Positive Steps Pediatric Occupational Therapy

10/21/2025

Ever seen your child’s therapists break their crayons in half? We have a good reason! 🖍️

Small crayons help to facilitate proper grasp development. Because of their small size, a child isn’t able to use a fi**ed grasp or other compensatory grasps and truly encourages only their fingers to hold the crayons. But why is a tripod grasp important?

Tripod grasps provide stability and control of writing utensils, and help develop intrinsic hand muscles that are needed for handwriting and fine motor skills. It also helps them learn how much force to apply on their crayon tip!

Have you tried this at your clinic or at home with your child? Let us know!

10/14/2025

It finally feels like fall on the east coast! 🍂🍁

Nothing we love more than a cozy sweater, a hot cup of tea (or coffee), and some crunchy leaves. We all find our own activities that makes us feel calm, happy, and focused. So here are a few ideas to help your kiddos feel the same way too!

Do you have another fall heavy work activity to add to our list? Let us know!

10/02/2025

Part 2: Why does sensory play matter? FOR SO MANY REASONS! Sensory play engages all of your child’s senses which helps build neural connections to the brain, which is ultimately the foundation of learning! Sensory play can help:

-develop language skills
-promote fine and gross motor skills
-cognitive growth
-social skills
-exploration and creativity
-targets all of the senses including Proprioceptive and Vestibular systems

Do you have more to add to our list? Let us know!

09/29/2025

Play is one of your child’s biggest occupations, and is crucial for their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development. And there is more to play then just sports, playgrounds, or board games! Here are some quick and easy ideas for different sensory play that could be done at home every day. Remember- it doesn’t have to be expensive to be therapeutic!

Which kind of sensory play is your go to? Let us know below!

09/26/2025

09/22/2025

Wishing everyone who celebrates a happy and healthy new year!

11/27/2024

WITCH-ever you got, we’re here for you!

Link in bio to work with to help your whole family thrive!

11/12/2024

Being an occupational therapist means working with children ACROSS settings. We are so lucky to have the children in our clinic, work with parents on strategies for home, and consult with teachers about how to support success in the classroom. I (Dana) was so lucky to go speak with the Jewish Federation of greater metro west, and have the opportunity to talk to teachers about sensory strategies for the classroom.

Working with children in their natural settings and allowing them to participate fully in the academic programs by these incredible teachers is so special!

Our teachers were so excited to create sensory jars and and get their hands messy themselves! Gosh, do we love what we do!

11/06/2024

Solitaire is an oldy but a goody. Is OTs love classic games! They’re classic for a reason!! So many of these activities and toys (with no batteries!) require thought and manipulation from the child.

Solitaire is such a great way to work on:

In hand manipulation
Working memory
Visual perceptual skills
Pressure gradation
Number identification

These jumbo cards are also super fun and motivating!!

09/27/2024

Between fall festivals and Halloween, it’s face painting season! Many sensory kiddos end up desperately wanting their faces painted but struggle to either sit through the process or with the actual painting time because of the sensation on their skin.

Here are our thee biggest tips:

-🎠before heading over to the booth, get in movement! check out swings, bobbing for apples, hitting the hammer or the bounce house first! your kiddo may be better able to tolerate the sensation on their face after that movement.

-🤚check if they can adapt the designs for the arm, back of the hand or legs. these areas tend to be far less sensitive to touch.

-🧼be ready to remove it 2 minutes later. usually moisturizer helps with this process so there’s less scrubbing. even if you have to wipe it off quickly, you didn’t waste your time or money. it was practice and should be celebrated as a success!! snap a picture to hang up in the house.

We know how hard it is that families with sensory challenges can’t “just do regular things” without preparation and planning. It’s painful. Hopefully a helpful perspective is that you teaching your child tools and strategies to adapt so that they CAN find a way to participate in traditions and experiences that matter to you ❤️.

09/20/2024

Major misconception we hear all the time…

“If I let my kiddo play in their Halloween costume, it won’t be as special for halloween night. They’ll get bored and move on.”

Not the case!!

The sooner you can get your hands on a Halloween costume and let your sensory kiddo feel it out, the better!

Children with sensory needs often find Halloween particularly challenging. One way you can set them up for success is dramatic play IN THEIR COSTUME.

Let the plastic smell air out, see how they feel moving in it, check if they need an undershirt for itchiness.

And…have a pumpkin long sleeve-shirt backup ready just in case.