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The Importance of a Summer Routine

The Importance of a Summer Routine

When school ends your child’s daily routine doesn’t have to! Summer is the perfect time to remain consistent. For kids, having a routine in the summer is especially important. It helps provide stability, which is crucial for their development and well-being. Here are several ideas for a summer routine:

Encourage Healthy Habits: 

  • Continue establishing enough time for physical activity throughout your child’s day.
    • Play outside
    • Swim
    • Obstacle courses inside or out
    • Sports 
    • Bike Riding
  • Make sure your child is still going to bed at their regular time. 
    • Encourage your child to wake up and go to sleep around the same time each day

Encourage Creativity: 

  • Introduce new activities or hobbies to your child.
    • Gardening
    • Join a club or sports team
    • Play an instrument 
  • Allow time for your child to be bored during the summer. This allows your child to be creative and think of something new to do. 
  • Balance screen time and set limits for the amount of time your child spends on their iPad or watching television.

Educational Opportunities: 

  • Provide time for reading, STEM activities, visit museums, or engage in different art activities.

Make a Summer Bucket List:

  • This is the perfect idea for collecting ideas and putting them all together on one page. Have the whole family join to make it even more fun! 

By maintaining a routine, kids can enjoy their summer while staying healthy, active, and intellectually stimulated. This balance of structure and flexibility helps them make the most of their summer break. Our Occupational Therapy team can help you find the perfect modifications to your child’s routine to problem solve any tricky times during your day! Reach out to schedule a free screening for some tips! 

Written By: Kiersten Robertson, MOT, OTR/L

Prepare for Back-to-School with Occupational Therapy

Top 5 Tips to Prepare for Back-to-School from an Occupational Therapist

Top 5 Tips to Prepare for Back-to-School from an Occupational Therapist

As the summer draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking about heading back to school. For students, this transition can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety. Setting students up for success by helping them prepare for the challenges that lie ahead can make the transition go smoothly. Some things to start working on ahead of time are establishing routines, organizing workspaces and supplies, fine motor skills, social skills, and sensory supports. All of this preparation can feel overwhelming, but the occupational therapy team at BDI Playhouse can help you in any of these areas that you find to be tricky for your child. You can schedule a free screening with an occupational therapist just to brainstorm some tips that can help you prepare for back-to-school or to discuss how occupational therapy services might benefit your family.  

1. Establish a Routine: One of the most important aspects when you prepare for back-to-school is establishing a consistent routine. Over the summer break, sleeping schedules often become more relaxed, and days tend to be less structured. However, returning to school requires a regular sleep pattern and structured daily routines. Gradually adjust bedtimes and wake-up times to align with the school schedule, allowing the body to adapt to the changes. Establishing routines for meals, homework, and extracurricular activities will also help create a sense of predictability and reduce stress. Occupational therapists can help you develop these routines and can also provide help to make it easier for your child to follow their routine without assistance with tasks or a million pesky reminders from caregivers.

2. Organize and Prepare: Getting organized is crucial for a successful school year. Help your child set up an organized workspace, whether it’s a dedicated desk or a specific area for homework. Ensure necessary school supplies, textbooks, and materials are readily accessible. Organize backpacks or bags by creating designated compartments for different items. Teach your child how to use a planner or calendar to keep track of assignments, due dates, and extracurricular activities. By promoting organization skills, you can reduce anxiety and increase productivity. Occupational therapists can help identify the best way in which to organize materials to promote independence, modify supplies to best fit your child’s needs, and provide tools to help your child keep themselves on track. 

3. Fine-Tune Motor Skills: Fine motor skills play a significant role in various school activities, such as writing, using scissors, and manipulating small objects. They are also important for your child to be able to open their backpack, snack and lunch containers, and to complete other self care tasks during the school day without help from their teacher. Engage your child in activities that enhance fine motor skills, such as coloring, drawing, puzzles, and arts and crafts projects. Encourage hand strengthening exercises through play, such as squeezing stress balls or using play-doh or putty. These activities help improve dexterity, handwriting, and overall coordination, leading to better academic performance. During therapy sessions, occupational therapists help children to develop these skills through carefully selected and graded activities that provide a just-right-challenge for improving fine motor skills. An OT can also help you to identify some ways that you can modify activities in ways that either promote increased fine motor skills or that make a difficult task more accessible for your child. 

