It's back to school time in Australia!  After a wonderful summer break, it is time to dust off the work cobwebs and get ready for the year ahead!

January is all about getting resources ready for the new school year.  Lots of admin to get organised and worked out before I even make contact with families. 
​
For each new year and each new OT child; I provide a workbook to record things we do each week.  We may draw or write directly into the book.  I use scrapbooks that are larger than A4 as we also paste in craft activities or worksheets. This book also works as a communication tool with parents when they are not present for sessions and can be sent home with homework. 

I enjoy designing new covers (definitely prefer it to doing the admin side of my job). The children who I have seen over multiple years look forward to seeing what the design is for the year. Mr Z has been with me for 6 years now, so has seen all of these covers. I wonder if he has a favourite. 

This year I decided to cover "occupational perforamance areas" (ie. self care/activities of daily living, productivity, leisure and rest). You can read more about "occupational performance areas" when it comes to paediatric practice HERE.  The pictures in the 2025 cover will help to explain this to children too!

OT rules are included in this package. I am selective with which children I give these rules, keeping in mind who may become stressed by these rules or would not understand them. Please feel free to use with discretion.

Download your FREE copy of the 2025 collation of the OT workbook covers and OT rules HERE!
​

Let me know if you use these covers by tagging @yourkidsot on social media! Do you have a favourite?

Looking forward to getting started with 2025!

I announced on social media that I'm heading to the AOTA 2025 conference in Philadelphia in April. This will be my first time attending and I'm so excited! Let me know if you are planning to attend.  I will have more updates closer to the date!

Now, how can I concentrate on my admin work now? 

Until next time,
​

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
YKOT shop:  https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/

What a wonderful 2024! 

It has been a busy year for Your Kids OT, celebrating 10 years here on the internet.  In that time, I have "e-met" some amazing people. I'm encouraged by you...the online community who have sent me messages, emails and commented on social media.  You are the reason that I keep doing this! 

I may not be the most regular in sending blogs and emails, however I hope what I do share, continues to bring you inspiration and encouragement.  I want to journey alongside you as a life long learner.  To keep striving to become better occupational therapists, empathetic as parents, helping the children in our lives to reach the next milestone (or mini one), developing skills, enjoying play or advocating on their behalf when needed. 

2024 highlights

Some of the most popular reels and posts on Instagram and Facebook were:
* Squigz balance cushion
* Squigz pre-writing/writing
* Fine motor skills for typing
* Fruit avalanche re-imagined
* Putting a spin on Twister
* Scratch art with cookie cutters

There were 5 new FREE printables:

• Birthday Themed 
• Wikki Stix Challenge Cards
• Positive Affirmations
• I spy OT week page
• Christmas Breathing tools

I launched 13 new printable products: 

• Birthday bundle contained 10 products (Some of these have now been released individually)
  • Story Creation Grids
  • Self-Awareness for Children and Teens (Social, Sensory and Emotional skills)
  • Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? (Handwriting challenge)
  • Handwriting True or False Game
  • Search and Find Grids
  • Coding Challenge Sea Themed
  • Story Board Picture Prompts
  • Mix and Match Therapy Activities
  • The Wheels on the Bus preschool printable 
• Handwriting Legibility Workbook
• Executive Functioning Tips for Parents (also helpful for professionals)
• Unique Therapy Planners (Australian)

You can also find most of these products on the YKOT Teachers Pay Teachers Store ($US).

In 2024, I participated in two online conferences speaking on topics that I'm passionate about - The Therapeutic Use of Self and Executive Functioning Tips for Parents. What an honour!

Suprisingly, I was also a clothing ambassador in 2024! Who would have thought? ! That was a lot of fun!

Watch the highlights reel on Instagram or You-tube. 

Behind the scenes, I had the priviledge of seeing my own daughter finish high school. What a milestone! I'm so proud of her and I'm excited to see what the future holds for her (unfortunately, I couldn't convince her to do OT at uni... she's doing law instead)!

In 2024, I worked at 9 different preschools and schools every week. I also made regular home visits to many families and supervised some wonderful OTs.  I presented an in-person workshop and also supervised a work experience student. I reduced my working time to Monday to Thursday (which was wonderful for helping with my work/life balance).  There was also that ongoing (not-so-secret) project which we made so much progress with this year (more on that soon). 

