Going out to eat without children is pretty stress-free, the hardest part of the night would be deciding where to eat.
Going out to dinner with kids, things become more complex, packing items as if you are going on a cross country trip, keeping the seated, entertained and getting them to eat, pretty tough.
Going out with a child who is a Picky Eater, this situation can be a nightmare.
Baking is one of my favorite activities to do with kids because all of the incredible benefits that it brings – like fine motor skills and following instructions and provides a great environment for introducing new foods and textures!
However, my joy and excitement are not shared by everyone. Parents of children with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) or children diagnosed on the spectrum are far from enthusiastic. In fact, they are stressed out. The noises and sights are too overstimulating and can cause a meltdown. Here are some tips to help your family have a successful Halloween!
Picky eaters although common for toddlers, is a growing issue. Children begin to develop a taste for favorite foods and eat the same thing daily. Then to keep you on your toes, the next day they have no desire to even look at that same food. Although this is a typical behavior, it can become frustrating when your child decides they don’t want to eat anything. Here are some ways to help you get your child to be less picky…
Today we’re making DIY Slime! This is a great activity for kids who are particularly sensitive to textures and messes. This slime recipe easily comes right off your hands for a quick clean-up!
Children diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder can be easily overwhelmed by simple sounds, sights, and smells. You can imagine how hard a lunchroom would be. There is an enormous amount of sensory input coming from the lunchroom – the noises, the various smells, and the number of people. The lunchroom is supposed to be an area for eating and socializing. It is also a time to relax from the cognitive work they did in the classroom. But how do you relax when everything is overwhelming you???
Mix, Pour, Play!
This activity is great for children to strengthen fine motor skills and work on sensory issues. The dough can be made to easily slide right off your hands which allows for fun play but a quick clean-up for when they start to feel overwhelmed.
Thanks for joining us today. Follow along with us for more fun activities every week!
When meal prepping, you should be sure to include, fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy (if they require substitute a non-dairy option). It is important to provide a vegetable as it aids with digestion. Children who only eat carbohydrates have something called carb crashes. This means that they get energy from the carb that is easily digested causing a spike in the blood sugar levels, then those sugar levels crash. As a result, your child will appear hyper then tired. When proteins and vegetables are part of the diet, they reduce this making your child’s blood sugars more stable.
Today we’re learning an actvity for motor skills, hand strength, and to help introduce food textures!
For the first activity, get some prepared spaghetti and encourage your child to eat the whole noodle using only their mouth to get the whole noodle! This helps strengthen the muscles in the mouth which benefits Speech and Language Development. If they aren’t interested in trying this out, try making a game out of it by racing each other!
A meltdown occurs when a child becomes overstimulated and is unable to cope. As a result, they go into a sympathetic response causing a meltdown. A tantrum is when a child is in control of their behavior and is acting out for attention. A tantrum can usually be handled. Since you are unable to control your environment at all times, you must learn how to attempt to minimize the meltdowns.
Ready for another fun fine motor activity?? Today we’re making fondant roses and playing a memory game with our cupcakes! You’ll need different colored fondant, a rolling pin, and some cupcakes.
These children are both sensory avoiders and seekers. They may not want to touch various textures, but at the same time will run, jump and crash into objects. I always tell parents to take note of what activities cause them to be triggered. This way you can avoid or prepare them for that activity.
Today we’re working on fine motor skills and I’ve got a couple of fun activities you can do in your home!
Sensory Processing is the way in which the brain registers, interprets, and responds to information from the body and the environment. This information is registered through the eyes, ears, skin, muscles, joints, and movement receptors (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, proprioceptive, and vestibular sensory systems). Disorders in sensory processing adversely affect a child’s ability to automatically process, organize and respond to information.
Everyone asks me what my go-to recipes are. Over my years of working with children, I have found some recipes that are kid-approved almost every single time! Whether you are having a party or just want to spend time in the kitchen cooking with your kids here are some yummy recipes that will be sure to fill your tummy while making great memories!
Play is one of the most important roles a child has. Play teaches children social skills, coping skills, creativity, cognition, fine and gross motor skills. It is through play that children learn how to interact with their environment. These skills are essential for further growth and development as the child ages. Let’s take a look at some different types of play and their benefits.
July 4th, an amazing holiday for friends and family to gather, eat, celebrate and have fun! However, the same reasons why this holiday is so exciting are the very same reasons why this holiday can be terrifying for children with sensory processing disorders. Parades, heat, crowds, scents from various cooking, and of course the fireworks (loud, unpredictable bursts with a visual overstimulation). For you and your child suffering from Sensory Processing Disorders, it is important to be prepared so everyone is able to enjoy all the fun 4th of July brings. Here are some tips that can help guide you to a successful holiday!
