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Category: Sensory Gym

Exciting News! Carolina Therapy Connection Brings Pediatric Therapy and Mental Health Services to Morehead City

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Exciting News: Carolina Therapy Connection Opens New Clinic in Morehead City!

We are thrilled to announce that Carolina Therapy Connection has opened a new clinic in the heart of Carteret County! Located at 4251 Arendell St., Suite E, in Morehead City, this brand-new facility offers a variety of services to meet the needs of both children and adults.

Services We Provide in Morehead City:

At our Morehead City location, we are proud to offer the following services:

We are excited to bring our high-quality therapy services to the Carteret County community and are committed to providing compassionate care for children, adolescents, and adults.

Now Offering Extended Hours for Mental Wellness in Morehead City

We understand how busy life can be, which is why we are now offering extended hours and Saturday appointments for those who need more flexibility. Whether you’re looking for afterschool therapy sessions for your child or evening counseling for yourself, we have immediate openings available to fit your schedule.

Morehead City Clinic Features:

Our Morehead City clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art therapy spaces, including:

 

  • Private treatment rooms for occupational, physical, and speech therapy.

 

  • A fully equipped kitchen area for feeding therapy sessions to help children with eating challenges.

  • Private counseling rooms for mental health sessions, ensuring a comfortable and confidential environment for all ages.

 

Get Started with Carolina Therapy Connection Today!

We are thrilled to be part of the Carteret County community and to offer a welcoming space where families can feel supported on their therapeutic journey. If you’re looking for therapy services in the Morehead City area, we’re here to help!

To schedule an appointment or learn more about our services, contact us today. We’re excited to be part of your community and look forward to serving you!

Spring Activities For All Ages!

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Join us as we welcome spring!

As the world outside bursts into color and warmth, it’s the perfect time to dive into some fun activities that celebrate the season. We’ve put together a bunch of excellent OT spring activities for all ages that you can do that are fun and help you learn and grow.

From making yummy flower-shaped snacks to crafting bird feeders and sensory bottles, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re a parent looking for fun OT activities with your kids at home or a teacher searching for exciting activities, you’ve come to the right place!

Join us as we explore the wonders of spring through activities that work on our fine motor skills and try new foods! Let’s make this season even more remarkable by having a blast with these therapeutic activities.

Spring Activities: Flower Snacks: 

This fun and creative activity works on fine motor skills, food play, and meal preparation skills. It is also a great way to introduce healthy snacks into your child’s diet. 

  • Beet slices flower snack– Use a flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut beet slices (or other soft fruit/veggies: pineapple, apples, thin potatoes…)
  • Mandarin orange flower– Peel an orange and open one end.  Add celery for a stem.
  • Orange with flair–  Add a grape tomato to the center of your orange to add a little color.  Other fruits could also be arranged into a flower shape: apple, pear, and banana slices would work.
  • Dried cranberry mini flowers– Arrange cranberries (or raisins) into petal shapes.  Add chickpeas for a center to each flower.
  • Tulip cucumbers– Cut a jagged line into cucumber slices.  Add a piece of the peel for stems for each flower.
  • Flower art–  Get the kids involved in this one!  Provide carrots, broccoli, red peppers, and grape tomatoes, and create a flower design as a family.  Enjoy!

Paint With Flowers: 

This is an easy and cheap activity to complete at home that only requires paint, paper or plate, and flowers. Use the flower as a brush and press it into the paint, then paint away!

Oral Motor Exercise With Plastic Easter Eggs: 

This is a fun activity to incorporate into your routine before feeding. Adding oral motor exercises provides sensory input and “wakes up” the muscles of the mouth. Give your child a straw and ask them to blow into the straw to push easter eggs toward a target. 

Spring Animal Walks: 

This is a fun gross motor activity that can be done in the home or outside. Have your child bunny hop, bear walk, frog jump, and snake slither from one side to the other. You can even have an animal race to see who gets to the finish line first!

Homemade Bird Feeders: 

This is a great activity to improve executive functioning skills and bilateral coordination skills. You will need toilet paper rolls, peanut butter, birdseed, and spreading tools. Spread the peanut butter on the toilet paper, roll it in the birdseed, and hang it up outside!

Spring Themed Sensory Bottle: 

Sensory bottles can provide a calming sensory experience to children by focusing on the different moving objects inside. All you need is 4 ounces of clear glue, warm water, hot glue (to seal the lid), a bottle, and any desired spring-themed objects to put inside (glitter, small toy animals, flowers, etc.). 

 

Why Does My Child Put Everything In Their Mouth?

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What is Oral Sensory Seeking?

