Halloween! Awesome for some….torture for others. To our children with autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, food allergies, and many more, Halloween can be frightful and not because of the ghosts and goblins! As with any holiday, Halloween brings with it many changes. The visual stimuli of pumpkins, costumes, and decorations may be quite overwhelming for kids! It’s true that […]
5 Tips to Focus on Your Child’s Positive Traits Friends, I’ve done some editing on this post as I’ve become a strengths-based therapist. This is the new and improved post with focus on neurodiversity-affirming language. Yesterday I was working with my son on executive function skills. This has become a daily part of our routine. […]
Wow, the power of a visual is never more influential than watching the year change. If you’re in the US, you may watch a ball drop on the larger than life 2020 display in Times Square. The feelings are powerful as the end of a chapter in our lives ends and refreshes as the page […]
Changing clothes for the seasons can be difficult for children with autism and sensory processing disorder. We offer tips for families, therapists, educators and a helpful matching game that adds fun to function.
Vision involves more than the ability to see with or without glasses…..here’s our story: My autistic son complained of frequent headaches, squinted, and showed difficulty reading. His pediatrician recommended an evaluation by an eye doctor. We anxiously awaited the appointment with the ophthalmologist and felt we would get answers. It was a surprise that James’ vision was […]
DYSGRAPHIA is a learning disability. It affects how children acquire written language and the use of writing to express thoughts and ideas. In my book, The Special Needs SCHOOL Survival Guide I dedicated a chapter to dysgraphia because I felt that it was often overlooked yet is the cause of a lot of frustration. We […]
What is mindfulness? According to the American Mindfulness Research Association, it’s: “The state, process, and practice of remembering to observe moment-to-moment experience with openness, and without automatic patterns of previously conditioned thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. Mindfulness can be cultivated through mind-body practices (such as focused attention and open monitoring meditation as well as other intrapsychic […]
School Bus Safety Tips for Children The start of school is approaching and children will begin their daily commute to and from school riding the bus. It’s an exciting time since many children seem to love to ride the school bus. Since preparation is important, let’s take a moment to prepare your children for what […]
Interoception connects our emotions with our bodies. It’s critical in creating a body map to inform us about meeting our basic needs. Here is an ‘Out of the Pocket’ blog post to give you the fast facts. Children with a sensory processing disorder often struggle to process information received through the sensory system. This means […]
We all want our children to be empathic and kind, but how do we help them understand that concept? Here’s a fun activity that allows us to do something creative with our kids while opening up a conversation about other people’s needs. Also, many children prefer to learn by using visual aids. This activity is […]