HWT Gray Block paper does so many amazing things all at once to help a young child learn to write. I had to take the Handwriting Without Tears assessment class twice to really understand why it works. All you have to do is read this blog post. This paper is intended for children that write…… Continue reading Is HWT Gray Block Paper All You Need?
Category: occupational therapy
Develop Pincer Grasp With Ziploc Bags
Toddlers love snacks. OTs love refining a child’s grasp. Mash the two together and you get….the Ziploc snack bag. Try serving a tiny portion of your child’s fave crunchy snack in a small bag that has a zipper closure and watch their fingertip control take off! Here are the important points to make this safe…… Continue reading Develop Pincer Grasp With Ziploc Bags
Sensory Differences and Holiday Events: Simple Life Hacks for Happy Memories
Kids with sensory sensitivities may need some assistance to enjoy the holiday season. Here are some simple ways to make it merry and bright for all! Select your holiday celebrations with the spatial, sound, and visual complexities in mind. Many children are completely overwhelmed with large spaces (auditoriums, church halls, etc.) and the multi-sensory experience…… Continue reading Sensory Differences and Holiday Events: Simple Life Hacks for Happy Memories
Low Muscle Tone and Dressing: Easy Solutions to Teach Independence
When a child says “I do it myself” most adults are thrilled. Kids with low muscle tone want to do things like the big kids too, including dressing themselves, but they often end up in a tangle of sleeves or twisted pant legs. Here are a few suggestions to make learning to get dressed and…… Continue reading Low Muscle Tone and Dressing: Easy Solutions to Teach Independence
Transition Your Toddler Without Tears
Transitioning is a huge concern for parents and educators of toddlers, both for the typically developing and special needs kids. Struggling to get their child to leave the playground, come to the dinner table, or enter/leave the tub are very high priority concerns for a lot of the parents I meet as an occupational therapist.…… Continue reading Transition Your Toddler Without Tears
Low Tone At Preschool: How Tone Affects Safety and Play
Low muscle tone can create safety issues and difficulty using toys at school. Here are some reasons why things can fall apart (literally, sometimes!) and how small changes make the difference between success and failure at school. First, there are good reasons that children with low tone struggle to sit, stand or move around the…… Continue reading Low Tone At Preschool: How Tone Affects Safety and Play
Halloween With Sensory Sensitive Kids: The (Sensory) Tricks of the Holiday
Sensory sensitive kids aren’t always able to handle the excitement of Halloween without a little support. Here are some strategies to help parents create as much fun as possible, and what to do when there are more bumps in the night (or day) than expected: Costumes, especially masks and hats, aren’t always willingly worn. Your…… Continue reading Halloween With Sensory Sensitive Kids: The (Sensory) Tricks of the Holiday
Preschool Pencils That Develop Hand Control (and with tips that won’t constantly break!)
Most preschoolers with older siblings are aware that the “big kids” use pencils for their homework. Just like the fight to avoid the booster seat, older toddlers and preschoolers aspire to the next stage of development. The problem with using #2 pencils before kindergarten? Many children do not have the required small muscle strength and…… Continue reading Preschool Pencils That Develop Hand Control (and with tips that won’t constantly break!)
Kids With Low Muscle Tone Can Sit For Dinner: A Multi-Course Strategy
Low muscle tone can create so many different issues during mealtime. Staying still and safe in a chair can be a real issue for these kids, and yet many are seen to be just “behaving badly”. They are probably not given the motor and sensory support they need. Here is your roadmap to navigate mealtimes…… Continue reading Kids With Low Muscle Tone Can Sit For Dinner: A Multi-Course Strategy
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
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
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!
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
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 share…… 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