D.O.T.S. Blog

As parents, toileting is one of those massive “milestones”, something children are expected to achieve within a certain timeframe. But if you are parenting a child who is struggling with toileting, you will already know this: Toileting is not a simple skill - And it is certainly not a one-size-fits-all process For many families, toileting can feel exhausting, emotional, and at times isolating. If this is your experience, you are not alone, and importantly, this is not a refl

Understanding “School Can’t” and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Shifting from a ‘school refusal’ to a ‘school can’t’ lens Often there are experiences around school participation and engagement that can be worrying, exhausting, and confusing. With an increase in disengagement and reduced attendance at school, followed by avoidance, distress, and feeling emotions intensely, these can be an indication that there are environmental factors in the learning environment signifyi

Why Sensory-Motor Skills are Important for Learning and Self-Care Occupational Therapists often use the Developmental Pyramid to explain skill development. This visual model shows us that in order to complete higher order tasks such as learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation, we rely on having strong building blocks of sensory processing and motor development. Building from the bottom up! If we look at the Developmental Pyramid we can see the bottom ‘foundations’ are

Practical strategies to support regulation in the classroom As we head back in to the start of the school year, it's the perfect time to refresh and reset our strategies to support our kids proactively in the classroom. Self-regulation is a foundational skill for learning, social participation, and emotional wellbeing, and building a safe environment with regulation at the forefront is one of the best ways we can support our kids to thrive at school. In the school environment