All Categories

Christmas Breathing Tools (FREE PRINTABLE)

2/12/2024

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.

Breathing tools Button Text

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/

0 Comments

Happy OT Week Australia 2024! (Another Freebie!)

21/10/2024

0 Comments

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!

0 Comments

An overview of executive functioning skills (Freebie alert)!

14/10/2024

1 Comment

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.

I am joining a team of 20 speakers to present to you a range of topics including:

Interoception
Sensory processing and eating
Supporting your child with their big emotions
Child-led learning
The importance of self talk

This summit is available for FREE and is directed mainly to parents (those who homeschool or not). Therapists and teachers will also benefit from attending. When you register for the summit, you will be notified each day with a 24 hour link to the specific speaker for the day. The 24 hour link also provides access to each free resource that the speaker provides. You will need to access that resource on the day or you will miss out.

My session is the opening talk on October 20th from 9am EST (US time zone). For my Australian audience, this is October 21st midnight for 24 hours. This is also the launch of OT week in Australia, so I'm very excited to have these events coincide!

Use the link here to access the FREE registration. Please note that you will need to register before the summit begins to have free access to the talks and resources.

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:

Home to see you at the summit!

1 Comment

Let's Write: Handwriting Legibility Workbook (74 pages)

2/9/2024

2 Comments

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.

Let's Write: Handwriting Legibility Workbook

2 Comments

Over 50 Occupational Therapy Amazon Favourites!

20/8/2024

0 Comments

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

Sensory and Regaulation Tools

Play

Gross Motor

Visual Perception

Handwriting/Scissor Skills

Other

0 Comments

Sensor Profile...alarm bells are ringing.

27/6/2024

0 Comments

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.

Sensory Characteristics

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.

Sensory Supports

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.

0 Comments

OTs working with teachers!

11/6/2024

2 Comments

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?

2 Comments

"Bystander" Sensory Profile: "Wait what?"

3/6/2024

1 Comment

"Wait what?"

This is the phrase that I think of when I think of someone who exhibits a "bystander sensory profile". We are looking at how our central nervous system manages sensory information in the world we live in. In my last blog. I provided a general overview of how Winnie Dunn describes this in her assessment (Sensory Profile-2). Head back to my last blog post for this overview.

Dunn describes the "bystander sensory profile" as having low registration. Others use the term "low arousal". The child (or person) has a high sensory threshold, passive self-regulation and may miss sensory cues. To put it into more simple language, let's think of the child's central nervous system being like a bucket. These children have a large bucket and it takes more sensory information/input for them to register the information. These means that are "hypo-sensitive" to input, so they don't notice it. They are passive with their self-regulation, which means they may need help as they are not aware or seek the information for themselves. To help this child to "fill their bucket", they need sensory input with more frequency, more intensity and longer duration than other children.

Bystander Characteristics

In the classroom, a child who may have a "bystander" sensory profile may demonstrate some of these characteristics.

Visual System:
This child may miss visual information such a facial expressions, words on the board, gestures or they may have trouble finding items. On the other hand, they may not be distracted by visual information in the classroom.

This children may be seen wandering around the classroom, as they haven't noticed everyone else is already sitting on the floor. They may be looking in their pencil case for the eraser and don't notice that it is on the table. They may not see the visual schedule that tells them what is happening. They may not notice that the time on the clock so they ask to go to the bathroom two minutes before it is about to ring. They may not notice that the child who was asked to work with them has rolled their eyes, and they go sit with them easily.

Auditory System:
This child may not hear their name being called and may have difficulty listening to verbal instructions (especially if there are multiple steps). They may not be affected by environmental noises such as other people talking, clocks ticking, background music, etc.

This child may be in the centre of the busy classroom and is undisturbed with the activity that is engrossing them. The teacher may have called their name multiple times and they don't notice until the child sitting next to them gives them a poke. The child may hear that they are to do a maths activity, however may miss the information to place the finished work on the teacher's desk. The child may not hear other students say "can I have a turn"?

Tactile System:
This child may not notice their own body signals such as cold or messy hands. They may seem to have a high pain tolerance. This recognition and response to body signals is also called interoception. On the other hand, this child may not notice other children bumping into them and can wear different textures without difficulty.

