Ms. Jennifer OT

Happy National Handwriting Day! I have a strong like/dislike relationship with handwriting. I am always happy to see daycares and schools honoring the rich developmental processes involved in handwriting.

When is the last time you wrote someone a handwritten note or scribbled down your grocery list? I encourage all the families I work with to make writing functional for kids. I love having paper, notepads and journals available for my own kids so they are free to write when they want. Their new favorite writing activity is making menus for dinner based on what we are cooking!

It's National Handwriting Day!

Pediatric Occupational Therapists are often described as the "handwriting experts", but there is SO much more a child must develop and learn before they are ready for handwriting!

Some of our families have seen this pyramid before, but for those who have not, it shows the developmental progression our minds and bodies need, in order to move onto the next pyramid "building block". If our sensory systems are underdeveloped, our pyramid will struggle to build upwards!

What to do if you feel your child IS ready for handwriting, but is still struggling?
COME SEE US! We can help pin-point the cause and develop a plan to keep that pyramid building!

Image borrowed from: North Shore OT

Perhaps forming letters can actually wait until the child is intrinsically motivated!

This 4 yr old child has asked for help to write his name, but aside from that, he has done zero writing of any other letters,

YET...

I see all the components necessary to form every single lower case and upper case letter in his self-chosen painting.

I see big lines, little lines, horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, big curves, little curves and circles.

This tells me all of this child's freedom to MOVE and USE his body as he so chooses has worked to connect body and brain. (far more so than removing time to MOVE and replacing it with forced table time and "writing time")

His hands are able to do what his brain says....his brain is able to direct those hands to make all sorts of necessary lines to accomplish HIS intrinsically motivated task.

PERHAPS, we should assess a child's ability to write in a different way?

PERHAPS, forming actual letters CAN WAIT until the child is intrinsically motivated.....

PERHAPS, forming actual letters isnt as important as assessing a child's body/brain connection in different ways?

PERHAPS, we should stop the disrespectful practice of teaching children how to write their names INCORRECTLY (all capitals) just so they can do it earlier. INSTEAD...wait, and follow the lead of the child. WAIT....and value that ALL MOVEMENTS a child chooses to engage in are, indeed, getting a child's body and brain "ready".

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/listentothechildren

****Commenting has been turned off on this post...there is just one of me and 50,000 plus of you. When I feel Im falling behind on my posts, I seek balance. Thank you for understanding****. You can ALWAYS message me.

This is really important to think about. Looking forward learning and growing in the New Year.

Can I just dream for a minute.

Imagine everyone getting on board with neurodiversity-affirming practice and education next year.

I’ll do my best to make it happen.

Em 🌈

P.s. NT stands for neurotypical, ND stands for neurodivergent.

Be Kind!

Great annual reminder from Feeding Matters! Happy Thanksgiving!

All the beautiful pieces of the puzzle are important. Strength and needs alike are helpful in working out how to best help a child.

Our children need to reconnect with play and discovery. They need to be outside and connect deeply with nature.

Toothbrushing can be a really hard thing for some people, here are some great tips!

Neurodiversity is beautifully fascinating.

Series 1: Some Children - educational graphics.
*Disclaimer: I am not a professional or expert, I am interpreting behaviour based on my own lived experience and thus it won't be correct for all.

Have you had an appropriate dose of vestibular input today? Everyone's tolerance for movement is different and can cause a variety of responses.

SO MANY DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS OF SWINGING

Swinging is not only fun for all children, but it can be calming to children who struggle to regulate and help children who need sensory stimulation for learning!

Truth! As a feeding therapist, one of my primary roles is helping caregivers understand just how true this is. Feeding therapy is challenging and takes time and commitment but it is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.

“Eating is the ONLY task children do which requires simultaneous coordination of all 8 of our sensory systems,” argues Dr Kay A Toomey, founder of the SOS Approach to Feeding, as she debunks common mealtime myths. This is useful information for therapists and parents to share with others who may not fully understand the challenges some children with difficulties have around food and feeding: http://bit.ly/2xp9Pil

Play💜 The work of children 💜

“As children develop and grow, so does their way of playing. Let’s take a brief look at how play develops and changes over time for children. Margaret Parten outlined the six stages of social play and it starts at birth.”

https://www.encourageplay.com/open-ended-play/

This.

Play is on my mind.