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Importance of Sensory Integration
Learn about the importance of sensory integration. Watch this quick explanation of sensory integration and how it might apply to your child. Understanding the Senses: Do You Know There Are More Than 5? Watch this video for an understanding of sensory integration and how it helps with everyday life. Learn about the 7 senses, how … Continued
What You Need to Know About Screen Time for Kids
You’re sitting in a restaurant enjoying dinner when your child becomes fussy. Rather than make a scene, you hand over your phone, turn on a YouTube video, and before you know it your child is calm and entertained. Sound familiar? With the readily available cell phones, tablets, game devices, and more, screens are not only … Continued
What is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist?
“Occupational therapy? But my child doesn’t have a job!” Just as occupational therapy helps adults perform better at their jobs, a pediatric occupational therapist helps children succeed in important areas of their lives. This includes helping children build the skills required for essential daily activities such as brushing their teeth, writing their name, or playing … Continued
Why Toddlers Hit and What to Do About It
Why do kids hit? Many parents have asked themselves this question and the answer isn’t always an easy one. Hitting doesn’t mean your child is mean or a bully. Sometimes kids hit because there is an underlying issue that’s causing them to hit. Below are three reasons your child might be hitting. They Haven’t Learned … Continued
What is Baby-Wearing?
What is Baby-Wearing? Baby-wearing simply means carrying your baby with a wrap or device that leaves your hands and arms free. Baby-wearing in different positions can help prevent your infant from developing a flat spot on their head because they are positioned vertically, and pressure is not being applied to their head for extended periods … Continued
What is a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist?
Let me guess…they help with speech and language? Yes, but they do so much more! So, what exactly is a pediatric speech language pathologist? Pediatric speech-language pathologists work to help children communicate effectively by assisting with the improvement of their verbal and non-verbal language skills. They also help with things like feeding and swallowing abilities. … Continued
Developmental Coordination Disorder and Sensory Processing Issues in Children
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a common diagnosis for children with motor skill and sensory processing difficulties in the absence of other conditions and learning issues. This disorder affects 5-6 percent of school-aged children and is more commonly diagnosed in boys.1 Children with developmental coordination disorder have trouble with both fine and gross motor movements. … Continued
Helping Your Child in Social Situations
It’s not uncommon for kids to experience separation anxiety or fear of strangers. These fears typically occur in stages and decrease gradually as kids get older, although some children might continue to struggle with certain situations. It is typical to be nervous from time to time, but if your child continues to find social situations … Continued
How Occupational Therapy Can Treat Children with Sleep Problems
Are your patients getting enough sleep? If your child is having sleep problems, considering occupational therapy for kids might be a good idea. Children regularly sleeping the number of recommended hours by the American Academy of Pediatrics is associated with better health, including: improved attention, behavior, learning, working memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and … Continued
6 Tips to Make Diaper Changes Fun for Baby
Baby hates diaper changes? Does your baby cry, fuss, or even scream during diaper changes? You can help baby enjoy their diaper changes and make it into a sensory experience. Try these ways to help keep baby happy and having fun during diaper changes. Sing a Song and Encourage Face-to-Face Contact Favorites like “Twinkle Twinkle … Continued
Get Your Toddler Talking: 5 Ways to Add Communication to Your Daily Routine
The best thing you can do to boost your child’s language skills? Talk to them, read to them, sing to them, play with them to get your toddler talking as soon as they are ready to! The more time you spend communicating with your child, the better. Why? From the time they’re born, kids start … Continued
What is Tongue Tie?