4. Foster Social Skills: Going back to school means interacting with peers, teachers, and other staff members. Social skills are crucial for building relationships and creating a positive school experience. Encourage your child to participate in social activities during the summer to help them practice communication, turn-taking, and problem-solving skills. Arrange playdates, join summer camps, or engage in team sports. Additionally, discuss and role-play social scenarios, teaching your child appropriate responses and behaviors. By fostering social skills, you can boost your child’s confidence and help them form meaningful connections at school. Occupational therapists commonly work with children to address these struggles and have so many great ideas for some strategies that you can try at home. 

5. Manage Sensory Needs: For children with sensory processing challenges, the school environment can be overwhelming. Take time to assess and manage your child’s sensory needs before the school year begins. Consult with an occupational therapist who can provide strategies and interventions to address specific sensory issues. Create a sensory toolkit containing items such as noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, and stress balls, which can help your child self-regulate and stay focused in the classroom. Collaborate with teachers to create a sensory-friendly learning environment that accommodates your child’s needs. Interpreting your child’s sensory needs and identifying the best ways to support them can be tricky, occupational therapists can work with you to help meet your child’s sensory needs, create activities and routines to regulate their sensory systems, and discuss ways in which you can advocate for your child as they return to the school environment. 

Preparing for back to school involves more than just buying school supplies and new clothes. Focusing on establishing routines, organizing and promoting independence, fine-tuning motor skills, fostering social skills, and supporting sensory needs will help your child be their very best as they go back to school this Fall. By implementing these five tips, you can set your child up for success, ease the transition, and create a positive and productive school experience. The back-to-school period is an opportunity for growth, learning, and building resilience, and with the right preparation, your child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally! Our team is ready to help you during any step of the way. You can schedule a free screening to discuss any road bumps you may have and we will be happy to talk about some specific strategies to try at home as you prepare for back-to-school!  

Written by: Kourtney Schultz, MOT, OTR/L

feet forward

Put Your Best Foot Forward!

When to see a pediatric physical therapist for your child’s feet?

How do you know if your child’s little feet are functioning at their very best? Here are 10 clear signs that you should have a pediatric physical therapist screen your child’s feet so they can put their best foot forward!

Pain 

If walking causes pain in your child’s feet this is a concern that should be addressed immediately. There are a number of reasons for pain in the feet and a pediatric PT can assess and address painful walking.  

Asymmetry

Any difference in one foot compared to the other foot should be seen by a pediatric PT. Feet should look and move the same at the other foot. Seek advice if you notice a difference in foot size, a heel lifted on one side, turning in or out of one foot or any other noticeable differences. 

Toe Walking

Toe walking is an abnormal gait or walk at any age at any time! We often see children raise up on their toes when they are very excited, nervous or cold but only for a few steps and then come down to their heels to walk or run. The earlier a child is seen for toe walking, the faster the treatment and the better the outcome. Don’t Wait!

In or Out Toeing (Pigeon or Duck footed)

Toe inning or outing is a common foot alignment deficit. When the feet are not aligned, the knees are not aligned which can lead to pain and inflammation. Often it can be a sign of leg, hip or trunk weakness or all three! It could also be a misalignment of bones within the joints. Seeing a pediatric PTl will determine the root cause and help get those duck feet in a row!

Flat Feet / Pronation

Flat feet is when almost the whole foot makes contact with the floor while standing. Pronation is when the ankle collapses inward when standing. Both flat feet and pronation can cause similar problems. Postural deficits are usually present as well as over use and under used muscle groups. This imbalance causes poor body mechanics which can lead to premature breakdown of joints. Flat feet and pronation cause the body to move inefficiently. It will take more energy to walk, run and jump!  

Tripping

Children are still developing their sensory systems and body awareness which can look a bit messy. It’s common to miss a crack in the sidewalk or move too fast for their feet causing them to trip and fall. Tripping becomes a problem when they are doing it so much they are hurting themselves. Tripping on the same thing over and over, on stairs or ramps, carpets or even nothing at all can be concerning.  A pediatric PT will be able to assess why they are tripping so often and help keep them on their feet!