Oral Sensory Seeking is the constant desire or need for a child to place objects in or touch their mouth. Children who have an oral fixation usually feel the need to constantly chew or suck on something. Depending on the age of the child, this may or may not be appropriate. As a parent, this can be difficult to navigate, especially due to the risk of choking on small objects. We know it is impossible to have eyes on your child every minute and scary to feel like you need to keep everything picked up off the floor and out of reach at all times. The oral stage of development that happens from birth to 21 months involves an infant’s pleasure center being focused on the mouth and lips, which are used for sucking and feeding. This is the age when the infant puts everything in the mouth—from hands, fingers, wrists, toys, pacifiers, clothing, blankets … just about anything within hands reach. One of the first prominent objects the baby’s mouth becomes accustomed to is a mother’s breast, for milk. In this blog, we will explore some of the reasons why your child may continue seeking additional oral sensory needs when it is no longer age-appropriate and activities to help them with this behavior.

What are Oral Sensory Seeking Behaviors?

When a child chews, mouths, sucks, or bites non-edible objects and/or edible objects frequently, we will call this an oral sensory seeking behavior. It can also involve harmful behaviors like biting. Some children who are seeking out oral and tactile (touch) sensory input will bite parts of their body, such as the arms, legs, feet and hands. Although oral seeking behavior can help children regulate their bodies and emotions at times, it can also prevent children’s learning if the child is constantly looking for objects to put in their mouth, or cause harm when they bite or suck on themselves. If children are distracted by finding objects or fixated on this behavior, it can affect their ability to focus at school or on an activity at hand.

Here is a list of common oral sensory seeking behaviors:

  • Excessive or frequent licking and/or chewing of random objects or toys
  • Excessive or frequent chewing of soft items or clothing (shirt sleeves, bed sheets, blankets, stuffed animals)
  • Biting toys or people, especially when unprovoked or when overly excited
  • Chewing the inside of the cheeks or biting/sucking on lip
  • Biting nails
  • Grinding teeth
  • Stuffing mouth with food or holding food in mouth for a long period of time
  • Drooling or spitting purposefully

How Can I Help My Child With Oral Sensory Behaviors?

Although there are a variety of ways to provide oral sensory input to children in a safe way and to replace oral sensory behaviors.. no child is the same when it comes to the solution. Our occupational therapists at Carolina Therapy Connection recommend that you experiment with these activities as part of your child’s sensory diet and notice what tends to calm, alert, and/or regulate them.

Create a FREE sensory diet with this template from “Your Kids Table” HERE!

Oral Sensory Seeking – Chewing Activities

  • Chewing crunchy foods, chewy foods, gum etc.
  • Use a chewy jewelry or other sensory chew toys

  • Vibrating chew toys (for kiddos who need that extra sensory input!)

Various Activities for Sensory Input

  • Blowing bubbles or blowing up balloons
  • Suck on sour candies, lollipops, ice cubes, etc.
  • Clicking tongue
  • Drink various textures through a straw (apple cause, milkshakes, yogurt, pudding, etc.)
  • Whistles, party blowers, kazoos, harmonicas, pinwheels etc.
  • Make a bubble mountains with dish soap and water

Bubbles Oral Motor Activities

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

Occupational therapy addresses any barriers that affect someone’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, which includes sensory integration difficulties. Sensory integration refers to how your body recognizes, processes, and responds to information received by our sensory systems on an individual and combined level.This includes our traditional 5 senses, sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing; however, we also have proprioceptive and vestibular sensory systems. Often times, oral sensory processing or seeking difficulties are paired with other sensory system difficulties. Occupational therapists use sensory integration therapy by exposing a child to sensory stimulation in a structured and organized way. The goal of sensory integration therapy is to adapt the child’s brain and nervous system to process sensory information more efficiently.

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we offer Sensory Integration Therapy and play-based treatment intervention that is specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all of the senses. Sensory Integration involves specific sensory activities (swinging, bouncing, brushing, providing oral sensory input and more) that are intended to help your child regulate his or her response to incoming sensory input. The outcome of these activities may be better focus and attention, improved behavior, and even lowered anxiety. Our therapists may work on  lowering a patient’s negative reactions to touch, help them become better aware of their body in space, and work on their ability to manage their bodies more appropriately (run and jump when it’s time to run and jump, sit and focus when it’s time to sit and focus, etc.).

Our occupational therapists will complete an initial evaluation to become familiar with your child’s strengths, weaknesses and daily routine. Following the evaluation, they will create an individualized treatment plan and goals to address any concerns with development. We take pride in making therapy enjoyable and fun for your child, so that they can be motivated to live their life to their greatest potential. If you are interested in a FREE occupational therapy screening in the Greenville, Goldsboro, or New Bern, NC areas, call us at (252) 341-9944.

Why does my child put everything in their mouth? Carolina Therapy Connection

The Vestibular System in Pediatrics

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What is the Vestibular System?