So what is happening in 2025? ... so many exciting things are already being planned. I can 't wait to share them with you as they become more definite.  There are new things that will put me out of my comfort zone (but you know, that I love a challenge)! 

Thank you again for your support. Your likes, emails and comments are always valued.  Thank you for purchasing from the YKOT shop and TPT store, this helps to support me financially to maintain this website. 

Happy New Year and see you in 2025! 
​

It is the end of the school year here in Australia.  While we are busy winding up the year, most of us usually have some thoughts about the next school year. 

Are current clients staying with us? Are they moving on? 
Have we got a waiting list? 
What are we going to do the same and what changes need to be made in the next year?
What goals are we setting?

For me, January is a time of planning and organising.  It is usually a quieter time for Australian therapists so the perfect time to reflect and plan. 

I have designed planners before, but this one is unique! The unique pages includes self reflections including prompts for the therapeutic use of self, which is such a passion for me (contact me if your team is interested in training on this topic).

There are two designs (watercolour and neutral) this year and guess what? I've included them together in the one purchase. So you get two for the price of one!

Have a look at the slide show below to see the pages that are included. 

Pages can be printed as needed and you can choose the pages relevant to you. Re-arrange them in any order. 

Each design includes the following pages:

• 2 quote pages
• Therapist details
• Important contacts
• Yearly overview
• Therapeutic use of self reflections
• Personal reflections
• CPD record
• Supervision records x 2
• Daily, weekly, monthly schedules
• Client list
• Client attendance
• Goal tracker
• Session planner x 2
• Waiting list and Intake form
• To do list
• Projects page
• Resource wish list
• Notes pages: dot grid, blank, lined
• 2025 Calendar page (with Australian holidays)

These planners make the perfect end of year gift.  I have gifted them to my supervisees. Gift them to your graduating OT students, your new therapists starting or gift them to yourself! 

Happy planning!

I love this time of the year! 

Our Christmas tree is up and it is starting to look festive.  I'm looking forward to getting started with my Christmas baking and the upcoming holidays. 

However, all around me,  I feel surrounded with tension, stress and fatigue.  Children, parents, teachers, therapists...

I think many of us could benefit from a little reminder to remember to breathe.

Inhale.
Exhale. 
Inhale.
Exhale.

So simple but yet hard to do. 

We know that breathing helps us to reduce our heart rate. It helps to connect our bodies with our emotions.  We can reduce stress and anxiety. It can bring release from tension and helps us with mindfulness.

If we as adults can learn to stop and breathe, we can also model this for our children. 
 
The printables I create here are usually in response to children I am currently working with and I love to share these with you. This year I am working with a number of children who would benefit from more opportunities to practice deep breathing. These "Christmas Breathing tools" inclde large A4 sized pictures to place on a wall or in a binder. Place your finger on the big dot and follow the instructions to trace, breathe in and out.  I have also shrunk these down into palm-sized cards that your child can take with them.

Do these breathing activities WITH your child.  Practice when they are calm and have them available when they might need them. Pop them into a gift bag and your child will ask you to use them! 

Head over to the YKOT shop for the Christmas Breathing Tools Free Printable. 

​I always make my Christmas printables "freebies", so do go back and check some of my previous free Christmas printables. Find the Christmas page HERE.  You will find Christmas themed writing, scissor skills, visual-spatial, I-spy, colouring and more! 
​
Enjoy the Christmas Breathing Tools (for yourself or the child/ren in your life). 

Until next time,
​

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
YKOT shop:  https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/
​

Happy OT Week 2024!

In Australia, this is the week that we celebrate occupational therapy! 

I think that the profile of occupational therapy is ever increasing with the general public, however I am still asked quite regularly ... "So what do you do? What is an occupational therapist?"

I recently share this description on Instagram...

Occupational therapists are unique. We work with children and adults (and their families) to promote participation in daily living.

🤗We support the person in their occupational roles. For children; this includes between a son/daughter, friend, player, student, sibling.
🤗We support the person with skills development (physical, cognitive, sensory, social emotional, perceptual).
🤗We support the person with task modifications by analysing what needs to be done, breaking it down, changing requirements, finding alternatives.
🤗We support the person with environmental modifications by educating, advocating, providing equipment, changing the environment.
🤗We support the person in all of their contexts; home, school, work, community.

