Occupational Therapy with Kate Powell

17/05/2025

Most people know Chris Martin, the amazing lead singer in Coldplay. He has recently been to Hong Kong and shared his experience with mental health problems and tools that he uses to help him. Proprioception input is also helpful for children, not just for mental health issues. It is one of the tools that I often talk to parents about. It helps children and adults in so many ways to calm or elevate their arousal levels, emotional regulation, body awareness and coordination, to name a few examples. Please view his Instagram video to see for yourself. Also, please view my website for more information on proprioception. There are more than 5 senses!!!!!

07/04/2025

When you have a neurotypical child, you feel reasonably assured that class participation and decent study habits will result in good grades. These kids have close friends. They get invited to participate in social things like dances and weekend gatherings. They make the teams, auditions, organizations and clubs.

But when you have a child with certain differences, this is often not the case. Learning may take longer, both academically and socially. Despite their tremendous efforts, results are often a fraction of their peers and social acceptance is fleeting, setting them up for painful comparisons and bitter frustration. Instead of a fun and fulfilling experience, school can become a breeding ground for depression and anxiety, and assignments a battle ground at home. It is exhausting for parent and child alike.

This is the week of SPED (Special Education), Autism, Dyslexia, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) awareness.

For all the children who struggle every day to succeed in a world that does not recognize their gifts and talents, and for those who are walking beside them, please let this be a gentle reminder to be kind and accepting of ALL people.

Recognize that the "playing field" is not always a level surface.

Children who learn differently are not weird. They are merely gifted in ways that our society does not value enough. Yet they want what everyone else wants: To be accepted!!

If you choose, please "copy and paste" (by touching and holding the text) onto your profile in honor of all children who are deemed "different".
Our world would be far less beautiful without them.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

22/11/2024

Great turnout before school today for my talk on the 5 areas of regulation at Kellett School. Teaching staff, thank you so much for joining me today in your valuable planning time.

22/11/2024

This is a video to help children who are struggling to attend and are wriggling too much. It links with the zones of regulation, so it is helpful to look at that website first as I talk about going from the yellow to the green zone. It is useful for children from 4 to 9. It is important to do all the steps, as we need to slow our bodies down to get ready for working again. You can spend longer at each stage if needed.

This is a video to help children who are struggling to attend and are wriggling too much. It links with the zones of regulation, so it is helpful to look at ...

30/09/2024

I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my expertise with the amazing Educational Assistants at Tung Chung Kindergarten today!

We discussed so much about the 5 areas of child regulation (beyond just emotions!), how to identify children's individual differences and our own, how to support regulation, and how to develop engagement. It was incredibly rewarding to work with such a dedicated team who embraced role-playing and actively sought to enhance their skills. Their only feedback? They wanted more! 😄 looking forward to our next session together.

06/09/2024

Sensory Seeking - what it is and how to help

Understanding Sensory Seekers: A Guide for Parents

Sensory seekers are children who crave sensory input and stimulation. Seeking comes in 2 parts:
They have a high threshold, meaning they need a lot of input to feel satisfied.
They are also active in self-regulation, meaning they need to move/touch/hum, etc., immediately, and engage their senses to feel calm and focused, whereas we may be able to delay that urge.
(reference: Winnie Dunn)

Characteristics of Sensory Seekers:
Always on the Go: They are constantly fidgeting, moving, humming, touching things, and seeking out new experiences.
Crave Novelty: They don't like sameness or routine. They need variety and new experiences to stay engaged.
Struggle with Waiting: They may have difficulty delaying gratification and need immediate sensory input to feel regulated.

Supporting Sensory Seekers:
Sensory Cup: Imagine filling their "sensory cup" with the input they need to feel calm and focused.
Variety is Key: Provide a variety of activities, toys, and experiences to keep them engaged.
Movement Opportunities: Encourage movement through activities like dancing, jumping, running, and playing with sensory toys.
Tactile Exploration: Offer opportunities for tactile exploration through play dough, sand, water, or textured objects.
Flexible Routines: While routines are important, be flexible and allow for variations to keep things interesting.
Sensory Breaks: Provide opportunities for sensory breaks throughout the day, especially when they seem overwhelmed or restless.
Examples:
Getting Ready for Bed: Instead of a strict bedtime routine, have a ‘slowing down time’ and offer a choice of calming activities, such as a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to music.
Dinner Time: Allow them to help prepare meals, try new foods, or use different utensils. However, some seekers do limit their food choices.
Screen Time: Limit screen time and offer alternative sensory stimulation activities.
Remember:
Be patient and understanding. It takes time for sensory seekers to learn how to regulate their senses.
Celebrate their sensory needs. Don't try to suppress their desire for sensory input.
Work with their strengths. Use their sensory seeking to their advantage by incorporating it into learning activities.
By understanding the needs of sensory seekers and providing them with the right kind of sensory input, we can help them feel calm, focused, and ready to learn.

28/08/2024

Let’s get the start of the school year off to a good start.
How to help children with their self organisation at the start of the year.

12/03/2024

I was delighted to be asked to visit and advise Singapore international school last week who want to enable in school Occupational Therapy support more easily.
It was wonderful to meet Wei Ling and her team and discuss practicalities. I am happy to have helped them with this and am available for further advise as ne

11/03/2024

I was thrilled to support international women’s day at the Peak school last week where staff were asked to wear purple and discuss the day with the children.

14/02/2024

How we talk to our child/ren is very important. We need to consider our tone of voice, our gestures, and our facial expressions. Children can easily pick up when we are angry so we need to be aware of what we show even when we try to hide it.
Also the words we use are extemely important. Just changing a phrase can help diffuse a situation. Below are some suggestions. They say the same thing but provide more support.

12/01/2024

This is such a great visual on how to promote development in your child's play skills. Sitting back, and using the 3 Ws also helps. Wait Watch and Wonder

13/10/2023

Please see the attached information on Regulation and Biology. It is an information sheet designed for all parents of young children.