Vesti-what?!? The vestibular system is made up of the inner ear, vestibulocochlear nerve that communicates between the inner ear and brain, parts of the brainstem, and cortical areas in the brain. The vestibular system responds to head movements like when you nod your head “yes”, shake your head “no”, or tip your head to shake the water out of your ears. It also responds to movements like when you move forward or backwards when you’re sledding, move up and down like when you’re jumping, or when you spin around in circles. Overall the vestibular system helps you figure out where you are in space as you move around your environment so that you can… 

  • Maintain your gaze on a target while moving your head (vestibulo-ocular reflex)
  • Maintain postural control or balance
  • Orient yourself to your environment
  • React appropriately to your surroundings
  • Avoid falls

Check out this helpful resource from Integrated Learning Strategies, who breaks down the vestibular system as an internal GPS system for the body!

Vestibular Therapy Carolina Therapy Connection

What is vestibular dysfunction?

Vestibular dysfunction may be attributed to deficits or impairments of the inner ear, vestibulocochlear nerve, brain, or brainstem. As adults we may notice difficulties with our vestibular system due to symptoms like dizziness, vertigo, trouble keeping objects in focus while moving our head, or changes in our balance. Children who have vestibular concerns may not realize that they are dizzy or that movement of letters when reading is atypical if they have always experienced these symptoms. This can make diagnosing vestibular concerns hard and can often times be mistaken for other issues (learning disabilities, behavior problems etc.) due to a child’s inability to explain the symptoms they are experiencing.

Migraines, Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo of Childhood (BPVC), and Traumatic Brain Injuries are the most common causes of childhood vertigo. Ocular disorders, inner ear malformations, labyrinthitis (inflammation of the inner ear), and neuritis (inflammation of the vestibulocochlear nerve) are also common causes.

As a parent, here are a few signs and symptoms to watch for regarding vestibular dysfunction:

  • Head tilted to the side
  • Easily stressed, anxious, or upset with quick changes in movement or being on unstable, uneven, or taller surfaces
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Imbalance or frequent falls
  • Vertigo or dizziness
  • Reduced cognitive performance
  • Decreased consciousness or arousal
  • Poor spatial awareness, navigation, or orientation
  • Ringing in ears
  • Spontaneous and involuntary eye movements
  • Motion/car sickness
  • Constant need for movement or taking unsafe risks for various positional changes or movement patterns

What should you do if your child is experiencing vestibular dysfuntion?

First and foremost, consult your child’s pediatrician to discuss your concerns. You may be referred to a neurologist for further evaluation and recommendations. If your child’s pediatrician or neurologist determines that your child would benefit from Physical or Occupational Therapy treatment, your child may be referred for an initial OT and/or PT evaluation.

How can a pediatric occupational therapist or physical therapist help with vestibular concerns?

  • During the initial evaluation your therapist may…
    • Assess how your child’s eye move in a variety of situations
    • Screen for abnormal eye movements
    • Assess your child’s visual acuity
    • Test your child’s balance while static or standing still, as well as their dynamic balance while on a variety of surfaces, while they are moving, or while they are performing a task
    • Assess how your child responds to various positional changes and movement patterns
    • Assess for seeking or avoidance behaviors of various positional changes or movements
  • During treatment your therapist may…
    • Use balance beams, obstacle courses, balance boards, single leg stance activities, etc. to challenge and improve your child’s balance.
    • Use stair training, climbing a rockwall or ladder, standing on a platform swing, etc. to address gravitational sensitivities and challenge balance at various heights.
    • Use swinging, spinning, rolling in a foam cylinder, sliding down slide, riding on a scooter board, etc. to help strengthen your child’s vestibular system. These activities will also potentially help delay the onset or reduce the severity of your child’s dizziness.
    • Use specific activities involving movement of their eyes and head to strengthen their vestibular system.

If you have concerns about your child’s vestibular function, motor development, sensory difficulties or anything else, call Carolina Therapy Connection at 252-341-9944 or email us at info@carolinatherapyconnection.com to get started today! We accept all major insurances and would love to help your family and kiddo maximize their independence and potential to grow healthy and strong!

Blog Written By: Joann Flaherty, PT, DPT and Jessica Reynalds OTD, OTR/L

References:

  • Casselbrant ML, Villardo RJ, Mandel EM. Balance and otitis media with effusion. Int J Audiol. 2008;47(9):584-589.
  • Christy, J., Beam, M., Mueller, G., & Rine, R. (2019). Just Screen It!! (Part 2): Developmental Disability, Vestibular Deficit, or Both?. Presentation, APTA Combined Sections Meeting.
  • Christy, J., & Rine, R. (2019). Just Screen It!! (Part 1): Developmental Disability, Vestibular Deficit, or Both?. Presentation, APTA Combined Sections Meeting.
  • Lin, C. (2019). Vestibular Rehabilitation Intervention. Presentation, East Carolina University.
  • Salami, A., Dellepiane, M., Mora, R., Taborelli, G., & Jankowska, B. (2006). Electronystagmography finding in children with peripheral and central vestibular disorders.International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 70(1), 13-18. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2005.05.001
  • Wiener-Vacher, S. R. (2008). Vestibular disorders in children. International Journal of Audiology, 47(9), 578-583. doi:10.1080/14992020802334358
Pediatric Vestibular Therapy Greenville, NC Carolina Therapy Connection

Does My Child Need a Sensory Diet?

