Hi 👋 I’m a pediatric OT and mom and I teach children how to control their body and brain! A lot of kids have sensory processing difficulties that can often come off as aggressive, clumsy, uninterested, lazy, irritable… and so on. These kids can get misunderstood as being “BAD” kids 🙅‍♀️ These kids aren't “bad”— they're struggling to process sensory stimuli and respond appropriately. EXAMPLES: 🔴 A child is repetitively running into others, falling out of their chair 🪑, dropping things, breaking objects (SENSORY MODULATION & DISCRIMINATION Difficulty) 🟠 A child who is constantly climbing on tables, chairs, bookshelves and running around the room (SENSORY MODULATION & SENSORY SEEKING Difficulty) 🟡 A child who is very heavy handed when playing with others and playing with toys (SENSORY MODULATION & DISCRIMINATION Difficulty) HOW TO HELP: ✅ Build meaningful connections to help establish trust and safety with that child (this is SO important to help facilitate regulation) ✅ Make sure YOU yourself are regulated!!! ✅ Fill their environment with sensory experiences that their body needs ✅ Minimize stressful sensory stimuli in their environment ✅ Teach them sensory tools 🛠️ and strategies to help them regulate (I’m a huge fan of heavy work!) ✅ Advocate for your child’s sensory needs ✅ Seek out a collaborative approach from other health professionals (chances are sensory is a piece of the puzzle, not the entire picture) Follow for MORE sensory tips from a sensory expert! 🫶✨🧠 #sensory #sensoryprocessing #play #education #kids #parents #ot #occupationaltherapy #montessori #therapy

Hi! 👋 I’m a mom and a pediatric occupational therapist and I help teach children life skills through play! Here are a few FESTIVE activities that I use in therapy and with my own kids to help target: ✨bilateral coordination ✨crossing midline ✨fine motor skills ✨visual motor coordination ✨body awareness ✨balance ✨motor planning These activities are important because they help us achieve daily skills like tying shoes, using utensils, handwriting, scissor skills, dressing, and more! ✅Follow for more play based activities from a developmental expert! #holiday #christmas #festive #play #toddlersoftiktok #kidsoftiktok #craft #activity #montessori #waldorf #occupationaltherapy

Hi 👋 I’m a pediatric OT and I teach children how to control their body and brain!🧠 Here is a sensory break that can be used in a classroom (groups or individual) or at home! ✨Why should you take a sensory break? 1️⃣ Because they’re awesome! 😎 2️⃣ Boost engagement – Short breaks can help re-energize and motivate students. 3️⃣ Relieve stress and anxiety – A quick reset can calm the mind and body. 4️⃣ Increase focus and attention – Movement and sensory input help sharpen concentration. 🧠 Movement is a powerful tool for learning and regulation! 🧠 💃By incorporating movement into our kids' daily routines, we can help them stay focused, calm, and ready to learn. Whether it's through a sensory circuit, active breaks, or simple stretches, movement supports both brain function and emotional regulation. Let’s provide more opportunities for our kids to move and thrive! Follow for more sensory ideas ✅ #sensory #sensoryplay #break #sensorycircuits #regulate #kids #momsoftiktok #dadsoftiktok #school #emotion #attention #occupationaltherapy

As a pediatric OT I use A LOT of equipment and a scooter board is one of my absolute favorite therapy tools! ⭐️They can be used with a WIDE range of individuals and can be used to target MANY skills⭐️ I’m collaborating with the brand Fun and Function to give YOU a chance to WIN a scooter board and a set of amazing scooter board paddles! Check out my IG for the details! 🫶 #sensory #sensoryplayideas #sensoryplay #scooter #regulation #fun #occupationaltherapy #momsoftiktok #dadsoftiktok #specialed #sensoryprocessingdisorder

Hi 👋 pediatric OT and mom here! I teach children how to control their body and brain 🧠 Need an easy sensory activity to help CALM down your child?! 🍕Try making a sensory PIZZA! 🍕 What you will need: - 1 High energy child - 1 Foam roller - 1 Small ball - 1 Blanket Baking Instructions: Apply the ingredients one by one for several seconds at a time. If your dysregulated child is fond of a certain ingredient, feel free to repeat (adding more). It’s OKAY not to include every ingredient. Remember to respect boundaries 🫶 Why should you make a sensory PIZZA? ✨ Provides connection between you and your child (foundation for regulation) ✨ Provides opportunities for calming sensory input ✨ Can help prepare the body for an unfavorable activity (going to bed, sitting at the dinner table, etc.) ✅ Follow for more expert tips on sensory regulation! #sensory #sensoryplayideas #play #regulation #calm #upset #occupationaltherapy #ot #momsoftiktok #dadsoftiktok #toddler #kid #cute

