Andrea Moncur Mental Health Occupational Therapist

13/09/2025

This is a question we get asked all the time!
Procrastination in teens is often tied to executive functioning skills like task initiation, planning, and emotional regulation. It’s not laziness! It is very developmental (teens are still developing EF skills and struggling to get started is REALLY common. Here are some ways to help (because deadlines do build up!):

Break It Down. Large assignments feel overwhelming. Work with your teen to divide big tasks into small, clear steps (e.g., “open the document,” “write the title,” “outline 3 ideas”).

Use a “5-Minute Rule”. Encourage them to start by working for just 5 minutes. Once the brain gets going, momentum usually follows.

Timers, sticky notes, or a set start time (“begin math at 7:00”) reduce the mental load of deciding when.

Instead of nagging, sit down with them: “What feels hard about starting? What’s one step we can try right now?”

Celebrate Starts. Praise effort when they begin, not only when the whole task is complete. This reinforces initiation as a success.

👉 These tips are part of scaffolding. They are strategies to move from stuck → started → successful.

Here are some supports and strategies to help with task initiation: https://www.theottoolbox.com/task-initiation-executive-functioning-strategies/

13/09/2025

“Children don’t leap from meltdown to calm on their own. They first need the steady presence of a caring adult to co-regulate, before learning the skills of self-regulation. And when things go wrong, repair is the bridge that restores connection and trust.”

OUR TOPIC is AFTER SCHOOL RESTRAINT COLLAPSE
NOW AVAILABLE - only £3.25 until 15 September 2025.
Introducing the After School Restraint Collapse Toolkit for Parents & Educators - link in comments ⬇️

13/09/2025

ADHD is not just about attention, it’s about self-regulation.

Many students with ADHD know exactly what to do, but can’t do it consistently. The issue isn’t effort or motivation, it’s about performance. And it’s time we help the adults in their lives understand that.

This blog offers 10 practical, evidence-informed ways to explain ADHD in plain language, including:
🧠 ADHD as a performance problem, not a knowledge gap
🧠 Time blindness and why “now vs. not now” matters
🧠 Why inconsistency is expected, not defiance
🧠 Why punishment doesn’t teach executive function
🧠 And how recess isn’t optional, it’s regulation

It’s an essential resource for shifting harmful narratives like “they’re just not trying” into real understanding and better support.

✍️ Get the full breakdown of all 10 points and download the printable here:
https://www.rfr.bz/fa9dc06

08/09/2025

08/09/2025

🌟 Are you 16–24 and living in Edinburgh? Looking for a fresh start, a creative outlet, or a way to boost your confidence and skills? Impactful Starts is here to help you take that next step - and it’s completely free!

🖌️ Over 12 weeks, you’ll explore visual arts, design, and creative expression while building employability skills, gaining an SQA qualification, and making new friends in a supportive environment.

📍 Location: The Crannie Community Hub, Edinburgh
🗓️ Dates: Mondays & Tuesdays, 10am-4pm | 15 Sept - 2 Dec
🎓 No experience needed - just bring your enthusiasm!

💬 “It helped me find my voice and feel more confident about my future.” – Past participant

🔗 Sign up now or refer a young person: impactarts.co.uk/project/impactful-starts

The Gannochy Trust Garfield Weston Foundation Creative Scotland

08/09/2025

Absolutely awesome infographic on the eighth - and often misunderstood - sense, interoception, or what's going on inside your body and with your internal organs.
via Neuropositive Living

08/09/2025

https://beaconhouse.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/When-BIG-feelings-take-over.pdf?fbclid=IwZnRzaAMrpTVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmu2QUjt_cKwWzgyDUhCPIgdVjyu924Bv3sUPixi-nK-goDbazYiUVG87c9v_aem_E9ZO-E2RCaWYPRKrK7Wyew

07/09/2025

Did you grow up learning we only have 5 senses?
Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell were just the beginning.

There are three hidden sensory systems that play a HUGE role in how kids move, feel, and function every day, but they often get overlooked:

🔹 Vestibular- the sense of balance and movement https://www.theottoolbox.com/vestibular-activities/
🔹 Proprioception- the sense of body awareness and position https://www.theottoolbox.com/proprioception-activities-improves-body-awareness/
🔹 Interoception- the sense of internal body signals like hunger, thirst, or the need to use the bathroom https://www.theottoolbox.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-interoception/

These "hidden" senses impact everything from attention and emotional regulation to posture, coordination, and toileting.

Understanding these systems can help us better support kids who seem wiggly, overwhelmed, or unaware of their own bodies. A great resource to better understand these sensory systems and how sensory seeking or over-responsiveness/ under-responsiveness impact function is The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook: https://www.theottoolbox.com/product/the-sensory-lifestyle-handbook/

05/09/2025

This is NOT a comment on whether schools are 'good' or 'bad'. This is not a comment on school versus home schooling. Those scenarios have many factors, can be personal choice, or may be influenced by things outside of our control.

This IS a recognition of neurodivergent children who attend school, whether they enjoy being there or not, of the extra effort they put in every day because their divergent presentations means they have to put it in.

Of course, as parents, advocates, educators, and supporters we should be concerned with making education more accomodating and more accessible, whilst striving for improvements to make that happen. But we should never stop appreciating the efforts of the students to overcome the challenges they invariably face every day or forget what they achieve just by being there. I am proud of you ALL!

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

05/09/2025

Does your child seem to "fall apart" after school? Meltdowns can be a sign of executive functioning overload. All day, students are organizing, planning, regulating emotions, and navigating social rules...by 3 PM, their cognitive battery is drained.

✅ Support after-school transitions with brain breaks, visual checklists, and calming strategies.
🧩 We break it down in our newest post:
👉 https://www.theottoolbox.com/after-school-meltdowns-why-kids-fall-apart-at-home-and-how-to-help/

05/09/2025

🛁 Making the Bathroom a Sensory-Friendly Space 🛁

For some children, the bathroom can be full of overwhelming sensations—strong-smelling soaps, noisy bins, cold tiles, cleaning product smells, wiping discomfort, or even the feeling of water on their skin.
These aren’t just little annoyances—they can feel really big to a child with sensory sensitivities.

💡 Small changes can make a big difference:
• Choose unscented or mild products
• Use soft mats, quiet bins, and gentle lighting
• Offer visual supports and step-by-step guidance
• Let children go at their own pace with lots of encouragement

With understanding and a few thoughtful adjustments, we can help make bathroom routines feel safer, calmer, and more comfortable for every child. 💙

Explore the sensory section of our website for more information including our ‘What is Sensory Integration Mini-Series’

👉nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/our-services/children-young-peoples-services-directory/children-young-peoples-occupational-therapy/meeting-your-childs-sensory-needs/

05/09/2025