News Articles by Kim at GriffinOT

This page shows all of the articles that Kim has written on the GriffinOT website. It can sometimes be easier to look at them in individual categories rather than everything together. The categories will be under the title for each article.

Reframing classroom behaviours: What the child is communicating?

By GriffinOT|2022-01-18T01:40:09+00:0018th January 2022|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Behaviour or communication? When I speak about sensory differences, one question that always pops up is whether the behaviours are sensory needs or not. In this article I would like to explore classroom [...]

Helping children with interoceptive awareness

By GriffinOT|2021-08-26T15:01:34+01:0026th August 2021|News, Sensory Supports|

Teaching interoceptive awareness Interoceptive awareness is the ability to notice the sensory information that the brain receives internally from the body. These messages come from the interoceptive receptors in our body. Kim explains [...]

What’s the difference between sensory strategies, sensory diets, sensory processing and sensory integration?

By GriffinOT|2021-08-08T11:55:20+01:0027th July 2021|News, Sensory Supports|

Sensory strategies are a tool In the sensory world, there are lot of different terms and phrases. It can quickly get confusing, even for trained therapists! The terms also change over time. In [...]

Why Touch Pressure Helps with Regulation

By GriffinOT|2021-04-08T19:23:50+01:005th April 2021|News, Sensory Supports|

A tale of two touch pathways The term touch pressure, or deep touch pressure, are used by therapists to refer to firmer touch. Therapressure brushes or surgical brushes are one way to provide [...]

Teaching children scissor skills and cutting – what are the steps?

By GriffinOT|2021-03-12T13:15:12+00:0022nd March 2021|Fine Motor Skills, News, Scissor Skills|

Scissor skills stages Learning to cut with scissors is more complex than it may initially seem. It requires good postural control, good hand-eye coordination and the ability to use both hands together. In [...]

Letter formation families – the ONLY way to teach handwriting

By GriffinOT|2021-03-18T15:55:21+00:009th March 2021|Fine Motor Skills, Handwriting, News|

Making handwriting easier Handwriting is a complex skill, but there are tips which make learning it easier. One of the most helpful things you can do, as a teacher or parent, is to [...]

Pre-writing shapes – what are they and how to teach them?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-16T11:04:29+00:0022nd February 2021|Fine Motor Skills, Handwriting, News|

The importance of pre-writing shapes Pre-writing shapes are the lines and shapes a child needs to be able to draw prior to learning to write. They are the shapes which form letters, such [...]

Teaching handwriting to children – what every teacher must know

By GriffinOT|2022-01-20T02:11:55+00:008th February 2021|Fine Motor Skills, Handwriting, News|

Handwriting is a complex skill Handwriting is a skill that is taught in every school. There are many approaches to teaching handwriting. Some schools focus on the cursive first approach. Others teach handwriting [...]

How it feels when your child receives diagnosis

By GriffinOT|2021-11-14T17:28:52+00:001st January 2021|News, Parent Stories, Sensory Challenges|

Navigating through diagnosis How it feels when your child receives a diagnosis can take you by surprise. It can be a very confusing and overwhelming time. During this time there is no right [...]

Our story – receiving a diagnosis of autism for our daughter

By GriffinOT|2021-11-29T05:02:23+00:0015th December 2020|News, Parent Stories, Sensory Challenges|

A personal story - Tina and Kelly It was not until her daughter Kelly started school, that Tina noticed there was something quite different about the way she interacted with others. Kelly had [...]

What is sensory overload? And how can I support it?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-29T05:45:10+00:001st December 2020|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Sensory overloaded = too much information Sensory overload is a term which describes the experience an individual with sensory differences may have when they receive too much sensory information. The brain is unable [...]

Sensory Diet Tips – Using Them Successfully

By GriffinOT|2021-09-14T10:05:14+01:0015th November 2020|News, Sensory Equipment, Sensory Supports|

The problem with a sensory diet Sensory diets are a structured list of sensory strategies which an individual can use throughout the day to help to support their arousal, attention and focus. They [...]

Arousal, Attention and Sensory Processing What’s the Links?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-26T01:06:54+00:001st November 2020|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Arousal is all about alertness Arousal at its simplest is how awake or alert or how tired you are. It supports attention and focus. There are a number of things which impact an [...]

