Therapy they actually look forward to...

By Maria Keely M.S. OTR/L Halloween is almost here! While Halloween is a fun and exciting holiday for children, it can be very overwhelming for children with sensory processing difficulties. Here are a few tips to make Halloween a sensory friendly, and fun day! Costume Tips Some children prefer specific fabrics and types of materials…

by Jennifer McCullough M.S. CCC-SLP As a pediatric feeding therapist I get asked this question often. Many toddlers ranging in age from 10 months to 24 months come in to see me because they refuse to transition from their bottle/breast feeding and purees to chunky and chewable solids. They refuse by turning their heads, pushing…

By Renee Cayer B.A. Did you know that children need to have a strong understanding of spoken language before they can understand written language? This article discusses the importance of phonemic awareness—-the ability to differentiate and manipulate letter sounds— that will surely lead your child to reading success! What is Phonemic Awareness? Phonemic awareness is…

As an occupational therapist, I get a lot of referrals to address handwriting.  There are several factors that relate to handwriting success, many of which can be practiced and developed at home! Upper extremity support: Developing the scapular muscles and upper arm strength will allow the child to improve his or her posture and have…

Let’s Get Physical! As an occupational therapist, I endeavor each day is to address the whole person in each child. This includes engaging the whole body during every treatment session. I believe that engaging the whole body in fun physical play helps a child organize not only their body but their minds and emotions. Whether…

Happy holidays from all of us here at PediaSpeech. In the spirit of holiday giving, we want to share this helpful post that appears on the ASHA Leader blog. The post gives some great advice on using as an ideal opportunity to get back to the basics in childhood play — and how to use…

PediaSpeech has decided that it is time for us to close our Norcross/Peachtree Corners office. That office has been open in some capacity for the past 15 years, so this decision does not come easily. Over the past 4-5 years we have found that the demand for speech therapy in that location has decreased while…

We owe it to our children… A couple of weeks ago I watched a mom in our office caught in a tough situation. Her 3-year-old was just finishing with therapy and had in his hand three pennies the therapist had used in her session. The mom was exhausted, having had her third child just 3…

This is the million-dollar question posed to every pediatric occupational therapist. The answer is as simple as why the chicken crossed the road. By nature, all behavior is sensory. Behavior is how one reacts to a stimulus.

Fine motor control is often thought of due to its essential role in participating in school-based activities such as writing, cutting, coloring, and manipulating any small objects. This area of development is also needed for independence in dressing, self-feeding, hygiene, play, and almost any facet of life one is engaged.