Cue the music: It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But for some families with special needs children, the holidays can bring anxiety and uncertainty, especially when confronted with large family gatherings either at home or away from home in new environments. Questions arise, like: How am I going to keep her busy for…
As I send my youngest child, Adam, off to college, I remember my first days as a pediatric occupational therapist when he was one and barely walking. I spent those early years learning how to treat young children, watching my son obtain milestones that other children struggled to achieve. Now as a “seasoned” therapist, I have the…
Have you ever seen children wearing headphones in a therapy clinic? Did you wonder what they were doing? There’s a good chance they were using a “listening” (or “sound”) program as part of their occupational therapy. Listening programs are used in treating autism, addressing sensory, learning, and attention deficiencies, and optimizing performance. What is a “listening program?”…
Several years ago, I attended a continuing education program to give me more insight into treating children with a very limited diet. It totally changed my perspective on treating the “picky eater”. The Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) treatment method uses a systematic desensitization approach to address the feeding/eating skills of a child, and it takes the family into account, as well.…
Although many “official” fireworks displays have been canceled for 2020, some remain. It’s hard to give up a tradition that’s long been associated with a national holiday, so even if your favorite show has been canceled, some families may choose to host their own neighborhood fireworks show at home this year. Fireworks can be an…
Often, parents want to know what the difference is between occupational therapy and physical therapy. Should your child see an OT, a PT, or both, and if so, why? I’m here today to help clarify how they are similar, but more importantly, how they are different! It can seem confusing at times, because the roles…
Now that school’s out for the summer for most children in our area, opportunities for handwriting practice in the classroom are on hiatus, but don’t let the more laid back days of summer lead to an absence of practicing handwriting skills. As with most skills, practice makes perfect, so be sure children continue writing during the summer…
Springtime has arrived, which means more opportunities to get outside and enjoy what our world has to offer: dirt, mud, water, grass, leaves, trees, vines, mountains, hills, beaches, rocks, sticks, worms, insects, and endless other forms of life and experience. For some children, this is exciting news, and they can’t wait to hit the ground…
We all have known at least one kid – and sometimes that kid was us! – who was a picky eater: the one who insists on chicken fingers instead of a hamburger, or who loves fruit but won’t touch a vegetable. Maybe you’ve got a picky eater on your hands and when you asked advice of…