What if you could add a sensory-based treatment that targets specific sensory, motor, and behavioral goals? What if it doesn’t require expensive equipment or a large therapy space, and you could see the effects within a very short time? Since adding Quickshifts to my therapy sessions, I have been able to successfully address some of…… Continue reading Quickshifts: A Simple, Successful, and Easy to Use Treatment For Regulation, Attention, and Postural Activation
Category: toddlers
What To Say When Your Child Says “I Hate You!”
It happens to almost every parent. It could happen when your child is a fuming preschooler, or a haughty tween. Doesn’t matter. It still hurts. A lot. Even the sweetest child can hurl one of these statements out when they don’t get what they want or aren’t allowed to do something. The biggest question…… Continue reading What To Say When Your Child Says “I Hate You!”
How Long Term Medical Care Affects Infant and Toddler Development
The good news: more and more extremely premature and medically complex babies are surviving. The bad news: there is a cost to the extended and complex treatment that saves their lives and helps them to thrive. This post is an effort to put out in the open what pediatric therapists know only too well…… Continue reading How Long Term Medical Care Affects Infant and Toddler Development
Does Your Special Needs Child Have a “Two-tude”? Its Not Just the Age; Its Cumulative Frustration Minus Skills
I spend a lot of my work week with toddlers, and they can be a challenge. One minute sunny, the next screaming because their cookie broke. Special needs toddlers can have a ‘tude as well, but many professionals sweep it under the rug. They tell parents that this is normal, and that they should…… Continue reading Does Your Special Needs Child Have a “Two-tude”? Its Not Just the Age; Its Cumulative Frustration Minus Skills
Need to Support A Child’s Independence? Offer to Help Them!
I know; it sounds like I am being sarcastic. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Instead of telling children to “Give it another try” or “I know you can do it”, offering help to a young child can have the paradoxical effect of eliciting more perseverance and attention. It really isn’t all that…… Continue reading Need to Support A Child’s Independence? Offer to Help Them!
Safety Awareness With Your Hypermobile Child? Its Not a Big Thing, Its the Biggest Thing
Therapists always try hard to be optimistic when discussing their pediatric client’s future. Why not? Kids have amazing potential, and we aren’t fortune tellers; there are so many things that can go right. As therapists, we also should share the reality of how bad choices create unfortunate consequences. Among them are the long-term…… Continue reading Safety Awareness With Your Hypermobile Child? Its Not a Big Thing, Its the Biggest Thing
Afraid to Toilet Train? Prepare Your Child… and Prepare Yourself
I spend an extra 30 minutes at the end of a session this week helping a mom build her courage and confidence so that she felt ready to start toilet training soon. Her child is over 3, has sensory and motor issues, but shows tons of signs for readiness: dry diapers for increasingly long periods,…… Continue reading Afraid to Toilet Train? Prepare Your Child… and Prepare Yourself
Stop Your Child From Chewing on Clothes or Toys
Babies love to munch on their toys. They nibble at book bindings, chew the heck out of their loveys, and some little ones really love to chew their pacifiers. As they grow, most children let go of this behavior. Chewing and biting for sensory exploration and state modulation diminishes and a child’s behavior evolves into…… Continue reading Stop Your Child From Chewing on Clothes or Toys
Are Your Other Children Resentful of Their Special Needs Sibling?
This is something that is hardly ever spoken of, but it happens in many, if not most families. The good news is that it is normal, it doesn’t predict future behavior, and you can address it without sending everyone to a psychiatrist. The time and energy demands of a special needs child aren’t always in…… Continue reading Are Your Other Children Resentful of Their Special Needs Sibling?
Should You Install a Child-Sized Potty for Your Special Needs Child?
I know that some of you don’t even realize that such a thing exists: a toilet sized for preschoolers and kindergarteners! Well, you won’t find it in Lowe’s or Home Depot on the showroom floor, but you can buy them online, and it is an option to consider. Here are the reasons you might put…… Continue reading Should You Install a Child-Sized Potty for Your Special Needs Child?
How To Stop Your Toddler From Hitting You
When your sweet little baby turns into a toddler that smacks you, you may be so shocked that you don’t know how to react. The second time you get hit, or pinched, or even bitten in anger, you might feel a level of rage come up that is both surprising and horrifying. Well, I…… Continue reading How To Stop Your Toddler From Hitting You
Is Your Hypermobile Child Sitting In An Awkward Position? No, She Really DOESN’T Feel Any Pain From it
Hypermobile children end up in some impressively awkward positions. It can feel uncomfortable just to look at the way their arms or legs are bent. It can be an awkward position with any part of the body; shoulders that allow an arm to fold under the body and the child lies on top of…… Continue reading Is Your Hypermobile Child Sitting In An Awkward Position? No, She Really DOESN’T Feel Any Pain From it
The Best Ride-On Toy For Younger (or Petite) Toddlers
As an occupational therapist, I have always found it difficult to recommend a toddler ride-on toy for younger or smaller kids with low muscle tone and hypermobility. Most of these toys have such a wide seat that children must propel themselves with their knees rotated out and pushing forward on their toes. Exactly the…… Continue reading The Best Ride-On Toy For Younger (or Petite) Toddlers
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
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!
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
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
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!)