Welcome to the world of faster (and faster) movement! After mastering walking and possibly running, kids are often eager to jump on a ride-on toy and get moving. If a child has had motor delays and has had to wait to develop the strength and balance needed to use a bike, they may be a…… Continue reading Picking The Best Bikes, Scooters, Etc. For Kids With Low Tone and Hypermobility
Category: hypermobility
For Hypermobile Kids, “Listen To Your Body” Doesn’t Teach Them To Pace Themselves. Here’s What Really Helps.
I ran across a comment piece online that recommended parents teach their hypermobile children to “listen to your body” to pace activities in an effort to avoid fatigue, pain or injury. My reaction was fairly strong and immediate. The sensory-based effects of hypermobility (HM) reduce interoception (internal body awareness) and proprioception/kinesthesia (position and movement sense,…… Continue reading For Hypermobile Kids, “Listen To Your Body” Doesn’t Teach Them To Pace Themselves. Here’s What Really Helps.
Help Your Teen with a Chronic Illness Plan For a Career
It is graduation time here in the U.S. Kids (and parents) are thinking about the future. But when your teen has chronic health conditions, the future can be uncertain and the decisions more complicated. I know that the saying “Do what you love and you won’t have to work another day of your life” is…… Continue reading Help Your Teen with a Chronic Illness Plan For a Career
The Cube Chair: Your Special Needs Toddler’s New Favorite Seat!
Finding a good chair for your special needs toddler isn’t easy. Those cute table-and-chair sets from IKEA and Pottery Barn are made for older kids. Sometimes much older, like the size of kids in kindergarten. Even a larger child with motor or sensory issues will often fall right off those standard chairs! Should you use…… Continue reading The Cube Chair: Your Special Needs Toddler’s New Favorite Seat!
The Hypermobile Hand: More Than A Strength Problem
I just received another referral for a kid with “weak’ hands. His mom wants private OT services. This is how she describes her son: Can’t hold a pencil correctly. Can’t make a dark enough mark on paper when he writes or colors. His mom says he has a solid grip on an object…… Continue reading The Hypermobile Hand: More Than A Strength Problem
Can You K-Tape Kids With Ehlers-Danlos and Other Connective Tissue Disorders?
The short answer: some of these kids, some of the time. The long answer: To use K-tape effectively, you need to understand the mechanics of tape on the skin and underlying tissues, how connective tissue disorders disrupt skin healing, how to minimize skin shear and inflammation, and that only using one type of tape may…… Continue reading Can You K-Tape Kids With Ehlers-Danlos and Other Connective Tissue Disorders?
Which Improves Pencil Grasp Best: A Pencil Grip Or A Thicker Pencil?
As a pediatric occupational therapist, I am often asked to weigh in on this debate. Not often enough, it seems, based on the pencils I see being used by kids who are struggling to write. There are a lot of kids out there using pencils with wonky grasp patterns because no one…… Continue reading Which Improves Pencil Grasp Best: A Pencil Grip Or A Thicker Pencil?
For Kids With Sensory Issues and Low Tone, Add Resistance Instead of Hand-Over-Hand Assistance
One of my most popular posts, Why “Hand-Over-Hand” Assistance Works Poorly With So Many Special Needs Children , explains how this common method of assisting children to hold and manipulate objects often results in rejection or even aversion. This post tells you about my most successful strategy for kids with low muscle tone and limited sensory…… Continue reading For Kids With Sensory Issues and Low Tone, Add Resistance Instead of Hand-Over-Hand Assistance
How Hypermobility Affects Self-Image, Behavior and Activity Levels in Children
As rehabilitation therapists, OTs and PTs are focused on skill building and reaching functional goals with our clients. But feelings influence behavior, and so therapists have to be aware of more than joints and muscles when looking at function. In this post, I would like to address the many ways that hypermobility can create social…… Continue reading How Hypermobility Affects Self-Image, Behavior and Activity Levels in Children
OXO for Kids: Great Tableware For Older Kids With Sensory and Motor Issues
Does your child knock over her milk on a daily basis? Do utensils seem to fly out of your son’s hands? I treat kids with hypermobility, coordination and praxis issues, sensory discrimination limitations, etc.; they can all benefit from this terrific line of cups, dinnerware and utensils. Yes, OXO, the same people that sell you…… Continue reading OXO for Kids: Great Tableware For Older Kids With Sensory and Motor Issues
Should Your Hypermobile Child Play Sports?
This is one of the most difficult questions I field from parents of children over 5. Every parent wants their child to receive the social, emotional and physical benefits from participating in sports. They also know that there are greater risks for hypermobile kids. Kids with hypermobility fall on a very wide spectrum. Some are…… Continue reading Should Your Hypermobile Child Play Sports?
Can You Use The Wilbarger Protocol With Kids That Have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?
My posts on proprioception and hypermobility have been popular lately, leading me to think that parents (and therapists) want more information on the sensory basis for their children’s struggles, and that often their treatments don’t include addressing their sensory processing issues. The Ehles-Danlos Syndromes (yes, there are more variants than just vascular and hypermobile!) are…… Continue reading Can You Use The Wilbarger Protocol With Kids That Have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?
Hypermobility, Sleep, And The Hidden Problems With Blankets
Everyone knows that sleep is important. Research in sleep science (yes, this is a thing) tells us that our brains are working to digest the day’s learning, the immune system is active during sleep, and our bodies are repairing and renewing tissues and organs while we slumber. As much as we need sleep, kids need…… Continue reading Hypermobility, Sleep, And The Hidden Problems With Blankets
Potty Training Boys: Do You Teach Standing Up Or Sitting Down?
Training children for bladder control before bowel control is often easier for quite a few reasons: More frequent bathroom trips = more opportunities for success, digestion and diet issues don’t stall success, and urination is usually a painless, phobia-free, and quick experience. In general, families that hire me as a consultant are encouraged to…… Continue reading Potty Training Boys: Do You Teach Standing Up Or Sitting Down?
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
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
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
Should Hypermobile Kids Use Backpacks?
It is back-to-school season here in the US. One of the items on shopping lists is a new backpack. But for kids with low muscle tone or hypermobility, backpacks can be more than a way to carry books and water bottles. They can be a source of pain, headaches, even numbness in hands and fingers.…… Continue reading Should Hypermobile Kids Use Backpacks?
Prevent Skin Injuries In Kids With Connective Tissue Disorders: Simple Moves To Make Today
Children with EDS and other connective tissue disorders such as joint hyper mobility disorder often have sensitive skin. Knowing the best ways to care for their skin can prevent a lot of discomfort and even injury. These kids often develop scars more easily, and injured skin is more vulnerable in general to another injury down…… Continue reading Prevent Skin Injuries In Kids With Connective Tissue Disorders: Simple Moves To Make Today