On The Other Hand Therapy

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On The Other Hand Therapy

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🖐️ Lived + professional lens on limb difference
💡 Lifespan education & prevention
💪 Strong body + healthy mind, child → adult
🩵 Free family resources @ www.ontheotherhand.org/limb-difference

03/12/2026

Tip #1 of 13: take care of yourself 🩷

Raising a child with an upper limb difference is a long journey. It includes joy, growth, advocacy, appointments, decision-making, and emotional labor.

Sustainable parenting and caregiving requires support, but it doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate.

It can look like:

🩵 one trusted person who listens
🩵 a few quiet minutes to think
🩵 honest conversations about how to share responsibilities
🩵 consistent sleep when possible
🩵 small daily practices that steady your nervous system

Being intentional about incorporating self care and pacing into your daily routines can help for the long haul.

You do not have to carry everything alone or do it perfectly. Save this as a reminder.

👇 read more — link in comment below

Many thanks to:
🩷 intern Ava D. for creating the slides and alt text
🩷 intern Oly for assistance with the website blogpost
🩷 and .greentree for review & comments
🩷 all of the limb difference creators & orgs

03/06/2026

Overuse Prevention Shoulder Reset 🩷
H arms ➡️ overhead
A simple foam-roller stretch to help your shoulders move through a full range of motion while gently opening the chest.
This can be especially helpful for upper limb different adults and children who tend to spend a lot of time reaching, gripping, and working in front of the body 💪
Lying over the roller allows the shoulders to relax into a more open, supported position instead of the forward-rounded posture many of us fall into during daily tasks.

🩵 Equipment: foam roller for teens or adults or rolled towel (for children)
🩵 Place the roller or towel under the middle of your chest with arms resting out to the side in an “H” shape
🩵 Slowly slide your arms overhead along the floor, then return to the H position
🩵 Start with 3–5 repetitions and build up to 8–10
🩵 Move slowly and keep the movement comfortable
🩵 Focus on letting the chest stay open and the shoulders relaxed
🩵 No roller? Try the same arm movement standing with your back against a wall
Parents & caregivers: this is an easy one to try with your child!
Playful cues for children:
🩷 “Make a big snow angel!”
🩷 “Open your wings and fly overhead!”
🩷 “Draw a rainbow with your arms!”
🩷 Use their favorite slow music
👉 Follow along for more overuse prevention stretches and upper limb difference information
This is general education, not individualized medical advice. Please check with your/your child’s provider if you’re unsure what’s best for your body.
🩵 Many thanks to Dr. Lee for videoing 🎥
Image description:
Laura lies with a foam roller placed under the middle of her chest. Her arms rest on the floor out to the side in an H shape. She slowly slides her arms overhead along the floor and then returns them to the H position, opening the chest and gently moving the shoulders through their range of motion.

03/04/2026

Bullying is rarely just about unkind words or moments on the playground
For children with hand and arm differences, it can shape how they experience school, friendships, and extracurricular activities
I wrote a two-part reflection on bullying that looks beyond behavior alone and explores the physical and emotional costs that often go unseen
And what caregivers and professionals can do to support our children 🩷
👉 Read both parts of the blog: link here https://ontheotherhand.org/understanding-bullying-exclusion-and-social-systems-part-1/

03/01/2026

Connection builds everything else 🩷

Every month, I’m sharing a reflection prompt for parents raising children with disabilities

Parenting in this community can be beautiful and complicated. These questions are here to help you notice what’s going well, for your child and for you.

✨ This month’s reflection prompt: What’s a moment this month when you felt really connected to your child?

Share here if you’d like, or keep it private. There’s no right way to participate.

Thank you to:
🩵 intern Cali for her contribution to this series
🩵 the many creators and organizations promoting limb difference education and advocacy

02/25/2026

Raising a child with an upper limb difference comes with joy, questions, and unexpected moments 🩵

Over the next few months, I'll be sharing a series of practical, compassionate parenting and caregiving suggestions for families raising children with upper limb differences

These ideas come from:
🩷 lived experience
🩷 decades of work as a pediatric occupational therapist
🩷 parenting two children into adulthood
🩷 long-term involvement in this community

☑️ This series is meant to be a support, not a checklist
☑️ You do not need to do or know everything at once
☑️ Some ideas may resonate now, others later, and some may not fit your family

Parenting and caregiving a child with an upper limb difference is a long journey. You do not have to walk it alone

Follow along, save what resonates, and share with another parent or caregiver who might need this

Many thanks to:
🩵 intern Ava for creating the slides and alt text
🩵 .greentree and for review & comments
🩵 all of the limb difference creators & orgs

02/19/2026

Well it's 60 degrees here today, but winter isn't over yet, so let's talk about how cold weather can be hard on partial arms and hands:
☑️ Dry air leads to skin cracks
☑️ Cold temperatures can make extremities feel painfully cold 🥶

