April is National Occupational Therapy (OT) Month, a time to celebrate how occupational therapy helps kids grow, learn, and participate in everyday life. But what exactly is OT and how did it begin? Understanding the history of occupational therapy helps show why it continues to be such a powerful, play-based approach for supporting children today....
Spring is the perfect season to get your toddler moving and it’s also a great time to support their occupational therapy (OT) goals! Simple, playful activities can help build core strength, hand skills, and coordination, all of which are essential for everyday tasks like sitting, feeding, drawing, and playing. Here are some OT-inspired spring activities...
This blog is the final part of our hand development series. Over the past four months, we’ve explored how infants and toddlers move from early reflexes to more refined, purposeful hand movements. Now, this checklist brings all of those milestones together in one simple reference for ages 0–2. You can use it to track your...
When it comes to building connection with your toddler, sometimes the simplest moments are the most magical especially around holidays! St. Patrick’s Day offers a fun backdrop for playful interactions that spark learning, communication, and emotional connection. Using DIR/Floortime principles, these back-and-forth games can feel like magic for both you and your child. What is...
(Part 3 of Our Hand Manipulation Development Series) By 12–18 months, toddlers want to do everything themselves, and toddler hand development plays a big role in how smoothly feeding, play, and communication unfold. When hand skills lag behind that drive for independence, frustration often follows. This stage isn’t just about milestones, it’s about how well...
(Part 2 of our Hand Manipulation Development Series) Between 6–12 months, your baby moves from simple grasping to intentional, coordinated hand skills. This stage is full of exploration — banging, transferring, dropping, poking, and picking up smaller items with more precision. But when certain skills don’t appear on time, it’s worth paying attention. These early...
(Part 1 of our Hand Manipulation Development Series) Your baby’s hands are busy developing the building blocks for future skills, even when it looks like nothing more than grasping your finger. In these first six months, hand skills help set the stage for crawling, eating finger foods, playing with toys, and eventually learning to write....
As an occupational therapist, I often walk into private school classrooms where the buzz of children’s voices, the shuffle of papers, and the hum of fluorescent lights create an environment full of both opportunity and challenge. While academic goals take center stage, many students—especially those with developmental differences—struggle with regulation, engagement, and social participation. This...
As an occupational therapist trained in the DIR®/Floortime™ model, I often remind parents that social-emotional growth doesn’t happen through lessons or drills—it develops through relationships, play, and connection. When we meet children where they are, understand their unique sensory and motor needs, and engage in joyful interactions, we help them build the foundation for lifelong...
Executive functioning skills are like the “air traffic control system” of the brain. They help children: When a child has difficulties in these areas, daily routines like homework, getting ready for school, or following multi-step directions may feel overwhelming. How an OT Can Help Occupational therapists look at how executive functioning challenges affect your child’s...
