When it comes to children and their sleep, parents the world over often have similar struggles. From difficulty getting their children to sleep to waking frequently during the night, ensuring a good night’s sleep for our little ones is rarely easy.

But for parents of neurodivergent children, the challenges can be more complex and multi-layered. The evidence is becoming increasingly clear that neurodivergent children – particularly autistic children and ADHDers – are especially susceptible to challenges relating to sleep health.

In fact, in 2019, the most extensive study into autistic children and their sleep concluded that 80% of participants experienced disruptive sleep. The study conducted by Monash University also revealed that autistic children are twice as likely to have trouble sleeping compared with neurotypical children or those with other developmental conditions.

While there are a number of general tips that parents may be given with regard to sleep, there are some key factors that parents of neurodivergent children should pay particular attention to. Here we outline the 5 key factors to explore when considering how to approach improving the sleep health of your neurodivergent child.

1. Sensory Preferences

In the aforementioned study, it was posed that sensory sensitivities may be a factor in disrupted sleep in autistic children. It suggests that understanding and adapting for your child’s sensitivities may be an essential step in getting your child to sleep quicker and for longer. 

It is important to note that these sensitivities may not be directly related to sleep itself. While there may be more obvious sleep-affecting sensory factors (such as not liking the feeling of the sheets or pajamas or needing the sleep environment to be just right), there are a number of things that you could consider when assessing the sensory sensitivities that may be affecting sleep in your household.

A great place to start in your exploration is to think about the elements of your evening routine. Does your child hate the taste of their toothpaste? Or experience big emotions during shower/bath time? Or even have a difficult time eating dinner? Consider and start to diarise anything that dysregulates your child in the hours leading up to bedtime because it could reveal a key factor contributing to your child’s sleep-related challenges.

2. Nutrition

It likely comes as no surprise to you that nutrition would play a role in the sleep health of your child – and it’s likely that you’ve already explored (or are continuing to explore) foods that work for your child. 

And while food may be overwhelming for your household, equipping yourself with some strategies to support your child in eating a balanced diet – which includes sleep-promoting foods and reduces foods that may keep children awake at night – is a great first step.

There have been a number of sleep and diet studies conducted, and some of the findings can help you develop a plan for increasing or decreasing your child’s intake of certain foods as you explore how they impact your particular child. And while you may already include or eliminate these foods to mitigate certain behaviours, it might be valuable to understand their importance in relation to sleep too.

Here are some suggestions you may like to try:

• Reduce sugary foods and drinks. Sugar and high-fructose drinks are huge contributing factors to poor sleep health. (2019 Sleep Study) 
• Eat wholemeal toast or porridge before bed. Complex carbohydrates) are a great supper snack as they release serotonin. (2021 Sleep Study) 
• Switch high-fat foods for lower fat foods. High-fat foods decrease sensitivity to orexin, which helps regulate the body’s sleep clock. (2019 Study). You could experiment with switching high-fat foods in your child’s diet to lower fat alternatives. Eg, sweet potato oven-baked chips to replace deep fried potato chips, 
• Eat low-protein foods in the evenings. High-protein foods should be avoided before bed as they can take a while to digest which can disrupt sleep. (2016 Sleep and Diet Study). So, try including things like fruits, vegetables and grains into your child’s evening food intake.
• Consider sandwich fillings. Processed foods such as cheese and processed meats contain properties that stimulate the brain. (2013 Sleep Study). So, if you use these foods for sandwiches, consider a switch to cooked chicken breast, tuna or another less-processed option.

In addition to this, there are a number of foods that may be helpful in promoting sleep, including:

• Bananas
• Eggs
• Leafy greens
• Grapes
• Milk
• Honey

While this is all very useful to know, we understand that for parents with neurodivergent children, making changes to your child’s diet may come with challenges of its own.