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What is a Sensory Diet?

As a COTA, during my first visit with a family for Occupational Therapy Services I am looking for and asking about ways to develop a sensory diet for home, school and/or community use.

I often get the question, “What is a Sensory Diet?”

A Sensory Diet is a personalized, organized plan that provides sensory input activities that a person needs to regulate their body throughout the day.

What does it mean to “regulate”?

Sensory regulation is easier to understand once you understand how your senses impact your body. The five senses known to most people are taste, touch, smell, sight and sound. Some people are unaware that you also have two other senses: vestibular and proprioceptive. The Vestibular System is responsible for regulating spacial orientation and providing the brain with information about movement and head position so that our body’s can coordinate movements appropriately. The Proprioceptive System helps regulate body movement by providing our brain with information about force provided primarily through our joints and muscles. Now we have seven systems to look at! To understand more about children’s sensory systems, how they affect learning and sensory integration therapy, read our blog: “Making Sense of Our Experiences.”Vestibular System Carolina Therapy ConnectionProprioceptive System Carolina Therapy Connection

What can be addressed with a sensory diet?

Jumping, crashing and or falling on purpose could look like a kiddo is being too rough or is clumsy. We want to figure out why this is happening. Could this be that the kiddo’s body is not confident about where it is in space, which is regulated by the vestibular system? Could this be because the kiddo’s body is considered “under responsive”? This means simply that this kiddo’s body may not register textures or body movements on the same scale as yours or mine. They would be considered UNDER responsive because their body is always looking for MORE sensory input. If their sensory system is not regulated, it will most likely cause them to try to find ways to do that on their own. This may come out in excessive jumping, movement, crashing into things, falling on purpose, touching everything nearby, etc. This can be frustrating and scary for a parent because the last thing you want is to see your kiddo hurt!

What sensory diet look like on a day-to-day basis?

This is where a sensory diet comes into play. A sensory diet will be comprised of special exercises that are specific to your child’s age, physical and cognitive capabilities. We will also look at your schedule for the day and what items you have at your availability. This does not necessarily mean that you will need 3-4 hours of strength training with your kiddo or a gym with equipment to complete these tasks. It can as simple as using the own body in appropriate ways to provide the input needed! For example, if you are out in the community and see a lot of high energy movements coming from your kiddo, try bunny hopping all the way down the isle at the store or have them help you care bags of groceries, etc. At home, depending on the child’s age and abilities, helping with household chores such and carrying the laundry basket, vacuuming, wiping down the table after dinner, etc. Input can also be provided by drinking thick liquids like milkshakes through a straw, eating crunchy foods/snacks and chewing gum. These simple activities provide the child with the gross motor movement, deep pressure through the joints/muscles, heavy work (as long as it’s appropriate for the age) and the confidence of knowing that they CAN feel regulated!

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

Each sensory diet will be very specific to each child, so it is important that you stick with it and consult with your Occupational Therapy Practitioner before making significant changes or if it does not produce the outcomes you are expecting. Please also remember that this change does not happen over night, so please don’t be discouraged if there is not an immediate change. Think of it like a weight loss diet. You cannot expect to eat healthy and exercise for one day and reach the outcomes you want. It takes work and dedication on all parts! The important element here is that the child, with your help as parents, learns helpful and appropriate strategies to regulate their body. This will help in so many more areas such as; school performance, attention, behaviorally, emotionally, etc.

Please talk to your Occupational Therapy Practitioner about a Sensory Diet today or call our clinic at 252-341-9944 to get started!

Written by: Shelby Godwin, COTA/L, AC

Shelby Godwin Occupational Therapy Assistant Carolina Therapy Connection Sensory Diet Goldsboro NC

Image References: Tools to GrowOT

Alternative & Complementary ADHD Treatments

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What is ADHD?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders among children. Per the American Psychiatric Association, many ADHD symptoms, such as high activity levels, difficulty remaining still for long periods of time and limited attention spans, are common to young children in general. The difference in children with ADHD is that their hyperactivity and inattention are noticeably greater than expected for their age and cause distress and/or problems functioning at home, at school or with friends.

ADHD Treatment

ADHD is commonly treated with medication and these medications are effective and for 80% of kids with the disorder. Some children benefit from their medication, in addition to other treatment strategies, while others are able to manage their routine with solely medication. Many parents worry about side affects of ADHD medication and are willing to try other options prior to taking the pharmaceutical route. Regardless of your decision for your child, as a parent, we understand that this can be a challenging time! An occupational therapist at Carolina Therapy Connection may be able to help your child by directly addressing these skills:

  • Organization
  • Physical Coordination
  • Controlling energy levels
  • Ability to do everyday tasks: organize their backpack, make their bed, complete morning or nightly routine, feeding etc.
  • Maintain attention to tasks
  • Time management

Carolina Therapy Connection discusses several alternative and complementary treatments for ADHD that we specialize in below.

