If you are a therapist working with kids you probably help at least a few with emotional regulation skills. This blog will quickly review emotional regulation, co-regulation and conclude with a simple technique. What is emotional regulation? Emotional regulation is how we manage our feelings. It has been described as: “The process by which individuals influence …
I have always been jumpy to loud noises and have even been startled by the movement of my own shadow in my peripheral vision. I remember gasping, jumping and the feeling of tingling in my fingertips. This could be triggered by seeing the shadow of my own car as it moved slowly. I asked my …
This activity includes heavy work or deep pressure input for body awareness, upper body strength and cross midline patterns. To grade up you can do small sets of these push ups and build up to more sequences such as repetitions of 3. Add a metronome and you are working the cerebellum –the part of the …
The Spring Chicken Workout is here! (For everyone new here I make these dice games with 6 exercises and I use them in person and tele-therapy sessions- you can roll a dice to play or just do the moves as you can!). Just a few benefits of these moves: -Chest openers for posture and breath …
With the feeling of trauma and tension and recent shootings it seems like a good time to share a therapy tip I had for working on emotional regulation and anxiety. As of late own anxiety has increased. For many kids the quarantine and other changes have already put them on edge and any extra stressor seems …
Personifying Emotions and Body-Based Regulation Techniques Blog #8 Read More »
If you are a therapist, you most likely see at least one kid who goes a million miles per hour. They can slow down but their focus is inconsistent and you are left with your hair frazzled wondering if you are getting any “therapy” done. You may have lots of therapy tools but what are …
Just this last month I got the sweetest Valentine’s card from a girl in the 4th grade. Let’s call her Liz. She had just graduated from occupational therapy. When we started working together, Liz had already done the Astronaut program (a vestibular program) with another therapist. The quarantine had just started and she was moving …
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR): academic skills and eye-hand coordination Blog#6 Read More »
Reflexes, Muscle Tone and Learning: Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex Let me tell you the story of Billy. He was a sweet boy and was referred to therapy because he hid under the desk at school and struggled with academics, especially writing. He had a history of melting down, crying or refusing to write at school. His …
Reflexes, Muscle Tone and Learning: Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex- Blog #5 Read More »
What are reflexes? You may be aware that there are certain things a newborn baby can do that might seem uncanny. For example, have you noticed how strong an infant’s grip can be? This happens when slight pressure is applied to the palm below their fingers. Another example can be seen when you stroke the …
Reflexes: What are they and why do they matter for kids? Blog #4 Read More »
I have heard parents say “Oh, my kid is not sensory”. They have a family member who has autism and they think that a kid with sensory problems would have more obvious issues. Sensory processing problems are not always overt. We often cannot tell how much someone is exerting to manage daily activities. Sensory processing …
Touch Processing: Getting kids to feel comfortable in their own skin- Blog #3 Read More »