There are a number of things that you can do to support your child in embracing these changes including:

• Offering new foods with their existing ‘safe’ foods
• Making food fun with interesting shapes or designs
• Exploring foods in a sensory capacity outside of mealtimes

Ultimately, you know your child best and you know what’s best for your family. Mealtimes can be stressful, so start small and continue to monitor sleep as you experiment with what works for your family.

Related: Try our Cooking OT at Home Program to empower your children with food

3. Routine

Routines are vital for all children but even more so for those who have trouble managing transitions. With the transition from day to night and going to bed being one of the day’s biggest transitions, it is clear to see why a predictable and consistent bedtime routine is essential.

Many neurodivergent children feel highly supported by routines and rituals, and with each child’s individual requirements being different; helping them create and maintain a bedtime routine that works for them is a key factor in developing positive habits that support sleep health.

Many traditional bedtime routines will include bath, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, story time and sleep, but your child might need additional steps to help regulate their body for sleep. 

Additional steps may include things like:

• Turning on the nightlight as a signal that we are now winding down
• Listening to ABC Kids Listen Bedtime stories or their preference of calming music
• Bedtime yoga or stretches
• Journalling or drawing as a way to move thoughts or worries out of their minds

The science behind routines

As adults, we make 30,000 choices a day, and many of these are subconscious and automatic, based on habits that we have formed over the years. For our children though, they only make around 3000 decisions. 

The key difference is that children often consciously have to think about many of these decisions which can lead to decision fatigue. This decision fatigue can lead to dysregulation and meltdowns, especially when it comes to the end of the day at bedtime. 

With routines and repetition, a child’s actions are more able to become automatic and subconscious, meaning they don’t have to access the decision-making portion of the brain, allowing for a smoother transition to bedtime.

4. Underlying Medical Conditions

There is research to suggest that autistic children are more likely to have genetic mutations that are linked to insomnia or that control the sleep-wake cycle. Some autistic children also have lower levels of melatonin, the hormone which controls sleep. 

So, with that said, there are a number of things that may be worth further exploring with your medical professionals to rule out any potential underlying medical conditions that may be impacting sleep health.

For example:

• Gastrointestinal disorders – these are more than much more common in children with autism than in neurotypical children.
• Epilepsy –  is prevalent in up to one-third of children with autism (compared to only affecting 1-2% of the general population). 
• Obstructive sleep apnoea – can be caused by enlarged tonsils, dental issues, or birth defects
• Snoring – children who snore loudly and regularly should be assessed by their doctor
• Sleepwalking and bedwetting – usually resolve on their own but should be discussed with a doctor if persistent.
• Night terrors – up to 30% of children experience night terrors and they can be brought on by stress. They usually resolve on their own but this highlights the importance of a calming bedtime routine.
• Restless Leg Syndrome – can be caused by an iron deficiency and is often underdiagnosed in children. If your child has an overwhelming urge to move their legs that increases at night, consult your doctor.
• Teeth grinding – again, this can be caused by stress. Your dentist may identify this before you do and provide a mouthguard as a solution. 

5. The Right Blend of Stimulation

All children need stimulation. At The Play Projects, a significant part of what we work through with families is exploring and assessing the variety and timing of stimulation each individual child needs in order to feel good in their brain and bodies. 

For each child, what feels ‘just right’ to them may be different from the next, which is why it is so important to explore the variety and timing of stimulation (and how much) your child needs.

In getting the balance of stimulation during the day right, the transition to bed can become smoother. And this is where your own understanding and knowledge of your child and awareness of their behavioural cues comes into play…

If you think your child is overstimulated from their day, you could try more calming activities in order to support them to feel ‘just right’.

If you think your child is understimulated from their day, experiment with more energising and engaging activities.

Here are some ideas to consider…

Movement

One of the most important forms of stimulation is movement. In addition to the health benefits that come from exercise, movement has a number of other benefits when it comes to child development, including promoting better sleep health. 