Sensory Processing with GriffinOT – A teacher’s story

By GriffinOT|2021-11-29T05:12:05+00:0016th October 2020|Impact measurement, News, Sensory Supports, Teacher Stories|

Lisa's story - Supporting Sensory at School Sensory differences are thought to occur in between 5-16% of the population. This means up to four students in a mainstream classroom may experience sensory differences. [...]

Sensory movement breaks tips for success

By GriffinOT|2021-11-29T04:48:02+00:0030th September 2020|News, Sensory Supports|

A flexible sensory strategy Movement breaks are a frequently suggested sensory tool to help students increase their attention and readiness for learning. Like all sensory strategies, they should be individualised for each student. [...]

Sensory Diet Cards and Movement Breaks – Free!

By GriffinOT|2021-02-26T18:55:17+00:0020th September 2020|News, Sensory Supports|

Free sensory diet cards! Welcome to GriffinOT's sensory diet card and movement break page. Here you can download our cards for free to use at home or school. These cards are designed to [...]

What is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-04T19:19:29+00:0030th August 2020|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Introduction|

Understanding sensory processing or integration Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a term that describes the challenges children (and adults) have when their brains are not interpreting the sensory messages they receive from their [...]

Sensory Strategies and Supports for the Classroom

By GriffinOT|2021-11-26T00:01:53+00:0015th August 2020|News, Sensory Supports|

Embedding sensory strategies into classroom Occupational therapists often recommend sensory strategies, or sensory supports, to help to support children who experience sensory differences. This includes children with autism. We explore what sensory processing [...]

How to Help Children with Dyspraxia – 8 Support Strategies

By GriffinOT|2021-11-05T14:57:51+00:001st August 2020|Handwriting, News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Dyspraxia - Let's explore how to help A question Kim is commonly asked is how to help children with dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is a term used to describe the difficulty children and adults have [...]

How do I stop my child from sensory stimming?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-20T14:20:48+00:003rd July 2020|Ask Kim, News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Ask Kim - Question 1 Vestibular Stimming Ask Kim is a monthly post where occupational therapist Kim Griffin answers a question from our community. This month’s question explores sensory stimming. “How can I [...]

Sensory regulation strategies – what are they and how can they help your child?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-20T13:37:11+00:0011th May 2020|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Let's explore sensory regulation Sensory regulation, self-regulation and emotional regulation are terms often used by therapists. They relate to the child's ability to increase and decrease their alertness, or arousal, to match the [...]

Weighted blankets, benefits, precautions plus when and why to use them

By GriffinOT|2021-11-19T14:18:56+00:0023rd April 2020|News, Sensory Equipment, Sensory Supports|

What's the benefit of weighted blankets? Weighted blankets and other products come in all different shapes and sizes. Vests, lap pads, shoulder pads, blankets and animal shapes are all readily available for purchase. [...]

Sensory Chew Toys – advice on choosing the best one for your child

By GriffinOT|2021-09-23T08:58:35+01:0015th April 2020|News, Sensory Equipment, Sensory Supports|

Sensory chew toys - which one to choose? Choosing sensory chew toys for children can be a daunting task. There are so many different ones available! They come in different shapes, different textures, [...]

Homeschooling Sensory Tips for Parents

By GriffinOT|2021-11-29T06:23:50+00:0025th March 2020|Fine Motor Skills, News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Supporting each other at home This post has been written for parents who are homeschooling their children. Many of these will be helpful for children who don’t have any diagnosis as they relate [...]

To pencil grip, or not to pencil grip?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-09T20:19:18+00:0030th January 2020|Fine Motor Skills, Handwriting, News|

Pros and cons of pencil grasps For children who have an immature pencil grasp, there are many pencil grips available to help. In this post I will use the term ‘grip’ to refer [...]

Handwriting – looking beyond the tripod pencil grasp

By GriffinOT|2021-11-09T19:56:00+00:0030th January 2020|Fine Motor Skills, Handwriting, News|

Pencil grasp is a complicated affair The way a child holds onto their pencil is often a focus of assessment in the early years. A mature pencil grasp supports pencil skill maturity and [...]

