Summer is around the corner for many of us. This means picnics, day trips and all around summer fun. It can also mean different schedules, new sensory stimuli and additional meltdowns. Here are 19 summer tips for special needs parents.
Category Archives: Tips for Behavior and OT
Calming Activities for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
I’m always on the lookout for new ideas to help out my SPD kid. Check out this list… it may give you something new to try.
20 Special Needs Parenting Tips For Sticky Situations
Writer Karen Wang offers a humorous look at what parents need to know in dealing with sticky situations.
26 Sensory Integration Tools for Meltdown Management
A sensory adult shares what she would include in a sensory integration tool kit to help you when you’re out of the house with your own sensory kid.
Managing Circle Time
Is your child having a hard time with circle time at preschool? How about sitting on the floor at kindergarten during story hour? (We did!) Here are some ideas on how to manage these difficulties for your child.
Related articles
What To Do for Biters, Chewers, Suckers, and Pickers
So often children with sensory challenges exhibit particular behaviors. My older child was the biter when he was younger and my 4yo would put everything and anything in his mouth. He’s still a sucker — but we’ve moved past the Matchbox cars.
What To Do for Biters, Chewers, Suckers, and Pickers
Related articles
- Thumb Sucking and Children (education.com)
- 9 Ways to Wean a Child Off Thumb Sucking (webmd.com)
- He flaps his hands and screams a lot, but he doesn’t mean to annoy you (learningneverstops.wordpress.com)
Weathering the Storm of a Meltdown Leads to Great Rewards
Think all you get is stress when your child has a meltdown? Actually, it can create a greater bond between you and your child…. depending on how it is handled.
Photo: John Bradley
Weathering the storm of a meltdown leads to great rewards
Related articles
- Jacket Fail: The Ongoing Oddysey of Winter Coat Meltdowns (voicesofsensoryprocessingdisorder.com)
Sensory Processing Disorder: Vestibular Dysfunction
Forget what you learned in elementary school. We actually have seven senses, which include the proprioceptive and vestibular systems. But one at a time! This article offers a good intro into just what vestibular dysfunction is and offers some high-level ideas of where to start.
Weighted Pencil How To
” Some students benefit from using a weighted pencil, all of the writing time or sometimes. The extra weight gives a little extra proprioceptive input that alerts the student to the fact that s/he is holding something and gives them a bit extra information about where the pencil is, in their hand.” – OT Tools for Public Schools
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When You Feel Your Temper Rising
Having an SPD kid can really test your patience. On so many boards I see parents who are feeling bad for yelling at their kids… but we’re all human and sometimes don’t have the reserves left.
Here’s a piece from one of my favorite parenting blogs — Aha! Parenting by Dr. Laura Markham. I discovered her early on and am a big fan.
Kenza Braiga Temper 7 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Sensory Spectrum 