Learn for Life Occupational Therapy

Recognising signs of dysregulation can help you to better support any child. Regulation means adjusting our emotions and energy to match what's happening around us.

Dysegulation does not always look like hyperactivity or aggression. Signs can include anxiety,avoidant behaviours, being overly silly, fidgeting, baby talk, hiccups or limited eye contact.

Identifying these signs early can help us to know when a child needs support to co-regulate.

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We often talk about the importance of validating your child's feelings. 'Name it to Tame it' is a concept by Dr Dan Siegel, which emphasises the power of labelling emotions to regulate/tame them. By identifying and acknowledging feelings, we can reduce their intensity and better manage emotional experiences.

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Building a warm and responsive relationship for co-regulation involves connecting with your child and responding to their needs. This means delighting in their interests, participating in their play and being present with them in their emotions.

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Before children can self-regulate, they must be supported through co-regulation. Co-regulation is crucial for many of our clients as they learn to handle stress, frustration or sensory overload.

Co-regulation involves 3 key elements:
💛 Building a warm and responsive relationship
💛 Structuring the environment
💛 Modelling self-regulation skills

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Special interests can provide children a sense of purpose, joy, and fulfillment 💛

Using children's special interests within therapy can be helpful to foster social connection, build confidence and support emotional regulation.

Be sure to let us know your child's special interest!

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We provide services both at our Torrensville clinic and within the community, such as at homes or schools. There are benefits to each!

Sessions within our clinic provides a controlled environment for skill-development and access to specialised equipment.

Community-based therapy is convenient, fosters application of practical skills, allows for adjustments to the environment, and promotes collaboration with others.

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Did you know that Occupational Therapists can work in collaboration with your Speech Pathologist to support use of your communication device?

We will consider your:
🟡 Motor skills
🟡 Posture and Positioning
🟡 Vision
🟡 Cognition and Attention
🟡 Environmental Adaptions

www.learnforlifeot.com.au/

Not all wheelchair cushions are made equal!🦽

Foam, gel, air, honeycomb and hybrid cushions each offer unique benefits for comfort, support and pressure relief. Your Occupational Therapist can assess your individual needs to optimally support your posture and mobility.

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Assistive Technology (AT) can transform lives by promoting greater independence. Our OT's can help with equipment prescription, from specialised seating and electric beds, to adapted cooking aids and home modifications. Get in touch to assess your AT needs!

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Functional Capacity Assessments thoroughly evaluate a person’s independence in daily activities, helping to identify goals and determine the level of support they need. Each assessment is tailored to the individual’s specific needs.

Contact us to enquire about an FCA for you or your child: https://learnforlifeot.com.au/contact-us

Occupational Therapy may seem like fun and games, but it really targets key skills to improve daily life. Learn more about what OT's do by reading our recent blog post:

https://learnforlifeot.com.au/resources/f/what-is-occupational-therapy

Sleep hygiene consists of practices and habits that promote quality sleep and reduce sleep disturbances. These practices can include:
🟡Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule (same sleep and wake time)
🟡Creating a restful environment (cool, dark and quiet)
🟡Limiting light exposure (avoiding TV/phone screens)
🟡Being mindful of food and drink intake (reducing sugar and caffeine)
🟡Establishing a relaxing pre-sleep routine (such as a bath or reading)

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Did you know that Occupational Therapists can support your child with their sleep? This includes reviewing their sleep routine and environment, and assisting with strategies for settling to sleep and reducing night-time awakenings.

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This April we celebrate National OT Month. A special acknowledgement to our amazing therapists who make a difference in their clients' lives, one occupation at a time 💛

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Backwards chaining for dressing allows individuals to gradually learn each step in reverse order, ensuring mastery of each component before progressing to the next. This allows them to gain confidence and motivation as they work towards completing the entire dressing routine 👕👖

Read more about how to support dressing skills using Backwards Chaining at our blog here: https://learnforlifeot.com.au/resources/f/backwards-chaining

When teaching a self-care skill, such as toileting or showering, utilising visual sequences can increase independence. A visual sequence uses pictures (real photos or picture symbols) to break down a task into smaller steps. By breaking down a skill into smaller steps, it can help teach the skill one step at a time, and support working memory.

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Using cutlery is a complex motor skill for children, requiring hand strength, dexterity, coordination and planning 🍴

You can support skill development through the use of adapted cutlery, starting with softer foods and ensuring a stable seated position.

Cutlery skills don't just have to be practiced during mealtimes - try encouraging this during cooking, playdoh play, with sensory bins or kitchen/picnic pretend play.

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The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model guides assessment and intervention in Occupational Therapy. By addressing barriers and enhancing supports within the person, environment or occupations, we can help individuals to improve their performance in daily activities.

