Supporting Play, Parenthood & Neurodiversity
Developing feeding skills can be tricky. Check out these tips for spoon use development! There are many areas to consider when it comes to utensil use: Hand strength & fine motor skills: are they able to pick up and scoop with a spoon? Would they benefit from a wide handled spoon? Sensory Processing: Do they…
You go to the pediatrician check-up. They ask if your child is scribbling, or perhaps drawing basic shapes. “Yes”, may be the response for some families. Or perhaps you recall your child breaking or trying to eat the crayons. Or showing no interest in what you scribble on the paper. Maybe it seems like your…
An old saying refers that “children are resilient” or that kids will bounce back. I’m not quite sure this is true, especially with pediatric disaster recovery. When it comes to adverse child experiences, there is “tolerable” stress and toxic stress. One of the key differences is having the support of a loving and present caregiver….
Barriers for Black & Autistic children and families is a topic that should be discussed more often in pediatric therapies, with background and potential strategies. This is part 1/2.
This Black Maternal Health Guide for OTs is 23 pages filled with history, the issue of racialized health disparities in maternal care, and the integration of occupational therapy, practice framework, models, example interventions, perinatal trainings, and birth justice resources to give you a start on being a part of the change. “Black women are three…
Guess what? Yes, these pediatric OT goals are actually for us. Yes, I’m serious! This goes especially for autistic and neurodivergent populations, but honestly respect and advocating for autonomy applies for everyone. It’s important to remember that achieving goals takes time, and extend grace to ourselves, just like we do for our clients and families….
Five Anti-Racist Considerations to Look Within Your Therapy Practice – All Year Long Representation Matters in treatment media positive & relevant ways (puzzles, crafts, pretend play, videos, art) and in evaluation tools. Consider the therapy materials you have. How can they reflect the population you treat? What messages do your clients receive from the materials…
Have you heard OTs and Perinatal Mental Health connecting together? We work in so many different settings, where it can be very likely you’ll work with a new parent or an expecting family. The key is to know that you shouldn’t assume that other professionals have already talked to new parents about mental health and…
Knowing how an Autistic client learns can be so helpful. When we problem solve versus assume, so many opportunities for learning can happen (for everyone!)
A reminder for Autism Acceptance Month, and every month: Autistic individuals are not puzzles to be solved, or “fixed” to fit in. Autism is a different neurotype, and a part of the diversity of how our brains operate. In addition, Autistic children grow into autistic adults. So with April around the corner, which is known…