You may have heard of a common condition called “tongue tie” in babies, which can affect baby’s feeding skills. Tongue tie, also called ankyloglossia, is when the tissue attached to the underside of the tongue and the base of the mouth is very tight, thick, or extends particularly far forward in the mouth. Because of … Continued
Feeding Difficulties in Infants with Tongue Tie and Lip Tie
Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue tie, is a congenital condition that can affect infants and children due to having a short lingual frenulum that restricts tongue movement and impacts the function of the tongue. The incidence of tongue tie affects at least 4% of infants and is most commonly diagnosed in males by a 2-3:1 … Continued
Winter Activities for Kids Who Are Bored
Baby, it’s cold outside! Not to worry. There’s plenty of fun to be had indoors during the coldest months of the year. And it’s all in the spirit of your child’s development. Check out these in-home winter activities for kids who are bored. Check out our tips for limiting kids’ screen time: Screen time with … Continued
How to Play with Your Newborn
Sometimes it’s hard to know how to play with newborn babies or what activities even count as play. Many parents and caregivers feel this way! The good news is there are lots of easy activities to do with your baby. In fact, you may have even done some already without even knowing it! Do Tummy … Continued
8 Tips to Help Your Child With Homework
We get it—no matter your child’s age, getting homework done can be a challenge. Even for children in elementary school, their homework takes time, focus, and energy to complete. So here are 8 essential tips to help a child with their homework: Minimize Distractions Make it as easy as possible for your child to focus … Continued
Book Review: Retro Toddler
Retro Toddler: More Than 100 Old-School Activities to Boost Development By Anne H. Zachry, PhD, OTR/L Published by the American Academy of Pediatrics Dr. Anne Zachry, an esteemed occupational therapist and renowned specialist in child development, has crafted an indispensable resource for parents navigating the crucial period of toddlerhood, specifically targeting children aged 12-36 months. … Continued
Pool Safety for Kids
What could be better than spending a long summer day splashing around in the pool with the kiddos?! Not much! However, safety comes first and swimming pools can be dangerous if the proper precautions are not taken. To make sure you’re having tons of fun in the sun, use these tips to help ensure pool … Continued
Sippy Cups: What You Should Know
Have you ever wondered… When should kids start using sippy cups? When should they stop? Should they even use sippy cups at all? There’s a lot of information and opinions floating around! Many professionals recommend using sippy cups in moderation, if at all, because of the way they can affect children’s teeth, swallowing patterns, and … Continued
What to Know About Toe Walking
Toe walking can be a commonly observed movement pattern that many young children display during their development, however many children will give up idiopathic toe walking (ITW) without specific intervention. Research within the scientific community suggests that ITW is sometimes a causal symptom related to other conditions. Toe walking may be a symptom of a … Continued
Develop Your Child’s Senses by Playing with Food
Who ever thought it would be good to tell your child to actually play with food? But kids are curious, and a fun way to let them explore is through play with food! But this isn’t just for fun. Playing with food can actually help your child develop their senses. Try these ideas to explore … Continued
Teething Tips For You and Your Child
You may have heard about the “Terrible Twos”, but what about Terrible Teething? Your little baby may be a little thrown off by those chompers coming in, but teething doesn’t have to be terrible. Once you know what to expect, there are a few ways you can comfort baby. Babies typically get their first tooth … Continued
How to Comfort a Crying Baby
Baby won’t stop crying? Wondering how to comfort a crying baby? During the first year of life, babies are communicating their needs through crying but it isn’t always the easiest to figure out what their different types of cries mean. Within the first month, you will begin to pick up cues from your baby’s cry. … Continued
Make a Snow Globe to Promote Fine Motor Skills
Make a Snow Globe, Make a Memory, The Perfect Winter Project to Promote Fine Motor Skills DIY Crafts for kids are a great activity to help your little one show off their creativity and help develop their senses. Snow globes are great winter decorations and bonus: they’re fun to create! Making them even helps kids … Continued
Milestone Guides Temporarily Unavailable
We’re sorry. Our Baby’s First Year Milestone Guide is temporarily unavailable. Please check back or join our email list to receive updates from Pathways.org, including when guides come back into stock. In the meantime, we’re still here to provide free, trusted resources. You can find all of our milestones here at Pathways.org. Get playing using … Continued