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The Sensory Child…How Sensory Processing Disorder Affects Daily Functioning.

Posted on February 23, 2018February 23, 2018 by admin

Sensory regulation affects every one of us. We all engage in sensory processing and regulation on a daily basis. Have you ever felt overwhelmed in a very noisy environment and decided to step outside? Have you ever worn a very

Posted in: Blog

My child has been diagnosed with low muscle tone. What does this mean?

Posted on February 8, 2018February 8, 2018 by admin

A diagnosis of low muscle tone is often given to individuals whose muscles appear less firm than usual. People with low muscle tone may appear to have β€œfloppy” movements. They may also have poor posture and constantly slouch when sitting

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Dima Alsakka,  OT Reg. (Ont.)
Hope your 2020 is off to a strong start πŸ’ͺ. . I' Hope your 2020 is off to a strong start πŸ’ͺ.
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I've definitely been back to work in full force.
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I recently made this visual for a child to use at school. This child needs a ton of movement to stay focused, and as a result was having trouble controlling his body in the classroom. . 
The idea is to provide him with  appropriate outlets for heavy work, and more importantly to have him do it independently.
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Most OTs use a ton of visuals when working with children. I find parents and teachers are often hesitant as to how well visuals work. There is a lot of research to support the use of visuals with children who need extra cues or prompts. They are not obtrusive or obvious , and a child can use them independently discretely . However, a successful use of a visual takes practice and time. It's not a magic pill in of itself, but should be used as part of a program depending on the intended goals such as self-regulation, communication, or independence in self-care, dressing etc..
#torontooccupationaltherapy #gtaoccupationaltherapy #sensoryplay #sensorydiet #play #selfdirectedplay #adhd #autism #visualschedule #sensorydiet #ipreview via @preview.app
Wishing you all a merry Christmas and happy holida Wishing you all a merry Christmas and happy holidays πŸŽ„β˜ƒοΈ.
Recently, a mom told me her child was very excited Recently, a mom told me her child was very excited for his OT session. When she asked him what his favourite part about OT was he responded : "the breaks " πŸ˜….
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This is a child who really, reaaaallly struggles focusing on a task, especially if it's a written task. He is diagnosed with ADHD, and attending to a task for more than a few minutes at a time is so difficult. Unfortunately lats year, he was repeatedly kept inside during recess to finish work (πŸ˜”) , which made his productivity even lower because he had nooo outlet for heavy work.
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He's eight, and so expectations in the classroom for written work are higher this year. I've come up with this routine while working with him, and I've been using this with a number of children. Each child has a different baseline to how long they can attend to a task and how complex that task can be. .
I should also mention that I always incorporate sensory strategies WHILE he is working too! For example: he's allowed to stand while doing work, amongst other things.
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But despite all that, he still needs to move..... A llllooot! And if I don't breakup the task and allow him the opportunity for regular heavy work and movement, all his attention and productivity go out the window. Even worse, he also gets extremely anxious because he loses control of his body. It's definitely a work in progress though, and over time I am confident that it's a skill he can build on. He won't always need me to time his work and breaks, the goal is to have him self-regulate independently.
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He may have called them "breaks"... But they are essential for this child's self regulation, and thus his learning. He was never offered any accommodations or movement breaks in the past, and in fact the one break  he was entitled to (recess) was often taken away from him.
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Sensory strategies need to be incorporated into a child's daily routine, it's the only way these kids can be in a calm and regulated state to learn.
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Do you struggle with keeping your sensory child focused?
As we head into colder months and short daylight h As we head into colder months and short daylight hours, remember that your children still need an outlet for heavy work and deep pressure , especially sensory-seeking children. Here is a list of  no-prep indoor play ideas that can provide your children with organizing deep pressure input.(I like to combine those to make a sequence of acitvities ..sort of like the kid version of circuit training πŸ‹οΈβ€β™€οΈπŸƒπŸ€Έβ€β™€οΈ).
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1. Crawling: my go-to acitvity at the start of most of my sessions. I also sometimes lift kids legs in the air and have them "walk" with their hands (aka wheelbarrel walking).
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2. Hula Hoop: a ton of fun and a great core excercise.
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3. Jumps & jumping jacks: if your child is bouncing off the walls inside your house, ask them to jump for a minute or two. The physical impact provides pressure input to the muscles and joints, but it's also a rhythmic movement which is highly organizing.
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4. Have a dance party: my favorite is finding a children's instructional dance video on YouTube. It is a great way to practice motor planning too since children have to imitate movements.
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5. Balloon tennis: you may not want to throw balls inside your house, but tennis with a balloon is still a ton of fun and a great excercise.
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6. Swaddling /wrapping: who doesn't love a tight hug or a squeeze? Deep pressure is a universally calming sensory input, and even more so for sensory seekers. I use Lycra fabric to wrap the children during my sessions. Lycra is a brand of spandex found at most fabric stores, and  has well-established therapeutic uses. I've had families make hammock swings out of lycra, and children love it.
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#torontooccupationaltherapy #gtaoccupationaltherpay #sensoryplay #sensorydiet #play #selfdirectedplay #freeplay
#autism #sensoryseeker #proprioception #heavywork #adhd
#sensoryregulation #sensorychild #spiritedchild #montessori #montessorikids #finemotor #grossmotor #grossmotorplay #playroom #playroomideas #indoorplay
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