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Monday 4pm - 8pm Tuesday 1pm - 5pm Thursday 10am - 2pm Saturday 9:30am - 2pm

PossibilOT

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Waterloo, ON
PossibilOT

Occupational Therapy for children and families to be able to participate in every day life. OT puts

PossibilOT is an Occupational Therapy service that provides consultation and treatment for families who are living with children who have special needs. PossibilOT offers a family-friendly space where the Therapist facilitates play while children and families learn skills to help them function better. PossibilOT seeks to put skills in the hands of those who need them.

12/20/2025

& , at the best of times, without being , is HARD. It's hard to create the magic, keep everyone happy, and meet
and (see Wednesday's post).

So, let go of the , walk away from the drunk, judgey , and make a plan to deal with the , wont eat their plate, and the . If you can't turn down the family gathering invite, here are 5 things you CAN do:

1) with your partner about what the is (self/child) when you decide to leave. Honour that commitment and then walk away.

2) Limit the exposure so no one get too stressed. Come later and leave early. Have a set number of hours to be there so that no one gets too . It is okay to do this.

3) Find a , spot wherever you're gathered where you and your child can regroup. It's okay to withdraw and get relief. Tell others the kid(s) need time to play in the snow/outside and just take them out. They don't need to know exactly what or why you're doing it.

4) If your child is , have a cue word they can use when they start to get . This helps them and not get to the , point so you can just make your exit.

If they're not verbal, keep an eye on their face so you can see signs of - eyes widen, cheeks flush, eyebrows lift, pupils shrink, fast and short breathing.

5) Have a prepped:
- "Thank you for your concern. We are going to get some quiet time and come back when we're ready."
- "We're just going to go outside and get some fresh air for a few minutes."
- "They're really tired, so we're going to head out now so everyone can keep enjoying the get-together before they have a meltdown."
- "Please know I'm doing what we feel is best for our/my child."

Please know that someone else's agenda / idea of / / don't get to trump yours levels or your child's needs.

*Adults* can adjust their expectations and responses BECAUSE they're the .

Give yourself , lower your expectations, limit your time and plan recuperation time afterwards. You can get through this.

12/17/2025

This one is for the parents...

What hit me today is that people may not need me to educate them on why will work for them, but to hear that right now, it's okay to not be okay.

The holidays are not and , not outfits and , not pictures and making it for the .

They are unfortunately a heaviness of , , to get it all done and all of what it shouldn't be. Not to mention adding in people who can't cope with loud crowds on the best of days, let alone the holidays. Oh yeah, and . :P

My own story means that I try to focus on the birth of , and the meaning that comes with it. I try to focus on Him being willing to join me on this Earth, in all the and , for me. But I fail at remembering and I do get caught up in my , the , the and the gatherings. I get stressed. I lose focus. I am . I am .

But over the past few years a coupe of things have come more into focus for me and my family - we are no longer putting ourselves in circumstances that wreck our , we are making decisions to match our (energy) and we are creating our own memories and traditions.

We are giving ourselves to , to not be okay, to not match what other people are doing, and make it right for us. That doesn't mean we'll never have busy times and never travel, it just means we're evaluating things differently.

I guess what I'm saying is to pay attention to where you're truly at, to consider yourself, give yourself compassion and be willing to drop expectations that actually make you miserable. Be able to pick up the tradition again next year when you're in a different place.

It's okay to not be okay, and it's okay to do things differently right now.

I'm proud of you for doing what's best for you and your family.

12/17/2025

Many people assume that it's easy to just sit down, pay and do your work. IT'S. NOT.

Sitting upright by itself a complex interplay of balance, head orientation, and -visual coordination (yes, even before dynamic movement).

A lot of things need to go *right* before we can do high level, complex tasks, control and to participate in .

So let's go back to . The central underlies *everything* and allows sensory systems to optimally.

Accurate information coming into our senses (hearing, touching, smelling, seeing, tasting, and inputs) allows development to occur ( between our senses and ).

After that comes our - which allows us to perceive *accurately* what is happening around us, our relationship to ourselves (body maps), to our surroundings and to control the eyes, adjust our , to create language in response to what we hear, and to control attention. Yes, that^^ IS a LOT of things to need to get right!!!

THEN comes the ability to participate in our (activities of daily living), control our behaviour and *then and only then* are people ready and able to participate in ( and ).

Almost all of the kids that I treat have great difficulty with the sensory level - it is what shows up in overt behaviours commonly in dressing and bathing for example, but then there is the ' ', not-quite-smooth body movements that we see, and perceive that our are behind with respect to . We can also add in the aspect of vision we talked about last week, and how inaccurate vision dysregulates us!

All of these things contribute to how or why your child is having difficulty at home, at school and in the community.

This is why the history I take and the physical assessment I do is so extensive. It's all connected!

