Click the link below to enroll in this free OT course that prepares you for the national occupational therapy board exam.

https://thetherapyinstitute.thinkific.com/courses/nbcot-prep-the-occupational-therapy-review-part-1

Learning begins in infancy when a child’s development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward learning serves as the basis for healthy development and lifelong achievement. Infants and young children are by nature avid learners – enthusiastic, creative scientists who observe, explore, experiment, and practice skills until they are mastered, and then continue to the next challenge.
Although they learn much through independent exploration, infants and young children need competent adult guides to provide the critical elements of high quality learning environments at optimal times. Skillful adults, including parents, grandparents, child care providers and teachers, provide the safety and security, both physical and emotional, that support young learners through adventures of discovery and mastery. 

As an occupational therapist, educational professional, and parent, one of the biggest concerns I hear is regarding social media and the internet.  It is tremendously powerful and has the capacity to affect our children.  Here are some great ways to take control, monitor, and protect children online. 

People are most likely to begin abusing drugs*—including tobacco, alcohol, and illegal and prescription drugs— during adolescence and young adulthood.‡ By the time they are seniors, almost 70 percent of high school students will have tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, nearly 40 percent will have smoked a cigarette, and more than 20 percent will have used a prescription drug for a nonmedical purpose.1 There are many reasons adolescents use these substances, including the desire for new experiences, an attempt to deal with problems or perform better in school, and simple peer pressure. Adolescents are “biologically wired” to seek new experiences and take risks, as well as to carve out their own identity. Trying drugs may fulfill all of these normal developmental drives, but in an unhealthy way that can have very serious long-term consequences.

The International Institute of Therapeutic Intervention and Learning is a great resource for those utilizing brain entrainment and neurofeedback. Their soundscapes specifically target areas where a client may be having trouble. For those unfamiliar with Brain Entrainment, it refers to the capacity of the brain to naturally synchronize its brainwave frequencies with the rhythm of periodic external stimuli, most commonly auditory, visual, or tactile. The external stimuli elicit the brain’s ‘frequency following response’, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given medium. FFR can be useful because brainwaves are very much related to mental state. For example, a 10 Hz brainwave is associated with relaxation, so a 10 Hz sound pattern would help reproduce the relaxed state in your brain. I have successfully used it with varying conditions including; ADHD, ASD, PTSD, Anxiety, and Sensory Integration. However, one does not have to have a diagnosis to utilize brain entrainment. Positive research on brain entrainment continues to grow and expand.

OT's celebrate independence on a daily basis!!

The homes we live in are a crucial determinant
for our wellbeing, health and happiness. As we
age, our needs change and so must our homes.
People are living longer, but many are doing so
with reduced mobility and multiple long-term
conditions. Yet, the vast majority of the homes
we have built are not suitable for the later stages
of our lives. Fitting aids and adaptations into
homes is a cost-effective way to meet the needs
of an ageing and changing population.

When your child has sensory processing issues, it’s important to talk with his teacher about how they affect him. Knowing exactly what your child struggles with allows the teacher to find ways to help him be successful in the classroom. Here are tips for explaining sensory processing issues to teachers.

This publication demonstrates how adaptations can be individually/client-centered delivered.  The document highlights how occupational therapists add value to the process, as well as the rationale for when they are needed due to complexity of individual circumstances. Consulted on widely with a range of stakeholders including home improvement agencies and housing associations; this important guidance will assist social care and housing managers as to how adaptations can best be provided.