Fatigues Quickly with Walking

Carry me! Is a phrase often used by a child who fatigues quickly when walking. A child who has good endurance, body mechanics, postural control and strength will want to walk vs being pushed in a stroller or carried. A child who struggles with one or more of these deficits will fatigue quickly when walking and ask to be carried more often. Ask a professional if your child seems to fatigue quickly when walking vs other children their age. 

Aversion to changing shoes

New shoes or any new clothing item can be stressful to a developing sensory system. Our children who are more sensitive to change will often break down their favorite pair of shoes to a thin sole, or wear shoes that lack proper support such as slip-on type shoes. A professional can help get children into good quality shoes that support the foot properly, helping them to move with better posture and efficiency. Let’s make shopping for new shoes fun! 

Sprained or twisted ankles

This painful injury literally stops you in your tracks. It’s common once in a while but abnormal if it happens over and over again, especially when doing everyday activities. Ankle weakness, misalignment or even vision could be the cause of ankle sprains. A PT can assess and address the reason for this very painful problem. 

Abnormal gait / walk

Any abnormality of a child’s gait should be addressed as soon as possible. Sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on it because the smallest thing could be affecting their gait or it comes and goes. Listen for your child’s steps on a hard surface. It should be an even beat most of the time. Rubbing the top of their foot while walking can be a sensory movement that is affecting their gait. Running instead of walking. Gait abnormalities can easily be addressed in PT. 

High Arches

High arches do not always need to be addressed but if your child has any other deficits such as any problems above, then high arches may need extra support. A PT can assess their gait and determine if treatment is necessary. 

Pediatric Physical Therapists assess the cause of these symptoms and use conservative interventions to improve their everyday function on their feet! They will also refer you to the appropriate healthcare professionals when extra attention is required for the best care of those little feet! 

Set up a free screening with a pediatric PT to ensure your child is putting their best foot forward!

Written By: Dana Bukala, PTA

 

Visual Schedules

Importance of Schedules and Routines

Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. Consistent daily schedules and step-by-step routines give children a predictable, safe day. Schedules and routines help children:

  • Feel in control of their environment
  • Feel safe, secure, and comfortable
  • Know what is happening now and what comes next
  • Know how to do an activity or task

However, what happens when you have a change in schedule or routine?  Does your toddler or child melt down or show big behaviors?  An unexpected schedule change or a change in their routine can be upsetting and stressful. If your child is struggling when transitioning between tasks or with changes in schedule or routine, BDI Playhouse recommends you use simple visual schedules to make those transitions and changes smoother.

What is a visual schedule?

A visual schedule is an image-based tool that helps support children of all ages. It presents a sequence of events for what is going to happen during a specific task, during an activity, or throughout the day.  Visual schedules help individuals complete a sequence of tasks or activities, attend to tasks, transition from one task to another, or maintain emotional regulation in various settings.

A visual schedule may use a sequence of photographs, videos, illustrations, or other visual elements that help your child understand what they are expected to do.  The visual schedule can be virtual on your phone or printed on paper.

Benefits of Using Visuals

  • Provides clarity and predictability in routine which allows a feeling of control (reducing anxiety or confusion)
  • Provides concrete visual information for (can make something abstract feel concrete, such as the length of time before an activity will be over).
  • Reduces behaviors caused by frustration, confusion, anxiety.
  • Provides a critical avenue for visual learners to understand and retain information.
  • Serves as a virtual “contract” for completing expectations and delivering rewards.
  • Assists in building independent routines with better success (such as packing a backpack, washing hands, or cleaning up after snack).
  • Helps children know what to expect and/or what the expectation is so that they don’t have to fear what will happen or become impatient and frustrated.

How to create your own visual schedule

  1. Identify your Target/Routine for the schedule
  2. Choose the type of visual that will be most meaningful to the child: 
    • Photographs of the child/child’s environment
    • Real life images
    • Line drawings 
    • Clipart
    • Text writing only
  3. Keep language simple and direct
  4. Involve the child in preparation
  5. Involve other caregivers

Easy Resources for Visual Schedules

If you find that your child is still having difficulty when you have a change in schedule or routine or need help learning how to use a visual schedule, contact BDI Playhouse to set up a free screening with one of our pediatric occupational therapists or speech language pathologists.  We can help you help your child!

Winter Swimming

Winter Swimming

Shake Off Winter Blues in the Pool!

