1. Body Awareness Lift and move pumpkins on the pumpkin mountain to find the perfect pumpkin. You and your child will build endurance and receive lots of proprioceptive input for calming, grounding and developing body awareness. 2. Balance and Coordination Going on a hayride and walking on the uneven ground at the farm can help strengthen core stability. Navigating amongst the pumpkins without tripping over roots, stems and leaves helps build body awareness, coordination, and

Mornings are a particularly challenging time of day for children with sensory processing disorder, autism and executive function challenges. They need to get up, get dressed, backpacks and lunches must be packed, . . . and all before the bus comes! That is stressful under the best of circumstances, but if you are dealing with a child’s sensory sensitivities or disorganization in addition, the challenge can seem daunting. It may appear that the slightest thing can send your ch

How to Promote Calming Sensory modulation requires a child to adapt his or her state of arousal, alertness, and attention to meet the demands of each environment in which he or she needs to function.  Children need to read cues accurately and respond to them appropriately. Sensory modulation is strongly affected by sensitivity and response patterns to sensory input. Children who over or under respond to sensory input often have difficulty regulating their behavior. A well-reg

The air is brisk, the leaves outside are changing colors, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It is officially autumn, and your children are well into their second month of school. Although the weather may be getting cooler, it is not time to stay indoors yet. Here are some fun outdoor activities to simulate your children's senses, strengthen their muscles, increase body awareness and sense of body position in space and improve fine motor skills and eye-hand coordina

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

A great way to capitalize on the nice weather, stimulate the senses, and strengthen the trunk and upper body is to spend time outside gardening. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your child and share the experience of growing plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Gardening offers the unique opportunity to stimulate many of our senses. Our eyes can appreciate the beauty while our noses enjoy the scents of spring and summer. Our tongues can taste the fruits of