DIR Floortime is a play based therapy for children. Parents can use DIR floortime to teach language skills, social skills, and life skills.
This resource covers therapy for picky eaters and support for extremely picky eaters. Let's go through how food therapy might look.
Need a clear visual to explain gestalt language to parents? I use this to help parents see the sequence of stages from echolalia to novel language. The first page is short and easy to comprehend, while the second page goes into more detail with examples of each stage.
Free speech therapy printables - Developmental milestones, hierarchies, and graphics for SLPs and educators!
Art therapy helps kids express themselves! These art therapy worksheets were designed by Andrea Jensen, Licensed Psychotherapist for kids and adults who would like to increase emotional intelligence and healing through creative exercises. These worksheets is perfect for parents, teachers, and therapists who would like to engage kids in a creative CBT and art therapy practice that is both fun and engaging. This book is perfect for ages 8 and up. This file includes 30 exercises that get the creative juices flowing. Once purchased, you can download the digital files immediately.
ABA therapy is Applied Behavioral Analysis.It is a type of therapy that helps Autistic children and adults in some cases learn appropriate behaviors and life skills.
Whether your child has sensory sensitivities, struggles with fine, gross, and/or visual motor skills, or needs help with handwriting, these occupational therapy activities will not disappoint!
Does your child need deep pressure therapy? Deep pressure stimulation can be done at home with these fun and easy 11 activities!
Taking steps and walking is one of the most common physical therapy goals for families I hear. This is not at all surprising! Walking is a big gross motor milestone, and it gives your child greater independence within their environment. As a physical therapist, being able to analyze the phases of gait (as well as
If you're a parent or teacher looing for pathological demand avoidance (PDA) strategies for kids, this post is a great place to start.
Cross crawl refers to any intentional cross-lateral activity in which you cross the mid-line of the body, such as touching opposite hand and knee or foot.
As an OT, I work with a lot of students who have low tone. Here are some of my favorite products and activities to target low tone!
It goes without saying that receiving mental health care can beneficial. What about those having family issues or trying to strengthen family bonds?
this blog contains affiliate links take me to the exercises, please. Below is a group of categorized exercises for primitive reflexes, but if you are looking for more information on what primitive reflexes are, whether primitive reflexes are normal to have, how these exercises help, and why
feature art Emotion Sensation Wheel: A new kind of feeling wheel. A therapist-designed resource designed to help make connections between our brains and bodies. Unlike a traditional feelings wheel (first published in 1982 by Gloria
Discover over 45 vestibular activities that can calm, regulate, and improve attention in your child. Plus, get vestibular exercises for...
We all have had students who have a difficult time with impulse control, planning ahead, time management, starting a task, completing a tas...
A summary of free digital materials for speech and language that can be used by teletherapists or brick and mortar SLPs.
Guess what? It's the weekend! Two glorious days of sleeping in and lazing about (I wish!). And boy, do I deserve them after the week I have had with my precious treasures. :) The first few weeks of Prep (or Kindergarten if you're not from 'round these parts!) are always tough as the kidlets get used to the routines and rules of school. Throw in a handful of boys with 'tricky' behaviour and you've got yourself a recipe for days that feel like they go on forever... during which you use your 'cranky voice' more than once. This week I found myself using a few behaviour management ideas that are truly 'magic' in a slightly desperate attempt to get things in my classroom back on track. Day-to-day I use the famous 'clip chart', known in my room as the 'peg chart', for kidlets to monitor their behaviours. I use the Monster Manners pack from Growing Kinders as a springboard for moving up (to the pink card - Super Kid!) or down the chart. Seriously, you need this pack! So cute and so effective (also helps that it's free)! I refer to my display daily and the kids get it. Within a day, one of my precious treasures said "You sit criss cross, and that's the bottom of the line!" (If you use this pack, you'll understand!) This year, the clip chart was working for about 90% of the kidlets... and those remaining 10% sure were giving me the run around. Bring in the magic tricks! Trick number 1 is a life lesson, as well as a magic cure for some tricky classroom behaviours. All you need are some dollar store bubbles, and you have some 'Self Control Bubbles'! Take your class outside and sit them in a circle. Explain that you are going to blow some bubbles in their direction, and the first time you do they can pop away as much as they want. Go ahead and let them go wild (within reason... I always tell my kidlets their bottoms must stay on the ground). Make sure everyone gets a heap of bubbles to pop. The second time, explain that you are going to blow more bubbles, but this time they MUST NOT pop a single one... even if it lands right on their nose! Explain that the feeling of really, really wanting to do something, but holding back, is called self control. Ask for a volunteer to go first and choose someone you know will resist the bubbles. Praise them for using self control. Then go around the circle and blow more bubbles at each kidlet (I make sure to get right 'up in their face' so they really, really have to control themselves!) - making sure to encourage all of them to think about how it feels to have self control. As the weeks go on refer back to this activity any time one of your kidlets is struggling with those behaviours that require them to practice more self control. They will be able to recall the feeling, trust me! You might like to repeat the bubble activity a few times during the year - my kidlets LOVE knowing that they are pros at something... and self control ain't a bad thing to be pro at! :) Grab this free pack from my TpT store that will help you use this activity in your classroom. It contains an explanation of how to complete the Self Control Bubbles activity, a label for your bubble bottle, and 3 simple recording sheets. And for my second trick... Quiet Spray! All you need for this is an empty spray bottle. I bought mine from Kmart for less than $2. Fill it with water. My spray bottle wasn't clear, but if it was I would have added a drop of food colouring or some glitter to make it look more 'magic'. I also would have taken time to make sure my label was size-appropriate for my bottle... but you live and learn! :) I added a few drops of rosewater to my Quiet Spray... mostly because I wanted lavender, couldn't find it at the grocery store, but wanted my Quiet Spray to smell calming. Here's how it works: Any time you want your kidlets to work quietly (I used mine today before group work), explain that you will use the Quiet Spray to help them work the best that they can. I ask my class to take a deep breath in through their noses and out through their mouths as I mist Quiet Spray over their heads. MAGIC! You could even use Quiet Spray at the beginning of each day along with some relaxation techniques, or for individual students who need some extra magic in their day. :) There you have it folks, some new magic tricks for you to try with your tricky kidlets. :) Please let me know if they work for you! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! :) Lauren
These ABA therapy activities for kids with autism spectrum disorder will give you heaps of ideas you can use at school, in therapy, and at home!
