Tactile play is important for children to help build strong connections between our bodies and the world around us through the use of touch. Tactile play is a great tool to support the development of fine motor skills with your child in a fun and playful way. Check out this handout for some simple tactile sensory bins to try at home.

The cold winter months can make it difficult for many of our kids to get the input their body needs throughout the day. Sometimes it is too cold to go outside, or when we can, we don’t know what to do. Check out these fun outdoor winter activities that can provide PROPTIOCEPTIVE INPUT to help your kids feel more organized, regulated, and ready to take on the rest of the day.

Proprioception – also known as ‘heavy work’- is the sensory information from the joints and muscles that tells our brains where our body is in space. This type of input is often very calming and organizing for our children. Check out this handout for some fun winter heavy work activities you can try out at home!

Our brain and body work together throughout the day to support our learning and develop an understanding of the world around us. Higher level learning relies on sensory and motor foundations. This image shows the developmental progression to higher level learning.

All brains learn differently which is why it is important to provide different ways for out children to learn new tasks. This visual can be a great addition to the bathroom to help your child remember the correct sequence of steps for independence with toileting/hygiene.

Today, Jess (OT) sat down with Allie (OT) to discuss the ups and downs of haircuts and how to make it easier and more successful while we're all at home!

Today, Ashleigh (SLP) is joined by June Smith BS OTR/L to talk about pediatric vision and why vision screenings are so important.

Vision is a complicated process - it is much more than just how well we see. Vision is a combination of visual acuity (eyesight), how our eyes function (tracking, eye teaming), and visual processing. This article will focus on the components of - and importance of - visual processing (visual perception) in learning.

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month- so that means we get to highlight the profession and why we love our speech therapists! As an Occupational Therapist, I rely on, and collaborate with, my speech language pathologists regularly in order to best serve our kids. Check out this article to learn more about pediatric speech therapy (from an occupational therapist perspective) and why I love working alongside these amazing therapists.

Occupational therapy is designed to use purposeful and meaningful activities to help individuals develop ‘skills for the job of living’. Well how do kids develop these skills? Through play! So it only makes sense that our sessions are play based and child led. Click here to learn about a few of our favorite OT activities, what they address and why they have become a fan favorite.