Do you ever hear a kid say, “You don’t get it. You don’t know how it feels to be me!” That is the truth. We don’t know what it feels like to be them. We can only empathize and try to relate based on what we are experiencing. When it comes to sensory defensiveness, children
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OT Meets Raising Lions
As an OT, I have searched endlessly for an effective behavioral approach for children with sensory processing challenges. I was lucky enough to meet Joe Newman, author of the book RaisingLions. In a short period of time, I was on a trajectory to work with him, adopt his philosophy of addressing behavioral challenges, and assist
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Posted in Sensory Integration
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The Just-Right Challenge
Occupational therapists are known for using the term , the just-right challenge. The term was originally coined by occupational therapy Dr. Jean Ayres and later used in other occupational therapy frameworks. The just-right challenge can be looked at from many different points of view and becomes a little more complex when assessing this in children. I
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Posted in Motor Skills and Planning
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Craniosacral Therapy
When I was younger, I attempted to run from my brother as he dragged his feet across the carpet and touched my arm, giving me an electric shock. It amazed me that in seconds he could just zap me with his finger! Another childhood memory was having sleepovers with my friends and we would all
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Posted in Sensory Integration
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How am I ever Going to get my Child to eat Fresh Foods?
I am sure that there are many parents out there that have the struggle of getting their children to try new foods and adding those foods consistently to their repertoire. Literature shows that approximately 25-40% of typically developing children and up to 90% of children with disabilities have issues related to feeding and eating (Clawson,
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Posted in Nutritional/Environmental
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The Therapeutic Experience
There are some frequent questions that are brought up when your child needs therapy. The thought of therapy can leave the parents experiencing a variety of emotions, which we will touch upon is this conversation. For some parents, they come to find that their child has been diagnosed with a disability. For other parents, they
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Posted in Life Skills
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My interest is becoming a therapist originated from my experiences as a child. I had great difficulty in grade school and I was diagnosed with a processing disorder. I was pulled from classes to receive special education services. Paying attention was a challenge for me. Although I put great effort into learning, over time my self-esteem was consumed by arduous task…