Consider your local pool or aquatic park this winter for all it’s amazing benefits! 

Welcome winter and all it’s fun activities like ice skating, sledding and SWIMMING! The joy of swimming doesn’t have to end when winter begins. Indoor pools are the ultimate good mood booster along with so many other benefits! Open swim, swim lessons, aqua therapy and aquatic parks are amazing ways to get some exercise and a splash of the summer feels during the cold winter months.  

Winter swimming has even more benefits than summer! Here are some cool pool perks!

  • Playing in the water makes us happy! Water is a natural anti-depressent. Prevent “SAD” (seasonal affective disorder), a common syndrome in the winter months. Water submersion stimulates our sensory system, exercise releases endorphins and decreases anxiety. 
  • Master those swim skills! Practicing safety and swimming skills in the winter months will improve skills over the summer.  Motor planning for treading water, breath control, floating and swimming takes practice. Those skills are lost during the winter months and need to be reintroduced for water safety and proficiency. 
  • Create joyful memories! The family that plays together stays together! Exercising with family is not only fun but promotes a healthy lifestyle for your children to follow as they grow older. Promote year long family fitness and a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
  • Water is magic! Water play improves mobility, flexibility, balance, coordination, strength, posture, spatial awareness, endurance, circulation, attention, sensory motor integration and confidence. It decreases pain, muscle spasms, abnormal tone, rigidity, joint compression and stress. 

Concerns of increased illness from winter swimming are common. Check out these pool facts that address common miconceptions of winter swimming. 

  • Only a virus can cause a cold or flu. Viruses are more common in winter months from school and being indoors. Any indoor activity during the winter months increases the chances of catching a virus.   
  • Risk of illness is greatly reduced from a properly maintained pool.
  • Illinois Department of Health enforces rules and regulations for water quality in public pools.
  • Several studies have shown that wet hair along with cold exposure has not been linked to increase illness.  
  • Indoor pool water temperatures must be kept at 77-84 degrees and warm water pools are between 86-92 degrees for safety all year long. 
  • Prevent chills or risk of hypothermia by drying off properly, wearing a hat, and dressing appropriately for the cold weather after a fun winter day at the pool! 

Aqua Therapy is a great way to get started with a life long love of the water in a safe and accepting environment. Ask your pediatric therapist how aqua therapy can benefit your child! https://bdiplayhouse.com/aquatic-therapy/ 

Written By: Dana Bukala, PTA 

 

Pragmatic Language

The Power of Pragmatic Language

Social Language Milestones

Pragmatics is the way we use our language in social settings. For example, how to start a conversation, interpreting body language, understanding different perspectives, and using sarcasm. Pragmatic language is typically learned incidentally (learned through experience) but with some children, it may need to be directly taught. Pragmatic language begins to develop as an infant and continues to grow and form until the high school years. Below is a list of “milestones” to expect along with activities/strategies to enhance social language. 

Infant (3-12 months)

  • Starts making eye contact
  • Reaching 
  • Participates in parallel play (playing next to caregiver, sibling) 
  • Participates vocal turn taking
  • Uses vocalizations to request, protest, express feelings 

Activities: Peek-a-boo, stacking blocks, waving, songs, nursery rhymes

Toddler (12-36 months) 

  • Imitates routines
  • Imitates other children
  • Uses words (12 months)/phrases (18 months)/sentences (30 months) to request, protest, express feelings
  • Asks questions
  • Begins at 18 months
  • Initiates pretend play (ex: playing in toy kitchen, pushing trucks/cars, playing with baby doll)
  • Begins at 18 months
  • Takes two turns in conversation
  • Begins to describe/retell events 
  • Begins to return/initiate greetings by waving 

Activities: Ask questions during pretend play (“What’s baby doing? Where are they going?”), “sabotage” by putting toys out of reach, shared reading activities, scrapbooks to encourage retelling 

Preschool (3-5 years)

  • Uses language for teasing, joking, fantasies 
  • Starts to share with others
  • Joint play with peers (participating in others play schemes, including self in play) 
  • Theory of Mind: Understanding that others have different beliefs 
  • Begins at 4 years
  • Produces narratives as “chain”
  • Takes 4-5 conversational turns 
  • Improves describing skills to repair communication breakdowns
  • Begins to inference/predict 
  • Participates in turn-taking games