Here are some ways you can incorporate some simple and fun movement activities into your day to balance your child’s brain and body:

• Play Simon Says
• Have a pillow fight
• Jump on the trampoline
• Have a dance together

Calming stimulation

In order to allow our children to bring their bodies to their ‘just right’ state, it is important that we teach them strategies that allow them to regulate their bodies. This is especially important if they have been in a high-energy state during the day as many children need help moving from this energy to becoming calm enough to go to bed. 

Some ideas include: 

• Guided meditations and breathwork
• Yoga or gentle stretching
• Journaling about the day
• A quiet activity like drawing or colouring 

A number of our OT at Home Programs can assist you with calming activities and you can explore them here. 

Your Next Steps

To sum up, the key thing to understand about your child’s sleep health is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. 

Through trial and error and a little persistence, you may begin find some strategies that work for your child to benefit their sleep health. For more support, join us on Facebook or Instagram.

30 OT-Approved Activities to Keep Kids Engaged this Summer

With summer in full swing, you might be looking for some activities to beat the boredom and keep kids engaged in play-based learning. And we’ve got you covered…

We’ve compiled a list of OT-approved activities that you can try over the next 4 weeks. This list will help you keep the kids busy and learning through play during their downtime…

1. Use cute paw print cutouts for this fun Monster Footprint Hop activity. 

2. Move your body and engage your imagination by imitating different animal movements with these Animal Exercises. 

RELATED: Our Yoga & Mindfulness Program comes with animal-based yoga cards

3. Check out this budget-friendly set up and use different materials to create a Sensory Walk.  

4. Make use of different materials to improve fine motor skills with this Trace the Lines activity. 

5. Learn a mum or dad’s skill. Dad a passionate fisherman? Teach your children the basics? Mum play netball? Head to the park with a ball.

6. Clip on the corresponding small letter to the big letter on the board with this Letter Clip activity. 

7. Use fun, colourful sprinkles with this pre-writing activity. 

8. Try this coloured bead activity and match the string colours with the beads to create cute images with colourful hair.

9. Make the most of the sun and have a day in the garden running through the sprinklers. 

10. Make use of different items or different coloured balls to shoot them into the right sections of the box. 

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Looking for more ways to engage your child in play-based learning this summer?

Our popular OT at Home Bundle combines our 4 foundational programs. With a number of diverse activities, it keeps children engaged in play-based learning by allowing them to try new things.

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11. Make use of your backyard to create a fun obstacle course for kids to enjoy and exercise.

12. Create sticker lines and follow the line with different sticker dots. 

13. Grab some popsicle sticks and create popsicle spiders. 

14. Create velcro boards and have hours of fun.  

15. Have a backyard camping evening. Set up a tent or swag and enjoy the fun of the outdoors at home. Bonus points for learning survival skills in the process!

16. Use some fish snacks and put the right number of fish for the pond 

17. Using just a balloon, paper plates and popsicle sticks, you can have a ball playing balloon tennis! 

18. Grab some tape and encourage children to put their toys (or household items) in the shapes.

19. Start a family tradition that you’ll do together for summers to come. Pick something that’s fun and brings you together as a family. 

20. Help children with their emotional development with this Emotion Play Dough activity. 

21. Make a play dough maze and blow ping pong balls through 

22. Need a quick and easy setup? Try this apple sorting activity. 

23. Get some fresh air and create a chalk exercise course outside. 

24. Allow the kids to help with some summer cooking. This is great for teaching hygiene, safety and daily living skills. 

25. Get outdoors and try this hula hoop number game 

26. Enjoy a friendly competition by filling buckets with water. 

27. Hop on to one colour after another and practise your child’s colours and agility in the process.

28. Make use of used cardboard and try this fun colouring activity. 

29. Try this rainbow activity to develop fine motor skills and cognitive function with used cardboard and coloured sticks.

30. Using curled-up pipe cleaners and some clothes pegs to pick them up, fill up your cups and collect all your fuzzy wormies.

And here are 30 more ideas to try…

1. Plant a veggie garden. Hint: our Gardening OT at Home Program will help you with this. 

2. Create some sensory buckets to explore using household items like rice, flour and shaving cream. 

3. Grab a bucket of soapy water and some plastic animals and give the animals a bath. You can even get the animals muddy in the garden beforehand.

