Pediatric Occupational Therapy

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OT month continues! https://www.theottoolbox.com/occupational-therapy-month/

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Since our BUILDteachers Conference Registration is OPEN it’s time to meet one of our speakers!

Meet Heather Parmley, OTR/L. She will be sharing insightful, research-based strategies to help you better understand challenging behaviors, sensory needs, and child development all with practical tools you can implement right away in your classroom. ✏️

If you’re looking to feel more confident, equipped, and supported in the day-to-day challenges of teaching, this conference is for you!

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Happy OT Month! 🎉🎉

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We're scooping up something extra special this Saturday!

Saturday is World Down Syndrome Day AND Howdy's 10-year anniversary of proving that great ice cream and even greater people go hand in hand. 🍦🤝

We're celebrating a decade of meaningful jobs, big smiles, and the most super premium scoops you've ever had in your life. Come party with us throughout the day!

Special ceremony at 3:21pm.

See you there. Don't be late. The ice cream won't wait.

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Why is crawling so important? This early milestone does way more than just get babies from point A to point B! Here are 5 powerful benefits of crawling ⬇️ 💪 Builds strength – Crawling strengthens the arms, shoulders, hands, and core muscles needed for motor skills. 🔁 Boosts coordination – It teaches babies to use both sides of their bodies together (hello, future walkers and writers!). 👀 Supports visual development – Helps with hand-eye coordination, depth perception, and tracking. 🧠 Promotes sensory integration – Crawling gives babies tons of input for balance, body awareness, and movement. 🧩 Builds problem-solving skills – Maneuvering around obstacles = early spatial awareness and cognitive growth! Want ideas to support crawling through play? 👇 Leave the word "crawling" in the comments and we'll send them your way! #crawlingmatters #earlychildhooddevelopment #pediatrictherapy #pedipt #pedspt #occupationaltherapy #physicaltherapy #pedsot #pedipt #earlyintervention #eitherapy #ei #milestones #developmentalmilestones #crawling

We love collaborating to help kids & families with Building All Children!

Sensory Processing & Reflexes - What is it, what does it look like, and how do we help it? In this episode of the Rise & BUILD Podcast, Kendra sits down with Occupational Therapist Heather Parmley, OTR/L to unpack the often-misunderstood topics of ...

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Looking for playful ways to support kids’ sensory needs? Let’s talk vestibular input — movement that helps kids feel more balanced, focused, and regulated. 💡 Vestibular activities help kids process where they are in space. This is HUGE for things like coordination, attention, and self-regulation. Here are 5 fun ways to offer vestibular input (that kids will love): 🎯 Swinging – Classic and calming! A great way to build sensory regulation through movement. 🎯Jumping – Off of steps or onto a trampoline, jumping builds body awareness and provides tons of input. 🎯Scooters – Belly or seated, scooters are an amazing way to mix movement with motor planning. 🎯Biking – The ultimate balance challenge = the ultimate vestibular workout. 🎯Balance Beams – Slow, steady movement with tons of sensory benefits! ✨ Save this post to try them later or share with someone who works with kids! 👇 Drop your favorite emoji in the comments and we’ll send you some of our best vestibular play ideas! #sensory #sensoryprocessing #pedsot #pediot #pediatricoccupationaltherapy #occupationaltherapy #pedspt #pedipt #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapy #vestibular #spd #sensoryprocessingdisorder

Big toy ideas for Christmas!

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Comment TOYS to get the links to our favorite sensory toy staples! Christmas gift giving is the perfect opportunity to stock up on toys that will help regulate, integrate reflexes, and help focus your kids all year ‘round! As an OT and mom, these 4 toys are ones that I would put under the tree this year: 1. A yoga ball to bounce on, get squished under, or walk on hands for a big dose of proprioceptive input 2. A scooter board to ride, spin, and get pulled on for lots of calming vestibular input 3. A swing you can hang up in any home to give soothing linear swinging for regulation 4. A mini trampoline for high energy that will lots of proprioceptive AND vestibular input! These sensory staples can be used in so many ways for kids of all ages, in tons of different ways, and are both kid and parent-approved! So, yes, they check the fun box, which is so important, but they are also helping your calm and working with through primitive reflexes. Plus, your kids will use them over and over again, for years. Comment TOYS and I’ll let you know where to find them in time for the holidays!

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Play isn’t a break from learning. It’s the fastest way the brain learns. When kids are deeply engaged in play, their brains shift into high-efficiency mode. Dopamine and endorphins surge. Stress hormones drop. New connections form faster, and stick longer. Dr. Karyn Purvis found that play can create brain connections with 95% fewer repetitions than traditional teaching. Because when the brain enjoys the process, it works harder to keep the lesson. By age three, children have built 1,000 trillion synapses. Play accelerates that growth, sometimes 20x faster than rote practice. A game of tag sharpens coordination and focus. Building a fort demands problem-solving, engineering, and creativity, all at once. Finland leans into this. Children there focus almost entirely on play until age 7 and still outperform test-heavy nations in reading, math, and science. MIT research shows kids in play-based programs develop 40% stronger executive function skills like focus, memory, and adaptability. The “skill and drill” approach fights against biology. Repetition without joy activates stress. And stress blocks memory. Play is the opposite. It lights up multiple brain regions at once. It strengthens learning from every angle. So the next time you think your child is “just playing,” remember: That’s the most advanced learning system evolution ever designed. And the best educational investment you’ll ever make? It isn’t in a device. It’s in their joy. Follow @readysetparent to parent smarter, not harder.