We support quality of life.
We bridge the gap between floundering and functional.

I hope that through my small corner of the internet, that I've played a small part in raising the profile of occupational therapy! A big shout out and group high five to my fellow OTs! 

You know that I like a giving you a FREEBIE... and this one is a modification from my 2024 OT worbook cover. This one page free printable is a fun "spot it" page to celebrate occupational therapy! Spot the OT related pictures and colour them. Alternatively, ask your child to find a picture and then write the word.

HAPPY OT WEEK!

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
YKOT shop:  https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/
 

Think of a task that you really dislike doing.  I'm thinking of cleaning my bathroom.

Do you avoid it? I can do it later.
Do you try to get someone else to do it for you? It's time to get a cleaner.
Do you prioritize other things as more important? I'll make dinner, vacuum, walk the dog first.
Do you deny that the task needs to be done? It's not that dirty, I can do it another day.

What eventually helps you to get started? 
Do you barter with yourself, promising a reward after the job is done? A cup of coffee and chocolate.
Do you rationalize how you will feel after when the task is done? My bathroom will be sparkling.
Do you just get in there and do it so that you can get on with the rest of your day? 123, let's go.
Do you buy yourself new products to give yourself an incentive? I'll buy that new no scrub spray.
Do you call in a friend or family member to complain and receive support? Urgh I hate cleaning mum!
Do you write a checklist so that you can cross the task off the list with satisfaction? So satisfying!
Do you set yourself a time limit and make sure you stick with it? Ok I've got half an hour, let's do it!
Do you persevere even when you are interrupted or something more exciting is happening? Need to finish!

As an adult, we find our own solutions to get things done.  We problem solve. We break down tasks into smaller components.  We seek help. We prioritize and rationalize.  We work to time constraints and plan ahead to make sure when can multi-task. 

For our children, executive functioning skills can be hard! Executive functioning skills are needed everyday and can underpin a child's ability to perform a variety of tasks from simple (putting on socks) to complex (organising their school bag in the morning). When the task is non-preferred, children are very good at finding ways to avoid it or procrastinate.  They become overwelmed easily when tasks seem too big or unfair.  The tasks that we see as "simple" can be the ones that they find challenging.  Even the anticipation that a task may need to be done can lead to an emotional or behavioural reaction. 

As parents, teachers and therapists; we want our children to succeed.  Success can look different for each child. We want our children to achieve the simple, every day things that can impact quality of life. 

In my work as an occupational therpaist, I've been using a "traffic light framework" to help explain executive functioning skills to parents, teachers and therapists.  The term executive functioning is very broad. Executive functioning skills are the mental processes that enable us to control our thoughts, emotions and actions to complete tasks. It involves managing impulse control, emotional regulation, knowing the goal, planning, organizing resources, metacognition, flexibility, task initiation, working memory, perserverance and self monitoring. 
 
I'm excited to announce that I am the opening speaker of the 3rd Neurodiverse Homeschooling Summit. In my session, I am providing an overview of executive functioning skills for parents using the traffic light framework.  I provide practical recommendations for parents for embedding these skills into daily life.

There is a VIP pass option for those of you who want to view these talks in your own time! Use this link to access the VIP pass and have unlimited access to all 20 talks. 

The VIP pass also give you access to a complimentary homeschool coaching session with Afsaneh Moradian (the coordinator of the summit).  This private session will help those of you who are homeschooling your children to create an action plan for overcoming challenges you may be currently facing, receive personal support and coaching. 

My free resource includes an overview of executive functioning skills (seen in the image above).  

You can also find more information about executive functioning skills in my Parent Guide to Executive Functioning Skills. This 24 page resource is available from the Your Kids OT shop and the YKOT TPT Store. 

So the vital links are here:

• Free registration to the 3rd Neurodiverse Homeschooling Summit
• VIP pass 
• Parent guide to EF skills

Home to see you at the summit!
​

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
YKOT shop:  https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/

Handwriting legibility is an important focus of many school based occupational therapists!