Sensory Integration Therapy

    • Many children with ADHD also suffer from sensory processing disorder, a neurological underpinning that contributes to their ability to pay attention or focus.  Normally, we process and adapt to sensory stimulation in our daily environment. But children with ADHD are unable to adjust, and instead might be so distracted and bothered by a sound or movement in the classroom, for instance, that they cannot pay attention to the teacher.
    • Development of a sensory diet and home education program focusing on self-modulation and self-regulation skills
    • Use of our brand new, 3000sq. ft. sensory gym to elicit a variety of adaptive responses to help improve attention and sensory modulation 
      • Focus specifically on deep pressure/proprioceptive feedback and vestibular feedback.

Interactive Metronome (IM) Treatment Modality

    • Developed in the early 1990s, the Interactive Metronome treatment modality is a computer-based program that has children complete physical exercises in certain pre-determined rhythms, relying on a concept called “neurotiming” to improve a child’s focus, coordination, processing speed, and working memory.
    • The program requires the user to synchronize a range of hand and foot exercises with a precise computer-generated tone heard through headphones. A child tries to match the rhythmic beat with repetitive motor actions. An auditory-visual guidance system gives immediate feedback, measured in milliseconds, and keeps score. Over time (a typical course of treatment lasts 15 to 20 sessions), IM improves the brain’s sense of timing through exercise and practice — which, in turn, is thought to improve a wide range of other cognitive skills.
    • The principle behind both Interactive Metronome (neurotiming)  has been studied for more than 10 years. Most of the results have been positive: a 2011 study, focusing on 54 students in grades 2 through 8, found that, after training with Interactive Metronome for 20 sessions, participants’ reading and math skills improved by an average of 20 percent. Common ADHD trouble spots like attention levels, listening ability, and emotional control improved, too — by an average of 30 percent.
    • Another study, from 2012, compared traditional reading intervention methods with an interactive metronome program. Results indicated that children who practiced with the metronome program — in addition to the traditional reading intervention methods — had greater gains in reading skills than did the children who used traditional methods alone.
    • The Interactive Metronome training helps to facilitate a number of capacities, including attention, motor control, and selected academic skills, in children with ADHD.
    • Treatment with the Interactive Metronome is incorporated into a comprehensive occupational therapy treatment program and is covered by all insurances. 

Therapeutic Listening Program

    • Therapeutic Listening is an evidence-based form of music and sound therapy that assists people with many things such as sensory integration, poor attention and communication, and social skill deficits.  The music or sounds delivered to the individual through the headphones have been electronically modified and altered so that they stimulate the proper area of the central nervous system or brain.
    • In Therapeutic Listening therapy, an individual listens to a 30-minute session of music on specialized headphones twice a day no less than 3 hours apart from each other. While listening to music during the 30-minute session, the individual is usually engaging in behaviors that are intended to help them practice the skill of which they are wanting to improve. It can be done at home or in a therapeutic setting with our VitaLinks trained therapists.
    • Therapeutic Listening music can be altered in a way to stimulate the part of the brain that is responsible for attention, focus and hyperactivity. There have been numerous case studies to validate the efficacy of Therapeutic Listening to improve attention and focus.

Mindfulness Training

    • Occupational therapists work to help children “ground” themselves in their routines by using mindfulness techniques that help avoid and manage the stress that comes with feeling out of control.

Zones of Regulation

    • The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum geared toward helping students gain skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem solving skills for kids with difficulty controlling impulsive behaviors.
    • The curriculum includes learning activities to help clients recognize when they are in the different zones (states of arousal) as well as lessons on how to use self-regulation strategies or tools to regulate the zone they are in.
    • Calming techniques and thinking strategies are explored along with sensory diet supports so students have a toolbox of strategies from which they can choose to help self-regulate.
    • To further explore the concept of self-regulation, clients gain an increased vocabulary of emotional terms, skills in reading facial expressions, perspective on how others see and react to their behavior, insight about events that trigger their behavior, and problem-solving skills. Executive functioning skills are addressed in order to increase flexible thinking, awareness of impulse control, and understanding the big picture.

If you have any questions regarding these treatments or your child’s development, call our clinic at 252-341-9944 and we will be glad to get you talking with one of our occupational therapists! Looking for more ADHD resources? Visit our resources page for ADHD HERE.

Carolina Therapy Connection ADHD Treatments Greenville, New Bern, Goldsboro NC

Making “Sense” of Our Experiences

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The Pyramid of Learning

Pyramid Of Learning

The Pyramid of Learning was developed by Occupational Therapist Kathleen Taylor and Special Educator Maryann Trott. The Pyramid of Learning is an easy-to-understand illustration that depicts a general idea of a child’s foundational skills, and what other skills build upon those. Think about it: You can’t place stones on the top until the foundation stones are in place… every block relies on the ones underneath to be strong and stable. This pyramid explains why the sensory systems are so incredibly important to support academic learning. In other words, kids NEED routine sensory input for their bodies and their brain! Our central nervous system processes and organizes the sensory information we put into it each day. Adequate sensorimotor development for things like motor planning, postural security and body awareness are built on adequate modulation and processing of sensory information that we take in every day! Sensory input can be anything such as, smells, tastes, sounds, movements, pressure, and textures.

