The holiday of Purim is right around the corner, and your kids are itching with excitement. Children who rely on routine and predictability, such as children with sensory modulation disorders, may become overwhelmed on Purim, especially at a loud party or carnival filled with people in all kinds of costumes.  Here are a few suggestions to help make your child’s holiday experience more enjoyable. Costumes: A child’s idea of dress-up may be different from an adult’s. It is perf

At POTS we are always looking for fun ways to practice handwriting within the context of a game or daily activity. What better opportunity than Valentine’s Day! This valentine marshmallow snack, from The Decorated Cookie is adorable and can easily be adapted to various skill levels. Materials: marshmallows baker’s twine tapestry needle shortening scissors red cardstock stapler edible markers Instructions for marshmallows-on-a-string (to dunk in hot cocoa or tea) can be found

Although Halloween is an exciting time of year and many children are eager to dress up as a favorite character or personality, for children who are overly sensitive to touch (tactile defensive), wearing a costume can be daunting. It is important to consider your child’s needs and respect his/her feelings about dressing up. Listed below are some strategies to keep the tactile defensive child comfortable in his/her costume to ensure a successful Halloween. If your child is afra

Strategies for the Sensory Challenged Child and their Families Feasts, parties, family gatherings, and candy galore can only mean one thing. The holiday season is rapidly approaching! For children with sensory sensitivities such as those suffering from Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or autism, this can be an overwhelming and chaotic experience. Below is a list of suggestions to keep this as the happy and exciting time of year that it should be for the whole family. While v

The winter season is in full swing, and we have already had our fair share of snowfall.  It may be warmer and more comfortable to stay inside, but the snow is a great tool to improve sensory integration, strength, and fine and gross motor skills.  So put your boots on, bundle up, and try some of these fun activities in the snow! Snowman: Pick up large piles of soft snow with both hands and roll them into small and large circles to make the body and head. Use pieces of food su

The winter season is in full swing, and we have already had our fair share of snowfall.  It may be warmer and more comfortable to stay inside, but the snow is a great tool to improve sensory integration, strength, and fine and gross motor skills.  So put your boots on, bundle up, and try some of these fun activities in the snow! Snowman: Pick up large piles of soft snow with both hands and roll them into small and large circles to make the body and head. Use pieces of food su

New Year’s is only one day away and we are all very excited to welcome in 2019.  While it’s easy to buy party favors from the store, why not have your child make their very own party favors, and practice their scissors skills and bilateral coordination. Here is what you will need: Ballons Foam sheets in different colors Scissors Here is how to do it: Cut 1/4" foam strips using lots of colors, and then have your child cut them up into small pieces using scissors.  Be sure he/s

I am sure that many of your homes have a beautifully decorated Christmas tree sitting in your living room. While it sets a festive mood and is delightful to look at, here is an edible and delectable way to make a Christmas tree in your kitchen. Here’s what you will need to make this tasty treat: Sugar cones Cupcakes Vanilla frosting Green food coloring Red or green decorative sugar or sprinkles M&M’s Gum drops To work on pressure modulation and fine motor coordination, have y

This adorable craft project caught my eye while I searched for holiday projects to make with the children at Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services (POTS). Instructions were adapted from www.busybeekidscrafts.com, photos by Busy Bee Kids Crafts. I was drawn to the multi-sensory components of this project, including the olfactory (smell) sense and touch. Is your child hesitant to get messy or dirty? Adjusting to the sensation of feeling messy and gluey is particularly import

Modified participation is better than opting out completely. If being in the midst of the celebratory chaos is too much for a child who is overwhelmed by sensory overload because of Sensory Processing challenges or autism, participating from a distance may allow him/her to be part of the celebration and remaining comfortable. If family and friends are gathered around the tree in the living room, hang out with your child in an adjacent room that the two of  you selected in adv

If you are planning to do this project with more than two children at a time a child who has difficulty with sequencing and organization , I suggest that you prepare a sample in advance so that they can see what the final product will look like. To make this adorable menorah at home, all you need are natural or colored small craft sticks, glue, and paint/markers if desired. Pour some glue onto a plate so it will be easier to adhere the sides of the Popsicle sticks. Trace the

Turn your Thanksgiving holiday preparations into a multi-sensory extravaganza for all of your children, especially those with sensory processing challenges and/or autism. Tap into your child’s senses while constructing his/her Thanksgiving project and benefit during and after the project is complete. This easy project encourages your child get his/her hands dirty, while the entire family enjoys the whiff of holiday scents whenever they walk by the masterpiece. 1. To begin, pu

Start the Summer with a Splash: Water play is both fun and beneficial for your child. Water is naturally resistive, which makes it so great for strengthening. Additionally, water provides uniform pressure to the whole body, which facilitates body awareness and sense of body position in space. These activities and toys are best for younger children or those children who are tentative about entering a big pool since they can be done outside the pool or in a small, child-sized p

Now that the school year is coming to an end, camp is on the horizon. For your child that means a long, tiring day of camp and often a longer bus ride. Although much of the day is play and fun, it is also very demanding. We have included several ideas to help get your child’s day start in a way that will help him remain calm, alert, and organized. Waking up the right way will set the tone for the rest of the day. Slow, even, total body contact for calming and self-organizatio

COORDINATION GAMES FOR EVERY AGE These days the warm weather keeps us outside longer. Whether you’re at a playground or playing in your own backyard, there are lots of fun games that you can play that can help improve gross motor coordination, balance, bilateral integration, eye-hand coordination, and core strength. Hopscotch: Use the hopscotch in the playground or draw your own with chalk. It is a challenge to hop and balance on one foot and it requires smooth coordination.

Swimming season is here! As you stock your pool with toys, keep in mind that the pool is a great place for developing your child’s strength, coordination, motor planning and socialization. Use this opportunity to buy pool toys that will challenge your child’s skills in a fun, creative, and interactive way. What are Swim Thru Rings? Swim Thru Rings are collapsible vertical floating rings. Air chambers connected to each ring are adjustable, allowing you to set rings at differen

Here are some activities that are perfect for the outdoors. Some require the added space that can be found outside and others may be a bit messy at times. These are fun activities that you can share with all of your children. 1. Ball Pool: To create your own “ball pit” at home, fill a soft blow-up pool with plastic balls. The feel of the balls all around your child provides deep touch pressure that can be very calming. To improve tactile and visual discrimination, challenge y

Whether this is your child’s first summer at sleep away camp, or he/she is a veteran camper, the transition from home to camp can be intimidating. Given that children with sensory processing problems struggle with transitions in general, the transition away from the comfort and predictability of home can be daunting. Listed below are several tips to increase your child’s comfort level and ease the transition. Tour the camp grounds ahead of time, if possible, so that your chil

It is amazing how many sensory opportunities for heightening body awareness arise before, during and after pool time. I discover more every time I swim (especially during an aqua OT session)! Keep in mind, this is not about perfecting strokes. Our goal here is body awareness. Improving motor skills in the pool will be addressed in another blog. Here are a few ideas to get you going: 1. Start with Sunscreen. Aside from being a critical life skill, applying sunscreen provides t

In lieu of sitting indoors watching TV and playing video games, take advantage of the finally perfect spring weather and get moving with active games and sports. In addition, outdoor play can help improve gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, trunk strength, and balance. Hopscotch: Challenge hopping and balancing skills by hopping into all the boxes. For beginners, draw a hopscotch board with smaller squares so that it is easier to hop into all the boxes and skip the squ