Activities: Sequence 3-4 pictures and retell story, give simple riddles (i.e., “This is an animal that lives on the farm and says ‘Moo’”), play “Go Fish” or “Bingo”

School age (5-11 years)

  • Invites others to play 
  • Initiates conversations with familiar topics (ex: school, weather, weekend) 
  • Problem solving (individually and in a group) 
  • Begins 6-8 years old
  • Gives and responds to compliments 
  • Tells and understands jokes of greater complexity 
  • Politely interrupts 
  • Responds to and uses facial expressions (ex: smiles, frowns, looks of surprise) 
  • Recognizes spatial boundaries 

Activities: Practice multiple meaning words, Apples to Apples, Emotion charades, Red Light Green Light 

Middle/High School (11-18 years)

  • Recognizes if listener is interested or bored 
  • Shifts topics during lulls in conversation 
  • Understands difference between friends/acquaintances
  • Engages in collaborative discussions 

Activities: Would You Rather questions, book club, Let’s Talk Conversation Starters

If you notice delays in the way your child is using social language such as having difficulty making friends, understanding body language, or maintaining age-appropriate conversations, schedule a screening with an SLP at BDI Playhouse today!

 

toy

Tis the Toy Season- Toy Guide

‘Tis that time of year again! And all your kids want are toys, toys, toys! This can feel overwhelming when adding to an already large pile of toys in the home setting. Especially when the kids don’t even seem to play with the toys already available!  

Below are some tips and ideas for bringing new toys in this Holiday season. 

1. Balance of educational and choice toys; balance of seated and movement activity gifts

    • Teach your kids from a young age that they may not get everything on their wish list.
    • Provides them with opportunities to learn about toys they may have never seen before.
    • Encourages seated attention or physical activity. 

2. Hide toys and rotate them

    • Hide old toys before new toys come out.
    • When child appears bored of toys that are available, switch toys out with the hidden box of toys. Children will forget about some toys they have, making them feel new and exciting again!
    • Continue this toy rotation as child displays readiness with multiple boxes as options. Allow child to peek into boxes and choose box, if they wish.

3. Incorporate multiple skills per toy

    • Challenge the child to create different ways to use the toy.
    • Model your own creative ways to use the toy
    • Encourage exploration of new toy.

4. Use toy in obstacle course

    • Toys that appear more challenging for a child are great to incorporate into a fun movement activity. This helps break up the challenge and decrease frustration.
    • Great for toys with multiple pieces.
    • Encourages physical activity, especially in those cold months!

5. Keep toys simple

    • Simple toys encourage creativity and imagination!
    • Toys don’t need to have a lot of lights or songs to be fun. These can actually become over-stimulating for a child.
    • Allow child independence for exploring toys with only interrupting activity if unsafe.

6. Favorite educational toy companies

    • These websites allow you the ability to choose toys based on age range so you know what activities are developmentally appropriate for child

If you want some more ideas check out our website or amazon idea page!

 

Reflex

Primitive Reflexes

Primative Reflexes- The Good, The Bad, The Better!

Have you ever tripped and simultaneously reached out your hands to stop the fall? That is your primitive reflexes at work! They are essential as the first line of defense to protect ourselves but they can also be detrimental to our development.

What are primitive reflexes? 

Primitive reflexes are involuntary motor responses present at infancy that facilitate survival. Pediatricians check these reflexes at wellness visits to ensure the nervous system is working properly. It is important that these reflexes are present but it is just as important that these reflexes mature or integrate in early childhood. 

The Good: 

REFLEX

GOOD

Moro Reflex

The startle reflex

A fear response to sudden movements or noise
Hands PullingHead control reflex and the ability to contract our muscles to sit up
Hands SupportingOur falling reflex. Ability to reach out and catch yourself.
Tonic Labyrinthine (TLR)Develops balance and spatial awareness
STNRHead, limbs and balance system connection
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR):  Differentiates our left and right side.
Spinal GalantConnects the trunk and lower body
AmphibianActivates nerves between both hemispheres of the brain
Babinski:Supports mature walking and balance
BabkinTongue and mouth coordination for eating and speaking
PlantarProtective response to provide stability
PalmarAdvances fine motor movements of fingers.
Landau Promotes ability to control head in tummy time

Why do reflexes need to integrate?

