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...
Fall is here! When providing your child with developmentally appropriate activities, utilizing the natural materials around you is a great way to foster a love of nature and keep costs down. Fall leaves you find in your neighborhood are a great material with a variety of different uses. Here are some fun ideas for using...
Babies are amazing creatures. I know . I have 2. They grow up fast! As with everywhere else in the United states, moms in Mountain View, CA are smart. We know that babies need to meet certain developmental milestones as described by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). But it’s so confusing! We go to...
Every year at this time spring sports are in full bloom. Soccer, swimming, baseball, gymnastics, etc. We are itching to get our kids outside, to see other parents, to join together and have some fun. We know that sports are a great way to get exercise, learn to work as a team, learn a new...
Kids need to move to learn. We know this. Movement helps keep kids alert and ready to learn. We know this. How do kids move? They fidget. Yes, the dreaded fidget. I don’t mean a toy, I mean the moving of the body in some way. You do it too. We all do. Yet somehow...
Now that we are getting closer and closer to the mask mandates being lifted, lots more people are getting out and about. One of my family’s favorite pastimes is to go to baseball games! This year, it’s going to be a bit different. They have spent the last 18 months cooped up with not a...
Toddlers are known for bumping into things, falling over and getting back up, bouncing off walls and moving onward. Preschoolers are a little more refined. Most preschoolers can figure out how to move their bodies to accomplish tasks after a few opportunities of practice or after they watch someone else do it. They know what...
Just a gentle reminder today to throw your kids outside!! I have been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 25 years and a homeschool mom. For the past year I have been living the dream. I stopped working in a clinic, I didn’t work in a school. I brought my therapy to people’s backyards around...
