TheraCraft

24/04/2025

15/04/2025

If you work with or parent individuals with autism, you’re likely familiar with the uniqueness of their sensory preferences.

Sensory reactions often vary greatly, and what may seem typical for one child can be entirely different for another. 🌟

Recent research explored the connection between autism and sensory processing disorder to identify patterns or similarities.

This is a crucial topic because sensory differences can manifest as challenging behaviors or feelings of distress in autistic individuals. 😔

These sensory differences may also impact other areas, including motor, social, and cognitive abilities. 🧠💬

22/03/2025

❤️💚❤️

06/07/2024

Taking turns is a life skill needed in the home, community, classroom, everywhere! Here are tips and strategies to support this skill area: https://www.theottoolbox.com/turn-taking/

21/06/2024

Big movements come first! This is because strong core and upper body muscles are the building blocks for good hand control. Before a child can use their hands well (fine motor skills), they need to develop:

Postural control: This means being able to hold their body steady in different positions, like sitting upright.
Forearm rotation: This allows them to turn their hands over for tasks like grasping a cup.
Strength and stability: This applies to the shoulders, elbows, and wrists for controlled hand movement.
Thumb separation: This lets them use their thumb and fingers independently for more precise tasks.

These skills develop in a specific order, with gross motor skills like rolling and standing coming first. Playground activities like climbing and swinging help build this foundation for future fine motor skills like writing. The weather is nicer so go outside and play on the playground, the perfect place to developing those gross motor skills.

02/05/2024

22/04/2024

It’s a Fun Tunnel Day! 🌈🌈 🌈

Tunnel crawling can enhance physical strength, mobility, focus, response to stress and moods and emotional stability. Kids will gain social contact and a sense of belonging if they engage in the crawling exercises in small groups.

17/04/2024

"Occupational therapy and play go hand in hand. There is a reason why you’ll often see kids playing as part of their OT sessions: Play is the primary job of children!

A family walks into an Occupational Therapy clinic for the first time. With a quick look around, the child notes swings, gym mats, ramps, balls, bins of toys, and shelves of bubbles, games, and toys. It looks more like a play room than a clinic. Even the school-based OT, with their suitcase on wheels has containers with toys, mini erasers in fun colors, balloons, small-scale games, and toys…in a school where it seems there is no time for play!

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND PLAY

There is a reason that pediatric Occupational Therapy centers on play. Play is the most essential occupations of childhood and it’s a natural medium for achieving goals and prompting kids to work toward goals that may seem lofty, unnatural, or hard.

Occupational Therapy goals are often included in pediatric OT interventions as the actions that come with play work to achieve the underlying areas needed for play as well as other areas of function."

Read more: https://www.theottoolbox.com/occupational-therapy-play/

15/04/2024

12/04/2024

GOOD NEWS!!!

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SLOTS ARE AVAILABLE!!

Let’s collaborate and provide activities to help your child meet developmental milestones, overcome sensory challenges, and improve self-care, school skills, play, and self-regulation skills.

For more information, you may contact us at 09232374183 or message our page https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088977645828

16/03/2024

An important reminder! ❤️

08/03/2024

Picky Eater Feeding Tip: TAKE YOUR TIME

It can take between 15-20 exposures (or offerings) before a child is willing to put a new food in their mouth.

Try not to rush this process. Keep offering the food and don't give up before you have offered the food at least 20 times.

Read more:
https://www.childfeedingguide.co.uk/tips/common-feeding-pitfalls/food-refusal/

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/health/healthspecial2/15eat.html