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Close-up of a child’s hands holding an orange pencil and writing in a workbook.

Celebrating OT Week: Why Little Hands Matter So Much

This week at Therapies for Kids, we’re celebrating our wonderful occupational therapists! Over the past week, we’ve been sharing ideas to support handwriting by building strength in the muscles of the hands. So I thought I’d take a moment to talk about fine motor skills, because they form the basis for so many of the activities your child does throughout the day. Our OTs are constantly looking for new and creative ways to develop these skills. To your child, it looks like play. But behind the fun, it’s building a foundation for life.
A group of children taking turns jumping over a long skipping rope in a park.

Why Skipping Matters: The Step-Hop Milestone That Brings It All Together

Skipping looks like pure joy, and it is. It’s also one of the most complex movement skills young children learn. Here’s what goes into it, when to expect it, and how to help if your child is finding it tricky. Skipping is the culmination of a whole set of gross motor skills that children build between the ages of about two and five: balancing on one leg, jumping, hopping and galloping. When a child finally skips across the playground, all of that earlier work is coming together at once. (Just so we’re on the same page, I’m talking about the step-hop skip across the yard, not skipping with a rope. That comes later!)
Two young children running together across sunlit grass, using balance and core stability as they move.

Core Strength in Children: What It Actually Means, and What Helps

If you’ve been told by a therapist or GP that your child has weak core strength, and you’re not quite sure what that means, I’ll unpack it here: what the term actually refers to, and what helps. Core strength comes up constantly in paediatric therapy, and it’s one of the most misunderstood phrases we use. Parents often hear it from a teacher, a physio or another parent, and go home picturing sit-ups. It isn’t about sit-ups, and it isn’t really about strength in the way most people imagine it.
Two young children blowing bubbles outdoors in the late afternoon sun, one in the foreground holding a pink bubble wand.

School Holidays with Kids and Teenagers of All Abilities: Some Practical Ideas That Actually Help

The holidays are meant to be the easy part of the year. For a lot of families, they’re the hardest. Here’s what tends to help, and why the holidays really are harder for some children and teenagers. If you’ve ever reached Wednesday of the first week, looked around at everyone else apparently having a lovely time, and wondered what you were doing wrong, you’re in very good company. Plenty of the families we see find the holidays harder than the school term, not easier. That’s true whether your child is neurodivergent, has a physical disability, or simply finds change harder than most. The holidays take away almost everything that was quietly holding the day together, then ask them to manage more noise, more people and more change than usual. That’s a big ask for any child. For a child or teenager who’s already working hard just to get through an ordinary day, it’s an enormous one. So none of what follows is about filling every hour, or having a beautiful plan stuck on the fridge. It’s about getting through the fortnight in one piece, with some genuinely lovely bits in it.
A young girl performs speech therapy exercises while a therapist watches her, both gesturing to their mouths. Sensory processing

Sensory Seeking or Sensory Avoiding? Making Sense of Your Child’s Sensory World (And How OT Can Help)

Does your child crash into the couch at full speed, but melt down over the seam in a sock? Here are some of Deb’s tips, based on evidence, to help you understand your child’s sensory world, and know what to do next. It’s one of the questions we hear most often from parents: “Why does my child love being upside down but hate having their hair washed?” Maybe your child covers their ears at the shopping centre. Maybe they can’t sit still at the dinner table, or they gag at the texture of anything soft. Maybe they seem completely fine at daycare and then fall apart the moment they get in the car. If you’re reading this at the end of a long day, here’s the short version: none of this is naughty behaviour, and it’s not something you’ve caused. It’s usually a child’s nervous system telling you how they take in the world, and once you can read that, a lot of things start making more sense.
A toddler stacks colorful toy blocks at a wooden play table while an adult supervises.

Early Signs of Speech and Language Delay:

Wondering if your child’s speech and language development is on track? Here are some evidence-informed points to help you notice early signs and know what to do next. It’s one of the most common questions we hear from parents: “Is my child talking as much as they should be by now?” Maybe your child isn’t talking as much as their cousin did at the same age. Maybe a teacher mentioned something in passing. Or maybe it’s just a quiet feeling that something isn’t quite clicking yet. If you’re reading this at the end of a long day, here’s the short version: noticing early is a good thing. It’s not necessarily a sign you’ve done anything wrong — it’s the first step to understanding where your child’s speech is at, and getting the right support if it’s needed.
A baby sits in the center of a vibrant, multi-colored play parachute held up by adults.

Sensory Spaces To Help Regulate Your Child’s Emotions

Sensory spaces are areas to help a child regulate their emotions and behaviours – this blog will help you understand the different sensory needs and how you can recreate a DIY sensory space at home.
Close-up of a baby's chubby feet taking steps on a wooden surface.

Toe Walking

Toe walking is when a child is unable to make heel contact during the walking cycle, and stays on their toes. This blog walks you through the conditions associated with toe walking, when you should get your child assessed and what treatment involves.
A young girl points to her lip during a speech therapy session with colorful stacking toys on the table.

Speech Sound Disorders – Articulation and Phonological Processes

How can you tell if your child has a speech sound disorder? Find out the signs of articulation and phonological disorders in this blog. Read on!
A boy holds a yellow ball in a colorful indoor sensory gym with climbing blocks and mats.

What is Developmental Coordination Disorder? 

This blog discusses DSD, which may be an appropriate diagnosis for some children with difficulties attaining/performing motor skills.
Smiling baby sitting in a gray and white portable swing with a plush lion toy hanging overhead.

Container Baby Syndrome

I’m sure you’re asking “what are you talking about?”. Simply put it’s when babies are moved from one container to another throughout the day (Container Baby Shuffle) and they develop certain symptoms as a result.
A young child plays with a colorful wooden ramp toy on a table, supervised by adults in a bright room.

Selective Mutism

Selective mutism (formerly known as elective mutism) usually happens during childhood. A child with selective mutism does not speak in certain situations, like at school, but speaks at other times, like at home or with friends. Selective mutism often starts before a child is 5 years old. It is usually first noticed when the child starts school.
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