My readers know that I wrote a book on potty training kids with low tone ( The Practical Guide to Toilet Training Your Child With Low Muscle Tone: Potty Training Help Has Arrived! ) but I have to admit, I learn a lot from other authors. Jamie Glowacki has written a terrific book that speaks clearly and…… Continue reading The Best Toilet Training Book for Neurotypical Kids: Oh Crap Potty Training!
Category: occupational therapy
Deluxe Water Wow Pads Offer More Challenge And More Fun To Preschoolers and Kindergarteners
My clients and colleagues know how much I love the original Water Wow books. They are reusable and mess-free fun for kids at home, at the doctor’s office, the restaurant and the plane ride. These bigger books are going to be even more fun for preschool kids and kindergarteners! Here are some great reasons…… Continue reading Deluxe Water Wow Pads Offer More Challenge And More Fun To Preschoolers and Kindergarteners
Playing With Velcro Food Sets Builds Children’s Hand Skills Fast!
This set is one of my favorite choices for toddlers of all ages and interests. Why? It is a safe, fun, clean-able toy that doesn’t require a USB connection or a battery. That isn’t a complete oddity, but it getting more rare every year. This toy is a great choice for kids with ASD, SPD,…… Continue reading Playing With Velcro Food Sets Builds Children’s Hand Skills Fast!
What Do You Say to Kids Who Don’t Know They Need to “Go”? Tell Them to Stand Up
For children with either low muscle tone or spasticity, toilet training can be a real challenge. If it isn’t clothing management or making it to the potty on time, they can have a hard time perceiving that NOW is the time to start heading to the toilet. Why? Often, their interoception isn’t terrific. What is…… Continue reading What Do You Say to Kids Who Don’t Know They Need to “Go”? Tell Them to Stand Up
Universal Design For Parents of Special Needs Kids: It’s Important for You Too!
I just finished the coursework for my CAPS certification (certified aging-in-place specialist)! Amazing instructor and loads of valuable information about construction and renovation that only the National Association of Home Builders could impart. And not just for aging-in-place; the concepts of accessibility make homes more visitable for family and friends, and more livable and…… Continue reading Universal Design For Parents of Special Needs Kids: It’s Important for You Too!
Teach Your Child To Catch and Throw a Gertie Ball
These balls aren’t new, but they don’t get the recognition that they should. The ability to catch a ball is a developmental milestone. For kids with low muscle tone, sensory processing disorder (SPD) or ASD, it can be a difficult goal to achieve. The Gertie ball is often the easiest for them to handle.…… Continue reading Teach Your Child To Catch and Throw a Gertie Ball
DUPLO’s My First Number Train Set Is An Easy Way to Build Grasp in Toddlers!
I really like this set from LEGO. The DUPLO line is intended for children 18 months to 5 years old, but I think older kids will enjoy it as well when they combine pieces to make more complex designs. The #1 reason I like this set is that the great majority of the…… Continue reading DUPLO’s My First Number Train Set Is An Easy Way to Build Grasp in Toddlers!
