I have been going into schools for nearly 15 years and can still probably count on only one hand those that have really stood out as being fantastic at fully understanding and supporting neurodivergence and behaviour. Pretty shocking really! This is an open letter to the not quite so fantastic schools...
Read MoreA “Feelings Scale” can be a really simple but highly useful visual tool for helping both a child and those working with them to understand their regulation needs and know how to manage them. It can be stuck up on the fridge at home or on the wall at school.
Read MoreWe have created 6 new videos in our new series called Five Minute Fine Motor Fun! Have yourself some fun with:
Friendship Bracelets
Hungry Man (a very hungry and friendly tennis ball!)
Playdough peas
Playdough hide and seek
Threading
Playdough hedgehogs
Watch all the videos in our YouTube playlist here.
Research shows that the frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, impulse control and managing emotions, develops much slower in children with ADHD and often is actually smaller in an ADHD brain than in the brain of a neurotypical child.
Read MoreWe are proud to make available our OT Rosie’s “Making Sense of Sensory Behaviour” Webinar as a digital download. This is the first product in our new store and the first of many to come!
The webinar will explore the (often confusing) world of sensory processing and sensory and emotional regulation, so you can get a better understanding of your children’s behaviour and the underlying reasons for them.
We will explore the 8 different senses, discussing how difficulties processing sensory information can affect our children.
We will then go on to discuss many practical strategies and activities that you as parents can do with your children to help them with their sensory and emotional regulation and achieve their superhero potential.
A lot of you may not know that as well as being a children’s OT, I am also mummy to two neurodivergent children. This helps massively with informing my practice when working with neurodivergent kids and their families and I really believe has made me better at my job.
Living with neurodivergence is wonderful, exhausting, frustrating, difficult and sometimes it feels never-ending. Often I feel like I am walking on egg shells, not knowing whether we are going to have a good day or a bad day and I spend a huge amount of time defending and advocating for my children, who often can’t advocate for themselves.
I have written the following article from my perspective as a parent, standing in solidarity with the other parents who are on this rollercoaster ride!
Read MoreIntroducing a special meditation series tailored for children facing fear, anxiety, and sensory challenges, featuring easy-to-use exercises like Tummy Breaths, Colour Meditation, and Seaside Visualisation. These meditations are designed to guide kids towards tranquility and self-awareness, available for use at home or school.
Read MoreDiscover the fascinating world of interoception, our body's unique ability to understand and respond to its internal state for optimal health and comfort. Learn how this 'eighth sense' functions like a network of internal messengers, guiding children to recognize and react to hunger, thirst, temperature, and emotions. However, interpreting these signals can be challenging for some children, leading to difficulty in managing basic needs and emotions. Find out how to nurture this skill in your child, transforming them into superheroes of self-awareness and emotional regulation. For more insights and guidance on interoception and child development, explore the resources and expert advice available at TherapySPOT.
Read MoreWhile everybody is stuck at home it’s a good time to practise those cutlery skills. Grab a banana and follow along!
Some children will really benefit from the use of a visual structure to help them cope with the change from school education to home education. Here are some more symbols to go along with the previous set from this post.
As Therapists, we often use the Zones of Regulation to help children cope with their feelings and body sensations. Here is a starter pack for you to use with your child at home.
Read MoreImagine if you woke up tomorrow and all sounds, smells, tastes, sights and touch sensations were amplified..how might you feel about the world around you and react to the people in it? This article paints very simply what children with sensory processing difficulties go through on a daily basis.
Read MoreThis is a really interesting article. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations while not judging them. It therefore makes a lot of sense to use this practice with children who are having difficulty understanding what’s going on inside them.
Read MoreSome children need that little bit of help to calm them down and keep them regulated so that they can engage, focus, learn and play. Massage can be a quick and easy way to bring children down if they are running too high. Deep pressure is calming for the brain and can help children more easily make sense of their surroundings and respond appropriately to stimuli. Try incorporating it into your child’s normal routine e.g. as part of getting them dressed, while playing with them on the floor or before bed.
Read MoreThis easy technique only takes a few minutes and can be really effective for children with tactile hyper sensitivity and for those who seek extra input.
Read MoreCheck out our new video on Exercises for Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR).
Read MoreAs much as it can be hard for parents to let their kids get messy (believe me, I watch mine through gritted teeth!), it is a really important step in terms of helping them develop well functioning sensory systems and good eating habits not to mention good fine motor skills. So cover the floors, invest in a few good bibs, change out of your best clothes and get involved!
Read MoreYou may remember my previous post (click here) showing the progress made over 6 weeks. Here is the latest update…
Read MoreSo, having just dealt with a huge meltdown from my 3 year old after a soft play session where she spent the majority of the time spinning on a sit-on wheel, I feel the need to warn parents about the power of spinning on the brain. Although a useful tip for all parents, it is particularly poignant for those with children who have sensory processing difficulties, as these kids respond more unusually to sensory input and often have difficulty self-regulating as a result.
Read MoreWipe clean dot to dot books are a great way to practise pre-writing patterns and develop pencil control without wasting paper! Buy one here http://amzn.eu/hMYF6bu
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