EARS Getting ears comfortable in the water is surprisingly impactful! We usually target getting the eyes wet and blowing bubbles first, but often ears are the real culprits when children are uncomfortable getting their faces in the water. If your child wears goggles, and knows how to hold her breath and blow bubbles, desensitizing the ears should be your next goal. As a pediatric occupational therapist and a swimming instructor, I personally find that addressing ears FIRST ge

Spring is here! And so is the warm weather. With this blog we begin a series in which we will share activities, games, and crafts for springtime. Stay tuned for fun sensory play ideas that can also improve eye-hand coordination and gross and fine motor skills. Outdoor activities provide wonderful and rich sensory experiences. Together with your child explore the sights, sounds, and smells that are so unique at this time of year. Look at all the sprouting and budding plants an

Touch is Calming and Alerting: One of the first ways we relate to our babies is through touch. Certain types of touch calm our babies and other types of touch are alerting. Both calm states and alert states are important for babies at different points of the day. Deep and even pressure, such as a massage is calming, while light tickling is alerting. Providing your baby with a variety of touch experiences will enhance his/her ability to process touch sensation and respond appr

Most children, especially those with sensory processing disorders, benefit from a structured morning routine. Unfortunately, once a morning routine is established, children rarely sleep later than their usual wake-up time. As much as you might fantasize about sleeping late on a Saturday or Sunday, your children probably make sure that you are up as soon as they are. Here are some tips that might get you some extra shut-eye this weekend, without ever turning on the TV. Have Br

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

I stumbled upon these fabulous turkey treat recipes and cannot wait to try them out. The combination of temperatures and textures make for a rich sensory experience. These are great recipes for sensory seekers who love to get their hands messy, and exciting enough to motivate sensory avoiders to get involved in the activity. The application of detailed turkey décor provides lots of opportunity to practice fine motor skills. Following instructions step-by-step gives children a

Everyone seeks sensory input throughout the day to remain alert and attentive. As adults, we allow ourselves many opportunities to “recharge our batteries”. For example, many of us drink coffee, chew gum, tap our fingers or feet, doodle, etc. Yet, our children are often not afforded those same opportunities in the classroom to help them stay focused. Some children may be able to suppress those needs until given the chance to move freely during scheduled times of the day, such

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

Purim is a festive time of year, and while most children eagerly anticipate the dress up, parties, and carnivals, for children who are hypersensitive to sounds, sights, or crowds, Purim can be a challenging day. When hearing the story of Purim read aloud, it is customary to make noise in order to drown out the name of Haman, the villain of the tale. This can be overwhelming and alarming to a child who is hyper-sensitive to loud or unexpected sounds, or has auditory defensiven

Categories are a great way to keep your posts organized. They also help visitors explore more content that interests them. Now that my children have gotten a glimpse of the white coating outside, with “Frozen” in mind, all they keep asking to do is play in the snow. While I am happy to take them outside, it is chilly and I cannot last very long. With the unstructured time of vacation (and snow days) approaching and lots more cold weather forecasted, here is a simple and fun w

Now that my children have gotten a glimpse of the white coating outside, with “Frozen” in mind, all they keep asking to do is play in the snow. While I am happy to take them outside, it is chilly and I cannot last very long. With the unstructured time of vacation (and snow days) approaching and lots more cold weather forecasted, here is a simple and fun way to bring the snow indoors and provide a cool tactile experience.The best part? You only need two household ingredients:

Blogger Paddy-Jo Moran’s post Autism Myths and Misconceptions … Autism is Always Visible resonated with me on numerous levels. My waiting room is filled with children, some with Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, anxiety or Sensory Processing Disorder who look just like any group of typically developing children. However, when their behavior or speech patterns do not meet the expectations of those around them (teachers, neighbors, kids on the playground, the guy at the check-out count

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

Mornings can be rough for the best of us. For a child who is sensory challenged, it can be particularly difficult to get going in the morning and be ready for school on time. Establishing predictable routines with clear expectations can help your child stay organized and reduce the conflict that can arise when you and your child become stressed. Alarming: Some children need time to themselves before they can handle being around other people, even family members. Get your chil

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

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