There are soooo many different therapy items out there these days! It's overwhelming to know where to start especially since a lot of these can get very expensive. 😅 So I want to make it a little easier for you, so you can know which items I HIGHLY recommend and where you can find it for CHEAP! 🙌
To also make it a little easier, check out my Home Therapy Planner where I provide lots of OT activities and guide you step-by-step how to set up your daily therapy routine to see faster therapy progress and watch your child grow! 🌺
For Self Regulation, Attention, Balance, & Core and Upper Body Strengthening
You won't find a Pediatric Therapy Clinic without a swing.
WARNING: It's important to remember that swinging back and forth in a straight line is calming, but swinging in a circle has the opposite effect and can be very OVERSTIMULATING. To counteract this, I always follow swinging by deep pressure or heavy work activities! :)
For Self Regulation, Attention, Balance, & Core and Upper Body Strengthening
I use a therapy ball at some point in ALL my sessions! My favorite thing to do with therapy balls is have a child lay on their stomach and complete an activity on the ground like a puzzle! Doing this targets soooo many areas and provides Deep Pressure, which we all know how important that is! :)
For Handwriting, Fine Motor, & Hand Strengthening
I get a lot of questions about how to correct a child's pencil grip! My #1 tip would be PENCIL GRIPS! They're cheap and kids think they're a fun accessory! Here's a quick video with another really helpful tip to teach your child the correct way to hold their pencil!
For Fine Motor & Hand Strengthening
For building our kid's hand strength, I HIGHLY recommend having these! You can use them during games like maybe a scavenger hunt or having your child help you cook! You can also use them in an obstacle course to try to get a few small toys (one at a time) to the end without dropping it!
For Self Regulation
I can't recommend this enough! I've tested this out myself and LOVE THESE. This is great addition to add into your child's wardrobe that helps give them calming deep pressure input all throughout the day!
For Balance, Body Awareness, Postural Strengthening, and Self Regulation
This is another piece of equipment I use in almost all my sessions at some point. Whether that be:
Sitting on while they are writing
Standing on while they are playing a game!
Recommending teachers to have them use during class
For Self Regulation
We have another goodie! These are great for so many reasons:
Helps kids pay attention and concentrate
Calming & Relaxing
Especially good for kids who are sensitive to loud sounds
For Self Regulation, Balance, &Coordination
Sometimes called Rebound Therapy :) There are soooo many benefits to using a trampoline not only for kids, but adults too!
Improving coordination, balance, and posture
Act as a substitute for other repetitive behaviors
Can be stimulating if your child's engine is running slow
WARNING: Recommend following with heavy work or deep pressure activity like a 1 minute compression hug!
and/or
For Self Regulation
I have a weighted blanket and can personally attest to noticing a difference in my quality of sleep since I started using it! This is sooo good especially for kids who have a hard time falling asleep or sleeping through the night!
For Self Regulation, Hand Strengthening, and Fine Motor
Honestly, I should have put these at the top because these might be one of my favorite on this list! This is AMAZING because it provides that calming deep pressure I keep on talking about and also is a great hand strengthening/fine motor activity! This is a great one to add into your kid's daily routine!
For Self Regulation
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