training: Parents And Children Need To Work Together
Why Doesn’t Swaddling Alone Calm Newborns?
I attended a local function last night, and this question was on my mind as parents recounted their experiences with newborns and calming. They thought that they were doing the swaddling wrong. Or that their child was abnormal. Not likely. They just didn’t realize that for most babies, swaddling alone doesn’t do the deal. As…… Continue reading Why Doesn’t Swaddling Alone Calm Newborns?
Why Some Newborns Look Like They Hate To Be Swaddled
Yes, I said it. Some babies scream louder after you swaddle them, and parents assume that this means that they are horrified of being restricted. This is usually far from the truth, but you have to know a little bit about newborn neurology to understand why this is likely not to be a case of…… Continue reading Why Some Newborns Look Like They Hate To Be Swaddled
How Young Can You Teach The Skills That Develop Grit?
I love the concept of “grit”, probably because I see it in so many of the special needs kids that I treat. Meeting major challenges of living either crushes you or makes you stronger. Researcher and author Angela Duckworth has championed the study of grit, and schools are even adjusting their teaching curricula to try to…… Continue reading How Young Can You Teach The Skills That Develop Grit?
How Early Can You Use The Happiest Toddler Approach?
Something happens to babies between 12 and 18 months. The adorable little child that could be easily distracted from grabbing your earrings, ate anything you offered, and smiled when you praised him is replaced by someone whose favorite word is “NO!!”, delivered at astonishing volume for a person who weighs in at only 23 pounds.…… Continue reading How Early Can You Use The Happiest Toddler Approach?
When Sensory Seeking Becomes Attention Seeking
As an occupational therapist, I see sensory-seeking kids every week who crash, jump, wiggle and hug their way through their days. If a couch is available, it is either a launching pad or a landing pad. Adults are for hanging on, landing on, or giving full-body hugs. Seeking unsafe or inappropriate movement and touch for…… Continue reading When Sensory Seeking Becomes Attention Seeking
Out Of The Swaddle And Into The Frying Pan
Those first 2 weeks of life are pretty simple: feed, sleep, diaper. Lather, rinse and repeat. From about 2 weeks until 12-14 weeks, the Happiest Baby strategies for getting a baby calm and sleeping soundly really do work to keep newborns (and parents) happy. I am a certified Happiest Baby educator, and it is relatively…… Continue reading Out Of The Swaddle And Into The Frying Pan
Teach ASD and Sensory Kids How to Manage Aggression
Little boys as young as 2 use play fighting, crashing, and even pretend killing in their play, without anger or intentional destruction or injury. Is this a very bad thing? I was challenged this week three separate times to explain why I would initiate physical play that can look aggressive (think crashing cars or our…… Continue reading Teach ASD and Sensory Kids How to Manage Aggression
Working Parents, Weekends, and Toddlers: Have a Better Weekend With These Strategies
I have been asking my colleagues about why so many working couples seem to be struggling with toddler behavior issues. Initially, I was thinking that the shift between nanny/daycare routines and parent routines was creating inconsistencies. But I found too many situations where that wasn’t the case. There is a common speed bump for dual-career…… Continue reading Working Parents, Weekends, and Toddlers: Have a Better Weekend With These Strategies
Give (Some of) Your Power Away To Your Defiant Toddler And Create Calmness
One of my favorite strategies to develop a warm but equitable relationship with toddlers is to share the power. Yes, I said it. Adults have power in the relationship and toddlers know it. In order for you to succeed in using this strategy with your toddler, you have to accept the fact that children long…… Continue reading Give (Some of) Your Power Away To Your Defiant Toddler And Create Calmness
Toe Walker? Why The Problem Usually Isn’t Touch Sensitivity
Kids that toe-walk after they have fully mastered walking and running (usually 24-30 months) are often accused of avoiding the feeling of their feet on the floor. It certainly looks that way. The truth is usually not so simple, and the solution not so easy to achieve. Getting a toe-walker to use a heel-toe gait…… Continue reading Toe Walker? Why The Problem Usually Isn’t Touch Sensitivity
Use The Fast Food Rule to Help ASD Toddlers Handle Change
Kids With ASD can react strongly to changes in their routines or environments. Even changing the location of furniture they don’t even use can create screaming and aggression. Why? Often they use their external concept of home and environment to provide internal consistency, structure, and spatial comprehension. We all do, in reality. Ask anyone who…… Continue reading Use The Fast Food Rule to Help ASD Toddlers Handle Change