What Does an Occupational Therapist Look for in a Classroom Observation?
What an OT is actually watching during a classroom observation — starting with the environment: layout, sound, lighting, visual load and the social climate.
The window of tolerance: Why some kids seem to have no middle ground
Some children seem to go from fine to falling apart in seconds. Paediatric OT Soph explains the window of tolerance, what narrows it, and what adults can do to build a child’s capacity rather than manage their behaviour.
Before you work on toileting, work on the bathroom
A felt-safety approach to toileting strategies for neurodivergent children. Have you ever walked into a room and felt your shoulders tighten before you even knew why? Maybe the lighting was harsh, or there was a strange smell, or something about the space just felt off. Your body noticed before your …
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Demystifying the Vestibular System: its impacts on posture, regulation, and learning
The vestibular system is one of those topics I keep coming back to — because it shows up everywhere. And when I explain it to parents and teachers, I see this moment of recognition: oh, that’s what’s happening. So I’ve taken care with this one, to make it as useful …
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Meltdowns & Shutdowns Guide
If you’ve ever watched a child experience a meltdown, where it can seem to go from 0–100 so quickly, or a shutdown when they seem to suddenly ‘zone out’, it can be confusing, frustrating, upsetting, or all of the above. When this occurs, it’s not ‘defiance’, but the child’s nervous …
Boosting Interoception with spooky spaghetti: A fun halloween sensory activity
This blog is your how-to-guide, for creating a fun halloween themed sensory activity to supports kids interoception skills – with spooky spaghetti! Interoception refers to our body’s ability to sense and interpret internal signals — things like hunger, thirst, the need to use the bathroom (we call these “homeostatic emotions”), …
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Using body signal experiments to build interoception and emotional regulation skills
Body signal experiments are simple activities or tasks that are designed to help you tune into your body’s internal signals. They can be as simple as “run on the spot for 30 seconds, now place your hand over your heart. How does your heart feel?” (the child is tuning into …
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Helping kids recognise emotions via facial expressions, body language & verbal cues: a guide for parents & teachers
Have you ever asked a child, “How do you think that person feels?” and been met with a blank stare – or a completely unexpected answer? Some kids can instantly pick up on these social cues, while others struggle to connect facial expressions, body language, and verbal cues to emotions. Teaching …
Managing sensory overload in the classroom: Strategies for teachers
You’re giving important instructions to your students when you notice Sally staring out the window, John is rocking back and forth at the end of the classroom, and now Gary is beginning to have a meltdown and needs your support immediately. Busy, high-energy environments can quickly tip into overwhelming chaos …
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Anger explained: teach kids about anger with the volcano analogy: a powerful social and emotional learning tool
Supporting kids to first understand their emotions, and then how to move through and express these emotions safely, is an important part of their social and emotional development. But this can be tricky, especially with a complex emotion like anger. That’s where using analogies, hands-on experiments, and play can be …