When a child is referred to occupational therapy, it is usually for things like attention to task, handwriting difficulties, picky eating, self-care tasks, tolerating routine changes, or school readiness skills. These functional difficulties are in the “Cognition and Intellect” categories at the top of the learning pyramid. The role of an occupational therapist is to determine underlying causes of these issues and utilize specific interventions to address them. Often times, it is hard for parents to fully understand why their child is not performing at the level at which they would like them to be. Some parents may see their child become frustrated when they are trying their best to be compliant, listen and learn, but their sensory processing abilities are hindering them. These frustrations root from the child working throughout the day just to do the simple things, the things that should be automatic and unconscious for them. This may include things like listening to the teacher, keeping their balance on the stairs, standing close to their friends in line, trying a new snack, or engaging in messy play. It all begins at the bottom of the pyramid!

Understanding Our Sensory Systems

  • Proprioception is our ability to sense the location, positioning, and movements of our body and its limbs. It allows us to navigate a crowded area without bumping into people and furniture in our path.
  • Vestibular sensation is housed in our inner ears and uses gravity to sense spatial orientation and movement. This system is responsible for maintaining balance during movement. If you or child is a victim of motion sickness, you have the vestibular system to blame!
  • Tactile sensation comes from receptors in our skin found all over the body. Tactile sensation includes sensations of pain, temperature, pressure, and textures.
  • Gustatory includes specific tastes (spicy, sweet, minty, bitter) and specific textures (crunchy, chewy, mushy). Taste also involves knowing the difference between food items and non-food items.
  • Olfactory or smells involve the ability to distinguish, detect, tolerate and object certain scents.
  • Visual includes noticing and tolerating visual patterns, colors, shapes, bright and dimmed lights and moving objects.
  • Auditory involves the ability to distinguish and tolerate loud sounds (fire alarms, sirens or loud music) and soft sounds (finger snapping, repetitive tapping, hearing others breathing).

How Sensory Processing Difficulties Affect Behavior

As a parent, it can be difficult when our children are having difficulty with negative behaviors. Let’s say that you receive a call from your child’s school reporting that they often seem distracted and don’t pay attention in class, bump into kids in the lunch line, can’t hold a pencil correctly, become upset when asked to switch from one activity to another, or melt down during circle time. Although these seem like behaviors that are caused by the child seeking attention or not getting their way, sometimes it can root from difficulty with sensory input. It is important for parents to work with an occupational therapist in determining the root of the problem. Sensory integration therapy or a sensory diet may be the key to diminishing these behaviors. Sometimes, just some simple routine changes can allow the child to regulate themselves. Regardless, it is important to have an occupational therapist on your team to help make those adjustments.

Sensory Integration

Sensory integration refers to how your body recognizes, processes, and responds to information received by our sensory systems on an individual and combined level. This includes our traditional 5 senses, sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing; however, we also have proprioceptive and vestibular sensory systems. Occupational therapists use sensory integration therapy by exposing a child to sensory stimulation in a structured and organized way. The goal of sensory integration therapy is to adapt the child’s brain and nervous system to process sensory information more efficiently. The OT may use a sensory gym to engage the child in these repetitive and stimulating activities.

Sensory Integration Strategies 

  • Messy play – mud, dirt, water, food play, finger paints, shaving cream, bath bubbles, etc.
  • Noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs
  • Window shades or adjustable lights
  • Include your child in meal preparation process – encourage them to help whether with their hands or using cooking utensils to interact with the many food textures and smells
  • Food play – Encourage your child to interact with new foods in the most basic manner; the SOS Feeding Approach, used commonly by Occupational Therapists, encourages the following progression with new foods: See –> Touch –> Kiss –> Lick –> Taste –> Chew & Swallow. It is important to allow your child to move at their own pace and allow them to clean off hands or spit out food at any point along the continuum.
  • Sensory toys – check out Ark Therapeutic, a leading manufacturer of innovative therapy tools and special needs products! They have great sensory toys, chews and fidgets that can help your child deal with sensory overload.
  • Finger painting – also try bathtub paint to reduce mess and give child control over cleaning off their hands
  • Listening to music
  • Having a clear visual schedule posted with plenty of preparation for transitions.
  • Providing sensory breaks such as walking in circles, jumping on a mini-trampoline and sucking on sour candy.
  • For the child who needs to move a bit, you might try an inflated seated cushion or a pillow from home so they can both squirm and stay in their seat.

