Occupational Therapy Archives

30Oct

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

5 Qualities of a Strong Parent-Child Relationship

Oct30, 2016 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

Relationship building takes time and effort. Parents must work hard at developing a strong and dynamic relationship with each of their children. Our children grow and change with each new stage of development, which challenges us to adapt to new rules and circumstances. Strong parent-child relationships, however, have certain...

11Sep

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

Developmental Screeners: Have you had your child’s development checked?

Sep11, 2016 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

Pediatricians follow a schedule of recommended visits for children from 0-18 years of age. At each visit, the doctor pays attention to the child’s development, growth and general health. But when it comes to developmental milestones and sensory integration a lot can be missed in such a short visit....

1Aug

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

Self Regulation: Important Predictor of Success

Aug1, 2016 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

What do you think of when you hear the term self-regulation? Parents usually envision a well behaved child: calm and obedient. For a therapist, self-regulation sits at the intersection of a child’s neurological and biological function, emotional regulation, and cognitive and social abilities. These abilities allow a child to function...

27Jun

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy, It’s Not Just Play!

Jun27, 2016 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Occupational therapists love to come up with clever ways to help their young clients thrive. Tapping into a child’s motivation is the key ingredient in our recipe for therapeutic success. Our sessions can look a lot like simple playtime: your little one’s therapist may be on the floor playing...

19May

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

Why Dads Should be Involved in Their Child’s Therapy

May19, 2016 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

Family dynamics can make a parent feel invisible. All families are complex and rich with unique patterns that get created early on. A dominant parent can emerge because of personality differences and family habits. Both parents, however, have an important role to play in their child’s development. Research shows...

2Apr

Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Crawling: A Developmental Adventure

Apr2, 2016 Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Imagine for a moment a baby sitting on the floor. He looks up and sees a colorful object on the other side of the room. He gets on all fours, applying pressure through the palms of his hands all the way up to his shoulder-girdle, and thereby receiving sensory...

28Mar

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

The Power of Attunement

Mar28, 2016 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

Attunement is our ability to be aware of and respond to our child’s needs. It is deeply connected to emotional attachment. Some children may have a very different temperament than that of a parent, or may not communicate affection in the same way, which can interfere with the quality...

29Dec

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

5 Reasons Why Your Toys Are Better Than Ours

Dec29, 2015 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

One of the questions we get asked regularly is: How come you don’t always bring toys with you when you come for an in-home session? Although there are times when it is appropriate for a clinician to bring some tools/toys from our clinic into your home, there are at...

1Oct

Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Tummy Time Tips from an Occupational Therapist

Oct1, 2015 Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Babies these days get a limited amount of opportunities to explore their bodies and their environment. Parents, rightfully, follow the APA guidelines for sleep positioning and place their little ones on their backs. Children also spend many of their waking hours strapped in devices such as car seats, strollers,...

29Jul

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

Back To School Tips for a Great School Year

Jul29, 2015 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

By the end of the summer, parents either look forward to or dread their children going back to school. The change of pace brings new challenges for families, especially if their children have sensory issues. With a little preparation, however, you can make this the best school year ever...

22Jun

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

5 Techniques to Reduce Biting in Children

Jun22, 2015 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

Some children bite themselves or others when frustrated. I’ve seen a lot of this in children on the autism spectrum, but it can happen with any child–including those with sensory issues. Stopping this behavior can be quite a challenge for parents and caregivers. Let’s take a look at why...

10Dec

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language

Vision Deficits and ADD/ADHD in Children

Dec10, 2014 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy/ Speech and Language0 Comment

Vision deficits can mimic and/or contribute to behaviors observed in children with ADD and ADHD. The classic symptoms of attention disorders are hyperactivity, an inability to focus, poor impulse control, task avoidance and disruptive behaviors. In order to diagnose these conditions, the medical practitioner looks at a series of...

2Nov

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Helpful Tips to Avoid Meltdowns this Holiday Season

Nov2, 2014 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

It’s hard to believe that November is already here! No matter what you celebrate, the season is busy and takes us outside our usual routines. This can be stressful for children as well as parents. Our kiddos often get lost in the shuffle when we usher them from one store to...

8Oct

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Why Handwriting Matters

Oct8, 2014 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Handwriting plays an essential role in a child’s developmental and educational growth. And yet, many schools are no longer teaching this fundamental skill to our children. Researchers point out that handwriting seems to strengthen brain processing, reading abilities, memory recall, and learning. Studies show that keyboarding and printing do...

1Oct

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Cooking with your child, tips from an Occupational Therapist

Oct1, 2014 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Occupational therapy adapts well to a natural environment. Many of our activities sneak in therapeutic work into fun and functional projects. Parents can help their children by making time at home to work on some of the same developmental skills. The kitchen is a great place to experience the...

28Aug

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Why They Look Away: Gaze Aversion in Autism

Aug28, 2014 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

One of the markers of autism is a person’s aversion to eye contact. The eyes are an important barometer of emotion when we interact with others. The Emotional Life of Your Brain by Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D. and Sharon Begley touches on the subject. Researchers believe that this seemingly...

