What is Sensory Processing?

What is Sensory Processing?

It's a normal brain function that allows us to take in a wide variety of information and transform it into an adaptive response. 

5 senses, or 8?

There's Auditory, Olfactory (smell), Gustatory (taste), Tactile (touch), and Vision. But there's also Vestibular, Proprioception, and Interoception.

What are the last 3?

1. The Vestibular system receptors are in the inner ear, it influences balance and movement

2. The Proprioceptive system receptors are located in muscles and joints to know where your body is in space (minus vision)

3. Interoception is emotional self-awareness

How does this affect behavior?

Sensory Processing is crucial to discuss when evaluating a child as the vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile systems develop in utero and along with sound and vision, lay the foundation for all the other skills to develop.

For Example: When a child is learning to ride a bike. 

• The vestibular system assists: balancing his body on the bike in midline

• Proprioception: to position himself properly, keeping their feet on the pedals and chest upright

• Vision: for navigation, and following the bike path

• Hearing: for safety of other bike riders or something in motion that can collide 

The senses must accurately and quickly detect any imbalance. After a few falls and learning how to coordinate movement, their sensory processing for  weight shifting becomes more accurate.

*Fun Fact: There are blind people that are fully capable of riding a bike with increased sensory processing of the other senses, check out the podcast Invisibilia- How to Become Batman.

Sensory Processing difficulty signs:

• Without reliable information about body position clumsy, distracted or awkward

• Using too much or too little force for writing, clapping, marching or typing

• Picky Eating/sensitivities to food textures, may cause gagging

• Handwriting Difficulties

• Excessive fear during ordinary movement activities

• Difficulty with certain textures of clothing

• Fear of swings, or reacts poorly to sudden movements/touches/noises/bright lights

• Behavior problems

• Can’t sit still

• Thrill seeking

• Doesn’t recognize personal space

• Chewing on things

• Doesn’t recognize when face is dirty or nose is running

• Problems sleeping

Treatment:

Coping strategies and highly customized sessions with an Occupational Therapist is typically the treatment for SPD. Treatment addresses their sensory needs and introduces stimuli without making your child feel overwhelmed. This will help your child cope, and learn how to deal with adverse stimuli in everyday life more independently and with less trouble.

If you have more questions, please email me at smplytherapy@gmail.com or schedule a free consultation with me here.

Fun Activities for Kids This Summer (During a Pandemic)

We can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel! School’s coming to an end and parent’s are planning for the summer ahead. But how safe is it for children to enjoy the parks opening back up, and how will parents adjust their usual summer plans to make sure their family is safe? There are options for virtual camps and classes that have been a way for small businesses and community programs to stay running. However,  this leads us to asking, how can I keep my child safe?

Here’s what we know:

• COVID-19 can live up to 72 hours on a plastic and stainless steel surface (Source: New England Journal of Medicine)

• The amount of virus living on that surface that would result in contracting the virus is limited.

What we suggest:

• Social distancing as a precaution, limiting games or play activities that require close physical contact. 

• Face Masks for children that are above the age of 2 (refer to blog below on helping children with face mask use)

• To help children clean dirt on hands, rinse hands with water, then proceed to use the hand sanitizer

• Watch for any signs of COVID-19 symptoms. This can look different from person to person. While most infected people have not gotten very sick, watch out for flu-like symptoms (Source: CDC).

• Make preventative actions a habit. Wash hands! Parents are the role models of the house and children typically model parent behavior, so it’s suggested for parents to wash hands, and to make it a family activity.

• Stay active! Doing activities will help boost physical and mental health (Source: CDC). Go for walks, bike, or visit a park for outdoor exposure. Indoor activities may include stretching, dancing, or even some gross motor activity games. 

Here are some of my favorite Activities: 

• Board games in prone position (laying on their stomach)

• Twister for Proprioceptive input to help regulate your child

• Animal Walk races (bear crawls, crab walks, and bunny hops)

• Jenga to work on Fine Motor Skills and Motor Planning

• Break the Ice for a Fine Motor Activity

• Arts & Crafts this allows your child to get creative 

• Baking/Cooking activities- Depending on your child’s age, you can use this activity to help with reading and following directions

• You can even make puzzles more dynamic with a treasure hunt to find the pieces. 

• Try a new sport now that parks are opening back up- frisbee and soccer are some of my favorites with kids

• Build a fort with all those delivery boxes from quarantine

• Take a look at Free virtual events for parents and kids, click here to register for our free event next week! 

• Yoga for kids videos online

• Virtual game night via House Party to get friends and family together

• Gardening is a fun way for kids to learn how their food is grown and gives great sensory input for regulation

Stay socially connected. Loneliness has a huge effect on immunity and mental health, so keeping those little ones connected with social distancing guidelines are important (Cole, S.W., Hawkley, L.C., Arevalo, J.M. et al., 2007). Use video chats to create virtual playtime, phone calls, cards, letters; any way to make your child feel connected. Check your local school districts for tips and guidelines, community facebook groups, and local libraries. Social media has also been a huge help in the effort for communities to come together, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, to see what's happening in your area. 

