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Tag: hitting

hitting

My Kid Keeps Hitting

Does your child keep hitting others when he wants what they are playing with? Grab toys away from other children? Kick over other’s toys? These are all considered undesirable behaviors and can be frustrating to watch your child do at home, in their community, or at school.  Here are some strategies to help your child with undesired behaviors. 

Step 1- Hands are not for hitting

Remind your child what their hands are for. Hands are for waving, washing, clapping, counting, drawing, doodling, holding, hugging and eating. Hands are not for hitting. Hitting hurts!

Step 2- Use these words

Teach your child the words to use when wanting something from someone else. Can I please have a turn? Could I see that toy? Let your child know they have to wait for the answer. This may be the hardest part. If a child will not share a toy provide suggestions for another toy to play with.

Kids Fighting

Step 3- Hitting hurts

If a child does hit, have the injured child tell that child,” I don’t like that, that hurts!” 

Step 4- Don’t force apologies

Do not make your child apologize for undesired behaviors. Making a child apologize has no meaning behind it if they are just saying it because you told them too. Some children may use this to their advantage and think, “It’s OK to hit if I apologize afterwards.” Remind your child that it hurts others and our hands are not for hitting. We must use our words to ask for what we want.

If hitting persists or your child is unable to utilize the strategies, call to schedule a free screening with one of our pediatric therapists.  Sometimes, hitting occurs when a child does not have an ample vocabulary or language to make requests or negotiate.  It can also occur when a child excites easily or seeks input.  Our trained therapists will be able to give additional recommendations unique to your child’s needs!

Written by: Jessica Frederick, COTA/L

Occupational Therapy

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Questions about BDI Occupational Therapy?

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BDI Occupational Therapists

Our Occupational Therapists are trained to identify barriers that restrict a child’s success or independence in completing everyday “occupations”

What is a child’s occupation?  

  • Play independently 
  • Be successful in school
  • Easily adapt to change and problem solve
  • Complete self-care tasks
  • Effectively communicate to maintain great relationships with family and friends 
  • Learn beneficial behavioral skills, such as accountability, empathy, concentration, and self-esteem  

Occupational Therapy can help your child improve:

  • Fine motor skills

    Precise hand movements
    • Holding pencil/crayon
    • Manipulating toys/small objects
    • Clothing fasteners
  • Emotional Regulation

    The ability to control one’s own emotional state. This is the ability that allows one to self-calm during emotional and stressful situations. In children, emotional regulation issues are often seen as ‘behavior problems’
  • Range of Motion

    The amount of movement a joint or body part has
    • Limited movement in hands/arms, head, legs, or other body parts
    • Difficulty straightening limbs
  • Strength

    Core Strength

    • Sitting still or sitting without support
    • Climbing/running/jumping
    • Balance
    • Frequent falls

    Arm/Hand Strength

    • Turning doorknobs
    • Opening containers
    • Holding a pencil
    • Carrying multiple objects
    • Maintaining hold on objects
  • Self Care

    Activities of daily living
    • Dressing
    • Eating 
    • Bathroom hygiene
    • Chores
    • Planning
    • Decision making
  • Sensory Processing

    Ability to receive and respond to aspects of our environment

    Sensitivities to:

    • Sights
    • Sounds
    • Movement
    • Taste
    • Touch 
    • Smell
  • Visual Perceptual Skills

    The ability of the brain to understand what the eye is seeing
    • Reading
    • Puzzles
    • Reversing letters/numbers
    • Visual scanning (example instead that doesn’t use the medical term)
    • Sorting
  • Visual-Motor Skills

    Hand eye coordination

    • Handwriting (letters/numbers)
    • Drawing/coloring
    • Cutting
    • Ball skills


Occupational Therapy can help improve

  • Fine motor skills

    precise hand movements

    • Holding pencil/crayon
    • Manipulating toys/small objects
    • Clothing fasteners
  • Bilateral Coordination

    using both hands or arms together to complete tasks

    • Jumping jacks
    • Throwing/catching a ball
    • Pull/push toys
    • Crafting (cutting, glueing, etc…)
  • Visual-Motor Skills

    Hand eye coordination

    • Handwriting (letters/numbers)
    • Drawing/coloring
    • Cutting
    • Ball skills
  • Visual Perceptual Skills

    the ability of the brain to understand what the eye is seeing

    • Reading
    • Puzzles
    • Reversing letters/numbers
    • Visual scanning (example instead that doesn’t use the medical term)
    • Sorting
  • Self Care

    activities of daily living

    • Dressing
    • Eating 
    • Bathroom hygiene
    • Chores
    • Planning
    • Decision making
  • Sensory Processing

    ability to receive and respond to aspects of our environment

    Sensitivities to:

    • Sights
    • Sounds
    • Movement
    • Taste
    • Touch 
    • Smell
  • Strength

    Core Strength

    • Sitting still or sitting without support
    • Climbing/running/jumping
    • Balance
    • Frequent falls

    Arm/Hand Strength

    • Turning doorknobs
    • Opening containers
    • Holding a pencil
    • Carrying multiple objects
    • Maintaining hold on objects
  • Range of Motion

    the amount of movement a joint or body part has

    • Limited movement in hands/arms, head, legs, or other body parts
    • Difficulty straightening limbs
  • Emotional Regulation

    the ability to control one’s own emotional state

A-Z of our OT Services

A

Autism

Attention

ADLs (activities of daily living)

B

Body Awareness

Bilateral Coordination

C

Core Strength

D

Dyspraxia

Dysgraphia

Dressing skills

E

Eye Hand Coordination

Executive Functioning Skills

Emotional Regulation

F

Feeding

Fine Motor Skills

Fine Motor Coordination

G

Gravitational Insecurity

Grip Strength

H

Handwriting

I

IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living)

M

Motor Planning

P

Postural Control

Play

R

Reflex Integration

ROM (Range of Motion)

Routine Management

S

Self Care

Sensory Processing 

Safety Awareness

T

Toileting

V

Visual Motor Skills

Visual Perceptual Skills

Great Feedback from Great Families

BDI Playhouse has exceptional therapists… my son was evaluated at BDI and received Occupational Therapy – and loved his therapist at BDI! I cannot say enough about the entire staff. Qualified, caring, exceptional people.”

Getting Started With Occupational Therapy

Find answers here

Still not sure? Learn more about whether your child needs therapy here




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