Springtime Mindfulness

By Erica Gliga, MOT, OTR/L Springtime is just around the corner and this blog post is all about getting outside, enjoying mindful moments with your littles in nature, and engaging different sensory systems. Nature is filled with so many wonderful sensory experiences and time spent outside can support emotional regulation, for both adults and children. […]

Seasonal Sensory Bins

By Erica Gliga MOT, OTR/L ‘Tis the season for sensory bins. This post shares 2 different seasonal sensory bin ideas to inspire some of your own creations to incorporate into play routines during the holiday season. Generally speaking, sensory bins can support development in a variety of ways such as providing tactile, visual, auditory, and […]

Sensory Diets

Sensory diets

Does your child having a difficult time focusing? Are they always on the go? Climbing furniture, seeking touch, crashing into objects, placing inedible items in their mouth? Maybe they are a picky eater, or they do not like getting their hands messy. Are they excessively bothered by certain textures and do not like wearing socks? […]

Sound Machines

By Madison Gwizdalski MS, CCC-SLP  There’s been a lot of noise recently regarding whether the use of sounds machines is helpful or harmful to babies. Many families swear by them, while others have sworn off them. We will walk you through the pros and cons of these machines, and provide you with some tips on […]

What is the Auditory System and Why is it Important?

The auditory system is how we process and understand the sounds within our environment. Auditory processing can be broken into 3 auditory skills: auditory awareness, auditory discrimination, and auditory identification. Auditory awareness is the ability to detect sounds. Auditory discrimination has various subsections, but in this case, it is referring to the ability to detect […]

Sensitive to Loud Noises?

Erica Gliga MOT, OTR/L Let’s break down what it might look like if your child is sensitive to loud noises and how to support them Sensory Processing We each experience the world differently depending on how our brain and nervous system interpret all the information from our senses. Take a moment to think about how […]

Sensory Strategies to Make Bath Time a Breeze 

By Nicole Tutaj OTR/L Do you dread bath time because your kid rules the place or doesn’t like their hair washed? Maybe they don’t like being tipped backwards, having water poured on their face, or they’re just having too much fun and refuse to get out.  Try the following strategies:  1) For the kid who […]

What is the interoceptive system? 

By Ani Oganesyan OTR/L Have you heard about the interoceptive sensory system? It’s the 8th sensory system that is most often overlooked and is considered the “hidden sense”. Just like taste, touch, smell, seeing, hearing, vestibular, and proprioceptive senses, we use interoception to understand and make sense of our world.  What is interoception?  It is […]

Brand new and state-of-the-art sensory gym at Uplift Therapy Center

brand new and state-of-the-art sensory gym at Uplift Therapy Center

The brand new and state-of-the-art sensory gym at Uplift Therapy Center will be opening this summer. We will provide occupational therapy and speech therapy services to the pediatric population at our clinic located in La Cañada.  Why a sensory gym? When parents see a sensory gym, they may think it is a really cool playroom […]

Calming Strategies for Sensory Overload

By Anahit Grigoryan, OTR/L Sensory overload is what happens when you get more input from all of your senses than your brain can process. It is overstimulation that does not feel manageable. When a child experiences sensory overload, they may become very irritable, have difficulty focusing, feel restlessness and discomfort, become overly excited, show stress, […]