Be aware of signs of extreme stress or change in child behavior. This goes for all of us, but especially the little ones of the house may not have developed the introspection, or awareness of how they are feeling. Signs include, excessive worry or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleep habits, or difficulty with attention/concentration.

If you have seen an extreme change in your child’s behavior, talk to your doctor. If you have any questions, or think your child may benefit from our Occupational Therapy Services, please follow this link for a Free Consultation with Smply Therapy.

Here are some resources from the CDC to help you and your family

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/for-parents.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts-h.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html

https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/gb-2007-8-9-r189

To register for our free Virtual Wellness Event:

https://success-street.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/354632/register

What is the difference between OT and PT?

This is a question I get asked a lot, and for good reason. What I’ve noticed is that, unless you have a child that received services, or a parent you have supported while at a rehabilitation center, it’s difficult to understand the difference. In many settings, the OT and PT will be working together on a case very closely because there may be some overlap in treatment. Academically, both professions require similar schooling- OT/PT students shared the same classrooms for Anatomy and Physiology. However, our differences come into play with the theories that define the outlook and goals for our treatment.

Theories refer to the outlook on treatment – think of it like choosing your political view. Physical therapy only uses a Biomechanical Model of improving performance. PTs focus on Strength, Range of Motion, and balance for improved gait (walking), and transfers (moving from one position to another). Occupational Therapists are trained in the Biomechanical Model, but also a range of other theories that reflects training in psychology, sociology, communication and the way we perform functional activities. A simple analogy - Physical Therapy are like body builders performing reps to build muscle, and Occupational Therapy are the Yogi’s or Dancers. Both groups are athletes and may look similar and work on the same muscle groups, but they have a different approach. The setting also determines the way Occupational Therapists perform treatment.

In Acute settings OT focuses on Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s). ADL’s are defined as daily occupations performed at home that are required to get back to your routine, typically it includes tasks in Toileting, Dressing, Hygiene, Bathing. Insurance companies and the Interdisciplinary team (nursing, social work, MD, etc) want to see that you can perform these tasks safely and independently before discharging to the home. Your Occupational Therapist is the person that will ensure your independent mobility with exercise and functional activities in treatment. Let’s say an 80 year old woman breaks her hip and gets a hip replacement, after a couple days in the hospital the doctor deems her unsafe to return home because she can’t go to the bathroom on her own or walk. Instead, they send her to a Sub-Acute Rehabilitation where an OT will work on her ability to perform ADL’s on her own, and PT will work on her ability to stand, walk and climb the stairs needed at home.

In Outpatient settings, or a Hand Therapy Clinic, there are specialists called Certified Hand Therapists (CHT) for injuries of the Upper Extremities. This is for those that may have had a work related injury like Carpal Tunnel (refer to the Ergonomics Blog Post!), and need surgery, or someone who fell on ice and broke their wrist. Believe it or not, 70% of Certified Hand Therapists are Occupational Therapists, 30% are Physical Therapists. In this setting, splints or devices to help the joint heal properly are made or fitted by your therapist. This is in combination with exercises specific to your needs to ensure safe return to daily activities. In this setting, the two are very similar. In some settings, people define OT as upper body specialists, and PT for lower body injuries, but there is a clear difference in the assessments we perform and the way we document treatment.

In Pediatric settings, Occupational Therapists have the best job in the world - to play with babies! This comes with strategic play. Just as in the other settings, we evaluate where a child is struggling or has a developmental delay, and plan an activity to focus on improving those areas of difficulty. The children seen in occupational therapy may have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or a Learning Disability, but many times they may go undiagnosed. That's where our specialty is our strength, we assess all different areas of the way your child processes their world from attention, the way they hold a pencil, how they process sound or vision, social communication, and we can differentiate behavior difficulties from sensory processing difficulties. OT’s in this setting will report on behaviors, abilities to perform fine motor and gross motor tasks, communication, visual attention and ability to perform ADL’s, PT’s will focus on strength, posture, and mobility. The two disciplines may overlap, especially in this setting, but the differences are more clear in the documentation and goals for treatment.

Occupational and Physical Therapists are the twins that keep getting confused with each other, not to mention our third sibling Speech Therapy. We’re all healthcare professions that are needed in similar settings, and get grouped together for insurance reimbursement. However, we each belong to different national associations and have different specialties.

I hope that helps those of you that were confused! If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me at smplytherapy@gmail.com

Why Is My Child a Picky Eater?

Many kids can be picky eaters. However, if you are noticing that your child is struggling to try new foods and is extra picky, this should trigger a red flag. For many parents (especially first time parents), many food related symptoms may seem to be ordinary. After all, parents make daily attempts trying to get picky eaters to eat healthy and nutritious meals. The unusualness in these symptoms depends on the frequency, intensity and disruption of everyday life. These disruptions may lead parents to seek medical evaluation.