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we offer Sensory Integration Therapy and play-based treatment intervention that is specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all of the senses. Sensory Integration involves specific sensory activities (swinging, bouncing, brushing, and more) that are intended to help your child regulate his or her response to incoming sensory input. The outcome of these activities may be better focus and attention, improved behavior, and even lowered anxiety. Our therapists may work on  lowering a patient’s negative reactions to touch, help them become better aware of their body in space, and work on their ability to manage their bodies more appropriately (run and jump when it’s time to run and jump, sit and focus when it’s time to sit and focus, etc.). Various techniques include swinging, deep pressure therapy, which may include squeezing, rolling, etc., jumping on a trampoline, or gross motor play such as wall climbing, balance beam, etc.

Carolina Therapy Connection now has the largest and most state-of-the-art sensory gym in all of Eastern North Carolina!  Check out our 360° view of our sensory gym HERE. Our sensory gym is fully equipped with a zip-line, monkey bars, slides, scooter board ramps, ball pit, trampolines, rock climbing wall, and an expansive set of swings to offer a wide-variety of sensory experiences for each child.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a screening for your child, call our clinic at (252) 341-9944 to learn more about what you can do and how we can help!

 

References:

Pyramid of Learning by Taylor and Trott (1991)

Amy Hathaway, OTR/L DEVELOP, LEARN, GROW

Kids First Children’s Services 

Sensory Blog

Sensory Sensitivities: What Can I Do?

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What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

Sensory processing disorder occurs when a child (or adult) experiences more than one significant sensory sensitivity that interferes with everyday life. One’s body must first register the arrival of new sensory stimuli in order to process and respond to it. Some kids have poor registration, meaning they have difficulty recognizing and attending to new sensory stimuli; other kids might have high registration, meaning they feel constantly bombarded by stimuli, even those that are insignificant to a typical person in their environment. Your child might also display sensory seeking or sensory avoidant behaviors in response to their differences in processing. It is important to remember that symptoms and behaviors may be inconsistent, with varying triggers, intensity, and frequency.

Sensory Avoidant Children

The many types of sensory stimuli typically elicit a calming or arousing response. When faced with an extremely arousing, alarming type of stimuli, our body’s fight or flight system can be activated. This leads to behaviors including, but not limited to, running away, yelling or crying, physical aggression, or self-injurious behaviors. Kids who experience sensitivities to certain types of stimuli typically exhibit avoidance behaviors towards the sources of this stimuli. It is possible to desensitize children’s experiences with certain sensory stimuli; however, this process should be designed and monitored by a licensed Occupational Therapist.

Sensory avoidant behaviors might include:

  • Difficulty with washing or brushing hair
  • Difficulty with tolerating hair cuts
  • Difficulty with brushing teeth
  • Difficulty with trimming nails
  • Upset by unexpected touch
  • Difficulty adjusting or tolerating being in a loud, crowded environment
  • Prefers solo play
  • Prefers stationary activities – avoids running, climbing, jumping, etc.
  • Gagging or other extreme response to certain food smells or textures

What is Sensory Integration?

Sensory integration refers to how your body recognizes, processes, and responds to information received by our sensory systems on an individual and combined level. This includes our traditional 5 senses, sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing; however, we also have proprioceptive and vestibular sensory systems.

SENSORY SYSTEMS:

  • Proprioception is our ability to sense the location, positioning, and movements of our body and its limbs. It allows us to navigate a crowded area without bumping into people and furniture in our path.
  • Vestibular sensation is housed in our inner ears and uses gravity to sense spatial orientation and movement. This system is responsible for maintaining balance during movement. If you or child is a victim of motion sickness, you have the vestibular system to blame!
  • Touch, or tactile sensation, comes from receptors in our skin found all over the body. Tactile sensation includes sensations of pain, temperature, pressure, and textures.
  • Taste 
  • Smell
  • Sight
  • Hearing

Understanding Sensory Overload & What You Can Do

Maintain a positive mindset: 

  • Move at your child’s pace. Never force a sensory experience on them. This will lead to broken trust – Remember that your child is experiencing these stimuli as an attack to their state of wellbeing and you are there to support and encourage them.
  • Start slow – simply tolerating being near aversive sensory stimuli is something to celebrate!
  • Give your child aspects of the situation to control by using conditional choices
    • “Would you like to brush your teeth first or take a bath first?”
    • “Would you like to try the peas or the carrots today?”
    • “Would you like to use the green or the blue finger paint?”
  • Desensitizing your child and creating new habits takes time! Progress can seem slow, but don’t get discouraged.

