María Laura Carandino Salas Terapeuta ocupacional

18/10/2025

18/10/2025

As therapists, we know how important physical activities are for building strength, balance, and coordination… but let’s not forget the emotional power of active play!

💛 Through movement, kids can:
😊 Express emotions—like smiling, laughing, and feeling joy
🤝 Learn to negotiate and collaborate with peers (turn-taking, setting rules, etc.)
😌 Reduce stress and anxiety
🌈 Boost their mood and emotional well-being
🏅 Build confidence by reaching physical goals—like climbing or running a full lap!

Let’s support the whole child—body and heart 💗

18/10/2025

18/10/2025

🕷️ 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭! 🕷️
Get ready for some serious spooky, squishy fun with this Halloween Sensory Spaghetti! Now, before you run screaming 🏃‍♀️ from the thought of messy noodles, let me explain why this activity is totally worth it:

1️⃣ Is it messy? Oh yes, 100%!
2️⃣ Will the spaghetti hold up well after repeated play? 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒!
3️⃣ Will the coloring stain little hands? 𝑁𝑜𝑝𝑒, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑠!
4️⃣ Will the kids remember this sensory experience forever? 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑎!
5️⃣ Will they be talking about it for weeks? 𝐴𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦!

🎃 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝:
🍝 Cooked al-dente spaghetti noodles (add some olive oil to keep them from sticking)
🌈 Liquid watercolors (to make it colorful and mess-free)
👁️ Glow-in-the-dark eyeballs (hello, dollar store finds!)
🕷️ Colorful spider rings (more dollar store goodies)
✋ Handy scoopers (for fine motor practice)
📦 Large plastic zip-top bags (for mixing)

𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Want to take things up a spooky notch? 👻 Turn off the lights and watch the glow-in-the-dark eyeballs pop out of the spaghetti—EEK! 😱

Not a fan of spaghetti? No problem! You can use colored rice or shredded paper as a less messy alternative, but trust me, your kiddos will be talking about those squishy noodles for months! 🧡

Want even more hair-raising, spooky fun for your classroom this Halloween? https://www.pre-kpages.com/products/halloween-bundle/

18/10/2025

✋🏼 THE TACTILE SYSTEM! ⠀
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October is Sensory Processing Awareness Month! To help spread awareness, I am sharing a series of graphics about the 8 sensory systems. ⠀⠀⠀⠀
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To get a printable version of this graphic,
🗣️Comment SENSORY and I'll send you the link directly.⠀⠀
⠀
The tactile system is often the most commonly recognized sensory system of the body. ⠀
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It is also the one people notice most often if a child has an overactive or underactive tactile system. Anything you touch or feel is part of this system.⠀
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There are actually 3 types of tactile receptors on the skin. Light touch, discriminative touch, or pressure touch, and ones that perceive heat, cold, and pain. ⠀
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You'll notice I included a list of possible sensitivities for seekers and avoiders. This is not to be used as a diagnosis tool, purely as education. If you have concerns or questions, talk to your child's doctor and ask for an Occupational Therapy evaluation.⠀
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Some of the most common tactile sensitivities are to light touch, which is also connected to how the child feels hot, cold, and pain. It can also show in sensitivities to certain food types or areas around the mouth, which affects feeding, brushing teeth, etc. ⠀
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What are some ways you can support a child who is struggling with tactile system sensitivities? ⠀
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- Use sensory bins with various textures⠀
- Weighted blankets or lap pads⠀
- Use fidget items in the classroom or at home to help focus. Fidgets are tools, not toys. They should not be distracting to others. ⠀
- Sensory play dough or finger painting⠀
- Deep pressure, either by rolling a therapy ball across the back or squeezing the hands. This adds proprioceptive input, which can be calming or altering. ⠀
- Using a stress ball for hand squeezes⠀
- Have tag-less clothing options. Many brands are going tagless in shirts and pants, which is awesome! ⠀
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To get a printable version of this graphic, 🗣️Comment SENSORY and I'll send you the link directly.

18/10/2025

NEUROLOGICAL THRESHOLDS!

“the nervous system’s responsiveness to stimuli”

How does a child respond to the world around them? Sights? Sounds? Touch? Smells? Movement? Body position? Taste?

A low threshold means that a low amount or intensity of stimuli is needed as the nervous system is easily activated for awareness and response. A child is described as hyperresponsive.

A high threshold means more intense stimuli is needed before the nervous system responds. A child is described as hyporesponsive.

Sensitization is the process that enhances the awareness of important stimuli, screening anticipated harm or danger in the environment while engaged in play or learning. We need to be able to respond quickly to risky situations that could hurt us.

Habituation is the process of recognising familiar stimuli that does not require further attention, allowing focused attention of the task at hand without becoming distracted, agitated or inattentive. There is comfort and security found in familiar sights, sounds, people, routines, textures, schedules and expectations that reassure us.

Modulation is the balance of activation needed so that a child can be alert to selected information while screening out other stimuli in order for functional participation in everyday life. The child selects the appropriate responses to environmental cues.

The children we see for occupational therapy may have difficulty processing sensory information … eg. alert to sensory information that interferes with tasks, unaware of sensory information, perceives something as dangerous when it isn’t, can’t get enough sensory information.

I’m sharing more about sensory processing and sensory based activities this month on so make sure you take a look. In the meantime, don’t forget to grab your FREE ticket to the Sensory Summit Online Conference (Oct 27-29). Let me know if you want a link! 🔗

23/08/2025

The next time emotions run high... pause, breathe, validate, and be the calm—because sometimes the best way to guide little hearts is simply by sharing yours. ✨🧡

Want a free printable handout on co-regulation including what it is and some strategies to help, comment ⚓️ and we will send it your way.

05/07/2025

Altamente recomendado

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08/05/2025

08/05/2025

🌟 Every Child is Unique! 🌟

Every child has their own strengths, and as teachers, therapists, and parents, it's our job to nurture them so they can grow and thrive! 💡💪

✨ A little knowledge & encouragement can make all the difference in helping kids shine! 🌈

🎯 When we understand a child’s strengths, we can support their challenges and help them succeed.

💌 Want to explore your child’s strengths further? Download the FREE strengths-based checklist at the bottom of this post! ⬇️

28/03/2025

Really helpful infographic!
--->> https://www.katyhigginslee.com/resources

28/03/2025

What is self-regulation and what does that look like? Let's take a look at the importance of self-regulation skills for children.

https://www.growinghandsonkids.com/the-importance-of-self-regulation-skills-for-children.html?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com