Author Archives: Taylor Johnson

Cutting with scissors is a complex task that incorporates many aspects of visual-motor and fine motor skills. It is important to note that every child is an individual, and will develop differently! Looking at milestones in relation to scissor skills can help you decide what is appropriate for you child, and where they should beContinue reading “Cutting and Scissor Skills”

Researcher Mildred Parten identified six stages of play typically seen during early childhood. While every child is different and may progress through these stages differently, it can be helpful to know approximately what to expect during the early childhood years. Let’s take a look at the stages: Unoccupied Play: During this stage, the child isContinue reading “Play”

Holiday season is here and nothing brings me more joy than cozying up on the couch while watching holiday baking shows. This time of year calls for more family time and lots and lots of holiday treats! Check out the image below for gift ideas, and comment your favorite holiday item for this year below.

Today I walked into a coffee shop, and Christmas music was already playing! I like to take it one holiday at a time, and this month the focus is on Thanksgiving. For my family, that means we spend time with each other, and cook and eat lots and lots of delicious food. I recently triedContinue reading “Thanksgiving and Feeding”

It’s October, and to me and most of the office that means Halloween. The weather gets cooler and the leaves start to fall. We like to start early around here, to really make it a festive time. Halloween can be such a fun and memorable time for children. For children with sensory processing difficulties, thatContinue reading “Sensory Sensitive Halloween Ideas”

Last year was tough, and to say that school looked “different” would be an understatement. With that, more children than ever are demonstrating difficulty with the transition back to school for this year. Big transitions can be tricky, and they can bring up big emotions for our small humans. I wanted to provide a fewContinue reading “Back to School Nerves”

One of my favorite things to do is to watch the Olympics. In fact, I am watching the olympics as I type this today! Summer or winter, I am so in awe at the athleticism and camaraderie. Using the Olympic games as our inspiration, our groups created a torch craft that was so adorable, fun,Continue reading “Olympic Torch Craft”

Summer is right around the corner, and with it comes summer break. We are so excited to be able to have group therapy sessions this summer! This is a great way to promote peer skills while continuing to work on therapeutic goals. This summer, we have groups led by both occupational and speech therapists. YourContinue reading “Summer Group Therapy 2021”

Getting kiddos who are dealing with tactile sensitivity to wear socks and shoes can be a challenge. It is one that we often work on in OT, as wearing shoes is an important part of dressing and engaging in the environment, especially in winter! So how can we decrease that sensitivity to increase the desireContinue reading “Wearing Shoes + New Sensory Bin”

Fine motor skills involve the ability to coordinate the smaller muscles of the hands. For OT purposes, we look at fine motor skills as they relate to functional tasks that our clients need or want to do in their daily lives. Our fine motor skills are closely related to our visual motor skills. Visual motorContinue reading “Feed The Penguin: FM/VM Activity”