Toilet Training Tips for Children on the Autism Spectrum at Home
Toilet training is a big milestone for every family, and for autistic children it can simply look a little different. Your child may be ready at a different age, take more time, or need the steps and the environment adjusted to suit how their body and brain work. None of this means anything is wrong. […]
Teaching Self-Care Skills to Children With Developmental Delays
Every child grows into independence at their own pace, and for children with developmental delays, everyday self-care skills can simply need a little more time, practice and support. Tasks like getting dressed, eating a meal or using the toilet involve more steps than they first appear. When we understand what a child’s body is working […]
Sky, Grass and Dirt: A Simple Way to Teach Letter Placement and Neat Handwriting
For a young child, a page of lines can be a puzzle. Where does the letter start? How big should it be? Why does the p sink below the line while the a sits neatly on top? The rules that feel obvious to adults are genuinely hard to see when you are five and still […]
Finishing First: Using Backward Chaining to Build Self-Care Skills
Getting dressed looks like one task, but it is really a whole string of smaller ones. Find the front of the shirt, pull it over your head, find the arm holes, push each arm through, tug it down. That is a lot of steps woven together, and for many children it can feel like a […]
Following Instructions: Why It’s Harder Than It Looks
You have asked your child to put their shoes on. You have said it clearly, more than once, and still nothing happens. In a classroom, you give a three-step instruction and half the group is already off task. For parents and teachers, moments like these happen often, and they can be genuinely frustrating. It is […]
Gross Motor Skills Milestones and Activities by Age
From a baby’s first wobbly roll to a school-aged child skipping across the playground, gross motor skills grow steadily through childhood. These are the big movements that let children explore, play and take part in everyday life. If you have ever wondered whether your child is on track, or what you can do to help, […]
Why Does My Child Chew on Everything?
Have you ever wondered why your child chews their shirt, bites their nails, mouths their toys or seeks out the crunchiest foods they can find? It might look like a random habit, but there is actually some fascinating science behind why chewing can feel regulating for the nervous system. Why might chewing quiet a […]
Why Your Response to Your Child’s Big Feelings Matters
Your child is crying. Angry because the iPad’s been turned off. Devastated because plans have changed. Overwhelmed by noise, frustrated because something’s hard, or melting down over something that seems small. As a parent, it can be hard to know what to do. Comfort them? Give space? Problem-solve? Set a boundary? Ignore it? You don’t […]
Why Showering Can Be So Hard for Neurodivergent People
If you have ever wondered why a shower feels effortless to some people but overwhelming to others, you are not imagining it. For many autistic and neurodivergent people, showering can be one of the hardest parts of the day, and there are very real reasons why. One Task, or a Whole Chain of Them? […]
Behaviour is Communication
Every behaviour is telling us something. The trick is giving ourselves a moment to listen before we decide what to do. When a child is having a hard time, it is natural to want to fix it quickly. We love our kids, we want them to feel better, and often we are trying to get […]