Does your child like to move and fidget a lot? Maybe lay upside down or spin around in circles? This isn’t just a random act of silliness or hyperactivity, they are likely gaining sensory input! In this episode, my guest Claire and I discuss proprioception, which is your body's ability to sense movement, action, and location. It's present in every muscle movement you have. Without proprioception, you wouldn't be able to move without thinking about your next step. We also discuss the vestibular system which functions to detect the position and movement of our head in space. This allows for the coordination of eye movements, posture, and equilibrium.

The topics we cover in this episode are;

Claire’s career background

Why it helps to work alongside different types of therapists 

What differences therapists have noticed since COVID

Language skills and self regulation skills in children after covid

The challenges of moving from elementary to middle school

Our thoughts on teachers

Strategies that are helpful for children’s behavior and self regulation

The proprioception and vestibular systems

What is proprioceptive input?

Where is our vestibular system in our body? And how does it work?

How a weighted hall-pass can help you 

What are Claire’s coping skills to find rest and peace?

And remember, do not forget about yourself, take a few minutes for you and have a little fun!

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About The Guest - Claire

Claire Heffron is a pediatric occupational therapist who has worked in school and community settings since 2005. She and Lauren Drobnjak (physical therapist) started The Inspired Treehouse in 2013 and have developed the business into one of the top online resources for pediatric therapists around the world. Claire and Lauren also opened a non-profit organization in Cleveland called The Treehouse, where they provide developmental playgroups for children of all ability levels.

Website - theinspiredtreehouse.com

Instagram - https://instagram.com/insptreehouse/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/inspired.treehouse/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Theinspiredtreehouse

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/inspiredtreehou/

The Therapist Informed Classroom - self-paced, email-based course https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/the-therapist-informed-classroom

About The Host - Janine Halloran

Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mom. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Janine has been working primarily with children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. She is the Founder of 'Coping Skills for Kids', where she creates products and resources to help kids learn to cope with their feelings in safe and healthy ways. Janine also founded 'Encourage Play’ which dedicated to helping kids learn and practice social skills in the most natural way - through play!

If you're interested in learning more about how to teach kids coping skills, download your free Coping Skills Toolkit: https://copingskillsforkids.com/newsletter

The Coping Skills Hub has everything you need to teach kids coping skills, learn more at https://copingskillsforkids.com/hub

If you'd like to purchase Janine's products, including the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Skills for Teens Workbook, Social Skills for Kids Workbook, Coping Cue Cards, and more, visit https://store.copingskillsforkids.com or https://amazon.com/copingskillsforkids

Connect with Janine on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janinehalloranlmhc

Instagram @janine_halloran and @copingskillsforkids

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JanineHalloranLMHC

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/encourageplay/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-halloran-43787b7b/