What is Reciprocal Play? Reciprocal play occurs when your child is engaged with another person and participating in some kind of back and forth action or exchange. A classic example of this is peek-a-boo! When your child covers their face and then pops out, you reciprocate with a surprised face and “peek-a-boo”! You initiate the...
As a pediatric Occupational Therapist in Mountain View, CA and the Bay area, I have been working with autistic children with sensory sensitivices and their parents for over 25 years. I love Halloween! It is “just right” for for my nervous system. A little scary, a little loud, a bunch of yummy treats and a...
A sensory lifestyle is a concept that we all have sensory needs. The idea is important for all people. It is doubly important for a child with a Sensory Processing Disorder. So what can you do to create good “Sensory Health?” Here are my top 10 tips to keep in mind when implementing a sensory...
The vestibular system is a powerful system! The vestibular system is found in your inner ear. You have two, one on either side of your head. The cool thing about the vestibular system is it is activated by movement of the head through space. This can be movement back and forth, up and down, or...
As a pediatric Occupational Therapist in Mountain View, CA and the Bay area, I have been working with autistic children and their parents for over 25 years. I love Halloween! It is “just right” for for my nervous system. A little scary, a little loud, a bunch of yummy treats and a fun night. BUT...
In kindergarten, you probably learned about the five basic senses. Taste, touch, hearing, vision, and smell. All of these senses are important to a human in helping them with learning about their environment and how to interact within it. When a baby is first born, her first experience with the mother is to feel her...
Every occupational therapist has specific tools that they love and use. But which of these should you select for your home? An occupational therapist is a professional who specializes in helping people habilitate or rehabilitate after an injury or illness. A pediatric occupational therapist works with children who have developmental differences. Their focus is on...
Children Need to Experience Natural Elements in Learning Recently, I have been visiting lots of preschools in the Mountain View Area. One of the things I love about the Bay Area is how naturalistic the schools are. Children are provided with a just-right environment and they are allowed their own freedom to visit different groups...
As a Pediatric Occupational Therapist in Mountain View, CA I work with kids on toileting. Toilet training is a thing. For many parents it’s a badge of honor, “My kid was toilet trained at 18 months”. UGH. Developmental differences are…different Children with developmental differences may have challenges with medically related reasons why they have...
In the Bay Area and Mountain View, there are a lot of choices of professionals to work with when your child has been diagnosed with autism. There are ABA behavior specialists, Speech therapists, Occupational Therapists- the list goes on and on. I have been an Occupational Therapist for over 25 years. This means that I...