I tried to teach my child with books. He gave me only puzzled looks. I used clear words to discipline, But I n
Here are 10 free visual motor printables – just print, grab a pencil and you are all set!!! 1. Visual Motor Exercise – http://yourtherapysource.com/vmefree.html 2. 2 Pages from Visual Motor Workbook – http://yourtherapysource.com/files/visual_motor_free_sample.pdf 3. Follow the Path – http://yourtherapysource.com/followfree.html 4. Letter and Shape Maze – http://yourtherapysource.com/lsmazefree.html 5. Connect Puzzle – http://yourtherapysource.com/connectfree.html 6. Graph Paper Drawing – http://yourtherapysource.com/graphdrawfree.html 7. Crossing Path Puzzle – http://yourtherapysource.com/crossingpathsfree.html 8. Frog Grid Drawing – http://yourtherapysource.com/griddrawingfreebie.html 9. Patterns Freebies – http://yourtherapysource.com/patternsfree.html 10. Lines, Lines and More Lines Freebie – http://yourtherapysource.com/linesfreebie.html Visit Your Therapy Source for more visual perceptual activities at http://yourtherapysource.com/visualdownloads.html
When frustrated with a child's handwriting, take the time to evaluate if they've been provided adequate visual boundaries for their developmental needs.
Kids Lying? If you’re looking for strategies and consequences that don't involve punishment to stop your child from lying, we've got 20 ideas to help!
Use sensory seeking activities to calm and organize sensory seeking behaviors in your "wild" child or toddler that seems to never stop...
Caught your child lying? Find out how to turn this situation into a valuable teaching moment by following these simple steps!
Low Vision Apps
Speech therapy for older children with articulation disorders can be challenging. Here are some tips for assessment, treatment, and carryover.
Teach your students this simple 5 step process to solving a social problem. Give your students the skills they need to independently ...
Sensory food aversions, selective and picky eating from texture, flavor, smell, and appearance can be hard. Help kids overcome sensory issues with food with play, food activities, desensitization, and feeding therapy strategies from an occupational therapist. Food ideas for picky eaters, extreme picky eaters, kids with Autism, Sensory processing disorder (SPD), and neurodivergent;babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school aged kids, and even teens
This comprehensive guide is designed for educators, therapists, and parents working with children who require occupational therapy (OT). The "Occupational Therapy Issues and Recommendations Guide" provides a detailed overview of common OT issues, their descriptions, examples, and practical recommendations. This resource is an essential tool for understanding and addressing the diverse needs of children, particularly those with special needs such as autism. Key Features: - Clear and Concise Format: The guide is presented in an easy-to-read table format, making it simple to find information quickly. - Detailed Descriptions: Each issue is clearly defined to help users understand the specific challenges children may face. - Real-life Examples: Concrete examples are provided to illustrate each issue, offering insight into how these challenges manifest in daily life. - Practical Recommendations: Actionable recommendations are included for each issue, providing effective strategies to support children in overcoming their difficulties. Topics Covered: - Fine Motor Skills - Gross Motor Skills - Handwriting - Sensory Processing - Self-Care Skills - Visual Perceptual Skills - Body Awareness - Executive Functioning - Attention and Focus - Play Skills - Social Skills - Regulation Skills - Adaptive Skills Ideal for: - Occupational Therapists - Special Education Teachers - Parents and Caregivers - School Counselors - Early Childhood Educators Format: - PowerPoint Presentation (PPTX) - Easy to customize and adapt to specific needs.
What is so special about somatic workouts? Let me share why you need to start doing somatic exercises today and how it can change your life
A speech delay in toddlers can be quite worrisome. And with so much conflicting advice out there, what's a parent to do? Learn about 19 red flags and what to do
Speech therapy resources, including printable speech therapy activities, social stories for speech therapy, & more!
Could your child have anxiety? Learn 5 sneaky signs of anxiety in children from an expert therapist so you can help your child.
