When you are looking for support to help your child with social skills, what exactly do you think they need? The reality is that “social skills” can encompass a lot. Here are a few things that may come up when you think about social skills: How are your social skills? I like to encourage adults […]
What Do You Mean by “Social Skills”? Read More »
Have you thought about your own sensory preferences and how those may affect your child’s behavior?
Is There A Sensory Mismatch? Read More »
You may have heard the term “sensory processing” or “sensory integration” related to your child’s behavior. You may have been told by a therapist or done an internet search which resulted in the conclusion that your child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). We want to dispel some of the myths surrounding this “diagnosis.” Myth #1:
4 Myths of Sensory Processing Disorder Read More »
I recently read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and it was very inspirational. I would highly recommend it if you have anything in your life you want to change. Not only does it teach you how to change personal habits, it has implications for how to parent and teach children habits, especially those who are
Willpower, the Super Power Read More »
“Did you have a good day?” It isn’t always the innocent question it sounds like. Most of the time when we ask people, “How was your day?” we are asking about how they feel about their day, not about the choices they made that were good or bad. For instance, if they got mad at the vending
How (Not) To Ask The “Naughty” Child About His Day Read More »
I recently read “The Four Tendencies” by Gretchen Rubin (2017). She has a theory that we generally fit into one of four types based on how we respond to inner and outer expectations: Upholder: The rule follower. Has a strong internal drive and is the person who will make deadlines without anyone breathing down their
Dealing with the “Rebel” Read More »
I was compelled to write this because as an occupational therapist who works in the schools I know that there tends to be a philosophy (among therapists primarily) that once a child leaves elementary school that direct OT services tend to stop or be changed to consultation. This change is often appropriate. Some reasons: 1)
When Should Students Get OT in Middle School? Read More »
“Good job!” We all say it to children. We probably think it has more power than it actually does. I used to work with a child who consistently took two sessions to learn to make a lower case letter. Thinking of him inspired me to write this post because his persistence has been amazing. I
How to Give a Compliment to Children: Moving Beyond “Good Job.” Read More »
For whatever goals we may have for children, one of the most successful tools we have to help them is to give positive feedback. Sometimes this is easier said than done. Because we are bombarded by bad news in the media and because our brains tend to naturally notice negatives this can be challenging for
The Power of Positive Reinforcement Read More »
When people talk about “social skills” and the difficulty their children have with them I always want more information. This is such a broad area and the needs can vary greatly from child to child. So, not every social skills group is the right fit for every child. For instance, do they need to learn
Finding the Right Social Skills Group Read More »
