Summer vacation means a relatively relaxed daily routine. For my family, it’s the perfect time to model and teach life skills. Here are 10 summertime activities that introduce concepts in social skills, communication, organization, self-care and respect for self and others. 1. Get a library card Most public libraries have some type of summer reading [...]
Since we home-school my autistic son, Michael, we are always looking for new places to take him to expand his horizons, provide different environments in which he can practice and generalize his newly learned skills, and simply to have fun. Read on for some tips on how to come up with places that would be [...]
Many people are considering their personal goals or resolutions for the new year. For families of children with special needs, inclusion in the wider community is usually on that list of goals. Here’s a list of 10 ways to include a child with special needs in the new year. 10. Fulfill sensory needs at all [...]
There’s a fine line between a naturally active child and a child who is affected by hyperactivity disorder. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tends to become noticeable early on in childhood, at around 2 or three years old, but because most kids are naturally prone to daydreaming, fidgety behavior and a short attention span, ADHD [...]
“Falling” Into Sensory Strategies Fall is a great time of year to provide your child with sensory input. With a month of school under their belt, most children start to feel the effects of an increased work load and longer periods of sitting in school. Taking advantage of the weather and fall activities can help [...]
It’s summer time and that means new routines and less structure for your child with special needs. Summer can be a season of growth and learning for you child if you structure their day in the right way. Outdoor activities, trips and family time can provide some great experiences that your child would never receive [...]
Between June and September my kids have 82 days of summer vacation, and I’ve promised them something fun every single day. That means I need 82 fun summer activities for one child with a developmental disability and one child who refuses to participate in most activities. It’ll be a piece of cake, right? Borrowing the [...]
Summer is finally here! Warm days stretch out ahead and your children will soon be looking to you to fill that time with fun activities. Here are nine creative ideas that are great for children of all abilities, but are also fantastic for development of sensory processing and gross/fine motor skills. 1. Frozen Fun Freeze [...]
By Amy Hengstebeck, OTRL The holidays are a difficult time for children with sensory processing issues. The usual structured schedule at school and home is disrupted with holiday parties, shortened days and many changes in routine. Many children need a regular diet of sensory input to help them to adapt to these changes. With the [...]
With the advance of smart phones, tablets, netbooks, and computers, our kids are beginning to play many games on these electronic devices by themselves. We are bombarded with an “endless flood of engaging electronic input” and there is a downside.