Halloween is Coming: For Sensory Sensitive Children, It’s No Celebration
I love Halloween, but not everyone does. Kids with sensory sensitivity top THAT list! The strange transformation of their classrooms, homes and yards aren’t exciting; they are disorienting. The masks and loose costumes? Pure Hell. But at least here in America, it often seems like it is almost unpatriotic to shun this holiday unless you…… Continue reading Halloween is Coming: For Sensory Sensitive Children, It’s No Celebration
Tub Safety For Special Needs Children
Bathtime is usually a fun experience for young children. Toys, splashing, bubbles. But it’s not always fun for parents. If your child has issues with sensory sensitivity, sensory seeking or hypermobility, you can feel like a one-armed paperhanger; juggling toys, washcloth and child! One solution is to use a bath seat. A word of common…… Continue reading Tub Safety For Special Needs Children
Not Making It To the Potty In Time? Three Reasons Why Special Needs Kids Have Accidents
If your special needs child isn’t experiencing a medical reason for incontinence (infection, blockage, neurological impairment) then you might be facing one of these three common roadblocks to total training success: Your child has limited or incomplete interoceptive awareness. What is interoception? It is the ability to sense and interpret internal cues. The distention of…… Continue reading Not Making It To the Potty In Time? Three Reasons Why Special Needs Kids Have Accidents
Spatial Awareness and Sound: “Hearing” The Space Around You
I hear a lot about kids who aren’t comfortable in big spaces: cafeterias, churches, gyms. Many parents, and even some therapists, attribute it to lack of familiarity: these are places they use inconsistently and are filled with more strangers. Or they mention noise intolerance: to music, to shouting, and to sounds like balls bouncing or…… Continue reading Spatial Awareness and Sound: “Hearing” The Space Around You
Teaching Safety Awareness To Special Needs Toddlers
Parents anxiously wait for their special needs infants to sit up, crawl and walk. That last skill can take extra months or years. Everyone, and I mean everyone, uses walking as a benchmark for maturity and independence. They shouldn’t. A child with poor safety awareness isn’t safer when they acquire mobility skills. Sometimes they are…… Continue reading Teaching Safety Awareness To Special Needs Toddlers
Have a Child With Low Tone or a Hypermobile Baby? Pay More Attention to How You Pick Your Little One Up
Carrying and holding kids is such a natural thing to do. But when your child has hypermobility due to low muscle tone, joint issues or a connective tissue disorder, how you accomplish these simple tasks makes a difference. Your actions can do more than get them from one position or location to another: they can…… Continue reading Have a Child With Low Tone or a Hypermobile Baby? Pay More Attention to How You Pick Your Little One Up
How To Spot A Gifted Child In Your Preschool Class (Or Your Living Room!)
Do you have a gifted kid? Do you teach one? You might not be able to tell the difference between a bright child and a gifted child by the number of letters they know, or the facts about dinosaurs they can recall. Here are some distinct signs that your child, student or therapy client is…… Continue reading How To Spot A Gifted Child In Your Preschool Class (Or Your Living Room!)
Toilet Training For Preschool And Stuck in Neutral? Here’s Why…..
Many of my clients are in a rush to get their kid trained in the next few weeks for school. They have been making some headway over the summer, but things can stall out half-way through. Here are some common reasons (but probably not all of them) why kids hit a plateau: They lose that…… Continue reading Toilet Training For Preschool And Stuck in Neutral? Here’s Why…..
KickStart Kindergarten: Get Your Child Ready for Kindergarten Writing The Easy Way!
Starting kindergarten is so exciting for most kids, but learning to write can be challenging for those children that have fASD, SPD, fine motor or visual-motor issues. Even though fewer and fewer teachers know how to teach handwriting well, it is still a necessary skill for young children. Learning Without Tears has developed an…… Continue reading KickStart Kindergarten: Get Your Child Ready for Kindergarten Writing The Easy Way!
Three Ways To Reduce W-Sitting (And Why It Matters)
Children who sit on the floor with their thighs rolled inward and their calves rotated out to the sides are told that they are “W-sitting”. Parents are told to reposition their kids immediately. There are even garments like Hip Helpers that make it nearly impossible to sit in this manner. Some therapists get practically apoplectic…… Continue reading Three Ways To Reduce W-Sitting (And Why It Matters)
Kids With Low Muscle Tone: The Hidden Problems With Strollers
Whether you live in the city or the ‘burbs, you almost certainly use a stroller for your infant or toddler. Even parents who use slings or carriers for “baby wearing” find themselves needing a stroller at some point. Why are strollers a problem for children with low muscle tone? The answer is simple: sling seats…… Continue reading Kids With Low Muscle Tone: The Hidden Problems With Strollers
Parents With Disabilities Need The Happiest Toddler on the Block Techniques
I usually write about children with disabilities, but today’s post is about parents with challenges. As an occupational therapist that sees children in their homes through the Early Intervention program, I meet all kinds of parents. This includes parents with disabilities of their own. Some parents have vision or hearing issues, some have orthopedic issues…… Continue reading Parents With Disabilities Need The Happiest Toddler on the Block Techniques
Picking The Best Bikes, Scooters, Etc. For Kids With Low Tone and Hypermobility
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