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Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) also known as dyspraxia, is a neurodevelopmental disorder which can impact a child's ability to learn motor skills and execute smooth coordinated motor movements impacting fine and gross motor coordination, balance and postural control as well as sensorimotor coordination. The challenges with this disorder can significantly impact daily life, school performance and participation in leisure activities. Persistence of these challenges can continue into late childhood and teen years affecting physical health, mental health and quality of life. Other terminologies that have been used over the years to describe DCD are clumsy child syndrome, developmental apraxia, [...]

Have you ever noticed when you spend time with a person who is anxious and complains a lot, that you become anxious too. Your heart starts to race and your skin becomes hot. You begin to enter into a fight or flight response. Imagine you are sitting in the audience of a comedy show, where every one around you is laughing and happy. How do you feel? Energetic and your mood is elevated. Now think about how you feel when you are holding a calm sleeping baby animal on your lap. They are quietly breathing and cuddling with you. Your [...]

When a young child is presented with a new task or skill that they perceive as too hard, they can often demonstrate negative behaviors such as ignoring, tantrums, escape, aggressions or avoidance. Even if they have the physical capability to perform the task, their perception of trying something new can create anxiety or fear. When the child demonstrates these negative behaviors, it takes the adult's focus off the demand of the task and redirects their focus to the behavior, so that the child does not have to complete it. It is common for parents and other caregivers to stop presenting [...]

Kindergarten is a huge milestone in a child's life. So many new experiences when school begins. Are your child's skills ready for all the new expectations of Kindergarten? Kindergarten no longer consists of playtime and crafts as it did when I was a child MANY years ago. Now 5 year olds are learning to read, write, sit for longer periods of time, and complete self help skills such as buttoning and managing lunchboxes independently. With larger class sizes and cuts in funding to hire paraprofessionals for classrooms, children need to be more independent than ever when they enter school. Kindergarten [...]

Parents often ask me "do you work on "sensory"? I think my child may have sensory issues." Having the diagnosis of true Sensory Processing Disorder versus "sensory issues" can be very confusing for parents. "Sensory" seems to be the new buzz word lately for any child who is having trouble focusing, staying still or regulating their emotions. So then the question is, will occupational therapy solve these concerns. The sensory system of a child continues to develop and mature on average up to the age of 8. Young children need to move and explore their environment in order to learn [...]

When we hear the words tummy time and crawling we think of babies who are not walking yet. These are definitely necessary activities that ALL babies should be doing (even if some people say it's not). The list of benefits for tummy time and crawling on the development of sensory and motor skills is very very long!!! These two activities help to develop tactile sensation, visual skills, upper body strength, core/abdominal strength and integration of the reflexes, to name just a few benefits. But if your child did not or was not able to participate in these activities as a [...]