Not to brag but I have the BEST job in the WORLD! ❤️😊 Hi 👋 pediatric OT and mom here! I teach children how to control their body and brain (AKA staying regulated). 🎩 As an OT I wear many hats… I can teach a child to tie their shoe, brush their teeth, go to the bathroom, make their lunch, play with friends and so much more! No matter the new skill I ALWAYS want the child to feel safe, confident, and REGULATED! ✨Regulation is the ability to adjust your level of excitement or alertness to fit the situation and activity.✨ Staying regulated is important because it helps us respond appropriately to different situations. ☀️When you're well-regulated, you can manage stress better, make clearer decisions, and interact more effectively with others. A LOT of kids struggle with regulation! HOW can we help children to regulate? ✨Validate the child’s feelings when they are dysregulated ✨Incorporate regulating activities before stressful times (i.e. HEAVY WORK- check out my other videos) ✨Start teaching them to identify internal and external body cues (i.e. my heart is beating fast, my eyes feel tired) ✨Have the adult demonstrate regulation techniques in REAL time (co-regulation) ✅Follow for more expert tips on sensory and regulation ✨🧠❤️ #occupationaltherapy #sensory #play #regulation #kids #toddlers #safe #feelings #momsoftikok #dadsoftiktok

Hi 👋 Pediatric occupational therapist and mom here! One thing that I don’t have or plan on using… is a calm down corner. Why? Because you do not need a calm down corner in your home or classroom to promote regulation! ✨🧠 👎 Calm down corners can be useful, but many kids do not find them beneficial (like my child) and here is why: 1.) Calm down corners typically lack in VARIETY. They usually have fidgets, breathwork activities, and visual stimuli (through gel timers, lights, or pictures of emotions), but what about our other senses?! 2.) Regulation is not about being calm, but about making sure our level of arousal MATCHES the environmental expectation. Sometimes it is appropriate to be super active (i.e. playing sports) and at other times it is appropriate to be tired (i.e. nap time, bedtime). 3.) Calm down corners don’t always meet EVERYONE’S sensory needs. If a child is craving movement, then depriving them of movement by putting them in a “calm down corner” isn’t going regulate them. 🧠 They NEED to move their body, or do heavy work, to meet their desires for movement. This movement helps them regulate and ultimately promotes focus. 💡So what can we do to improve sensory regulation? - Make sure to listen to the child’s cues on what sensory input they need - Make sure you offer different varieties of sensory input (check out my other videos for simple sensory activities!) - Try different strategies - Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! ✅ Follow for more sensory tips and insights from a specialist 😊🫶🧠 #sensory #sensoryplay #toddlersoftiktok #momsoftiktok #dadsoftiktok #regulation #occupationaltherapy #kids #energy

Hi 👋 mom and pediatric occupational therapist here! The next time your child is about to melt down, try engaging them in a heavy work activity like this one ☝️ No equipment needed! HEAVY WORK is a motor movement that engages the body in pushing, pulling, or lifting motions. By engaging in these motor movements our muscles can send signals to our brain telling it to organize and regulate our nervous system. ✨Sensory regulation strategies like these are intended to help the child regulate by using the SENSORY SYSTEMS✨ Please keep in mind that every child has a unique sensory make up and preference. Your child might respond differently to the heavy work. Follow for more real life examples of sensory ❤️🧠😄 #sensory #play #toddlersoftiktok #momsoftiktok #regulation #emotions #kids #occupationaltherapy

Hi 👋 pediatric occupational therapist and mom here! We love the library, but the library does not always love my sensory seeking toddler! 😂 Before we enter the library, we always go through this sensory circuit outside to help us become regulated! 🧠 ✨ - Curb Jumps x10 - Running Up Ramp x10 - Frog Jumps x5 - Wall Pushes 5 seconds x 3 - Balloon Breathes x3 Please let me know if you try this out with your sensory seeker! 💛#sensory #play #toddlersoftiktok #library #regulation #momsoftiktok #occupationaltherapist #toddlermom

All 4 of these activities are considered HEAVY WORK activities, which can be used by therapists, parents, and teachers to help regulate a child. 💪 Heavy work is when someone engages in pushing, pulling, or lifting motions with their body. Heavy work is important because it can stimulate our muscles and joints to send a signal to our brain telling it to “calm down” and regulate a child’s central nervous system. 🧠 ✨Every child’s sensory preferences are individualized. What benefits one child might not benefit another. #sensory #sensoryplayideas #play #toddler #toddlermom #montessori #toddlersoftiktok #kids