Kids Master Skills BLOG

The first few weeks of school often go smoothly. Everyone is fresh, polite, and hopeful. But for many Autistic students, that “honeymoon” depends on masking—suppressing natural regulation needs and social communication differences to blend in.

With Department of Education layoffs in the news over the past few days, I thought it might be helpful to share my understanding and interpretation of what this means to many people

Sometimes I think how lucky I was that my handwriting came easily. Because if my teacher had ever tried to place her hand over mine — or under it — to guide my pencil, the very thing meant to help would have unsettled me.

When I walked into the classroom, something was deeply off — I felt it in my bones.

But as  I reflect on this now —both as a neuroaffirming OT and as an Autistic person—I see something different. I see a child whose nervous system is communicating . . . something.

Thankfully, today many occupational therapists want to embrace a neurodiversity-affirming practice. But HOW do we do this exactly? We...

Let's talk about REPETITIVE ACTIONS in autism. Like OPENING and CLOSING doors. Like looking through a book OVER and OVER and OVER again.

"A jar of jam on the dinner table set him off." "Her chicken nuggets were cut in half and not whole." "The teacher wore a baseball hat...

When it comes to supporting autistic children, one question I am often asked by occupational therapists is this: “How do I work with an...

Research shows that ABA results in behavioral improvements, but only in the short term without long-term benefits or generalization of a child’s skills and competence.

The terms non-speaking and non-verbal may sound identical to many people. But there is a different and important distinction which is...

As an autistic person, one of the most CHALLENGING concepts I deal with every day is the following: Things are not Black and White. There...

I often see children’s actions labeled as “sensory seeking” when in fact they are truly reflecting difficulties processing and...

Today I will address a challenging transition for many children, namely walking INTO school at the start of a new day. This transition...

An important topic is “special interests” in autism. A question frequently asked is about how school professionals, OT included, should...

Celebrating an autistic child’s strengths is key to develop their self-esteem and sense of agency. But how can we shift gears and see...

As a pediatric occupational therapist, this is one question I am asked frequently. Although people have often heard the term sensory...

When you speak with parents, teachers, or therapists about challenges they face when working with kids, there's a good chance that the...

Before we think about visual supports, let's think about day-to-day verbal interactions. Conversations serve many purposes, whether...

My husband, a marketing professional, is one of the fastest typists I know. I hear him on the keyboard cranking out e-mails faster than...