10Jul

Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Sensory Issues and Summer

Jul10, 2014 Autism/ Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Summer is upon us, children are out of school and parents are looking for activities to keep their little ones entertained. Thankfully the Los Angeles area offers many opportunities for some wonderful sensory experiences to be enjoyed by the whole family. A beach day is a classic summer activity,...

25Apr

Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

Sensory Strategies for Parent

Apr25, 2014 Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Since OT Awareness Month is almost over, we thought it would be fun to share some OT sensory strategies for parents to enjoy! The best way to address your sensory needs as a parent is to: 1. Take an inventory of what activities you find soothing, energizing and regulating....

4Apr

Occupational Therapy

Our Favorite Books – Sensory Integration and Child Development

Apr4, 2014 Occupational Therapy0 Comment

In celebration of OT Month, here are some of our favorite books on Sensory Integration and Child Development: Sensory Integration and the Child Understanding Hidden Sensory Challenges By A. Jean Ayres, Ph.D. Written by the Occupational Therapist who brought awareness to sensory challenges. This book is great place to...

28Mar

Child Development/ Occupational Therapy

CALMING SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CHILD

Mar28, 2014 Child Development/ Occupational Therapy0 Comment

CALMING SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CHILD – Alexa Brett, COTA/L, Occupational Therapy Assistant Each child is unique. Here are some sensory strategies that may work for your child. Try one to two at time. If a strategy does not work, it might at a later date. For community outings,...

28Mar

Occupational Therapy

OT Activities: Auditory Input

Mar28, 2014 Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Activities You Can Do At Home – From CDI’s Occupational Therapists Auditory Input What we hear and is neuroanatomically connected with the vestibular sense. Activities: – Encourage your child to play with musical toys: whistles, party favor blow toys, plastic microphone – If a child is fearful of loud...

28Mar

Occupational Therapy

OT Activities: Tactile Input

Mar28, 2014 Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Activities You Can Do At Home – From CDI’s Occupational Therapists Tactile Input The sense of touch and includes texture, temperature, pressure, and more. Activities: – Play with foamy soap or shaving cream, add sand for extra texture – Use finger-paint – Mix cookie dough and cake batter,...

28Mar

Occupational Therapy

OT Activities: Vestibular Input

Mar28, 2014 Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Activities You Can Do At Home – From CDI’s Occupational Therapists Vestibular Input The sense of movement, centered in the inner ear, can be obtained by spinning and swinging, and to a lesser extent, any type of movement. Activities: – Swing on playground swings, trying various types of swings...

28Mar

Occupational Therapy

OT Activities: Proprioceptive Input

Mar28, 2014 Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Activities You Can Do At Home – From CDI’s Occupational Therapists Proprioceptive Input Sensations from joints, muscles and connective tissues that lead to body awareness can be obtained by lifting, pushing, and pulling heavy objects as well as by engaging in activities that compress (push together) or distract (pull...

28Mar

Occupational Therapy

OT Activities: Pre-Writing Skills

Mar28, 2014 Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Activities You Can Do At Home – From CDI’s Occupational Therapists Pre-Writing Skills Here are some great activities to help develop your children’s pre-writing skills: – Finger paint letters on paper – Paint with colored soap in the bathtub – Trace letters in the sand with finger or stick ...

27Mar

Occupational Therapy

OT Activities: Fine Motor Skills

Mar27, 2014 Occupational Therapy0 Comment

Activities You Can Do At Home – From CDI’s Occupational Therapists Fine Motor Skills Hand skills are crucial to successful handwriting. Small movements of the hand are referred to as fine motor skills. There are many fun activities you can do at home to encourage fine motor skills. ...

Occupational Therapy

GALLERY

5 Qualities of a Strong Parent-Child Relationship

Developmental Screeners: Have you had your child’s development checked?

Self Regulation: Important Predictor of Success

Occupational Therapy, It’s Not Just Play!

Why Dads Should be Involved in Their Child’s Therapy

Crawling: A Developmental Adventure

The Power of Attunement

5 Reasons Why Your Toys Are Better Than Ours

Tummy Time Tips from an Occupational Therapist

Back To School Tips for a Great School Year

5 Techniques to Reduce Biting in Children

Vision Deficits and ADD/ADHD in Children

Helpful Tips to Avoid Meltdowns this Holiday Season

Why Handwriting Matters

Cooking with your child, tips from an Occupational Therapist

Why They Look Away: Gaze Aversion in Autism

Sensory Issues and Summer

Sensory Strategies for Parent

Our Favorite Books – Sensory Integration and Child Development

CALMING SENSORY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CHILD

OT Activities: Auditory Input

OT Activities: Tactile Input

OT Activities: Vestibular Input

OT Activities: Proprioceptive Input

OT Activities: Pre-Writing Skills

OT Activities: Fine Motor Skills

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