Articles intended specially for parents.

Children engaging in sensory play with clay, focusing on tactile stimulation. Fine Motor Skills

Squish, Roll, Connect! Fine Motor Skills Through Tactile Play

Every time a child interacts with these materials – squeezing, rolling, pinching, pulling, poking, or flattening – they are giving their hand and finger muscles a fantastic workout. It’s resistance training and dexterity practice disguised as play! Strengthening these muscles and improving control lays a crucial foundation for countless other skills.

A blonde child with long hair cries next to a dollhouse, wearing a floral dress.

Behavior Management & Regulation / Communication & Language / Daily Living Skills (Self-Help) / Early Elementary (5-8) / Parents / Preschool (3-5) / Sensory Processing & Tools / Social Skills & Play / Therapists / Toddler (1-3)

Making Sense of Meltdowns, Shutdowns & Overwhelm

When your child experiences those huge reactions – the ones that might look like massive tantrums, complete shutdowns, or anything in between – it’s so easy to feel lost, frustrated, or even judged. But here’s something crucial I want you to hold onto: These intense moments are very rarely about defiance or being ‘bad.’ They are almost always involuntary responses. Think of it like a system overload, a distress signal saying, “I can’t cope right now!”

Asian mother holding son as he reaches for red lanterns in a warm indoor setting.

Communication & Language / Parents / Social Skills & Play

Setting the Stage for “I Need…” Moments

I’ve seen magic happen when we tap into the power of connection and purposeful play. One of the biggest “a-ha!” moments for many parents (and therapists!) is realizing how much communication blossoms when we create just the right opportunities for it.

Mother and daughter creating a colorful beaded bracelet together at home.

Cognitive Skills (Learning & Academics) / Communication & Language / Early Elementary (5-8) / Motor Skills (Fine & Gross) / Older Child (8+) / Parents / Preschool (3-5) / Sensory Processing & Tools / Social Skills & Play / Teenager (13-19) / Therapists

Building Skills and Connections, One Bead at a Time

This is where beads and buttons become your secret weapon. Seriously. Picking up those tiny objects, holding them just right, threading them onto a string or pushing them through a buttonhole – we’re talking about fundamental fine motor skills here. Dexterity, pincer grasp, hand-eye coordination.