When we think of “paying attention,” it is often seen as something a person either has or doesn’t have. In reality, attention is not a fixed trait, it is a dynamic state that is deeply connected to regulation. What is attention? Attention is the ability to focus on specific information, whether it comes from the outside world—like your child alerting you to a dog walking by, or from inside your body, such as feeling a tag from your shirt on your skin all day. For attention to

What’s with all the movement? Sometimes, when you’re sitting in the waiting room or participating in your child’s OT session, you might notice a lot of what looks like bouncing off the walls - running, climbing, swinging, rolling, maybe even some risky play. And you may be wondering: “How is this helping? Isn’t this just what my child does at school or on the playground?” But then, by the time you reconnect with your kiddo at the end of the session, something is different.

Arousal is your body’s level of alertness—how ready you are to respond to what’s happening around you. It shifts constantly based on sleep, food, stress, the environment, and the demands of the moment. The goal isn’t to stay calm all day; it’s to match your energy to the activity. Think of how an adult behaves differently at a concert versus in a quiet library—that’s arousal regulation. For kids, the first step in understanding arousal is noticing the body cues that signal a

Starting solids can be one of the most exciting — and confusing — milestones of early parenting. With all the conflicting advice out...

Self-regulation has become somewhat of a buzz word, often used synonymously with calm or well-behaved. In fact, as a new mom, I’ve heard...

As I start the journey of solid food with my son, I've been reflecting on how we build positive food habits. First off, it’s hard. In...