ADHD & OT
Occupational therapists are able to provide therapy programmes that will address the sensory processing difficulties and help the child to attend and learn by adapting the environment and activities.
Anxiety
Support your child to notice and label their early warning signs of anxiety (fast heart rate, tummy ache, sweaty palms etc) Work with your child to create a ‘worry plan’. If they can tell you what their specific worry is.
ARFID
Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is diagnosed when people avoid certain foods or types of food and consequently their food and nutritional intake is significantly reduced.
ASD
ASD stands for Autistic Spectrum Disorder/ Autism. This is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others autistic people may see Autistic people may see, hear.
Attachment & Connection Games
It is important that all of the activities are played with happiness and laughter. This is the key to a positive connection.
Attachment and Connection Games explained
Eye contact, smiles, and laughs are also helpful to promote a healthy relationship and repair or enhance attachment.
Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy
Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) is a theory and evidence-based practice. It's goal is to alter how the brain processes sensation.
Bilateral Integration
Bilateral integration is a developmental skill that begins to occur within the first year of a baby’s life. It begins by bringing both hands together at midline.
Brain Breaks
Little/no talking, Safe space, Key adult present, Sensory strategies, Connect and interact- share space, play, Calm, sensitive talk.
Brainstem Calmers
One of the most helpful ways to move children from high anxiety states, to their calmer ‘thinking brain’, is repetitive rhythmic activity. Creating a therapeutic.
Calm Toolkit
A sensory kit is a bag, box or container that holds a variety of sensory tools that can be used to calm a child’s nervous system. The items need to be portable and accessible.
Children With Unclear Speech
Can the child show you another way - act it out, use a mime? Use gestures yourself when you talk together, so the child sees them in action.
Comic Strip Conversations
‘Comic Strip Conversations’ were first devised by Carol Gray, who worked with autistic children. Hand-drawn sketches of stick people are used.
Developing Early Communication Skills
Bilateral integration is a developmental skill that begins to occur within the first year of a baby’s life. It begins by bringing both hands together at midline.
Developmental Co-ordination Disorder
Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), also known as Dyspraxia in the UK, is a common disorder affecting fine or gross motor co-ordination.
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a term that refers to trouble with writing. Many experts view dysgraphia as challenges with a set of skills known as transcription.
Engaging with pre-verbal Children
Find out how the child prefers to communicate and use this with them - do they use gestures, signs, words or a system (such as pictures, a flip book or a device?).
Executive Functioning
Executive functioning is a term that refers to the cognitive functions that allow us to decide what activities we will pay attention to and which ones we'll chose to do (Hart and Jacobs, 1993).
FASD
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong cognitive, emotional and behavioural challenges. This condition is linked to alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Handwriting
Handwriting is a skill we use every day. It allows us to express ourselves, display our learning, and communicate<br /> with others. At school, where most work is written by hand, it is vital.
Heavy work
The proprioceptive system is activated any time the joints are actively compressed together or stretched apart. This provides heavy muscle work which has a calming, organizing, and regulating effect on the body.
Heavy Work In Secondary School
Helping to move/arrange desks, Organising equipment cupboards, Helping to mop, sweep or clean after lunch.
Heavywork ideas
Carrying heavy books, Hanging / monkey bars, Drink through resistive straw, Roll over gym ball onto hands, Weighted backpack.
Interoception
Interoception is a sense that provides information about the internal condition of our body—how our body is feeling on the inside.
Low Arousal Approaches for PDA
In order to manage challenging behaviour, we must be aware of the causes of that behaviour, and how our own actions and attitudes can affect the people we support.
Masking
Masking involves trying to hide your true self so others will accept you. It’s also referred to as camouflaging. This means that children with any difficulties act in ways that other people will think are appropriate and to try and be accepted socially.
Movement breaks
Have a walk whilst Carrying something, Rocking chair, Roll over gym ball onto hands, Have a walk & wear a weighted backpack.
Postural Control ideas
Lay on tummy and lift arms and legs off floor, Hanging / monkey bars, Drink through resistive straw, Roll over gym ball onto hands, Weighted backpack.
Regulation choices
Carrying heavy books or backpack, Rocking chair or swing, Lycra Body sock or sausage roll squash, Roll over gym ball<br /> onto hands.
Selective Mutism
‘Selective Mutism’ is an anxiety-based disorder. The child can speak freely in some situations (such as at home), but may not speak at all in other situations (such as at school, or with people outside the immediate family). It usually starts between ages 2 -4 years.
Sensory Circuits
Lay on tummy and push gym ball back and fourth, Lay over gym ball and lean through arms whilst completing an activity, Throw and catch a large gym ball.
sensory circuits ideas
Bounce on trampette, Bounce bottom on ball, Self spinning, Throw the beanbag into hoop, Balance along the bench, Stepping along the ladder.
Sensory Friendly classroom
Make the room organised, free from clutter and reduce the number of colours & displays Be aware of background noises, sudden loud noise and noise levels in the classroom.
Sensory light room
A sensory room is a quiet space dedicated to stimulating, developing and relaxing the senses. Unlike a school classroom, where children.
Sensory Paths
A sensory path is a defined path that directs children to complete a variety of sensory-motor movements. These are typically gross motor tasks that incorporate proprioceptive input, vestibular input, and visual input.
Sensory Processing Intro
‘Sensory integration’ is the term used for the brain processing information that comes though the senses. It is crucial for a child’s development and education.
Shoulder stability ideas
Lay on tummy and push gym ball back and fourth, Lay over gym ball and lean through arms whilst completing an activity, Throw and catch a large gym ball.
SP and Trauma
When children experience early loss, separation, abuse or neglect their brain development is affected in significant ways. They often experience what is known as Developmental Trauma.
Three Rs
Little/no talking, Safe space, Key adult present, Sensory strategies, Connect and interact- share space, play, Calm, sensitive talk.
Validating Children’s Emotions
Validating our child’s emotions means that we...Notice and observe the emotion without judgement. Listen to our child Acknowledge what they say. Accept their emotions, whatever they are.
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