Circle time can be extremely challenging for some children as they are expected to sit for long durations of time, maintain attention, participate with their peers, keep their hands to themselves, and transition with ease from activities, their families, or the playground with ease. In order to help with circle time success, it is important … Continue reading Tips for Circle Time Success
Did you know that it takes 34 muscles to move our fingers and thumb? 17 are located in the palm of our hand and 18 are located in our forearms. The strength of all of these muscles are key component to participating in our everyday lives. It is nearly impossible to count the number of … Continue reading The Importance of Hand strength for Fine Motor Success
Its that time of year again! Back to school can be a difficult time of year for children as they learn to readjust to routines and expectations in the classroom setting. They are bombarded by sensory stimuli and learning to cope in a bustling and overwhelming classroom of 15+ children! A sensory meltdown often occurs … Continue reading Strategies for Sensory Meltdowns in the Classroom
Executive functioning refers to higher level thinking, that allows children to successfully organize, sequence, and accomplish every day tasks. It is a combination of 8 skills (working memory, flexibility, self control, impulse control, self-monitoring, planning and prioritizing, task initiation, and organization) controlled and managed by the frontal lobe portion of the brain. Children are not born … Continue reading Self Regulation and Executive Functioning Skills
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) affects up to 16% of school aged children in the United States (Zelman, 2014). SPD occurs when an individuals brain is unable to process sensory inputs (touch, sight, smell, sound, movement, taste, body awareness, muscle contraction, etc.) properly and may register as hyper or hypo responsiveness (over or under responsive). It … Continue reading Picky Eaters Vs. Problem Feeders
Children in the United States spend an average of 943 hours per day in a classroom setting in Elementary School (Chalabi, 2014). This number is far larger than the daily expenditure of Asian countries and Eastern European nations, which as noted by BBC News, rank higher than the United States in math and science later … Continue reading Power of Play
Everyday we gain sensory experiences through touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, and the pull of gravity. Sensory integration is the brain's ability to organize and interpret sensory information we receive to use it in a meaningful way. Sensory integration provides the foundation for later, more complex learning and behavior. Some Signs of Sensory Processing … Continue reading What Is Sensory Integration?
