“My scarf is too tight.” “I can’t put on my boots.” A child’s independence with dressing and undressing from winter clothes is difficult to achieve sometimes. This activity requires mastering several skills such as gross motor skills (balance, postural control, bilateral coordination), fine motor skills (manipulating fasteners) and perception (putting clothes on the right [...]
“I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!” Remember the classic book and subsequent childhood movie Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? White Rabbit had a pesky habit of running late. You might be feeling the same way as you scour the internet for that perfect Halloween costume this year. Or maybe your child hasn’t made [...]
Every day, your child runs, jumps, climbs, plays ball, rides a bike and walks without calculating all of these movements in space. They perform a series of movements without thinking, in an automated, yet precise way! We can therefore affirm that your child has their own GPS system allowing them to obtain constant information about [...]
Play is an important part of a child's development. It builds fine and gross motor skills, social skills, communication skills, language, thinking and problem solving skills. With autistic children, play can be very limited. For example, a child may want to play alone, engage in repetitive play like lining up toys, or moving from [...]
Karine Gagner, the woman behind fdmt. Passionate and inspiring entrepreneur dedicated full-time mom, it's a wonder how she manages to do it all in only 24 hours. She juggles many roles while maintaining a noteworthy lifestyle. We had the chance to speak with her to learn more about her different facets. Enter the frantic daily [...]
There are so many things to deal with during homework and lessons! Since the child with ADD/ADHD is like a little cat that has just seen a squirrel pass by, they forget quickly, get distracted and jump from one thing to the next! Sometimes, it’s funny, but not always effective! My 8-year-old daughter with ADHD [...]
Physical activity should be a part of everyone’s week throughout their lifespan. Regular exercise lessens anxiety, improves sleep, increases endurance, builds muscles, develops motor skills and offers opportunities for socializing. Whether being involved in organized sports on a team, solo activities (swimming, archery, martial arts), or just playing outdoors, physical activity offers the chance to [...]
We’re learning more and more about how the brain and the body are interconnected and how inextricable the two are from our overall well-being. So many of the functions that we often take for granted involve communication between the body and the brain. Balancing is in fact one of those functions! As a fairly complex [...]
Becoming and being a parent is an incomparable experience; it's also a role that holds so many responsibilities, including caring for and nurturing their little one. At birth, baby's little eyes quickly seek out your eye contact. They follow your eyes, your smile and seek reassurance. Soon their attentive eye movements will become head turns, [...]
A sensory diet, first created by occupational therapists Wilbarger and Wilbarger (1991), is an individualized plan of physical activities and accommodations to help a person meet their sensory needs. This plan provides the sensory input needed to stay focused and organized throughout the day. For example, some people may feel overwhelmed or overloaded and need [...]