adaptABLE Occupational Therapy
1039 Riverstone Trail K8H 0B3 Petawawa, ON, Canada

To all the husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, moms and dads who have sacrificed for our freedom. Thank you.

Does this resonate with you? What have your experiences been like before and after your child was given a smart phone or tablet?

Now that it's getting dark earlier, we need to be a bit more creative when it comes to outdoor play. Here are a few ideas to get you started...

If you could ask your friendly neighborhood #OccupationalTherapist anything, what would it be? Let me know in the comments below. #occupationaltherapy #pediatricoccupationaltherapy #pediatrics #petawawa #pembroke #ottawavalley #renfrewcounty #ottawavalleybusiness

If you’ve got a few minutes, I highly recommend checking out this podcast interview with a special needs mom and military member who started her mom journey in Petawawa.

I talk A LOT about co-regulation but I know it can be hard to consistently implement it. So I wanted to share this recent example of how I used co-regulation an...d play to help my 5 yr old: Yesterday, he went from happy and fine to a total mess inexplicably in a matter of minutes because I plan to give a large box of tissues to his school (and he wanted to keep the box and tissues for a lair for his lovey). He'd been playing with it for a few days but was suddenly livid to learn he couldn't keep it forever. Knowing it was going to help friends at school didn't matter. Reminding him he had 2 more days to play with it didn't help. He wasn't thinking rationally so I couldn't reason with him. I was caught off guard. I was getting frustrated. I wanted to yell. Threaten. Hurt him when he tried to hit and kick me. But I stayed regulated and focused on the root cause. I knew he was hungry and offered food. He refused and insisted he wasn't hungry. He struggles with interoception and often misses his hunger cues but I have to balance convincing him to choose meet his needs with respecting what he's communicating. I respond to "I'M NOT HUNGRY!" with, "Your behavior is telling me you are." I went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. The whole time, he screamed from the other room, whined and spiraled. I put the food on the table and invited him, but he still refused and ran away to the couch. I sat with him and offered warm listening and some arm pets and snuggles. He continued to complain about everything but the kitchen sink. I empathized. When he told me that his nose felt stuffy, I saw my opportunity to be playful. I asked to look up his nose and saw all sorts of things. He started laughing. Then, he told me more things up there and started talking about how to get them out in lots of silly and gross ways! I could tell he was thinking clearly again. He went to the table and took a few bites without being coaxed at all. After a few minutes he asked, "Do I seem like my regular self again?" I asked him back, "You tell me. Check in with your body. How does it feel?" He said, "A little better. I'll check again after I'm done eating."

Want to know more about what’s in your kid’s toys? This website does a great job of breaking down some of the more common toy companies.

There’s some solid advice in here

Please allow eye contact to happen organically with improved self-regulation. Forced eye contact increases stress, makes a child feel unsafe, and activates the fight or flight system.

Always consider sleep quality (not just quantity) when assessing reasons for a child’s behaviour

Ben and I have started the 1000 Hours Outdoors challenge. So far, we have 140 hours outside since August. What are you doing to get outside with your kids?

Ben is finally (kind of) napping on his own, so that means my next blog post is up! 28 Things To Do Outside With Your Baby

You know who you are

With back to school, I often get an influx in referrals. This year is no different except for the fact that I’m on maternity leave. I’ve had a lot of questions lately about when I’m planning on returning to work, and I’m hoping to hit the ground running in May 2021. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to message me with any questions that you have about your child’s sensory needs. The referral form can be found at www.adaptableot.ca/referrals

Serious game changer for my Charleston today! The movement helped SO much!!! Anyone who has a kindergartner should definitely try this! Edit: Ella now wants me to find her a bike with training wheels. So, it’s good for all ages.

Advice from occupational therapist for all kids.

Sept 18 is Military Family Appreciation day. Thank you to all the families that stand behind their members.

I had a very specific event not too long ago that left me on the verge of breakdown. It seemed so silly, but it felt like I was receiving every bit of sensory i...nformation in the room. I was cooking while I had my son watch a cartoon, the oven fan was going, he kept running up to Alexa and requesting songs, my husband walked in to ask me a question, and I was sure I was going to lose it. Immediately, I shouted like my life depended on it please, turn that down...turn it off. This is not the only case of sensory overload I’ve experienced. I’ve noticed it more and more as I’ve become a mother. I’ve swapped silent car rides for car rides entertained by Blippi’s top musical performances, snack requests, and what feels like 100 questions. Some days I take it all in stride, and others I feel like I’m drowning in sensory input. Given how much I’ve noticed sensory overload in my life since becoming a mother, I thought it would be a great opportunity to discuss this week. Have you experienced this? Share with me