Pic 1 - *Taylor, Trott (1991) originally Williams & Schellenberger
Pic 2 - https://developlearngrow.com/the-pyramid-of-learning/

12/12/2025

I don't always repost things, but this says so well what is and why I love what I do ! Thanks The OT Lifestyle Movement and for such a beautiful post.

"While science provides the structure, story breathes life into our practice."

12/11/2025

PossibilOT FAQs:

Q: Can I be seen in person for ?
A: Yes, I do assessments when it is appropriate, for example when I am evaluating a baby and can play and ask questions at the same time, versus an older child where I need to dedicate more 1:1 time to the child. It is the exception vs. the rule.

Q: What do we do in the assessment?
A: 1) We build and . Nothing can be done without it. 2) We ! I use play to look at , and , , reactions, and screening. 3) We hear about the only two rules - 'Everyone tries' and 'Everyone stays '. So your child learns that there are for everyone's and they'll be kept safe *while* we have . 4) Other standardized tests are completed as appropriate.

Q: What if my child / / has a during our session?
A: Please don't feel ashamed if your child acts up. This is literally my every day, and I actually *need* to see what your child does and what you do when they become . It is not helpful to see your kiddo in 'angel child' form. I need to actually see the that is happening at home/school in order to understand what your child is trying to communicate to us *through* that behaviour.

Q: What kind of to you see in your practice?
A: I see a lot of clients, clients with , and issues, and issues, and gross motor , issues, kids with motor planning difficulties, kids with , / , Developmental Coordination Disorder ( ) / , and delays due to .

Q: Do I / my child need a diagnosis in order to get ?
A: Nope! I can support you through your diagnostic process, and provide supporting documentation but you don't need to be diagnosed to get OT. OTs deal with *functional* issues and how they interfere with daily and there is no diagnosis required for that.

Do you have more questions?

12/09/2025

PossibilOT Process

When you reach out to , you'll either speak to me or my Virtual Assistant by phone or email. We are happy to answer your , tell you about our fees, direct you to the website and help with your appointments in Jane.

So, what happens?

1) We have a session with parent(s)/caregivers only where I ask you about your/ child's medical and history.

Why virtual? Well, it was from C0vid times, but it is the easiest way to get an appointment on the books. Let's face it - having telephone with our Doctors is SO much easier than dragging ourselves down to the office for a quick appointment. So I decided to keep this part virtual to get you into the schedule earlier.

Why only? We all know that we speak differently when our is in the room compared to not. This allows you to let me know how you're *really* doing, what bothers or worries you the most, how you feel about it, and the specific details of what your is doing. Parents are a lot more when their child is not in the room.

2) We schedule an assessment session in clinic. Here we assess:
- skills (balance, coordination)
- responses
- following directions
- observe reactions /
- do an screening
- do , drawing, assessments
- do ( , , etc)

The in-person session is also *ultimately* for and building, getting used to the clinic space and to understand safety boundaries.

I look forward to meeting with you soon!

12/08/2025

My posts so far have been about from a point of view (no ) but this is not how we live and interact with our world - we move! Vision tell us - Where I am? Who I am ? Where is the other thing? What is that? And gives us a way to talk about (speech /auditory info).

Movement is crucial for vision (not just seeing 20/20) and for . In order to have good vision, we need to know where we are in reference to other things, and then being able to make a plan to interact with our ( ).

Our head and eyes move, and our brain is constantly referencing where we are in space. In order to know where we are, we need and we need input (movement).

Vestibular refers to the organs ( & ) where fluid flows and hair cells bend in response to movement. The fluid and hair cell movement tells the brain which and how fast we're moving, in relation to . The vestibular system also communicates with our auditory & visual systems to tell our brain about movement through time and space.

We all know that and feeling. It's our body's way of saying "something is so wrong and I'm going to make myself throw up to make it better". This is because of a *mismatch* between what our eyes are seeing, and what the cells in our ears are . Feeling dizzy and nauseous is pretty horrible, and makes us feel very, very (take it from someone who's had !). It also applies when there is a * - we are disoriented, don't move well through space and in relation to others, and our nervous systems tend to be very .

Then the opposite is true too - when our vision and inner ear systems work better, along with our muscles and bones, we are more oriented in space and gives the a feeling of , and feeling .

This is why I use visual, vestibular, and treatment methods to help calm and centre overwhelmed, overstimulated and emotionally reactive kids.

12/04/2025

A lot of an OT's knowledge of and comes from how we are trained to assess fit and design, but posture, positioning and affect everyone's !

Why am I talking about positioning when we're talking about vision this week?

Take a look at the first picture. This older gentleman is , his is downwards, and he has forward rounded . In this position, he may not be able to lift his head and eyes to talk to a standing person (vs. sitting), he may have difficulty propelling his wheelchair forward with his arms, and he may even have difficulty deeply.

Why does this matter?

If we are not well, we cannot move our head, neck and shoulders fully along with our . When we cannot move our head and neck fully, our ability to the reduces.