What we know is that improvement comes down to a lot of practice with pencil (or pen) to paper! 

What we also know is that many children need to be taught aspects of handwriting legibility to work on.  They may identify that their handwriting is "messy" but what does that actually mean?  What concrete steps can they take to address handwriting especially when it is not a preferred activity? 

Introducing the new Let's Write: Handwriting Legibility Workbook. With an engaging robot theme, this is designed to be used with your primary (elementary) aged school children after they have already developed letter formation skills.

The aspects of handwriting legibility addressed in this workbook include aligning writing with the line, distinguishing between the size of letters, spacing between letters and words, using capital letters and punctuation appropriately. The workbook may be completed in any order and you may concentrate on one area more than another if your child requires this focus.

The workbook contains:

• Handwriting legibility progress sheet
• One page “Robots Rock Writing Checklist”
• Four desk sized “Robots Rock Writing Checklists”
• 65 pages of guided activities (writing, cutting)
• Multisensory strategies to be used in conjunction with the guided activities. 

The handwriting legibility progress sheet allows therapists (and parents and educators) to record how much assistance a child needs to achieve the various aspects of legibility. The multisensory strategies provide examples to highlight visual information, add a physcial component, provide kinesthetic learning opportunities, use verbal prompts or incorporate more cognitive strategies.  

Use the slideshow below to see a sample of pages. 

This Handwriting Legibility Workbook was created as a companion to"Axel's Neat Writing Challenges" where students are introduced to the aspects of handwriting legibility mentioned previously.  As an introductory offer, Let's Write Handwriting Legibility Workbook will also include a free copy of Axel's challenges and "My Hand is a Sentence" visual prompt. 

​I have been test running this product all year with my school-age clients. They have loved the robot theme and there are enough pages in this workbook to allocate home work. There are different activities for each aspect of handwriting legibility to keep students interested and engaged.  

Handwriting legibility may be different when a student is forming their own content (free writing) or under time restrictions.  This is compared to copying information or when time is not a factor.  This should be noted when monitoring progess. 

Find a look-through the whole workbook on You-Tube.

Get your copy of theLet's Write:Handwriting Legibility Workbook today! Don't miss out on the introductory offer with free resources added. 

These are a few of my favourite things!

This is a list that was created for Amazon PRIME day, however I thought I would share it here as well. I am no longer an Amazon affliate. This list reflects items that I have used in practice (or similar).  You may also find a local supplier who sells a similar item (support local if you can). 

I have placed the items into categories, however many also cross over a few categories. Save this for your child's next birthday or Black Friday Sales. If you are a therapist, you may want to share this list with your families too. 

Happy shopping! 

Fine Motor

• Noodle knockout
• Geoboard and rubber bands
• Wooden peg board 
• Sticks and rings ​

• Wooden tower stacking​​
• Handy scoopers
• Pop beads 
• Pony bead set
• Lacing beads big​​
• Dinosaur screwdriver toy​
• Mini Hungry Hippos game
• Pop up pirate
• Wikki Stix
• Finger Puppet Set
• Theraputty​​

Sensory and Regaulation Tools

• ​Kinetic sand
• Expandable ball
• Big feelings pineapple
• Wooden face magic cubes
• Silicon straws
• Magnetic rings
• Silicon sensory activity board 
• Breathing boards ​
• Lycra body sock
• Lycra tunnel​
• Sensory tiles
• Sensory Fidget Toy Set
• Pop tubes​​
• Balance Cushion

Play

• Animal barns
• Magnetic tiles
• Pizza pizza
• Pretend play cooking 
• Pretend play doctor and pet kit​
• Pretend play shop​
• Pretend play bathroom set​
• The sneaky snacks squirrel
• Shopping List game
• Sleeping Queens Card Game
• Dragonwood​​
• Flower garden
•  Road Washi tape​​

Gross Motor

• ​Tunnel ​
• Agility ladder 
• Plastic rings and bean bags
• Small parachute
• Peanut shape gym ball​​
• Scooter Board​​

