BCHC Children's Occupational Therapy

24/04/2026

📣📣CALLING ALL BIRMINGHAM EDUCATION SETTINGS AND PARENTS📣📣

Time to check out this May's upcoming training!!

The SEND Occupational Therapy Team have training in May that is available for Early Years settings, as well as mainstream primary secondary schools and PARENTS!

On Monday 18th May at 9.30 am our virtual Sensory Circuits training for families is BACK! This is FREE to access for any families within Birmingham! Training is provided and you get a free resource pack with everything we discuss and LOTS of ideas !

This month also sees the return of includes Fun with Food (Part One) and Quick Wins return for both primary and secondary education settings. Training is FREE for Birmingham settings!

Check out the images in the post and Eventbrite for further information.

To book, simply visit SEND Occupational Therapy's Eventbrite page at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../bchc-send-occupational... (Link in Bio). Make sure you complete all questions when booking.
rcot Early Years Networks

20/04/2026

Posting games help children use their hands and eyes together to complete a task (hand-eye coordination). They also help children learn how things work and solve simple problems.

You can make a posting game at home using a paper cup and some buttons, coins, or counters.

If you use different sizes of buttons and holes, children can see which ones fit and which do not. They need to pick the right button and guide it to the hole. This helps them practise careful hand movements. Using their finger and thumb to pick up and post the button also makes their fingers stronger.

Smaller buttons make the game harder. When children feel ready, you can use a timer and turn it into a fun race!

15/04/2026

Using scissors requires a combination of hand strength, coordination, and the ability to use both hands together effectively ✂️

Practical tips to develop scissor skills include:

- Keeping thumbs pointing upwards while cutting👍
- Holding elbows close to the body for better control
- Using one hand to cut while the other hand stabilises the paper
- Practising in short, regular sessions to build confidence and stamina⏳

Developing these skills can help promote greater independence in both classroom tasks and everyday activities.🙂

14/04/2026

📢CALLING ALL BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL PARENTS CARERS & FAMILIES 📢

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust are hosting drop in community events to find out more about Autism and what local support is available. No formal diagnosis is required and parents, carers and adults welcome.

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

09/04/2026

📢📢CALLING ALL PARENT AND CARERS📢📢

Autism West Midlands are advertising their April webinars available to parents and carers, this month is 'Autism and the Teenage Brain' and 'Autism and Food'. Check out their page for other opportunities available for you and your family members.

📣 April Webinars for Parents & Carers

This Autism Acceptance Month, join us for two insightful webinars designed to support you in understanding and supporting autistic young people

✨ Autism and the Teenage Brain (14th April)
Explore changes, executive function and strategies to support autistic teens
https://tinyurl.com/2whx6kss

🍽️ Autism and Food (28th April)
Learn about sensory differences, anxiety around eating and how to offer support
https://tinyurl.com/zd8v85a6

These sessions are a great opportunity to gain practical tools and feel more confident in your journey as a parent or carer

02/04/2026

See this FREE course being run by BREWS CIC who are a not for profit organisation supporting families in Birmingham.

Our next Nurturing ADHD Kids courses start straight after the Easter holiday. Registration opens today.

These courses are free for families in Birmingham.
Children do not need to have already received a diagnosis - we work with families who are on the assessment pathway as well.

The courses are online, 90 minutes a week for six weeks.

You can join for a daytime session or an evening one.

They will be running on:

Tuesday evenings 7 - 8.30 pm starting Tuesday, 14th April 2026 Register on the link below:
https://forms.gle/nPTuFxzEMtGgdGRm9

Thursday mornings 9.30 -11.00 am starting Thursday, 16th April 2026
Register on the link below:
https://forms.gle/fvgJXrBGAyo38StW7

01/04/2026

We are at the Neurodevelopmental Pathway Information event at Touchbase Pears in Selly Oak today until 2:30pm today supporting families on the NDP pathway (Autism Pathway). Come along and visit us for any Occupational Therapy questions and find out how our teams can support your children and young people!

30/03/2026

📣CALLING ALL PARENTS AND CARERS!!!📣

Neurodevelopmental Pathway Information Event

We are delighted to share details of the upcoming Neurodevelopmental Pathway Information Event, held in collaboration with Sense on 1 April at TouchBase Pears in Selly Oak, 10.00am-2.30pm.

Children and their families will have the opportunity to meet specialists involved in the pathway, access expert advice, and better understand the assessment process. Professionals, and service providers will be sharing information about the support available while waiting for assessment.

Members of BCHC Children's Occupational Therapy teams will be in attendance at the event.

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Birmingham's SEND Local Offer

24/03/2026

To help your child develop the motor skills required for wiping, try taping two balloons to the back of a chair and encourage them to practice the wiping motion. Add in spread or shaving foam for an extra challenge. This activity will help to build body awareness, stretching, reaching, and arm movements.

To begin, your child can use a mirror for body awareness to help them understand where their reaching for. As they become more confident, encourage them to try the movement without looking, which further supports the development of coordination and body awareness.

17/03/2026

DIY Games (Tweezer Games)

You don't need expensive equipment to build skills at home, you can make your own games using household objects!

Using washing pegs and lollipop sticks, you can create homemade tweezers together as a fun craft and then use them to play lots of tweezer games.

Tweezer games support the development of fine motor skills. They can help children to build finger and grasp strength as well as coordination and control when picking up objects or sorting them. Developing fine motor abilities and hand strength will support children in mastering everyday tasks such as dressing, handwriting and cutlery use independently.

14/03/2026

Buttoning is a functional fine motor task requiring a strong pincer grip in both hands and good bilateral coordination (using both sides of the body together).

It is easier to practice this task off the body first, using a garment placed on a table or the child’s lap, so that they can clearly see and control the task.

💡Tip: Teach your child using the backward chaining method. Push the button part-way through the hole so that it is ‘peeking’ out the other side. Ask your child to pull the button the rest of the way through. Once they can do this, help your child to push the button into the hole for you to pull through. Once they can do both parts separately, they’re ready to put it together independently.

11/03/2026

Playing games that involve posting coins promotes the use of a pincer grip which is using the thumb and index finger to pick up, hold and release small items.

These activities will strengthen finger muscles, improve hand eye co ordination and wrist stability which are essential skills for handwriting, fastening buttons and using tools.

You can play games such as connect 4, sticking coins upright into playdoh and putting coins in a piggy bank.
rcot Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust