Collaborative Approach Therapy Services
158 Brant Rd. N0E 1N0

=^. .^= Obstacle Course =^. .^= What might an OT session look like? Join us this week for a peek inside our sessions. Why might OTs create an obstacle course during a session? -FUN!... -Address sequencing and coming up with ideas -Following multistep directions -Verbalizing multistep directions -Sensory exposure and motor skills -Explore emotions and thoughts -Motivation, Adding a little challenge keeps many movement oriented kids on board! So we can build trust and address the tougher issues. Obstacle courses are a favourite at CATS to engage the child in a fun, motivating task, while slipping in a few of our own ideas shhh don’t tell them.

=^. .^= Crafts =^. .^= What might an OT session look like? Join us this week for a peek inside our sessions. Why might we use a craft activity during a session? -Improve fine motor skills... -Explore emotions and thoughts -Increase tolerance for a seated task -Increase attention to a task -Following multistep directions -Touch sensory exposure Crafts are an OT classic! So much learning, connection and conversation can happen during a craft.

=^. .^= Movement and Muscles =^. .^= What might an OT session look like? Join us this week for a peek inside our sessions. Movement and muscles are key components to most OT sessions. Movement and muscle use during play may be used to address: -Coordination... -Calming the body -Problem solving -Motor skills -Core strength -As a fun medium to keep the child engaged in a more difficult discussion See more

=^. .^= Games =^. .^= What might an OT session look like? Join us this week for a peek inside our sessions. Games are a great way to engage with the child and explore so many topics: Winning and losing... Turn-taking Controlling emotions Problem solving Expected behaviours This specific game, Monster Match, is one of Alison’s favourites to discuss and practice how to beat our thought monster (anxious thinking).

=^. .^= What Do We Do? =^. .^= Occupational Therapists work with a diverse population of clients to support overcoming challenges and barriers so they may enjoy their fullest life and feel success in their everyday. Therapy may involve a range of activities and over the next week we will give you a sneak peak of what this may look like in session. To find out more about what OT offers at CATS follow the link in our profile. ... Thank you to the amazing @erinmemeringpediatricphysio for collaborating on this series.

=^. .^= Appreciation =^. .^= We also appreciate those moms who are not feeling strong, playful or patient at the moment!! We've been there. ... I am appreciating my own mom today and her mom and her mom who passed down a strong culture of caring for children in our family. Hope your mother's day is really meaningful this year!!

=^.^= MOVING =^.^= We are excited to announce that the team at CATS is constantly working to improve and reinvent our methods to best support our communities, and in doing so we decided that CATS could best serve our Communities as a CATS Guelph account, a CATS St. George account and Kids Dream Big Toronto account. CATS Guelph is excited to be able to connect, and collaborate with our local community, as well as our greater network of parents, professionals and a crew of car...ing people. Follow CATS Guelph @catherapyservices_guelph Kids Dream Big can be found on Facebook to support our Toronto crew! And this account will continue to offer great information and supports as @catherapyservices_stgeorge #Guelph #Guelphontario #Fergus #Cambridge #centrewellington #Brantford #guelphparenting #Cambridgemoms #guelphmoms #Brantcounty

Alison's self compassionate thoughts around screen time for her kids in 2020...

=^.^= Alison's Message =^.^= Self-compassion has been crucial for Alison this past year. We can all agree that this past year has presented many challenges. Alison uses self-compassion when dealing with her inner thoughts regarding personal and professional balance. ... Self-compassion allows Alison to acknowledge all of the great things that have happened this year rather than focusing on the negative.

=^.^= PINK SHIRT DAY =^.^= BULLYING STOPS HERE! CATS is celebrating pink shirt day to support the bully awareness and anti-bully movement. We encourage you to talk to your kids about bullying and mental health. Every conversation and action matters!... When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world. Harold Kushner How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. Anne Frank What are you doing to celebrate Pink Shirt Day?

=^.^= Mindfulness =^.^= Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. Use your senses to engage in mindfulness throughout the day. ... Sight Sound Smell Taste Touch It’s as easy as taking a few breaths to become present. What strategy do you use to use to stay in the present moment?

=^.^= Self-Kindness =^.^= How do you talk to yourself? Practicing self-kindness means talking to yourself as you would talk to a best friend. ... Rather than tearing yourself down when you make a mistake or face a difficult situation you comfort and encourage yourself.

#selfcompassion #brantcounty #guelphmoms #parisontario

=^.^= Self-Compassion =^.^= Would you talk to your best friend like you talk to yourself? Engaging in self-compassion practices can help decrease anxiety. ... Stay tuned for more information and insights regarding self-compassion.

=^.^= 3 Elements of Self-Compassion =^.^= Self-Kindness Common Humanity Mindfulness... As defined by Kristin Neff, in her amazing workbook: - The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. Check out the link below. https://self-compassion.org/mindful-self-compassion-workbo/ Do you have a resource you have used to learn about self-compassion?

=^.^= Goal Setting =^.^= The CATS Crew are exploring the topic of goal setting for the month of January. Stay tuned for advice from our OT's!

=^.^= Exploring Self-Compassion =^.^= The CATS Crew will be exploring Self-Compassion during the month of February. Our Occupational Therapists will be sharing videos on how they use self-compassion in their professional and personal lives. ... What does self-compassion mean to you?

=^.^= Happy New Year from the CATS Crew =^.^=

=^.^=ACHIEVING GOALS THROUGH O.T. =^.^= O.T.’s are client-centred, meaning that most of the goals come from the families. Common issues that we help families with:... Mornings - getting out on time Less fighting between siblings Less fighting at bedtime Sleeping in their own bed Limiting screen time Did you know that your friendly neighbourhood OT has a bag of tricks to help families make progress on these day-to-day issues?? What would be your number one issue you’d like help on? Let us know and we’ll try to address it in future posts.

=^.^= Goal Setting =^.^= How do I set goals for my kids? How do I best support my kids trying to attain their goals? ... What is a strategy that has worked for your kids regarding goal setting? The CATS Crew are exploring the topic of goal setting for the month of January. Stay tuned for advice from our OT's!

Happy Boxing Day!

Happy Holidays from The CATS Crew!

=^.^= FEELING SELF CONSCIOUS =^.^= Sue walks us through our feelings of self self-consciousness at being silly and playful with our kids. If this is you, you are not alone! As pediatric OTs we have worked hard to overcome our thoughts during sessions in order to respond, and engage with our clients, even if it means singing or playing the voice of a puppet (eek still makes Alison blush).... What did you learn from this video? Did it resonate with you? Have you noticed that in fact when you are playful with your child they respond positively? #Playful #playfulparenting

=^.^= BOXES =^.^= Keep your boxes! Boxes provide hours of free fun when you add some imagination and creativity. Here are some ideas: Paint small boxes and make a jewelry box, or a new place to keep safekeeps or art supplies... Build with the boxes - even if its just to knock it all down Make forts or a mini home Transform a box into a car or airplane that the child can sit in and pretend play Create a donation box for the child to put toys and clothes that they do not use anymore The ideas are endless! What did your child like best, the gift or the box?

=^.^= WOBBLE CHAIRS =^.^= Wobble chairs can be an excellent gift idea for your sensory seeker. At our CATS locations we have wobble chairs that we use daily with our kiddos. The benefits of using a wobble chair are:... Allows body to remain in motion while sitting Engage core muscles Creates muscle stimulation and proprioceptive feedback Helps the child stay focused, remain alert and increases concentration Helps the child cope with distraction in the classroom Very effective for busy children who need to move and have a very difficult time sitting still. Lightweight, portable and easy to clean Many classrooms have wobble chairs for students, but have you considered one for home?

=^.^= PLAY =^.^= Life must be lived as play. Play is essential for both kids and adults! Sometimes we get caught up in thinking play is foolish, or a waste of time and does not lead us to the goals that we have set for ourselves. At CATS we would argue quite the opposite! Play is necessary for so many important skills;... play shapes our brain play fosters empathy play helps us navigate social norms play supports creativity and innovation play allows us to just be Over the next few weeks we will explore the benefits of play. Provide some suggestions to incorporate play. And remind the adults that they need to play as well. Share with us your thoughts on play. As a parent do you love to get involved and join in? or do you find this difficult, challenged with ideas of what to say and do, or maybe concerned about looking "silly?"

=^.^= WE ARE HIRING =^.^= We are growing and we are looking for dynamic, energetic, and capable Occupational Therapists to join our team. We are looking for part-time OTs at our St. George and Guelph locations. These positions require afternoon / evenings and will start with 4-10 hours a week. ... By joining the CATS crew you are joining a collaborative team of dedicated OTs, who offer access to new resources, mentorship, flexible schedule, growth plans, and an opportunity for an extremely rewarding role with exceptional clients and families. If you are interested, please contact [email protected] [email protected] We would love an opportunity to discuss this opportunity with you further. #Growing #Hiring #Collaborating

=^.^= REMEMBRANCE DAY =^.^= Take time today to be silent and to remember. Take time today to be still and to be grateful. ... Lest We Forget

=^.^= JOIN THE CATS CREW =^.^= Collaborative Approach Therapy Services Guelph and St. George (Brant County) locations are growing and hiring. We are looking for dynamic, capable, and committed to life-long learning team members. Both positions could be filled by the same team member or 2 different team members. Each position will start at 4 - 10 hours/week. These positions require some later afternoon/ evening hours. (or weekend if you prefer, but not required) ... The successful Occupational Therapist will work with children and families to promote skills in areas such as self-regulation, written output, fine motor skills, emotional regulation, sensory processing and activities of daily living. Collaborative Approach Therapy Services (CATS) is dedicated to supporting therapist growth and excellence of client services by providing an array of resources, a learning network and direct training. By joining the CATS crew you are joining a team of experienced OTs, who offer access to new materials, mentorship, flexible schedule, growth plans and an opportunity for an extremely rewarding role with exceptional clients and families. Only registered Occupational Therapists with the College of OT in Ontario need apply. If interested or you have more questions, please feel free to reach out at [email protected] [email protected] Please share this post if you know anyone who may be interested. #Growing #Hiring #Collaborating

=^.^= HEROS =^.^= We hope you head into the weekend feeling like a hero, and if not, take an opportunity this weekend to rewrite the story! Sarah plans to enjoy a trail with her dog and refuel with some fresh air!... Alison plans to take time in the mornings to exercise her body allowing her to be strong like a hero for the rest of the day! Sue plans get lost in a book this weekend. What will you do this weekend to be the HERO of your weekend?