​Visual Perception

• ​Wooden tangram puzzle
• Wooden letter shape board 
• Spot it​
• Design and drill create ​
• Rush hour
• Battleship
• Geo board
• Egg shapes
• I spy game
• Quercetti Filo Threading Game
• Blokus​​
• Brain Teaser
• Hammer Shape Toy
•  I Q twist​
• Animal Sound Puzzle​​

Handwriting/Scissor Skills

• ​Pencil grips
• ​Magnetic drawing letter board
• Left handed scissors​
• Spring loaded scissors
• Pencil weights 
• Drawing Tracing Stencils
• Doodles Help Pre-writing
• Doodles Help Handwriting:Lowercase
• Doodles Help Handwriting: Capital Letters
• Doodles Help Handwriting: Numbers
• Doodles Help Handwriting:Line Work
• Crayon Rubbing  Plates
• ​Spy Pen
• Crayon Rocks

Other

• ​Chalkboard labels
• Laptop foldable table
  

Have you ever seen a meerkat on look out?

The sentry meerkat stands on its hind legs, often using its tail as support, or perch in a bush or tree, scanning for danger.  Alert. Ready to react. They freeze in position, call out and retreat quickly. They can't do anything else when they have this role. It doesn't take much for the alarm bells to start ringing.

While our sensory sensitive children are not exactly like sentinal meerkats, I'm reminded that they may react more quickly and more intensely than others to sensory information. Their internal "alarm bells" are ready to sound at any moment.   They have a low neurological threshold, so it doesn't take much external stimuli to affect this person.  We can use the image of a bucket to consider that this child's bucket is small and is filled quickly.  There is a level of tolerance, however this is very narrow.  The child may react passively and need help to cope with stimuli. They need help to perservere with activities and cope with demands placed on them. 

hThese are some examples that may be seen in children who have sensory sensitivities. Not all children will have all characteristics.  They may different levels of coping for different sensations.  Parents, teachers, friends and family may have already made adjustments to help this child. 

Visual System:
This child may be sensitive to visual stimuli such as indoor or outdoor (sun) light.  They may stare intensely at objects of people.  They may watch everyone when they move around the room.  They may be aware of changing visual information.

In the classroom; this may mean that the child is aware of all the visual information on the walls, hanging across the room, on the teacher's desk, on their own desks.   They may be visually aware of other students; where they are sitting, who they haven't sat with before, when they go to the bathroom, etc. They may notice the birds in the playground.  They may see when the principal has sat in their regular seat on the stage. It may be distracting or overwhelming for them as they try to organise this information in their minds. 
​
Auditory System:
This child may be sensitive or respond negatively to loud sounds or environments.  This may include loud items like vaccum cleaners, hair dryers, lawn mowers, blenders or places like classrooms, swimming pools and shopping centres. This may also include items or places that others do not find noisy. 

In the classroon, children may have difficulty with multiple people speaking at the same time.  They may also be sensitive to one person speaking.  This child may have difficulty with background noises like appliances (fans, heaters, clocks). 

This child may not be affected by the noises and sounds that they themselves make. They may say things repeatedly to organize and make sense of information.

Tactile System:
This child may be sensitive to touch (being touched or touching certain things) and this may result in aggressive or emotional reactions.  This is usually a fight/flight/freeze response which is automatic rather than a planned action.  Light touch pressure can be highly sensitive.

At school, this child may have difficulty standing in line or sitting on the floor with other children.  They may refuse physical help (Eg. a hand to hold when walking on uneven ground, or hand over hand assistance to hold scissors). They may strongly dislike messy activities such as painting. 

At home, this child may be sensitive to clothing tags and seams. They may have preferences with soft furnishings like bedsheets and blankets.  They may dislike grooming activities such as hair washing and cutting nails.  

In the community, this child may have difficulty visiting professionals such as the hair dresser, dentist or doctor; with the anticipation of physical touch. 

Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems:
This child may appear to be hyperactive or easily distractible, as they are drawn to the latest stimuli that presents itself. 

They may also be cautious about various situations, unsure how they will cope with a change in body position.  They may have poor balance and may fear trying new things.  This child may have difficulty participating in playgrounds (swings, slides, balance bridges, etc) which have a variety of sensory input of varying intensities (many outside of the child's control).  

This child may be prone to car or air sickness. They may fear riding a bike or scooter. 