This may be the child whom you notice on a really hot day is still wearing a jumper. They may come back from lunch with food over hands that they haven't washed. They may scratch themselves as they walk along the wall and not notice that they are bleeding. They may not mind joustling in a line of children waiting for the bus.

Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems:
This child may be passive with movement and prefer sedentary activities. They may have low energy levels and act overly tired. They may also appear withdrawn or have poor balance. These children may have low muscle tone and poor core strength affecting their proprioceptive and vestibular systems. Movements may not affect them emotionally.

These children may not notice when they are feeling unsteady and may fall over frequently. They may move slowly from the classroom to the locker room. They may not recognize that they feel dizzy spinning around until they fall over or vomit. They may notice when they bump/lean onto other people or furniture.

Oral Motor System:
This child may not recognize body signals such as a messy face or dribble. They may not notice if food is hot, icy, spicy or textured.

This child may be disinterested in food. They neither avoid nor do they seek food. They may be slow to eat food and chew for a long time.

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

Bystander Sensory Supports

In general, a child who exhibits a "bystander sensory profile" benefits from increased sensory input with more frequency, more intensity and for a longer duration. They will need help to do this from other people (from their family, friends and teachers).

Intervention Planning may include:

Increasing awareness with different presentations of information or varied task requirements (ie. novelty).
Provide multisensory opportunities.
Enhance task features.
Highlight contextual cues.

Some examples of sensory supports may include...

Visual System:

Provide increased visual contrasts (eg. change the writing colour/shape/presentation of the writing paper, use different coloured markers on the whiteboard to represent different information).
Provide more time to find information.
Provide strong visual cues (eg. sit on a coloured spot).
Work on visual perceptual skills (eg. figure ground, visual discrimination, form constancy)
Link visual information with a response (eg. everytime the teacher's hand is raised above her head the students raise their hands).
Explicitly teach visual information in handwriting (eg. noticing the left margin by highlighting it before writing, use craft stick to aid spacing between words).

Auditory System:

Make sure the child is attending to the adult before providing verbal instructions.
Provide visual support together with auditory information (eg. a visual checklist).
Practice active listening with action responses (eg. teachers clap a pattern and students copy, every time a movement word is spoken then the class perform the action - "popcorn" pops).
Ask the child to repeat an intruction given to them.
Ask the child to repeat the instruction by instructing another student with the activity requirements.
Provide single instructions at a time.

Tactile System:

Use massage of hands, feet or face to increase alertness before an activity. Older children can do this independently and it may involve using hand sanitizer, lotion or sunscreen.
Provide opportunities for multisensory learning through messy play and exploring different textures. Assist the child to label different sensations and how they feel on the body. Contrast sensations such as hot/cold/warm, wet/dry, messy/clean, smooth/bumpy/fluffy/spikey, etc.

Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems:

Provide opportunities to identify and contrast movement (eg. fast/slow, spining/rocking).
Provide opportunities to grade force (eg. gentle/strong, heavy/light).
Practice different body positions (eg. yoga).
Use a mirror and help the child to monitor match what they see with movement.
For older children you can may use ankle/wrist weights and a heart rate monitor to provide additional information from the body.
Incorporate movement breaks with heavy work or rhythm to provide regulatory benefits.

Oral Motor System:

Incorporate facial massage (eg. before eating).
Use an electric toothbrush (vibration) for toothbrushing.
Use a face washer rather than hands to wash face.
Practice oral motor activities incorporating movement of the tongue, lips and blowing.
Increase crunchy foods eaten (eg. carrot sticks) providing increased jaw movements.
Make funny noises and faces.

The word "sensory" has been a buzz word for a while. It seems like it has grown from OTs sharing information to a much wider interest and audience. This is great but sometimes we can be overloaded with information. My attempt here is to provide information in a practical digestable way for everyone interested.

I hope that this series of blog posts will be just that. I want to share the information in a way that you may not have seen before (my own infographics). My aim is to provide a practical approach to understanding how our children process sensory information, the impact that it can have and some supports that you may try immediately.

In doing this series, I've removed some of the previous resources that I have published here at Your Kids OT. I will be reviewing and updating some resources to reflect this new way that I'm presenting "sensory" information! To be continued...

Stay in touch to find out about the other three sensory profiles anad more!

1 Comment

Sensory Profile Overview

24/5/2024

0 Comments

Every day we are bombarded with different senses in our world.

How do we respond to those senses?

Do we stop to smell the roses? (I prefer peonies but also happy to smell the roses)
Do we try to avoid them (walking to the other side of the street)?
Did you miss the fact there were roses on your walk?
Did the smell annoy you and cause you to scrunch up your face?

We are all unique. This means that we all process senses in different ways.

Some of our children have difficulty coping with the senses in the world they live in. It can affect their ability to get dressed, go to sleep, participate in the classroom or enjoy a walk in nature.

Sometimes our bodies enjoy sensations that are calming and regulate us (I'm thinking a massage, coffee, warm shower and a warm fire for myself). We may actively seek those things as we enjoy them. We crave them to relax us.

Sometimes our bodies are stressed and the demands of the enviroment (or activity) causes us to respond by avoiding them. For me that's doing filing my finger nails. I have never been for a professional manicure!

Sometimes are bodies are hypervigilant and we notice everything going on around us. We may be fearful and anxious or just very alert. We may not do anything about it but those feelings are still there. I'm thinking of times when I'm alone walking at night or in a foreign country unable to speak the language.

Sometimes our bodies are lethargic and we are oblivious to anything going on around us. Maybe we are focused on one thing while other things are happening around us. Maybe we ignore things that we shouldn't. We miss the train announcement telling us that the next train has been cancelled and then we board the wrong train. We don't notice how sleepy we are and keep reading in bed until we are over-tired.

Don't relate to any of my examples? Remember we are all unique and we have different ways to process sensory information.

In this article, I am providing an overview of Winnie Dunn's sensory framework. Winnie Dunn is the author and creator of The Sensory Profile-2. This is an assessment that is used (predominantly by occupational therapists) to help provide information about how a child (or adolescent or adult) process sensory information. Dunn describes this framework as an explanation of the "interplay between neurological thresholds and self-regulatory behavioural responses to explain how we process sensory information".

There are four broad profiles, however people can experience aspects of each profile depending on the environment or the activity. For some people one profile may be significantly dominant, affecting all aspects of their life.

Bystander

The "bystander" may miss sensory cues. They have a high threshold (ie. it takes a lot for them to notice) they respond passively. They may need more intense sensory experiences to register the information.

Sensor

The "sensory" reacts more quickly and more intensely to sensory information. They may have a high level of awareness to their envrionment (low threshold).

Seeker

The "seeker" is busier and more engaged in sensory experiences. They actively seek self-regulation and have a high threshold (can manage more input than others).

Avoider

The "avoider" is more likely to retreat (active self-regulation) from unfamiliar situations and prefers environments with limited sensory input (low threshold).

When is intervention required?

Just because we process sensory information uniquely, doesn't mean that we all need "intervention". This depends on the affect that sensory processing has on the tasks we want to do, when it affects our daily living and functional capacity.

Some intervention may be "easy". We can cut off those clothing tags so the person who is hypersensitive doesn't have to experience it. Familiarity and predictability of routines or environments can help some people process sensory information. Other people will require more intensive sensory opportunities, incorporating them into daily life.

I will explore the sensory profiles more closely with a look at how they may affect our school-age children in future blogs. In the meantime, here is an infographic by Pearson Clinical with a look at framework (can you spot the typo)? For the studious, you may like to watch a presentation by Winnie Dunn "Situating sensory processing with other approaches".

Do the sensory profiles reasonate with you or can you see your children in the descriptions?

0 Comments

Preventing Burnout: Strategies for Success!

6/5/2024

0 Comments

Burn out is real!

It is often joked about as a "midlife crisis" but I have heard from new therapists that even after a year of working, they can feel burn out. The barriers to doing our jobs are real.

Child and parent disengagement.
Feeling undervalued or de-valued.
Service delivery challenges - high caseload numbers, changing systems, lack of funds, high KPIs (key performance indicators).
Emotional Exhaustion.
De-personalization of services.

More and more therapists are considering career changes.

In my study of the literature about the "Therapeutic Use of Self", I found an article by the American OT association "The OT avatar: Redefining therapeutic use of self, post pandemic". I've linked it here for your reference. The article describes the unprecendented strain of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational therapists leading to high rates of OT burnout.

