We all know that emotional regulation can be tied to behavior such as hitting and pushing. It can be difficult for children who struggle with regulation to think before their body launches into a fight/flight response. However, let’s talk about some other issues that may be behind hitting and pushing and what you can do to support it. 

Proprioception: this is the sense that tells us where we are in space. Since children are still developing this sense, it can cause some to push or hit-especially while in a line or crowded space. When there are many people around them, their body can get confused about boundaries and the child may push or hit to get people to move away from them.

Tactile defensiveness: this has to do with our sense of touch. When in a crowded space, there may be too many people that are touching their body, or that move into the child’s personal space. This can cause the child to push out their arms in order to create a boundary.

Visual processing:...

We all know how important and valuable free play can be for a child’s development. However, what happens when you have a child that really struggle with free play? How can you best support them? Why might they be struggling with something that seems so natural?

Today we are going to cover three reasons why children may struggle with free play. These reasons include interoception, social skills, and overwhelm. Let’s take a deeper look into why this might happen.

Overwhelm: some children may struggle with overwhelm, especially those that function better with structure and routine. They may struggle to identify what they want to play, or who they want to play with. They may also feel overwhelmed at the idea of having a choice to play, especially if most of their life is routine based. These routines feel safe and comfortable for them, and an open play can feel scary and overwhelming. Instead of making a schedule or routine for these children, you may want to...

Anxiety can be incredibly tricky to deal with at school, because it can look like so many different things. Anxiety can appear like perfectionism, work avoidance, the child that deliberately distracts the classroom, aggression, agitation, and even the “perfect” student who is quiet and does not call any attention to themselves. 

So what can we do to support anxiety in the classroom? What kinds of supports can be helpful in IEPs or even in 504 plans? This week we are going to dive a bit into anxiety and how you can best support your child, or those that you work with in a school setting.

First, we need to understand that anxiety is often trauma related and fear based. So, when the anxiety is triggered the student will have the same reactions as the fight/flight response. This means that there will be a decrease in blood flow to the “thinking” part of the brain, as well as a decrease in ability of the hippocampus or the “memory” part of the...

We’ve all seen it. The child that sits there and doesn’t do any of their school work even though you know they can do it. Or maybe, they get up and run around the classroom, or even go to the bathroom frequently to avoid work. Perhaps you have ended up in a power struggle with these children, or even (gasp) taken away recess!

If you have been around here for any length of time, you know that some of these behaviors can actually be related to anxiety. It is most likely not a child who is trying to be difficult, but rather a child that is struggling with something inside. So today I am going to share my top 5 tips for helping an anxious child in the classroom. These strategies are also effective for resistant learners, or those who seem to have low motivation.

1. Get moving.

   Don’t EVER take away recess from an anxious child (or any child for that matter). If anything give them MORE movement. Movement helps to regulate the nervous system. This includes...

Check out the over 100 ideas for gifts for sensory and behavior needs including ADHD, impulsivity, focus, attention, executive functioning skills, and more!

We are in unprecedented times with more and more students engaging in distance or e-learning. Are you struggling to get them back on task, or working to find a movement break formula that actually works? Read on, we've got answers. 

This formula allows the brain and body to become engaged, and allows for a transition to and from movement which supports regulation. So how does it do that?

When we are using our brains to concentrate on something, we don't have an unlimited ability to pay attention. Eventually, we have to use something called conscious control and work to help our brains focus. The longer we use this, the harder we have to work. Movement breaks are a great way to reset the brain and fill up the conscious control tank. Often at the time, we use a movement break we have children who are starting to move to the hypo alert state which is more distracted and disengaged. If we just jump up and start moving, they may shift through the states of regulation...

Yep, that’s right. We don’t talk about inclusivity in our house.

 Instead, we practice it.

 Inclusion can be such a buzz word in today’s society. We have such high expectations of inclusion to happen in our classrooms, and many criticize how and when it takes place. However, underneath all of this, we seem to have forgotten to practice inclusion at home.

 Maybe you have thought “of course we are inclusive”. But are you? What does an inclusive home look like?

 In our home all are welcome. Yep, that means the kids who are aggressive, the child who has meltdowns, the impulsive friend who can use bad language, the child with a diagnosis, and the child without one. In our house, we invite everyone to play. Oh, and birthday parties of kids we don’t know well. We go to those too. In our house, we make connections with as many kids as we can for playdates and parties. Our kids aren’t perfect and we don’t believe in only...

Christmas time can be overwhelming for many children, especially those with sensory processing issues.  So what can you do to have a more sensory-friendly holiday? Let’s check out a few tips.

Decorations

Decorations and the change in normal décor can be challenging for some kids to handle. When decorating think about offering a decoration-free zone so that their home can still feel familiar to them. Communicating about how you will keep a particular area free of decorations is a great way to help them feel included.

 Also, consider how flashing lights or bright colors may affect your child. If they are calming to them, then you can even add them to their room or inside the home. If they are distracting or upsetting, think of limiting these decorations to outside the home.

 When adding lights to your house, think about where your child’s bedroom may be in relation to lighted areas. These lights may affect sleeping during the night, so you may choose...

Are you interested in purchasing gifts this year that are fun and also promote brain and body development? Look no further! We have put together the ultimate gift guide for all of your sensory processing and behavior needs. All images are linked, so download, click, and shop! 

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