At school, this child may be constantly moving in the classroom to pay attention to things in their environment.  They may prefer to watch sports or children on playground equipment. 

Oral Motor System:
This child may be a picky eater and sensitive to textures, tastes, the colour or smell of food. They may be sensitive to the type of toothpaste that is used of whether someone helps them to brush their teeth. 

Please note that these are general descriptions and characteristics.  A comprehensive assessment will provide individual information on sensory sensitivities, modulation and descrimination. 

There has also been a link between people with sensory processing difficulties (as described by Ayres and Dunn) and Sensitive Processing Sensitivities (genetically determined tempermental or personality trait). "Although temperamental SPS and the different sensory processing patterns and disorders are not the same, they do have a low sensory threshold in common and can thus provide preliminary insight into the association between high SPS and problems in daily functioning" (Boterberg and Warryen, 2016). 

Highly sensitive people have a deep central nervous response to physical, emotional, social and/or sensory stimuli. They can be highly empathetic, caring of others and taking on their problems as their own. ​
​

In general, the child who exhibits a "sensor" sensory profile benefits from support from others (teachers, parents, therapists, friends) to provide sensory experiences to help a child to continue with a task and manage thresholds.  The instinct is to remove sensory stimuli, however for this profile, the recommendation by Dunn is to increase discriminatory sensory input (rather than arousal input) to help organise patterns of information.  

This children may benefit from focusing attention on the task at hand or being in the moment.  They may find predictability, repetition and routines helpful to plan and organise their brains.  They may benefit from meditation and mindfulness. 

Therefore intervention planning may include:

• Increasing discriminatory sensory input.
• Providing support to continue a task, managing thresholds.
• Focus attention through repitition, meditation and mindfulness.

Some examples of sensory supports may include:

Visual System:

• Reduce visual clutter (in the classroom) or provide a designated place to sit.  Use visual barriers (eg. desk screen divider) to reduce visual information. 
• Provide a predictable visual environment to organise thoughts (eg. the information on the whiteboard is in the same place even though the details of the day, weather, schedule, etc may change).
• Position important items at waist to eye level to reduce the need for alerting head movements (ie. looking down and up).   Position the child so they are looking forward to important information (Eg. the front of the room).
• Organise information using structured visual prompts (eg. Use predictable visual timetables and checklists).

Auditory System:

• Provide predictable patterns of auditory cues (Eg. use the same verbal prompts when forming letters). 
• Prepare the child for auditory input (eg. the bell will ring soon, the hand dryer will be noisy, I am going to use th hair dryer now). 
• Use an auditory countdown (eg. After I give the instruction, I will stop speaking.  or The class can start speaking in 5 seconds; 5 4 3 2 1...).
• Provide noise cancelling headphones to reduce auditory input. 
• Provide a quieter place in the classroom when needed.
• Use music and songs, assigning predictable actions or associated implications (eg. when this song is played, everyone packs away toys). 

Tactile System:

• Provide discriminatory touch input  (ie. firm touch pressure) on the surface of the skin (eg. prior to hair washing/cutting). 
• Purchase seam-free or tagless clothing. Remove tags from clothing. Many sensitive children enjoy bamboo cotton clothing and linen. 
• Provide a graded introduction to textures in play. Provide predictable visual or verbal input together with tactile activities.

Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems. 

• Provide proprioceptive activities so that they child can experience "heavy work" with feedbak to their muscles and joints. (eg. animal bear walks, hanging on low monkey bar, carry buckets of water/sand).
• Provide linear rhymthic patterns of movement (ie. forward/backward, side to side).  Children may enjoy sitting on a rocking horse, balance air cushion).
• Provide opportunities for the child to manage the amount of input, propulsion and balance. (Eg. Sit on a low playground swing so that their feet can touch the floor initially. )
• Practice weight shifting with a close centre of gravity (eg. standing with legs close together before placing them further away). 

Oral Motor System:

• Provide a gradual introduction to new foods and textures (consider the SOS approach).
• Allow for opportunities to organise food prior to eating (eg. use a divided plate).  
• Provide (or allow the child to apply) firm touch pressure around the mouth and face prior to dentist vists and tooth-brushing.​

With exposure and support to tolerate sensory stimuli, these children may increase their ability to cope. This may be due to cognitive reasoning (eg. I don't like the feel of sand on my feet, however if I tolerate it then I can play with my family at the beach) or a decrease in sensitivity (eg. The sand doesn't hurt as much now because I have gone every day this week).  For some people, they will remain sensitive to certain stimuli and accept that. 

