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
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, […]
Brushing teeth with Sensory Processing Disorder
By Deborah Lee OTR/L It is common for children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) to resist tooth-brushing activity day and night and as a result, many parents feel helpless. Aside from having to brush their teeth, some children may even resist putting things into their mouth such as food or anything with texture due to […]
Oral Sensory Seeking Behavior
By: Madison Gwizdalski MS, CCC-SLP If your child constantly chews on their shirt, bites their nails, or craves crunchy snacks, you’re not alone. Many children engage in these behaviors as a natural part of their development due to a need for oral sensory input. While it can be puzzling for parents, understanding this behavior is […]
Benefits of Sensory Bins
By Ani Oganesyan OTR/L Sensory bins provide an opportunity for hands-on tactile play while engaging the senses. They can stimulate a child’s senses, create new sensory experiences, help calm a child, and even engage a child in play. Sensory bins are large containers filled with materials and objects, which promote various developmental skills in a […]
Bad Behavior or Difficulty Regulating?
By Christine Hemelians, MSOT, OTR/L Emotional regulation allows children the ability to self-calm during stressful or overwhelming situations. In children, issues with emotional regulation are oftentimes labeled as “bad behavior.” Almost all children have tantrums from time to time; however, children with emotional regulation issues often tantrum more frequently, and for longer durations, than their […]