Activity ideas: 

  • Messy play – mud, dirt, water, food play, finger paints, shaving cream, bath bubbles, etc.
  • Noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs
  • Window shades or adjustable lights
  • Include your child in meal preparation process – encourage them to help whether with their hands or using cooking utensils to interact with the many food textures and smells
  • Food play – This is crucial when trying to expand your child’s diet. Encourage your child to interact with new foods in the most basic manner; the SOS Feeding Approach, used commonly by Occupational Therapists, encourages the following progression with new foods: See –> Touch –> Kiss –> Lick –> Taste –> Chew & Swallow. It is important to allow your child to move at their own pace and allow them to clean off hands or spit out food at any point along the continuum.
  • Sensory toys – Check out Ark Therapeutic, a leading manufacturer of innovative therapy tools and special needs products! They have great sensory toys, chews and fidgets that can help your child deal with sensory overload.
  • Finger painting – also try bathtub paint to reduce mess and give child control over cleaning off their hands
  • Listening to music

Check out this video of our AMAZING Occupational Therapist, Kelly, helping a child overcome a sensory fear.

How can Carolina Therapy Connection Help?

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we offer Sensory Integration Therapy and play-based treatment intervention that is specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all of the senses. Sensory Integration involves specific sensory activities (swinging, bouncing, brushing, and more) that are intended to help your child regulate his or her response to incoming sensory input. The outcome of these activities may be better focus and attention, improved behavior, and even lowered anxiety. Our therapists may work on  lowering a patient’s negative reactions to touch, help them become better aware of their body in space, and work on their ability to manage their bodies more appropriately (run and jump when it’s time to run and jump, sit and focus when it’s time to sit and focus, etc.). Various techniques include swinging, deep pressure therapy, which may include squeezing, rolling, etc., jumping on a trampoline, or gross motor play such as wall climbing, balance beam, etc.

Carolina Therapy Connection now has the largest and most state-of-the-art sensory gym in all of Eastern North Carolina!  Check out our 360° view of our sensory gym HERE. Our sensory gym is fully equipped with a zip-line, monkey bars, slides, scooter board ramps, ball pit, trampolines, rock climbing wall, and an expansive set of swings to offer a wide-variety of sensory experiences for each child.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a screening for your child, call our clinic at (252) 341-9944 to learn more about what you can do and how we can help!

 

 

Sensory Sensitivities

Carolina Therapy Connection Expands to New Bern

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Carolina Therapy Connection Strives to Meet the Demand in Eastern NC

For over 10 years, Carolina Therapy Connection has embodied a vision of being the regional leader of skilled professionals providing diverse, collaborative services for children and their families. After growing from about 25 families in the first year of the practice, to over 1600 active patients today, we continue to improve the quality of life of children in Eastern North Carolina and provide support and education to parents and families.

Over the past year, our greatest challenge has been tirelessly working to meet the demands and needs of the pediatric population within our community. After becoming the first Certified Autism Center™ in Eastern N.C., it was clear that our next priority was to expand to New Bern! This realization led us to opening a new location in New Bern, North Carolina! Despite the challenges of COVID-19, our amazing team has gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide an exceptional new clinic and prepare for the needs within and around Craven County.

About Our New Bern Clinic

Our New Bern building is 2500 square foot, accommodating for 6 huge offices for our therapists and administrative staff, and a state-of-the-art sensory gym. Our New Bern team consists of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Educational Specialists. Currently, our team specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Torticollis, Interactive Metronome, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Feeding Therapy, Sensory Processing Disorder and many others! Having an open mind to drive innovation, we believe all our clinics should be an educational resource to provide the community with direct access to the latest research and developments in pediatric habilitative and rehabilitative services.

Through demonstrated excellence in clinical, school, and home-based practice, our therapists provide screening, assessment, consultation, and treatment in the following areas at our New Bern location:

  • Sensory Integration
  • Interactive Metronome ®
  • Therapeutic Listening®
  • Handwriting Without Tears®
  • SOS Feeding Therapy ®
  • Beckman Oral Motor Approach®
  • School-Related Skills
  • Gross and Fine Motor Development
  • Early Intervention Services
  • Feeding and Oral Motor Development
  • Balance and Coordination Skills
  • Age-Appropriate Daily Living Skills/ Self-Help Skills
  • Handwriting Skills
  • Adaptive Equipment Purchasing and Modification
  • Articulation and Language Development
  • Augmentative Communication
  • Adaptive Equipment Purchasing and Modification
  • Wheelchair Assessments
  • Evaluations for Orthotic Devices and Equipment (AFO’s, Helmet, etc.)

Expanding Our Community Outreach Program

Our New Bern administrative staff and therapists have been working hard to reach out to the community to get as much viable information as possible. As we continue developing our community outreach plan for 2021, we are constantly updating our website resources page for in and around Craven County. We are also working hard to ensure that the pediatric offices, daycares and schools are aware of the services we provide.  Over the past few months, we have sent out a community survey to better understand how we can partner with with local organizations in making a way for greater resilience within our community. Amidst the struggle of COVID-19, we have also been able to reach out to multiple locations around New Bern by email, phone call, and also by delivering goodie baskets! We are so excited to be working with all these great organizations and can’t wait to see where the future takes us!

Pictures of Our New Bern Clinic

 Expands to New Bern Expands to New Bern Expands to New Bern Expands to New BernNew Bern Clinic

 

 

CTC Clinic New Bern North Carolina