These children may enjoy repetitive play or structured leisure activities. (For example, stacking and unstacking blocks, completing puzzles, knitting, jumping on the trampoline.)  They may also enjoy rhymthic activities such as swimming, dancing or drumming. 

The "Sensor Sensory Profile" and the "Avoider Sensory Profile", share low neurological thresholds for tolerance.  The main difference between these presentations is whether they actively regulate (usually avoiding) or if they are passive with their self-regulation.  They may both REACT but does the memory of a perceived threat or demand, create increased avoidance behaviour?

The "Sensor Sensory Profile" and the "Bystander Sensory Profile", both have passive responses however their neurological thresholds are different.  The Sensor has a small bucket which fills easily and the Bystander has a large bucket that they need help to fill. 

Thank you to everyone has provided feedback on the "Bystander" profile that I shared recently.  Thank you for your patience as I work through creating these visual resources to help explain sensory profiles.  They will eventually be made available as a pdf, so please keep in contact as I develop these. Head back to the overview of Dunn's sensory profiles, take a closer look at the Bystander and stay connected for more. 

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
YKOT shop:  https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/
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We are not the only experts.

Currently, I work with teachers from 9 schools and preschools.  
I was trying to count the number of schools that I've work at  over my 26 year career and it is well over 30. 
I know that I have experience and expertise. It's not a case of false modesty. 

BUT... 

What I have learnt in my career, is that we are not the ONLY experts.  Recommendations are easier to make than to implement. 

I've seen occupational therapists (and other allied health professionals) who are amazing advocates, amazing with children,  making fantastic recommendations ... becoming disillusioned with working in schools, frustrated by a lack of carry over into the classroom or being asked by schools not to return. 

My secret to working with teachers should not be a surprise.  I come from a place of respect.  Respect for the work they do, respect for the experience they have (even if they are new graduates), respect for their limitations. Teachers deserve respect.  They have a hard job! They face pressures of the curriculum, the classroom, parents and OTs; let alone teaching children who may not all want to be there to learn. 

As paediatric OTs we spend a lot of our energy connecting with our clients (our children) to provide client-centred practice.  We also may work on rapport building with parents but do we have the same therapeutic relationship with teachers? 

Rapport comes from good communication (written, verbal, informal and formal).  It comes from opportunities to develop the relationship even if it is a hello in the playground or borrowing a key! Rapport comes from empathy and connection. 

How can I help you?
As I mentioned previously, recommendations are easier to make than to implement.

When our recommendations are not implemented, we have to ask why.  Are they unrealistic? Is it time? Has the teacher implemented these before?  Does the teacher understand the reasons behind the recommendation? Is it practical to implement? How did we make the recommendation?

When we ask the teacher ... "how can I help you"?, we are inviting collaboration, listening to their main concerns, listening to practical issues about implementation. We can ask, "what has worked for you"? "what hasn't?" 

Strategies to work with teachers:

• Can we help by providing whole class strategies (that benefit the client as well as the whole class)?  For example, can we provide brain breaks that provide sensory input that the whole class can do? 
• Are our recommendations practical? Did we try the recommendations ourselves? 
• Can we offer to provide resources? For example, modified paper, checklists, pencil grips, social stories, visual prompts. 
• Would the teacher like activities that the child can do independently? 
• Would the teacher appreciate a group activity where other children can also benefit? 
• Would the teacher like activities that could be part of a rotation between stations? 

"Push in".... I actually hate this expression.  I know that it is widely used in some parts of the world to express a therapy style where OTs are in the classroom, providing support to the students. The term "push in" implies that we are not wanted, not needed, not valued. 

I hope we (OTs) are not "pushing in" but being "invited in". If we want to be valued as a profession, we need to value those whom we work with. 

If you are a teacher reading this blog, I would love to hear from you.  How do you want occupational therapists to work with you? 

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
YKOT shop:  https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/
​