4. Create a family time capsule. Take some photos, draw something or write letters to add to your capsule. You could even make this a summer tradition.

5. Build on the sensory tub activity and dig through the sand or a bucket of rice to find the puzzle pieces. 

6. Enhance scissor skills with this trace-the-line activity. 

7. With all the fun of the summer holidays, it’s sometimes a good idea to have some downtime. Hint: our Yoga and Mindfulness Program can help you here. 

8. Go cloud-spotting! Grab some beach towels or picnic blankets and lie in the grass, looking up to see if you can spot clouds that look like different objects, people or animals.

9. Inspire your budding bakers. Get in the kitchen and bake and decorate cakes. Our CakeMasters Program guides children through this process and is a great way to ensure your child can reap the therapeutic benefits of baking. 

10. Match the big letters with the small letters in the alphabet to complete this alphabet plate activity. 

11. Ask the children to grab all of the pillows and blankets they can find to make a fort. Then spend some time in your newly-built space and tell stories.

12. Collect sticks and leaves and make some paintbrushes. Then discover the different strokes the different leaves make. 

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Looking for more ways to engage your child in play-based learning this summer?

Our popular OT at Home Bundle combines our 4 foundational programs. With a number of diverse activities, it keeps children engaged in play-based learning by allowing them to try new things.

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13. Head to the local fruit and veg market and pick out some items your children haven’t tried before and explore them together. 

14. Have a movie night or family games night. 

15. Trace the outline of your child’s body and have them paint designs on their body. This is great to inspire creativity and help with emotional regulation. 

16. Create a nature cutting bin. Collect sticks, leaves and flowers and allow the children to cut them into pieces. This activity allows children to benefit from their time in nature and helps them develop their cutting skills. 

17. Set up a family sports day with fun events like sack races, egg and spoon races and tug of war. 

18. Encourage children to use their imagination with an improv theatre show.

19. Have a picnic. If you want to extend this activity, allow each family member to create something to bring. 

20. Run around and swat the right bug. This one is great for letter recognition and physical exercise.

21. Follow a fun schedule or theme your days – Make something Monday, Taste something Tuesday, Wander somewhere Wednesday, Do Something Thoughtful Thursday, Family Fun Friday etc. 

22. Instead of using water bombs, use your cut-up sponges to have a fun and safe water fight. 

23. Go on a nature scavenger hunt. You can actually do this multiple times by theming each scavenger hunt differently – the colour scavenger hunt, the living thing scavenger hunt, the gratitude scavenger hunt etc. 

24. Fish for the letters in an outdoor pool or in your bathtub to have a fun learning activity.

25. Make an activities jar that you can use throughout the year when you’re looking for activities to do. 

26. Draw lines with chalk and follow the line as quickly as you can. 

27. Go on a backyard adventure and make your own sticky painting with different leaves, flowers and grass that you find. 

28. Engage in a summer-long project. Perhaps making a go-cart together or completing a large Lego project. 

29. Have a car race with just a balloon and some Lego.

30. Put on some music and have a family dance party. Start with fast-paced music for high-energy dancing and then lower the tempo to lower the energy!

Did you know that as well as developmental milestones, there are milestones in attachment and bonding applicable to all stages of your child’s life?

While we may traditionally consider attachment and bonding as something only considered in newborn life, it actually follows the child’s path of upbringing, from birth to adolescence.

Something you may not know is that checking for attachment and bonding comes from both the child’s behaviour and the parent’s actions.

Below are a few strategies parents and carers can try at home to improve their child’s ability to bond and attach –  at all ages and stages.

