psychiatric and sensory processing

Coping with Mental Health Challenges

Daily coping strategies for prevention along with coping interventions when symptoms are first noticed are extremely useful for managing mental health and behavioral challenges.  Many individuals confront mental health and behavioral challenges at some times in their life. Particularly those experiencing difficulties with substance abuse, extreme stress, developmental disorders or subtle sensory motor disorders (e.g., […]

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Body Awareness Intervention Improves Behavior

Many adolescents and young adults with behavioral disorders (e.g., Autism Spectrum, Post Traumatic Stress, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa) have body image challenges that negatively impact their behavior and social relationships. This is especially true for individuals who have developmental, mental health, and/or sensory processing challenges. Adolescents and young adults with body awareness challenges can

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Using Sensory Strategies to Improve Behavior

Sensory strategies have a significant impact on the behavior of children and adolescents with developmental, mental health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and sensory processing challenges. Deep pressure touch provided by pediatric occupational therapists through massage, brushing, weighted blankets, mat sandwiches and other sensory strategies are described as extremely positive experiences for children and adolescents with

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Light touch and Holding Interventions

Light touch and holding strategies promote body awareness and social-emotional skills in children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. Deep pressure touch is a more common therapeutic intervention. However, light touch and holding are valuable therapeutic options for promoting attention, body awareness and social-emotional skills. Body awareness, stress and somatic pain challenges negatively impact behavior in

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Occupational Therapy in Adolescent Mental Health

I was recently honored to present Grand Rounds at Solnit Children’s Center, the adolescent psychiatric hospital where I work. GrandRoundsOT Outline Our dynamic transdisciplinary team over the past 5 years was able to significantly reduce the use of restraint and seclusion.OT role in Restraint Reduction Solnit which was celebrated by making a bench for the hospital grounds

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FAB Strategies® to Improve Self-Control

FAB Strategies® are Functionally Alert Body Strategies that can be used by parents, teachers, as well as Occupational, Speech, Physical, and Mental Health therapists to improve youngster’s functional behavior.  FAB Strategies® were developed to guide transdisciplinary intervention for individuals with developmental, mental health, post traumatic stress disorder, and sensory processing challenges. FAB Strategies® combines developmental,

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Making Sense out of Sensory Integration

After 30 years as an occupational therapist treating sensory integration difficulties to improve functional skills in children and adolescents, I still find understanding and explaining sensory integration disorders challenging.  Clearly describing and explaining sensory integration disorders promotes sensory integration intervention.  This blog post provides a basic understanding of sensory integration disorders as a foundation for

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