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What are Primitive Reflexes? Automatic motor responses that originate from our primitive or survival brain. Why does Integration of Reflexes Matter? Integration of primitive reflexes lay the foundation for higher level learning. Retained primitive reflexes or active primitive reflexes can interfere with the development of more mature, voluntary movement patterns including postural reflexes, balance, ability […]
For children who are learning language, play is one of the most impactful activities that you can use to target skills at home. Play is how our children first experience the world around them. They truly are sponges and absorb so much from our interactions with them. There are several strategies that you can use […]
This is a common question that is often asked of a pediatric OT when working with kids ages birth to 6 years of age. To answer this question let’s first look at some red flags that may indicate a concern in a child’s grasp development and then discuss the typical sequence of grasp development in […]
Do you ever feel like you are struggling to get your child to eat even though they are getting feeding therapy from an occupational therapist or speech language pathologist? Here are some easy tips from your APT-Chattanooga feeding therapist: Make a plan for when you will address the child therapeutically during mealtime: Would your feeding […]
Did you know that it’s recommended to start tummy time as soon as the child is discharged from the hospital with the goal of tolerating 15-30 min a day by 7 weeks of age and tolerating 1 hour a day by 3 months of age? Let’s start with why tummy time is important: In 1992, […]
Every child develops at their own pace, but here are some key gross motor skills to look for at 6 months of age: 1. Purposefully rolls tummy to back 2. Purposefully rolls back to tummy 3. Able to sit with hands forward on surface for 5-10 seconds 4. Plays on tummy with arms straight and […]
What is it? The child’s feet are outside of legs when child sits on their bottom. What is the big deal? W sitting places excessive stress on the knee joint, disengages abdominal muscles and promotes poor posture. Over time, W sitting can lead to in-toeing or pigeon toe walking pattern, tight muscles in hips/legs and […]
Feeding is a complex activity that involves all 8 of our senses that we participate in multiple times a day. When a child exhibits sensory issues and pediatric feeding issues, mealtimes can sometimes problematic. Common reported tactics of pressuring, force feeding, and battles to “take one bite” can eventually take a toll on a problem […]
What the HEP is it? HEP stands for Home Exercise Program. Essentially, this includes the strategies, activities, and/or exercises a therapist recommends you complete at home between therapy sessions. This could include everything from how to respond to a tantrum, specific handwriting tasks, speech sounds to practice, or stretches to complete. Why is it so […]
Why is it important: Taking care of your teeth is essential and oral health is a very important activity of daily living. However, it can be challenging for some children due oral sensitivity. There two categories of sensitivity often used to describe oral sensation—hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity. Hypersensitivity or Hyposensitivity Hypersensitivity refers to an increased awareness […]