 Food related sensory processing issues or sensory processing disorders can be due to many reasons:

• Oversensitive to sensations of the different textures of food - This is known to Occupational Therapists as oral defensiveness. Typical reactions include gagging on solid food, strong flavors or lumpy textures

• Oversensitive to smells – Here’s a fun fact, most people can only taste 5 flavors (bitter, sweet, sour, salty, umami), the other complex flavors are attributed to smell. When your child experiences sensory processing disorders they may seek bland food as a result

• Sensory seeking children may dislike bland or soft foods, and seek crunchy, high texture or highly flavored

• Sensory based motor disorders may avoid foods that take high coordination to eat, these children may have difficulty using utensils

• Children with poor muscle tone (muscle weakness due to neurological reasons) may have trouble with chewing, or oral motor coordination, may prefer foods that doesn’t need to be chewed

 Not all finicky eaters mean that there’s a problem. Here are some ways to address picky eating:

• Figure out what is causing the picky eating - if your child is gagging or vomiting- this is your child’s brain warning them of danger. It’s best to seek an OT as a result of over-responsiveness to sensations, and cannot be overridden by reason

• Baby steps – create a list of foods they do enjoy and what nutrients they may be lacking. Some questions to consider - are there any ways to update current foods with a healthier brand, is there any way to change the presentation of a the food to give it a friendlier appearance?

• Respect your child’s response - this is important to build trust. We would advise against tricking your child into eating something they are refusing, or sneaking it into an item that doesn’t allow your child to choose accepting it

• Offer, don’t force! - Allow the child the autonomy to choose or try something. Again, by building trust with your child and letting them accept foods slowly will increase their food choices. You get to decide what to serve and when. Your child gets to decide whether to eat it, and if so, how much.

• Set Guidelines and routines – When a routine is set (as much as possible), it helps  to decrease anxiety associated with mealtime, and increase feeling of control for your child

• Encourage your child to experiment with adverse foods! - Not necessarily at mealtimes, but during play/free time to improve relationship with food

• Old with the new - Offer the familiar and loved foods with new foods. Introducing new foods without any familiar foods might increase defiant behaviors and result in your child withdrawing from trying anything

• Trial - It can take about 15 tries of a food for kids to accept it. Any interactions (sight, touch, smelling) with the food is a step in the right direction and is increasing exposure

 Of course, there is more than one way to address sensory processing issues and each child is different. If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out to us at Smplytherapy@gmail.com or schedule a consultation here.

What is Occupational Therapy and When do you need it?

True of False? - Occupational Therapists help people find jobs.

This is absolutely false.

I’m Kristin, Founder of SmplyTherapy, Welcome to my page and blog. Having been in the field of Occupational Therapy for many years, I’m very aware that there are many people who do not know exactly what Occupational Therapy is. If you’re here, you must be curious if Occupational Therapy is right for you or your loved one. First, I want to take you through some basics about Occupational Therapy.

What is Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) teaches people of all ages how to adapt to everyday life. According to The American Occupational Therapy Association, Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.

 Common occupational therapy interventions include:

• Helping children with difficulties or behavioral problems to participate fully in school and in social settings

• Assisting people who are recovering from injury to regain everyday skills

• Providing support for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes

 Who are Occupational Therapy Practitioners?

Occupational therapy practitioners (also may be called Occupational Therapists or OTs) are healthcare professionals with a holistic perspective who uses evidence-based practice that is deeply rooted in science and research to promote a patients' functional capability to accomplish their daily routines.

OTs have vast training and understanding of how to treat the whole body by combining neurological principles, anatomical / physiological concepts, and psychological perspectives.

 How does Occupational Therapy work?

Typically, Occupational Therapy services will involve:

• Individualized evaluation in which a client’s needs are assessed. The evaluation may take place in your home, workplace or a child’s school

• Therapy plan and goal setting designed for you (or your children’s) needs and limitations

• Customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals

• Outcomes evaluation to determine is goals are being met and / or make changes to the customized plan

Who needs Occupational Therapy?

Often times, people simply do not receive the help they need in order to improve their lives because they are not sure what they need.

I speak with many young or first time mothers who may recognize their young children are more fussy than others but do not know where to go to seek help other than their pediatrician. Often, the parents may be referred to an Occupational Therapist who can help to evaluate and get the proper support for their children. Occupational therapy has been known to help children with ADHD, juvenile arthritis, and autism.

However, Occupational Therapy isn’t just for children. Anyone who struggles to do everyday tasks may benefit from it. If you have any of the health issues below, you may consult your doctor and see if occupational therapy can help you:

• Arthritis and chronic pain

• Stroke

• Brain injury

• Joint replacement

• Spinal cord injury

• Low vision

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Poor balance

• Cancer

• Diabetes

• Multiple sclerosis

• Cerebral palsy

• Mental health or behavior issues

 You can also schedule a consultation with me to see if Occupational Therapy is right for you.