Throughout my time interning at SPROUT OT, I have learned so much about my personal strengths and weaknesses as well as pediatric occupational therapy as a whole. I have enjoyed seeing a different side of pediatric occupational therapy that most entry level students don’t get the opportunity to experience. “Concierge” therapy is a facet of occupational […]
Holiday Gift Guide
Have you ever struggled during the holiday season to find gifts for your children? Do you spend hours searching online for the most popular toys? Do you spend too much of your free time reading reviews? Rest assured, we have put together a guide with some of our favorite developmentally appropriate toys for children ages […]
10 Easy Fine Motor Activities To Try At Home
Do you ever find yourself trying to think of things for your kids to do while you’re cooking or cleaning? Have you ever wondered what you can do to strengthen your child’s hands and improve fine motor skills? Well, look no further! Here’s a list of some fun activities that are safe for your children […]
What is Play-Based Therapy?
Play-based therapy is a treatment approach used by occupational therapists to engage children towards their goals by improving their functional abilities and emotional well-being. A child’s primary occupation is play, so it is invaluable to incorporate it into their therapy setting. Play “is the subjective experience of joy and fun, that comes from engaging in […]
Tips for sensory sensitive kids during Halloween
Create a visual schedule for the events leading up to Halloween and day of Halloween Explain behavioral expectations before you leave the house For older kids, have a signal to help signify dysregulation Practice the routine of Trick-or-Treating before Halloween so your child knows what to expect Have your child try on and wear their […]
4 fun Halloween activities to try:
Sensory Bin Supplies Needed: Plastic bin (with a lid) Filler (shredded paper, rice, beans, pasta, sand, water beads, etc.) Different textured/sized items to place in bin within the filler (themed items for holidays/seasons) Open all supplies and mix them together inside the box.Have your child reach into box with eyes closed, feeling around trying to […]
What is Executive Functioning?
Executive functions are “underlying processes that allow children and adolescents to regulate their behaviors towards a goal” (Clifford O’Brien & Miller-Kuhaneck, 2020). The set of mental skills involved in executive functioning help children engage in daily life skills, learn and play. Executive function “includes the processes of: attention, inhibition, working memory, emotion and action”(Clifford O’Brien […]
Sensory Integration
Sensory Processing Theory: The sensory processing theory was developed to “explain the relationship between deficits in interpreting sensory stimuli from the sensation body and the environment and difficulties with academic and motor learning”(Critz et al., 2015). Sensory processing is the way an individual interprets multiple sensory stimuli from the 8 different sensory inputs our body […]
9 Benefits to Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Improves Gross motor skills Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body. These muscles are important for crawling, walking, jumping, climbing, and running. Occupational therapists can teach your child exercises to improve postural stability, strength, endurance, and balance. Refines Fine motor skills Fine motor skills require use of the smaller muscles in the […]
SPROUT COVID-19 Guidelines
Dear Families, I want to take the time to thank all of you for sticking with me during these past few months. I know we have all faced challenging times and we are looking forward to returning to some semblance of normalcy soon. As Mayor Cooper said in his Roadmap for Reopening Nashville, “living with […]