Summertime is here!!!!!! Everyone is SO excited. Getting outside after being couped up in the house for months, secondary to weather, school etc. Summer is the time for rejuvenation. The Vitamin D from the sun helps improve your mood while strengthening your bones. Summertime is full of so many great activities. From parks picnics, beach days, BBQ’s and pool parties, summer gives you a much-needed R & R time. Another reason why summertime is so wonderful is because of the many fruits that are in season. Sugary watermelon, sweet strawberries, and colorful grapes are all readily available.
The weather is getting hot, one of the most popular activities is water play. But what do you do when your child is afraid of the water??
Taking your Sensory Engagements outside is a wonderful idea. First, most Sensory Activities are very messy, so you will have less to clean up! Second, you have the ability to utilize nature as your playground. This helps increase the amount of movement you can introduce to your child in a safe, natural setting. You can also utilize the environment to enhance speech skills, such as having your child talk about what they see, hear and smell. Here are a few fun activities for you to do with your child outside!
Everyone knows how important routine is. Routines help keep you organized, calm, and reduce stress. Routines allow you to engage successfully in activities because you can predict what will happen. Routine is comforting. However, change is inevitable, and it is important to learn how to properly handle change. A lot of children I work with have poor coping skills. This makes change extremely hard as they are unable to properly calm themselves when they become agitated. Life is full of uncertainty and unexpected events. Here are some ways to help your child prepare for change!
The biggest complaint I hear from parents is “How do I get my child to eat healthier?” There are many reasons a child can be a “picky “or “fussy” eater. Sometimes it can be a sensory issue (the texture or temperature causes the child to avoid the food). Sometimes it is a lack of awareness. Many children have not touched fruits or vegetables because it is not in their household. Simply introducing various choices of foods will allow your child to safely experiment with tastes. Children are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Increasing their involvement will help
Children imitate those around them especially their parents. They watch how they cook and bake so naturally, a great toy for them to play with is pots and pans. Whether you have kid-sized pots and pans or you use ones from your cabinet, pots and pans are an amazing tool for your child. Pots and pans help your child’s imagination grow and allows them to entertain themselves. I remember watching my little brother sit on the floor and play with pots and pans for what seemed like forever. Encouraging your child to use their imagination and creativity allows them to
Have your child grocery shop with you!If you are able to, take your child to the grocery store to assist you in shopping. To make this trip easier, don’t take an overwhelming shopping list. Keep it simple with a purpose, so if you would like to have your child try new fruits, just stay in the fruit section. Let them notice how pretty the grocery store designs its vegetable and fruit section! It is designed to be visually pleasing and inviting. The colored peppers are arranged in a beautiful rainbow-like display. It is not surprising to learn that grocery stores
Introducing your child into the kitchen at an early age is a great way to get them involved in the beginning stages of cooking. As a working mom, I completely understand the time restrictions one might have. Balancing work, household chores, and everything else does not leave you an incredible amount of time to set aside and begin experimenting in the kitchen. I tell the parents of the children I work with to start on a non-crazed weekend. Maybe a Sunday morning tradition you can begin with your family. It does not have to be a huge investment! Here are
One thing I always carry in my therapy bag is Play-Doh. It is so versatile and easy to use. The bright colors help engage children of all ages. There are so many ways you can utilize Play-Doh. You can use it to desensitize a tactile defensive child, or you can use it to strengthen the hands of a child with low muscle tone. Here are 10 simple and fun activities to help you incorporate Play-Doh into your therapy session. Thumb Opposition The ability to turn and rotate your thumb and have it touch the tip of each of your fingers
After working a few weeks with that fussy 2 year old, you start feeling frustrated. What am I missing? Why can’t he sit still so we can work on the skills he needs to improve on??? You researched Pinterest, Instagram and so many other sites, you made your lesson plan, then one minute into the session, your child runs screaming from the room!!! Uggggghhhh!!! Back at Grad School it was so easy to sit in a classroom analyzing case studies. After all, these cases were just “hypotheticals”. You all prepare your carefully researched answers and present them with your peers.
Congratulations, you have started your career as an OT. You have sat through so many courses, cried through exams, learned how to administer standardized tests, memorized pathways in Neurology (that will surely come in handy), presented your thesis, and are now ready to begin your career. That first day on the job, you get dressed in the just-right outfit, not too fancy because you will be on the floor with kids, but not too underdressed because you want to be the professional you are, after all you did not get $100K big ones in debt to look like a shlub