Being purely right handed is the “norm”. Being left handed is less the norm, but often comes with "laterality dominance". “Pure” ambidexterity is even less common. Either way you look at it, being left handed lends to certain challenges. Here are some tricks to help!
Many kids with a diagnosis of Motor-Based Dysgraphia struggle with the fine motor aspect of writing. This condition often causes their hands to hurt when they write or leads to an unusual pencil grasp. Their fingers may lack the fine muscle movements needed to form smooth, fluid letters, which in turn slows down the writing...
Making sure your child gets quality sleep is key in development and daily function. Establishing a consistent and predictable nightly schedule can be highly beneficial in achieving that quality sleep. Determining an effective sleep routine can be challenging for families, especially because every family and their needs are unique. Regardless of the age of your...
Summer is a great time for children to engage in fun activities that both entertain and work on important skills needed for development. Fine motor skills in particular are an important part of everyday life and can be worked on through a variety of fun activities. Fine motor skills involve the coordination of small muscles...
As the Fourth of July is quickly approaching, it is an exciting time, anticipating festivities and fireworks! However, it is important to remember that these exciting celebrations, may be overwhelming for some individuals, including those with sensory sensitivities. Those facing sensory processing difficulties may not be able to enjoy these celebrations in the same way...
How Summer Break Impacts Autistic Kids: Tips for Smooth Transitions It’s Summer! As we count down the final days of the school year and get ready for summer break, it is important to consider what summer break can mean for families of children with Autism. It is a very exciting time, with warmer weather, sleeping...
Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the California Floortime Coalition in an effort to collate “Options for Behavioral Health Treatment for Autism.” The effort was in response to the Comprehensive Autism Care Demonstration Annual Report. This report is in response to Senate Report 114-49, pages 157-158, accompanying S.1376, the National Defense Authorization Act...
Self Regulation is the cornerstone to early childhood development. As a matter of fact, self regulation is the number one predictor to academic success in children ages 3 to 5 years old. The ability to self regulate is not something that you’re born with. You mean, my kid doesn’t come with a self regulation button?...
Developmental, Individual-differences, and Relationship Based (DIR) model DIR is the Developmental, Individual-differences, and Relationship Based (DIR) model. This evidenced based model is used to help autistic people and others with developmental challenges. Developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan, DIR considers the critical role of social emotional development starting at birth and continuing through a lifetime. The model...
An important early fine motor milestone that children develop is the ability to feed themselves with utensils. Toddlers typically start using a spoon for eating between the ages of 10-12 months (CDC). A child will continue to develop towards increasingly effective use of a wide variety of eating utensils for self feeding as they get...