Some upper limb differences are associated with circulation differences

That helps explain why winter care matters so much

💡These tips are for children and adults, because this is a lifelong experience, not something that disappears with age

What winter strategies help you or your child most? ❄️

👇 Share below so others can learn too

Many thanks to:
🩷 interns Amanda & Cassie for creating the slides!
🩷 the incomparable .greentree for review & comments
🩷 all of the limb difference creators & orgs

02/17/2026

When a child expresses sadness about their limb difference, they are not asking to be convinced otherwise

They are asking to be understood

Many of us were taught to respond quickly with reassurance:
“But your hand/arm is amazing”
“You’re so strong”
“Your difference makes you special”

Those messages are often well-intended

But if reassurance replaces welcome for the hard or messy emotions, children may learn that sadness is uncomfortable for the adults around them

Emotional resilience is built through attunement, not redirection or reassurance

We can celebrate our children and build their pride

AND we can make room for their grief

All of it belongs 🩷

Many thanks to:
🩷 limb different colleague Joss of https://limbdifferencelife.com for reviewing and providing input
🩷 all of the limb difference creators & orgs

02/13/2026

stretch of the day: shoulder circles 💪
This stretch is great for children and grown-ups to open and activate the shoulders
🩵 No equipment needed
🩵 Sit or stand with your arms or nubs out to the side at shoulder height
🩵 Hands can rest on shoulders with elbows pointing away from body
🩵 Slowly rotate your shoulders backwards in small circles and then gradually increasing circle size
🩵 Avoid raising/hunching shoulders while keeping your chest facing forward
🩵 Repeat rotating circles to the front
🩵 Move at a comfortable pace while breathing
🩵 The movement should feel gentle but energizing
Parents & caregivers — try this alongside your child using music if you choose!
Here are playful cues to make it fun:
🩷 “You’re drying out (or winding up) your wings”
🩷 “Let’s paint the wall with our elbow(s)/nubs”
Adapt as needed: keep arms straight rather than bend elbows
Image description:
Laura stands with both arms extended to the side at shoulder height with elbows bent and hands touching her upper shoulders. Without hunching shoulders up, she slowly rotates her arms in small circles backwards, gradually increasing the size of the circles.
🩷 Follow along for more stretches and ULD-informed tips
This is general education, not individualized medical advice. Please check with your/your child’s provider if you’re unsure what’s best for your body.
.
Supporting limb different bodies and families 💪

02/05/2026

This past weekend, I had the joy of watching Natalie step into an upper limb difference space that has meant so much to me since my graduate school years. 🩷
Natalie is a newly-minted occupational therapist (OT) with a congenital upper limb difference, and as a student she was part of the OT practice group I co-lead. Seeing her share her voice, her clinical thinking, and her lived experience, and be welcomed so fully at the Helping Hands Foundation Winter Outing, was incredibly heartwarming.
One of the joys of this work is helping create pathways for the next generation of clinicians with lived experience.
Grateful for mentorship, collaboration, and communities that prioritize welcoming new voices. 🩵
Video shared with permission.

01/31/2026

Starting this month, I’m sharing a gentle reflection prompt for parents raising children with disabilities. 🩵

Parenting in this community can be beautiful and complicated. These questions are here to help you notice what’s going well, for your child and for you.

✨ This month’s reflection prompt: What has surprised you about raising your child?

Share here if you’d like, or keep it private. There’s no right way to participate.

Thank you to:
🩷 intern Cali for her contribution to this series
🩷 for thoughtful review
🩷 the many creators and organizations promoting limb difference education and advocacy

01/27/2026

That’s a wrap on the “5 Habits to Reduce Overuse Syndrome” series! 🎉

These habits are about protecting bodies that work harder, so children and adults with upper limb differences can keep doing what they love.

This series is designed for families, educators, coaches, and practitioners who want practical, supportive ways to build strength, balance, and rest into everyday life.

You don’t have to do all of this at once; these are habits you can return to, layer in slowly, and adapt as needs change.

If you want everything in one place, I created a free, printable handout with all five habits
👉 download the free “5 Habits” handout here: https://ontheotherhand.org/5-habits-to-reduce-overuse-risk-for-children-with-upper-limb-differences/

This content is intended for general education only and does not replace individualized medical or therapeutic guidance. Every child’s body and needs are different. If you have specific concerns, consult your child’s healthcare or therapy provider.

01/25/2026

Strong arms need a strong foundation 💪

Core strength and two-sided power protect the back, shoulders, neck, arm(s), and hand(s), especially for children who rely heavily on one side

Focus on playful movement, technique, and progressing slowly

🩵 Save or share this post with a family or provider

Thank you to:
🩷 interns Amanda, Cassie, Keleigh, and Cali for their contributions to this series
🩷 for thoughtful review
🩷 the many creators and organizations promoting limb difference education and advocacy

Address

Columbus, OH
43209

Website

http://www.ontheotherhand.org/

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