Your Kids OT

17/09/2025

15/09/2025

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST SAY…

* Regulation does not mean calm - the aim of regulation (self, sensory, emotional) is not to be calm… it is to become aware of one’s internal sensations and signals, their impact on the activity, environment, within the context of the people we are with… and make responses to meet a person’s needs. It is permission NOT to be calm all of the time but to acknowledge the ebbs and flows of our feelings, emotions and sensory processing.

* Skills for life - We are not trying to help children to pass a test but equipping for now and for the future.

* Meaningful activity = meaningful life. Goals should be set with an inner drive to achieve them.

* Doing leads to growing - Hands on learning engages the body and brain. Active participation is the key to helping a child to create their own lived experience including trying new things, persevering, making mistakes and reflecting. We use multisensory learning and play to engage. We use forward and backward chaining, the prompt hierarchy and our own therapeutic selves!

Check out some of the other “OT sayings” I’ve shared recently. What’s your favourite?

14/09/2025

Autism is a spectrum💛
Hand-drawn by me: lilpenguinstudios.com

12/09/2025

Occupational therapists have several “mantras”
including …

Here are some classics!

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

OTs are not at the fish market, we are down by the river - side by side with rods and tackle. We are doing things together with connection, rapport and relationship building. It’s not only about getting the end product (the fish, the craft, the laces tied) but the process (knowing that we need the fish, learning how to cut, using both hands together).

“Medicine adds days to lives, occupational therapy adds life to days.”

Similarly, occupational therapists seek to bring richness to the tapestry of life. Meaning in day to day living. Helping children to do daily activities to look after themselves, to relate to others, participate in their community - while advocating for broader society awareness, removing obstacles and creating a new accepting culture.


I’m sharing more OT sayings in coming days! What’s your favourite?

12/09/2025

I used some of these worksheets for cutting and crossing the midline recently! They are fabulous! Go get some for yourself from Your Therapy Source!

11/09/2025

Occupational therapists have several “mantras”
including …

Meet a child where they are at - we attune to a child’s needs, adapt and provide the right level of support.

Connection ➡️ rapport ➡️ respect - this is developed not demanded, gained not granted.

Regulation before expectation - we provide strategies to calm the nervous system, reduce demands, change the environment, adapt a task before we expect participation.

Progress not perfection - participation brings progress. Perfection is not a fantasy.

I’m sharing more OT sayings in coming days! What’s your favourite?

11/09/2025

😍

09/09/2025

This week, I share 10 ways you can include “Animal walks” into your routines at homes, in therapy sessions or at school!

Download your FREE printable now!

https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog/why-do-ots-love-animal-walks

Let me know if you want the direct link!

08/09/2025

No damage but lots of reflection.

It was one of those days.

My glasses were pulled from my face (across a table) and thrown across a classroom.

Why? What preceded? What happened after? What will I do next time?

Not every session goes to plan or flows as anticipated. Reflective practice is important to validate your own feelings as a therapist as well as thinking about the child’s thoughts and feelings.

I’m still reflecting on this session and this unexpected behaviour happened. I’m still a little shocked.

It was 45 mins into a session that was going well - including unstructured play, sensory proprioceptive activities with a peanut therapy ball, sensory snakes, some structured play with building a tower, drawing a maze and there was easy transitions with use of a timer. I have a good 3 year rapport with this 9 year old child (with a severe DD, ASD and who selectively speaks). This behaviour was really random.

What followed was that I said I was sad, they held blue blocks to their face to indicate tears (and acknowledged that they heard me). I’m not sure that this was empathy but they did hear me.

It won’t change how I work with this child, as I always gauge demands, activity, the child and the environment…. However I will continue to reflect.

How was your day? What can you reflect on?