What is a tripod grasp? A tripod grasp is when the three points of pressure are on a pencil or other writing tool. For a child at the end of their preschool days, it is good to see them writing with their fingers toward the writing side of the marker or pencil and with the pads of the pointer finger, middle finger and thumb on the marker shaft. Eventually, the pencil rests on the side of the middle finger at the tip. Not all people get to this place. I’ve noticed there is a v

I often see children enjoying making creations out of beads. They love to string beads and make a necklace or bracelet. They get to wear their art, they enjoy the independence of beading on their own, while also seeing the reward of their hard work. Challenges Children Experience When They First Start Beading Sometimes, beading can be challenging for children when they try it for the first time. Grasping the string to pull it through the hole can be tricky. And, children with

I was thinking about what to write in the blog when my sister Julie sent me this great picture of my brother, David, eating from the bag of Hershey kisses I mailed him for Christmas. David treats his kisses very tenderly and lovingly. He lines them up, carefully opens one and smiles at each one before partaking in his treat. I love how this photo caught his sweet gratitude or is it his gratitude of sweets? Great Moments with Teenagers Who Have Special Needs This ties in very

I’ve had the pleasure of working with many wonderful children who have active, busy bodies. They tend to move a lot and they almost seem driven to move by their bodies. Some of them really try to sit still, but they often lose the battle. I can understand children’s need to move. I have a body that needs to move to learn and think. I have met a lot of people with this same makeup. I have had the benefit of many years of learning to manage my movement needs. I sit on a disc si

I remember the feeling of tying my shoes for the first time. I felt like such a grown up. I could do that big task that seemed to take a lot of concentration to learn. And once I mastered the skill, I tied everything I could in the house. I whole new world opened up. I even would go under the table during dinner time and try to tie my parents shoes. They were sweet to play along as I felt like a sneaky spy. My Quick and Easy Tip for Helping Children Tie Their Shoes Tying shoe

How do teachers do it all? I watch so many dedicated and hard working teachers help children daily. There is so much learning going on. There are so many growing and developing bodies and minds. I’ve gone into classrooms for years now as an occupational therapist I tread lightly because the last thing I want to do is add more tasks for teachers to do I Train Teachers on Sensory Processing So now I thoroughly enjoy training teachers how and what the body is doing when it is se

Here you are, you have told your child or student to stop chewing on their clothes for the fifth time today. Do you work with or have a child that tends to chew snowflake patterns in their sleeves and neck holes of their shirts? This is really concerning to the people connected to these kids. And frankly, as a child gets older, they appear to be bothered by it as well. They are told not to do it, but they do it anyway. Why Children Chew on Clothes Kids chew on their clothing