Embrace Therapy Services

02/05/2026

We love celebrating special days! Happy Birthday to this lovely lady and thanks for celebrating with us!!

02/05/2026

Great visual! Here are brain break ideas to add to your list: https://www.theottoolbox.com/brain-breaks/

02/05/2026

🧠📱 Preparing kids for a digital future matters.

But does that mean every young child needs a device in their hands all day?

1:1 programs have moved fast into early elementary classrooms, often starting in kindergarten. 💻🖍️

Screens now sit alongside scissors, blocks, and pencils, sometimes taking center stage.

Early learning depends on building the basics first. Movement, play, social interaction, and hands-on problem solving. 🤸‍♂️🧩
These experiences shape attention, coordination, self-regulation, and learning readiness.

Technology is a tool, not a foundation. 🌱📄
For our youngest learners, less screen time and more real-world learning may be the smarter starting point.

02/04/2026

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02/02/2026

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But, is anyone really surprised? -- https://fox8.com/news/will-punxsutawney-phil-see-his-shadow-how-to-watch-groundhog-day-2026-live/

02/01/2026

If you’ve ever been told your child “should be able to calm themselves by now”, this matters.

Decades of developmental research show that emotional regulation is not something children learn alone. It is built, slowly and repeatedly, through co-regulation with a safe adult. Before the brain can self-soothe, it needs to experience being soothed. This isn’t permissive parenting — it’s how nervous systems develop.

Studies on parent–child synchrony, the Still-Face paradigm, and social biofeedback consistently show the same thing: regulation is social before it becomes internal. Children borrow calm, learn meaning, and gradually build the capacity to regulate themselves through relationship. Co-regulation isn’t a parenting trend — it’s the cornerstone of emotional development.

Research references (evidence-based)
Ruth Feldman – Bio-behavioural synchrony research demonstrating that attuned caregiver–child interactions predict later self-regulation and emotional competence (Feldman, 2003; 2012).
Edward Tronick – Mutual Regulation Model and Still-Face paradigm showing that infants rely on caregiver responsiveness to regulate distress before self-regulation emerges.
György Gergely & Watson – Social biofeedback model explaining how contingent adult responses teach children to understand and regulate internal emotional states.
Murray et al. (2019) – Applied developmental model positioning co-regulation as a core mechanism through which self-regulation develops across childhood.
Bornstein et al. (2023) – Reviews framing co-regulation as a multilevel biological and relational process foundational to emotional regulation.

01/31/2026

This is a simple way to encourage trunk rotation and oblique activation using a toy many children already love 🐎🧠

In this session, Everett 🧑🏻‍🦰 (who has Down syndrome) is positioned side-saddle on a rocking horse while keeping his hands forward on the handles. That small change naturally brings in trunk rotation and challenges the obliques without turning play into a drill 🌱

Because the toy is familiar, the body works harder — without frustration. Be sure to practice both sides to support balanced strength and movement 👶🏽👶🏿

🎥 Watch the full video here:
https://youtu.be/lIjRlH3dItY

01/31/2026

A study published in Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities explored how weighted lap pads affect classroom engagement for a kindergarten student with autism spectrum disorder.

The goal? To see if using a weighted lap pad or an evidence-based structured work box could boost engagement during a large group math activity.

This research sheds light on effective tools for supporting focus and engagement in young learners with developmental disabilities.

01/30/2026

Calming Strategies for Little Ones 🫧