Parents of special needs children, especially those raising children with learning disabilities, often spend so much energy on schedules, therapies, and school meetings that “fun” can start to feel like another hard problem to solve. Add sensory sensitivities, frustration with directions, or fear of getting it wrong, and arts activities can seem like a setup for meltdowns instead of connection....
Parents everywhere know the scene: sighs, slumped shoulders, and the classic “I don’t get it.” Homework—especially language learning—can feel like a daily battle, but it doesn’t have to. Supporting your child isn’t about hovering or doing the work for them. It’s about building calm routines, encouraging curiosity, and giving them the right tools and mindset to grow independent, confident learners—one word, one sentence at a time.
You don’t need to do your child’s homework—you need to design the environment for it. Set a calm routine, teach process (not perfection), use online supports strategically, and model curiosity. Small systems beat constant supervision.
Before deciding to become an occupational therapist, I initially started applying to colleges with the intent to become a physical therapist. That's a story for another day, but I ended up spending the first couple years of school taking the same courses as PT majors. Once I graduated and started working in the real world, I was amazed how much...
Most people are familiar with the five basic senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight. In therapy, parents typically learn about the vestibular and proprioception senses, which respectively relate to understanding movement in space and the feeling within joints. Now, more and more therapists are introducing interoception as the eighth sense. You may be asking yourself what it is...
Parents are always looking for more time, so how can they incorporate everyday play into their day? When I was a child, I often remember my mother sending me off to “go play” while she completed household chores. Sometimes it was alone since my sister and brother were a couple years older. Unfortunately, they did not always appreciate how cute...