Untitled @abilityfirstpeds-blog - Tumblr Blog

3 Quick Tips for Laying the Foundation for Handwriting

Many people think occupational therapy and handwriting are synonymous. I typically work with younger children so I like to think about what we can do now to support handwriting when they are in school. Here are some quick tips for supporting handwriting development. Using these strategies can be helpful in addressing handwriting difficulties with school aged children as well.

Tummy Time

Crawling

View On WordPress

#crawling #Fine motor #fine motor skills #handwriting #Illinois #Metro-East #occupational therapy #OT #tummy time

Fall Fun: Outdoor Play to Encourage Sensory and Motor Development

In our recent post on sleep, we mentioned that getting in some gross motor play and/or heavy work prior to bedtime can help facilitate falling asleep faster and achieving deeper, more restful sleep. Combining gross motor play and heavy work with outdoor play can contribute to developing a more steady sleep routine. Time spent outside results in greater exposure to sunlight which can naturally…

View On WordPress

#Fall Fun #Local Activities #Motor Development #occupational therapy #Outdoor play #pediatric occupational therapy #Sensory Development #sleep

Occupational Therapy and Breastfeeding Support

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated August 1 – 8 each year. I thought this was an excellent opportunity to talk about why OT and breastfeeding can are a match made in heaven.

Occupational Therapists work to promote function in activities and tasks that are important to our clients. Pediatric Occupational therapists work within the context of the family to help children perform tasks that…

View On WordPress

Balancing the Bucket with Deep Breathing

Happy Friday! The final post in the bucket series is finally here! Take a deep breath and enjoy your weekend!

This is the last post in our bucket series. The sensory system is undoubtedly more complex than an analogy can truly grasp, however thinking about the bucket helps us remember that our bucket can get too full, unbalanced, too heavy or too empty. It is so important to take time throughout our day to notice how our bucket is feeling and take steps to maintain a balanced bucket. This helps promote…

View On WordPress

Balancing the Bucket with Oral Sensory Input

Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you click something or take action after clicking one of the links. No compensation or products were exchanged in return for this post.

We hear a lot about oral defensiveness, especially when a child is restricting his or her diet for sensory reasons. What is often overlooked is that we rely heavily on oral sensory strategies to remain calm…

View On WordPress

Balancing the Bucket with Cold and Water Play

Check out these ideas for adding cold and water play to help your child balance his or her bucket!

Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links. No compensation or products were exchanged in return for this post.

Many children seek to play in water and explore colder objects and with good reason. Think of all of the ways we use water to calm and balance our own sensory buckets or talk about needing to cool down.…

View On WordPress

#Balancing Buckets #cooling down #occupational therapy #Sensory play #water play

Balancing the Bucket in Calming Spaces

Ideas for building a calming space for your child and modeling how to use it!

Sometimes we all just need a break. We seek out a space that is quiet and inviting. We often emerge feeling better, centered, balanced. This space allowed us to balance out our bucket in one way or another. When children are overwhelmed by sensory information, they may need a similar break from activity and sensory input to help balance their sensory bucket.

I encourage most parents to have a…

View On WordPress

#Balancing Buckets #Calming Down #Calming Spaces #Sensory Overload #Sensory Processing #Sensory Tools

Balancing the Bucket with Relaxing Music

Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links. No compensation or products were exchanged in return for this post.

Why does music work?Countless studies have shown that varying properties of music can effect brain waves, breathing and heart rate which can all impact how regulated we feel. Singing can be helpful…

View On WordPress

Balancing Buckets

Balancing Buckets : Sensory Load explained and 6 ideas to help restore balance.

Sensory Load Explained and 6 Ideas to Help Restore Balance

Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links. No compensation or products were exchanged in return for this post.

As occupational therapists, one of the questions we get asked frequently is, “How can I stop the meltdown?” Truthfully, once a meltdown is…

View On WordPress

Surviving Social Distancing: Chalk it up!

Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links. No compensation or products were exchanged in return for this post.

Sidewalk chalk is likely one of the most versatile outdoor activities out there. You have likely seen countless posts about neighborhood movement paths drawn along the sidewalk. Our neighborhood took…

View On WordPress

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Untitled