When we cannot scan our environment, our tends to increase, because we may not *easily* be able to locate sound with our ears, and confirm the location with our eyes.

When we can't (auditorily and visually) something in our environment, our tends to get irritated, agitated and on edge. That is, we cannot properly .

Also, positioning matters because the and for the eyes are connected to the SAME nerves and muscles that control the neck and head. If we are not , we can't move our eyes properly.

The last reason positioning is important is because we need to . How hard is it for the man in the first picture to take a full, deep breath? (No really, try breathing with your chin touching your chest!) If we are not positioned well, we cannot fully inflate our , and our cannot expand . We cannot properly because our neck is bent forward (no really, try breathing with your chin touching your chest!), and we can't get enough . When we can't breathe properly, we definitely cannot regulate, because we can't alter our heart rate, blood pressure *through* our breath.

So yes, it is all important, and yes vision and positioning affect our ability to regulate!

12/02/2025

This week we're going to be looking at the , and how applies to

Have you considered how your child's vision might be impacting their behaviour? Are your kids struggling to read or write?

Yes, OTs can work with people who have vision difficulties, in collaboration with . OTs don't test visual acuity (what we call seeing 20/20 and glasses prescription) but OTs can be trained for visual , , visual and and whether both eyes are working together ( ) to send the brain correct messages.

Jenn, what does all this^^ have to do with what OT does?

On a simple level, having incorrect visual messages going to your brain deeply affects the ability to create (printing, cursive), affects the ability to read, and affects skills and motor planning. These difficulties often lead to avoidance and emotional outbursts, and that is something we know that people come to OT for.

If your eyes are not working together, they're not looking at the same thing. If you're not looking at the same thing, each eye is sending a *different* picture to the . When the brain receives two different pictures, it will sit for a minute and what it received, and piece together, fill in blanks and try to *do* something with it. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, and the worse it is, the more chance we have for kids to outright refuse to read, write, or draw.

11/29/2025

Welcome to Winter!

I thought about it, and the only post that would be appropriate for today is about ! I personally don't love it because my shoulders are in rough shape, but shoveling is the BEST type of for kids to do in the Winter!

So if your kids are going squirrelly because they stayed home due to bus cancellations, throw them outside and hand them a shovel! It'll do them a world of good for all the it gives, tires them out AND gets the driveway and sidewalks done.

11/28/2025

No seriously - so many . 😉

/ balls, / based balls, , , , tiny balls, balls, different sizes of each and balls that light up!!

Why oh why Jenn?? 😂😂

Because balls are easy, and you can do endless things with them.

Lie on them (belly, back), fall off of them, on them, lean on them, them, them, them, them, them.

When I interact with a child using a ball, it is an into their world that is brief, , interaction and .

It helps me see:
-
- eye movement ( quickly and slowly)
- activation (both hands / not)
- how they anticipate
- if they can estimate how long it will take for the ball to get to them (understanding duration/ )
- what they like/dislike
And more.

We can imagine that they are an airplane and lie on top of it. We can the ball is Godzilla and knocking over towers and buildings. We can into each other, , each other on the ball and figure out bodily . Balls are as well as an uneven, unpredictable surface to balance on and activate muscles. And bouncing on balls is just plain fun!!

What else can you think of to use balls for?

11/27/2025

My clients regularly hear me talk about "heavy work" and its benefits for . When I say or , you probably think of and the first two pictures. However, when I say it, I am referring to any activity that gives increased .

"Jenn, what the heck does that mean??" they say.

Well, there are receptors in each of our joints called that detect where it is in space, relative to other things, and relative to ourselves. Wrists, elbows, shoulders, spine, neck, hips, knees, ankles, etc. Each joint segment receptor says "here is where I am" and tells the brain this information. This is how we get a of our bodies, understand what position we are in, and understand directionality (up, down, left, right, in front, behind, etc). A lot of people have poor AND tend to avoid movement, which means that these receptors don't get regular input.

When we know where we are in space, we tend to be calmer.

When proprioceptors don't get input, they don't help us . My clients have heard me ask them to think about their last head cold and how felt all leaned to one side, and outside of their head. Their was off, and when walking down the stairs, they grabbed the railing, looked where they were stepping, and likely felt a bit - you know, the "I missed stepping on the last stair and slipped a little" feeling. This is because when we feel , we feel more .

So, yes proprioception can come from lifting weights, but it also comes from or heavy things, snow/dirt or leaves, and wiping surfaces as well as heavy, wet from the washing machine to the dryer.

What other ways have you gotten proprioceptive today?

Address

550 Parkside Drive/B13
Waterloo, ON
N2L5V4

Opening Hours

Monday	4pm - 8pm
Tuesday	1pm - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 2pm
Saturday	9:30am - 2pm

Website

https://www.possibilot.ca/, https://possibilotcanada.janeapp.com/

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