We unconsciously use these reflexes everyday, but what happens when we are unable to consciously control them? That’s what happens when reflexes don’t integrate. It’s like being in a self driving car and not being able to take control of the wheel, which can be very scary. Sometimes our reflexes do not mature because of abnormal movement patterns in utero or infancy, neurological deficits, or just unknown reasons. These primitive neuro connections are powerful and can inhibit our ability to voluntarily control our body and mind if they are retained.

How do reflexes affect development?

A retained reflex can present in strange ways causing possible behavioral, emotional, sensory and physical deficts. Not all reflexes present the same way in every person but they do have common patterns. The infant’s movements work together in sequence during development. If one reflex does not integrate it can cause others to also be retained. It is not uncommon to see two, three, or almost all the reflexes present during a primitive reflex evaluation. The following are common traits you might see if reflexes are retained.   

The Bad- Unintegrated Primative Reflexes

REFLEX

GOOD

BAD

Moro Reflex

The startle reflex

A fear response to sudden movements or noise
  • Anxiety
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Insecure
  • Sensitive to light
  • Sound and/or touch
  • Emotional
  • Common in toe walkers 
Hands PullingHead control reflex and the ability to contract our muscles to sit up
  • Poor muscle tone
  • Poor hand, eye, and mouth coordination
  • Delayed gross and fine motor movements 
Hands SupportingOur falling reflex. Ability to reach out and catch yourself.
  • Clumsy
  • Poor personal boundaries
  • Aggressive
  • Avoids interactions
  • Difficulty processing information
Tonic Labyrinthine (TLR)Develops balance and spatial awareness
  • Motion sickness
  • Poor sense of time and organizational skills
  • Coordination difficulty
  • Spatial and balance problem
STNRHead, limbs and balance system connection
  • Crawling difficulty
  • Low muscle tone
  • Slumps while seated
  • Difficulty copying tasks
  • Poor attention
  • W sits 
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR):  Differentiates our left and right side.
  • Challenged with crossing midline
  • Difficulty catching
  • Focus and memory difficulty
  • Auditory challenges
  • Dyslexia
Spinal GalantConnects the trunk and lower body
  • Postural deficits
  • Hip rotation effecting gait
  • Hyperactive
  • Fatigues with cognitive functions
  • Bed wetting
AmphibianActivates nerves between both hemispheres of the brain
  • Rigid movements
  • Limited stride length
  • Poor coordination
  • No rotational movement
  • No hand dominance
Babinski:Supports mature walking and balance
  • Tripping
  • Stabilizes with tongue
  • Oral motor and articulation deficits
  • Flat feet
  • Walks on toes or sides of feet 
BabkinTongue and mouth coordination for eating and speaking
  • Open mouth posture
  • Poor mouth coordination
  • Lacks facial expression
  • Speech delay
  • Sensory chewer 
PlantarProtective response to provide stability
  • Grasping hands
  • Poor running/jumping
  • One sided crawl
  • Standing delay
  • Fight/flight response to loss of balance.
PalmarAdvances fine motor movements of fingers. 
Landau Promotes ability to control head in tummy time
  • Poor posture
  • Clumsy
  • High tone in legs
  • Visual challenges
  • Depression and fears
  • Poor focus and balance

 

The Better: 

It is extremely common to have one or more reflexes present and you might even identify some of these traits in yourself. That does not mean it needs to be treated unless the reflex is so dominant that it interferes with the ability to learn, be safe and thrive. Reflex therapy helps to identify and create an individualized reflex exercise program to promote integration. The brain responds by taking the wheel and improves control over it’s own mind and body. Now that’s better!

 

If you think your child may have primitive reflexes present we can help! Free primitive reflex screenings are available via Zoom or in person at our Orland Park or Naperville/Aurora locations. 

Back to School

Back to School Transition Strategies

Back to School Emotions

August means back to school is right around the corner!  Back to school means transitioning to new schools, new teachers, new peers, new expectations and new routines! Many kids are excited about the anticipation of a new school year, but for many kiddos “new” can be scary and worrisome. 

Children can communicate their emotions through a variety of behaviors. It’s important as parents and caregivers to be aware of these behaviors to help our kiddos manage their emotions and provide opportunity for a successful transition back to school!