• If you want your baby to be easily comforted, you may try demonstrating the ability and willingness to comfort them
• If you want your baby to exhibit age-appropriate motor development, you may try showing interest in and encouraging activities to support this
• If you want your toddler to look at people when communicating, you may try modelling this behaviour
• If you want your toddler to show emotions in a recognisable manner, you may try being aware of and reactive to your child’s cues
• If you want your school-aged child to share with others, you may try providing opportunities for your child to spend time with their peers
• If you want your school-aged child to try new tasks, you may try modelling a mistake making and learning culture
• If you want your adolescent engaging in positive peer interactions, you may try showing an interest in and acceptance of their friends
• If you want your adolescent performing satisfactorily at school, you may try demonstrating involvement and interest in the school community

If you feel concerned about the way your baby/child/adolescent interacts with the world around them, please do not hesitate to seek professional assistance.

Developmental trauma involves multiple occurrences over a period of time, bringing on an intense amount of stress to the mind and body of a child. It can seriously impact a young person’s brain development, health and wellbeing.

In comparison to those who have not, young people who have experienced trauma will exhibit different behaviours, ways of doing and saying things, ways of relating to people and ways of coping with stress. They may demonstrate difficulty in managing stress, a lack of empathy, have low impulse control, exhibit escalated anger responses, and/or over-eat or hoard food.

The impacts of trauma on a young person’s development can be seen through a lack of motor coordination, difficulty understanding and expressing language, misinterpretation of social cues and difficulty interacting with peers, cognitive difficulties including concentration and retention.

PARENTING A YOUNG PERSON WITH A TRAUMA BACKGROUND

As we recommend with any child, maintain a consistent home-life. Children are more settled and calmer if they know what to expect in their daily routine. Try to keep the main sections of the day (meal times, bedtime routines, etc) as consistent as you can and discuss changes to plans prior to introducing them.

Invite your child to be physically close to you, rather than sending them to “time-out”. If your child is stressed and scared, bringing them close to you will help them feel safe and secure. You can help them think through and discuss their actions and choices.

Support your child to articulate their feelings by describing and naming what you see; “I can see by you are frustrated with this toy, I’ll help you choose another one.”

Parent according to your child’s emotional age. If they are feeling stressed or fearful, they may regress to a younger age. It will be easier to soothe them if you meet them where they are emotionally, at that moment eg: your emotional 10-year-old could still benefit from sitting on your lap for a cuddle in that moment

Finally, have realistic expectations. Your child may have some significant hurdles to overcome which may take time. Even if some days feel like you’re not making any progress, remember to celebrate the success you do achieve.

With term 4 approaching, in addition to the way life has been for our little ones this year, the prospect of returning to school may cause your child/ren to feel some anxiety.

Here are some ways you can react positively to times your child is experiencing a challenging emotion.

A child may exhibit the following behaviours if experiencing stress:

• Avoidance of day-to-day interactions
• Avoidance of sensory activities
• Becoming over excited
• Appearing to ‘zone out’ or not be listening
• Exhibiting behaviours that cause others to become stressed
• Engaging in soothing behaviours

What you can do and say:

• Be aware of your own stress levels before responding to your child/ren
• Try to see beyond the behaviours and understand what the child might be feeling but is unable to tell you
• Be consistent, predictable and repetitive eg: have the same meal time and bed time each day and have the same routine, like reading a book before bed
• Spend time together discussing their feelings and emotions rather than sending your child/ren to time out eg: “I can see you’re having a rough time, how about you come sit next to me.” Or “You look sad today, I can tell because you have tears in your eyes.”
• Model and explain your stress management techniques eg: “I’m feeling a bit worried so I’m going to sit quietly and take 10 deep breaths.”

There are many effective resources available to help ease the transition and to help children to understand and manage their “big feelings”.

Join our 6 week intensive program to support school readiness. The Program will run one morning per week from late October to early December with a focus on getting our bodies ready for learning. This will include developing strength and endurance, pre writing skills, supporting attention and engagement, waiting, turn taking, sharing and early literacy.

The program has been developed by OT’s with a focus on optimising the learning environment. Hence, there will only be a small number of children in the group, so that each child receives the 1:1 coaching they need to achieve their goals. Parent Education, home resources and a report for school are included in the program.