This is not a uniquely OT phenomenon. You may be a teacher, speech pathologist, physiotherapist, psychologist or even a parent .... experiencing the same thoughts and feelings. Whilst as a workforce (sorry not you parents) we may just leave and find something else of meaning, it is not always easy to switch career paths or to find a new job.

The article goes on to provide some practical ways to develop strategies for success. Lets take a closer look.

Being self-aware is an important skill to have as a therapist.

It is important to be able to reflect on our own strengths, weaknesses, triggers and traumas. How do we respond to our clients? What are out thoughts, attitudes.... what are our emotional, behavioural and physiological responses?

We need to be self-aware so that we can help ourselves... protect ourselves, set boundaries, be kind to ourselves, allow ourselves to process uncomfortable feelings, prevent conflict, be objective about situations and clients.

Positive coping strategies and tools can look different for individuals. The four strategies that apply to everyone (parents you are back in here) are exercise, sleep, mindfulness and work/life balance (this means taking time off). The work/life balance is the hardest to achieve here, especially if you are like me and have a hard time "switching off" the brain. I have had to adopt more concrete strategies like closing the door to my home office and not opening it on the weekends.

Sometimes we need someone else to give us "permission" to set boundaries. So consider this as your permission.

Take what you need:

repeat an activity,
take a break,
make mistakes,
don't respond immediately to emails and texts,
don't take work home,
turn off social media,
have a hard time connecting with a child,
ask for help,
say no,
protect yourself from compassion fatigue,
laugh at work (do something that makes you smile),
have fun!

It can also be helpful to re-frame our thinking towards aspects of work which we find tedious (but I'll delve into that one on another blog).

We (as people) are built for community. Even introverts need to be with people some of the time. It is no different in our work. As a sole trader, I've often found myself being "alone". Whilst I work with people every day (teachers, other professionals, children, parents)... this is not the same as being part of an OT team.

"Reinforcing our professional identity" Frye and Gigliotti (2023) explain is a restorative activity that can engage the mind and body. This can include building professional networks, working within a team, seeking supervision and participating in professional development activities.

If you find yourself isolated, reach out. Find a local professional group. Find an online group. Seek supervision from peers or a mentor.

It can be no surprise that "occupation-based practice" is included as a strategy. OTs are experts on occupation for our clients but what about ourselves? What act of "doing" brings satisfaction and joy? Can we use our interests and personality to our work? Of course we can. This does not mean imposing our values or disregarding the interests of our clients. If you attended my talk on the "Therapeutic Use of Self" (sorry not currently available)...you will know that being self-aware, intentional and purposeful will bring a way to develop connection with our clients in a meaningful way.

Now if you made it all the way to the end of the article and you are thinking... but I'm NOT burnt out, I applaud you for persisting to the end. Did you notice the title? Go back and consider these recommendations to prevent burn out.

We don't want a burnt out profession.

How can you help yourself to prevent burn out? How can you support your colleagues (and parents)?

0 Comments

<<Previous

Join the YKOT e-newsletter!

Subscribe to get our latest content by email and receive

the SHAPE ROADS PRINTABLE NOW!

Join our Mailing List!

Subscribe to get our latest content by email and receive

the SHAPE ROADS PRINTABLE NOW as a thankyou!

Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. 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. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.

Find me

Follow me

Visit Your Kids OT's profile on Pinterest.

About me

Author

Hi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here.

Christmas Breathing Tools (FREE PRINTABLE)

Happy OT Week Australia 2024! (Another Freebie!)

An overview of executive functioning skills (Freebie alert)!

Let's Write: Handwriting Legibility Workbook (74 pages)

Over 50 Occupational Therapy Amazon Favourites!

Sensor Profile...alarm bells are ringing.

Sensory Characteristics

Sensory Supports

OTs working with teachers!

"Bystander" Sensory Profile: "Wait what?"

Bystander Characteristics

Bystander Sensory Supports

Sensory Profile Overview

Preventing Burnout: Strategies for Success!

Author

Archives

Categories

Popular Posts

Join the YKOT e-newsletter!

Join our Mailing List!

Find me

Follow me

About me

Author