The best way to help our kiddos with new tasks is by creating predictability and maintaining consistency in their routines.  This will help ease their worry and fear while building their confidence for success.

 Simple Strategies to Help Back to School Transition: 

Waking and Bedtime Schedule

We all fall into the summer slump of less structure and organization in the routine of our days. Beginning at least a month prior to the first day of school, begin  implementing a waking and bedtime schedule that will mirror your child’s school time routine.

Visual calendar count down

Time is a vague concept for young kids, so counting the “number of sleeps” until school starts is a meaningful way to incorporate how many days until the first day of school.

Social Stories

Read social stories and talk about expectations for the new school year.  Don’t forget to highlight important details that you know they are looking forward to (including a favorite teacher, familiar classmates, exciting activities they are looking forward to that year), but also recognize and discuss novel tasks that may cause stress (such as attending at a new building, bus rides, lunchtime, whatever it may be).

New Peer Playdates

Reach out to local parent/community groups to set-up park meet-ups/ playdates to become familiar with new peers.

Trial Run

Do a trial run before school starts. Drive by your child’s school to create familiarity.  Is there a park accessible to play at? Go play to create positive experiences associated with the school. This will help to see where you might have some bumps getting on the road and need to tweek parts of your morning routine.

Label feelings

Validate their feelings. Use visuals when you can. Provide your child with a ‘toolbox” of calming strategies to attain/maintain a feeling of calmness throughout their day.

Model Confidence

Model your confidence to make them feel confident (even if you have to fake it); kids feed off of our emotions. This includes talk enthusiastically about what a positive experience this will be, avoid lingering at drop-offs and encourage participation in new activities.

Back to School Mantra

Create a mantra to repeat out loud.  “I am safe” is one of my favorites!

List of Resources

Below are a list of resourceful links to provide more information about typical/atypical behaviors, countdown calendars, addressing feelings and visuals for calming strategies:

  1. Managing Behavior Strategies
  2. Social Story
  3. Journals
  4. Emotions for Kids
  5. Back to School Countdown

Don’t forget, what may seem like a minor problem to us as adults, feels like a BIG problem to our kiddos, especially when they are learning to recognize and handle their big emotions.  Make the experience easier for them by  remaining calm if things do not go as planned, or their reactions don’t meet our expectations. Don’t forget to model flexibility to bumps in routines.  Also,  remember that changes don’t happen overnight and give your child time to settle into their new routines! If things don’t get easier and you would like some additional strategies, please schedule a screening with one of our therapists to help find individualized strategies for you and your child.

Written by Jamie Blough

Middle School Picky Eater

Middle School Picky Eater

Are you a middle school parent on the fence about whether or not to try feeding therapy for your picky eater?  At BDI Playhouse, we work with middle schoolers both in the clinic or from the comfort of your own home.  We help kiddos with a variety of feeding needs such as increasing their caloric or nutritive intake without the need to supplement all the way to eating chicken at your neighborhood BBQ or pizza with their friends after a sports activity and anything in between.    

The best part about doing feeding therapy with older kiddos, in our opinion, is that they can tell us what they are feeling and thinking when it comes to food and they can be active participants in setting (and achieving) their own goals.  

Here are a few thoughts from a middle schooler in feeding therapy:

What’s the best part of doing feeding therapy?

I get to try foods that I haven’t tried before and that I am interested in trying.  I like doing it at food therapy because more than one person gets to see my reaction and I get to talk and chat!  

What’s the best part of doing food therapy online?

You can do food therapy and not worry about the virus.  Whenever I am at home, I don’t have to wait until my parents drive me home, I get to do whatever I want as soon as the session is done.

What would you tell a kiddo your age if they were on the fence about trying feeding therapy?  

The more therapy that you do the more excited you will get to try new foods.  

What’s your favorite thing you’ve done in feeding therapy?

I got to try a food from a show (dalgona cookies from Squid Games).  We also get to do “challenges” where we pick a food and try different flavors of it!  We had a candy night and tried all different candies.  We’ve done a poptart night and tried 8 different flavors of pop tarts.  We make food together.

Still on the fence of whether it would be a good fit for your kiddo?  Schedule a free screening with one of our feeding therapists to learn more about how we can help your middle school kiddo learn to love trying new foods!