The program will run one morning per week for 2.5 hours.

To find out more please give us a call on 0439485500 or email [email protected]

HOME BASED READY FOR SCHOOL PROGRAM

If you are unable to complete our face to face program. We are offering a home based version of this program including all the resources you need to support your child at home. Please contact the office to discuss.

Creating a routine when working and learning from home can be really helpful in keeping everyone feeling happy and calm throughout the day.

Something a simple as walking the dog, running around the block, doing some cosmic kids yoga or getting the music on and having a dance to go noodle can help everyones day run more smoothly.

Check out 5 evidenced based benefits of exercise below:

1)    INCREASED ENERGY – You may wonder how exercise can boost energy when you’re using energy to workout. Here’s the thing, exercising is heart healthy. It gets the blood pumping and increases the flow of oxygen to the brain and throughout the body which encourages energy production.

2) MORE FOCUS FOR HOME LEARNING – Increased blood flow and oxygen to the brain also make you feel more alert and focused. Spending a few minutes in the morning getting their heart rate up, kids can improve their ability to concentrate and comprehend the lessons throughout the day.

3) BOOSTED METABOLISM – Metabolism refers to the process our body uses when converting the food we consume into energy. Exercise has been proven to increase metabolism and boost the amount of calories burned, even when your body is resting. The effects exercise has on your metabolism last longer than the time spent exercising. This means, vigorous exercise can keep your metabolism functioning at a high rate for hours after you have stopped moving.

4) BOOST IN MOOD – When you exercise, your brain releases 4 chemicals: endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. Endorphins are sometimes referred to as the “feel good” chemicals of the brain. This is because your brain releases them to protect you from feeling pain when it thinks your body is under stress (eg. when you exercise). So if you are wondering does physical activity improve behaviour, it very well can. When kids spend time getting their adrenaline pumping in the morning, their brains will release more endorphins and create that “feel good” feeling throughout the day. The more often you exercise, the more long term benefits you will see.

5) BETTER SLEEP – Research has proven that exercise does improve the quality of sleep. Researchers are not quite sure how the process works, but they do know that moderate exercise increases the amount of deep sleep you get. This is the sleep stage where your body and brain get a power up. This means your child will wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day.

For more information on creating a routine at your home check out our online learning programs or our How to have happier mornings blog.

Download our FREE Daily routine template HERE

Starting chores early with your child sets them up for success in life. By creating specific roles and setting expectations of children at an early age, you are creating important healthy habits that can have many significant benefits now and into the future.

Whilst it’s very possible that your kids won’t do the task as well as you will and, in many cases, it would be easier to just do the chore yourself, the quality of the work is not the point. The advantages of a child being given responsibilities around the house are plentiful.

• Giving a child responsibility makes the child feel valued and important which fosters feelings of improved self esteem and self worth. A child will develop confidence and competence as they learn how to complete tasks.
• Children become more independent when they learn new skills. Some skills learned in childhood are those they maintain for life. If a child has been given chores throughout their childhood you can trust that when they eventually leave the nest, they will know how to clean the bathroom, do laundry and cook safely.
• Creating expectations and applying time frames builds self discipline as children learn to step out of their comfort zone. Chores may not be a child’s first idea of fun, but it is a life skill to learn to do things when required as a responsibility, rather than a choice. Having the discipline to sit with discomfort is an important skill for achieving success as an adult.
• Chores are hands-on and therefore great for keeping kids active and supporting motor skill development.
• Learning how to work with others is a complex and important skill. Chores often require cooperation which is valuable for developing effective relationships with peers, teachers and colleagues.

