Blog

Using Music to Improve Sensory Processing

Music is frequently used as a therapeutic tool to calm or organize children. However, does music really have the potential for sensory organization? In 2007, researchers Hall and Case-Smith conducted a study exploring the effects of sound based intervention for those with sensory processing disorder. They found that children who used a sensory diet in… Read more »

10 Ways to Help Your Resistant Eater

Eating is a complex multi-sensory process. While eating, we receive information from all our senses simultaneously; vision, touch, smell, taste, sound, proprioception, and balance. Additionally, eating is a complex motor and neurological process using 26 different muscles and six cranial nerves. As children grow and develop, they become better able to process this complex experience… Read more »

Transitioning to Adulthood with Autism

Individuals with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often receive a range of services including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and behavior therapy. Services are provided through the school system and outside agencies. As these individuals get older, it is important that the treatment team all work together to create a transition plan. The team… Read more »

6 Developmental Benefits of Music

We love to listen to music, dance to music, and sing to music with our children. Music is fun, music is engaging, and children love it! Did you know that when children learn to play music it is not only fun, but also has developmental benefits to it? Here are 6 ways that children benefit… Read more »

An OT’s Guide to a Sensational Summer

Summer is a great time to relax and change up our routines. Less structure sometimes leads to boredom. Here are some fun activities to engage in with your child to help liven up summer break while keeping your child regulated. Indoor crafts and messy play Make homemade slime with school glue and Borax detergent. Got… Read more »

You Don’t Have to Brush Your Teeth – Only the Ones You Want to Keep!

Brushing teeth and visiting the dentist are two challenging activities for children with sensory issues. The sheer thought of someone going into their mouths can be enough to send children with sensory issues into meltdown mode. With a few practical tips, both you and your child can be better supported in both of these dreaded… Read more »

The Vestibular System: A tutorial

We are all familiar with our five basic senses through which we explore our environment. Did you know that we have an additional special sense known as the vestibular system? This complex system is located in the inner ear and consists of gravity receptors that detect linear (such as running straight or swinging back and… Read more »

How Can You Help Your Child with Sensory Integration?

Sensory integration is the way we take in and make use of information about the environment around us through our senses. Our brains are constantly receiving and processing little bits of information about what we are touching, how we are positioned in space, how we are moving in relation to gravity, as well as what… Read more »

Holiday Fun–Keep Up Skills & Try Some New Ones!

It’s officially the holiday season! Thus begins the hunt for activities to keep our children engaged and learning while having fun during time away from their regular activities. While holiday breaks from school are a time for relaxing, it’s also a time for children to explore activities that they may not be exposed to in school as well… Read more »

You Will Not “Zone-out” With This Self Regulation Program

The Zones of Regulation Curriculum was designed to help children become more successful in school, at home, and in the community by independently controlling maladaptive behaviors through the process of self regulation and emotional control. What is self regulation? Self regulation is the ability to be in the best state to successfully engage in a particular activity. When exposed… Read more »