This can look like:
🟡Person - developing their physical, cognitive or psychological skills
🟡Environment - providing physical or visual aids, or social supports
🟡Occupation - modifying the task demands for success

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The playground is for more than just fun - it's a space for sensory regulation and honing gross motor skills 🛝

🟡 Climbing structures like monkey bars and ladders help improve upper body strength and coordination
🟡 Swinging helps to develop processing of movement (vestibular) input, core strength and coordinating both sides of the body in synch
🟡 Balance beams or stepping stones challenge balance and coordination
🟡 Crawling through tunnels or tubes provides body awareness (proprioceptive) input and develops spatial awareness
🟡 Sandboxes, bark and water holes provide a tactile sensory experience, and promotes creative play ideas

What is your favourite activity at the playground? 💛

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Our latest blog post explains the importance of sitting in a 90-90-90 position. This is where the hips, knees and ankles are all bent at a 90-degree angle when seated 🪑

Have a read here to find out more → https://learnforlifeot.com.au/resources/f/90-90-90-sitting-position

W-sitting position provides children with a greater base of support, often seen as a way to compensate for core weakness. This position can encourage poor posture, decreased trunk rotation, pigeon-toe walking pattern, and can increase stress on joints.

Occupational Therapy can assist by providing alternative seating and increasing core strength and balance.

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All children have different sensory needs to support their attention and learning. Below are some general tips to promote a sensory-friendly classroom:
🟡 Designate sensory zones: quiet corners, sensory stations, movement areas.
🟡 Offer flexible seating options: bean bags, rocking chairs, floor cushions.
🟡 Use adjustable lighting: dimmer switches, natural light sources.
🟡 Implement noise-reducing strategies: noise-cancelling headphones, white noise machines.
🟡 Offer sensory-friendly activities during classroom lessons, such as incorporating movement breaks or hands-on tactile learning experiences.
🟡 Create a sensory-friendly schedule with predictable routines and transitions.
🟡 Keep the classroom organized and clutter-free.
🟡 Provide sensory tools and fidget toys.
🟡 Incorporate regular sensory and movement breaks.

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Getting ready for school involves more than just backpacks and pencils…

Occupational therapists help to build children’s foundational skills for a successful school experience. They can offer support in various areas, such as:

🟡Dressing skills, helping children don uniforms and tie shoelaces.
🟡Planning and organisation, assisting in arranging belongings and packing school bags.
🟡Establishing and following a class routine, as well as managing transitions smoothly.
🟡Enhancing attention and sensory arousal to actively participate in tasks.
🟡Developing fine motor skills for activities like drawing, colouring, writing, and cutting.
🟡Imroving gross motor skills for outdoor play and physical activities.
🟡Fostering social skills for effective interaction with peers and conflict resolution.
🟡Promoting problem-solving abilities and a growth mindset to navigate learning challenges.

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Neuroaffirmative goal setting fosters inclusive strategies for meaningful growth. What does this look like?

✨Targets meaningful goals, established in collaboration with the client
✨Focuses on functional outcomes rather than compliance or neurotypical expectations
✨Supports the client to advocate for their own needs
✨Promotes a supportive social environment through education of others
✨May include physical environmental changes to accommodate their needs
✨Accepts and respects differences in communication preferences
✨Includes interest-based goals and activities
✨Measures outcomes holistically through client/parent perspectives, client progress and quality of life

www.learnforlifeot.com.au/

Wishing our clients and their families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We are excited to support you with your therapy goals when we return in 2024 🎅⭐

www.learnforlifeot.com.au/

The Prompting Hierarchy can be referred to as a guide for grading the level of assistance provided, to promote independence within tasks.

🟡Physical: Physically assisting the person's movements or completing the task for them
🟡Modelling: Demonstrate the task or skill for them to imitate
🟡Gestural: Non-verbal cues such as pointing or signaling to communication what action is expected
🟡Verbal: Providing verbal instructions for steps to complete the task
🟡Visual: Referring the person to a visual aid, such as pictures or written instructions, to support their understanding and completion of the task

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Whilst therapy can focus on a child's skill development, it's also integral to look at modifying the task or environment to promote a child's learning and success. This is especially important when considering neurodivergence and sensory needs.

Instead of:
"Stop wiggling" 👉 offer alternative seating
"Pay attention" 👉 offer intermittent movement breaks
"Join the group" 👉 offer noise-reducing headphones

www.learnforlifeot.com.au/

📍 NEW CLINIC LOCATION

This week we have officially transitioned to our new clinic space at 148 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville.

We are thrilled to be supporting our clients in our expanded space and provide an enhanced therapeutic experience.

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This OT Week we’re celebrating the theme: ‘Unity Through Community’

At Learn for Life, we are passionate about helping people engage with and participate in their community. Working in the community setting allows our therapists to address individual needs in a real-life context, fostering greater functional outcomes.

www.learnforlifeot.com.au/

Did you know that OT's can work in collaboration with your Speech Pathologist to support use of your communication device?

OT's will consider your:
🟡 Motor skills
🟡 Posture and Positioning
🟡 Vision
🟡 Cognition and Attention
🟡 Environmental Adaptions

www.learnforlifeot.com.au/