STEPS FOR SUCCESS

Its important that you are consistent and although the level of your expectations will change over time, it’s essential that fundamentals remain the same. Here are some tips to stay on track:

• Don’t assume that your child knows how to do a task correctly. Show them first, spend some time doing it with them and revisit the task regularly to improve the quality.
• Set a daily/weekly schedule to show them where the chores can fit in their busy week. Letting them off the hook because they have a lot of homework or sporting commitments sends the wrong message, it’s better to show them how to manage their time and duties effectively.
• Sticker charts are effective in the beginning, but don’t need to be used forever. Just like toileting and sleeping charts, chore charts should be used to help instil a habit. After a month or so, you (and your child) will become bored of the sticker system but if implemented correctly the chores will have become part of your routine. If you’re using rewards, including pocket money, free time, etc., these can continue without the need for instant gratification with a sticker.
• If you are sick, on holidays or are faced with other challenges, it is ok to adjust the level of your expectations. However, it is important to retain some elements of consistency. For example; if your child is sick, rather than giving them an out from their chores, offer instead to help them. This in itself teaches a valuable lesson about the benefits of helping others.

If you’re looking for more ideas around supporting your child in developing healthy habits at home, our online OT at Home course may be helpful to you.

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As adults, we know to prepare ourselves for upcoming tasks, either mentally or physically. Giving our children effective tools to prepare to complete learning tasks is paramount to their success.

Movement is essential for helping your child’s brain to feel calm, organised and ready for learning. Starting the day with exercise is likely to make them feel happier and less irritable. Movement outside in nature is ideal, but any activities that encourage your child to be huffing and puffing will help.

One such movement is skipping, aka jumping rope. Whether your child is adept at skipping or just starting out, it’s a sure-fire way to raise the heart rate and get the lungs pumping. Requiring only a skipping rope and some space to swing it, skipping is the perfect pre-learning time huff and puff activity.

Check out our instructional video for kids learning to skip. If your child is fairly confident with their skipping skills, this website contains some extra tricks to try and songs to use. I bet it’ll bring back some childhood memories of your own and you’ll be jumping rope alongside your little one in no time!

If you’re looking for more strength and fitness activities for your child to complete at home, our online OT at Home course may be helpful to you.

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This may be a sign that your child is having difficulty crossing the midline.

What is midline crossing?
Midline crossing refers to the process of moving the arms, legs or eyes across the middle of the body to the opposite side, for example; touching your right ear with your left hand, sitting cross-legged on the floor or following a pencil with your eyes from one side of your head to the other.

This skill begins in infancy, when babies learn to reach out for objects with both hands. As their skills develop, the baby will reach for items slightly to one side of their body. Bilateral (both left and right) arm and leg movements are important aspects to helping a child develop their skills in crossing the midline, as are opportunities to track movements with their eyes.

Why help our children develop midline crossing?
Crossing the midline is vital to developing the use of both sides of the body together for activities such as writing, reading, cutting, and putting on shoes and socks. Midline crossing exercises promote coordination and communication between the two hemispheres of the brain as well as encouraging fine-motor skills.

How do I know if my child has successful midline crossing?
These are subtle skills and the human body is very clever at compensating if a particular skill is underdeveloped. If you are unsure, and would like a professional opinion, why not make a time to come in and learn some fun activities you can do with your child to help them thrive?

Alternatively, check out this article by “OT Mom Learning Activities” sharing some fun midline crossing activities https://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/activities-for-crossing-the-midline.html

Does your child always have their tongue out when they are concentrating or ‘w’ sit on the floor? Do they flop all over the furniture or tire quickly? Do they have trouble standing or sitting still?

These are all signs that your child may be suffering from low muscle tone like my gorgeous man Jack here.

First, it important you understand to an extent what low muscle tone is.

Low muscle tone is term commonly used by doctors, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. It is generally something you are born with or occurs very early in infancy. It refers to the stretchiness or tension of the muscles in a person’s body.

Check out this great article for more information on what it means and how you can help minimise the impact low muscle tone can have on learning and development: https://www.moveplaypaedtherapy.com.au/low-muscle-tone-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-my-child/

If you have concerns with your child’s muscle tone, please get in touch with our office to organise a 30 minute phone consultation.

We are here to support you in giving your child the best tools for their development.