Sensory Integration Theory vs Sensory Processing Disorder What’s the Difference?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-29T08:32:31+00:0027th December 2019|News, Sensory Challenges, The Senses|

A tale of two theories The terms 'Sensory Integration' (SI) and 'Sensory Processing' to refer to the same theory. They are sometimes used interchangeably, however there are subtle differences. This article will help [...]

Autism (ASD) and Sensory Processing Issues – Signs and How to Help

By GriffinOT|2021-08-08T11:53:01+01:0024th December 2019|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Introduction|

Sensory processing and autism Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or sensory issues describes the challenges children (and adults) have when their brains interpret the sensory messages they receive differently. Their brains might find some [...]

Five essential motor skills for handwriting success

By GriffinOT|2021-11-16T10:58:35+00:0013th December 2019|Fine Motor Skills, Handwriting, News|

There's more to handwriting than meets the eye Handwriting is an incredibly complex skill. Before children can hold a pencil, they need to be able to sit up and move their arm independently [...]

Cutting Skills – Six Tips for Teaching Children How to Use Scissors

By GriffinOT|2021-03-06T15:02:20+00:003rd November 2019|Fine Motor Skills, News, Scissor Skills|

Helping with cutting skills Cutting skills are a typical activity taught in every classroom. Using scissors to cut successfully is almost a rite of passage for any child. Especially those who have ‘accidentally’ [...]

Seven ideas to help children with sensory processing challenges at Christmas.

By GriffinOT|2021-11-05T17:03:58+00:002nd November 2019|News|

The festive season is on us The holiday period, including Christmas, is loaded with additional sensory information. There are new lights, sounds and smells. You go on extra visits to family and friends. [...]

Using occupational therapy recommendations in your classroom

By GriffinOT|2021-11-26T01:18:44+00:007th September 2019|Fine Motor Skills, News, Sensory Supports|

Embedding OT supports into your classroom When I first graduated, quite some time ago now, I was frustrated at what I interpreted as a lack of support from educators in following through with [...]

Help! Why is my child chewing on clothing and other things?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-11T17:24:49+00:0011th May 2019|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Let's explore why kids chew on clothing When a parent or teacher sees their child chewing on clothing or other items it can raise questions. Some children chew on other items like toys, [...]

Oral Sensory Seeking – Why is my Child Still Putting Things in Their Mouth?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-11T17:40:57+00:0017th April 2019|News, Sensory Challenges|

Let's explore oral sensory seeking Oral sensory seeking, where a child continues to put things in their mouth after the age of two, is commonly reported alongside sensory issues, autism, developmental delays and [...]

The Mystery of Heavy Work

By GriffinOT|2021-11-16T11:18:07+00:008th March 2019|News, Sensory Supports|

The benefits of heavy work Heavy work is a commonly used term, but not everyone knows what it actually refers to! This post aims to give you a better understand of what it [...]

Dyspraxia symptoms – Is my child dyspraxic?

By GriffinOT|2021-11-05T15:49:10+00:0011th February 2019|News, Sensory Challenges|

Dyspraxia - Let's explore the signs and symptoms The term 'dyspraxic' originates from the latin ‘dus’ ‘praxis’ meaning difficulty with action. It is used to describe the sensory processing difficulty children and adults [...]

What is Dyspraxia? It’s much more than clumsiness!

By GriffinOT|2021-11-05T17:34:44+00:0014th January 2019|News, Sensory Challenges, Sensory Supports|

Dyspraxia Explained - Let's explore some common myths Dyspraxia is a term that describes the sensory processing difficulty children and adults have when they struggle to plan and organise their movements. The term [...]

Auditory Sensitivity: Signs, Causes, Overload and How to Help

By GriffinOT|2021-08-08T12:20:32+01:0017th December 2018|News, Sensory Challenges|

Let's explore auditory sensitivity and overload People with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or autism may report auditory sensitivity, auditory hypersensitivity or hypersensitivity to sound. This sensitivity can lead to auditory overload. The medical term [...]

Sensory Processing and the Hearing Sense

By GriffinOT|2021-11-02T19:39:30+00:0027th November 2018|News, The Senses|

Hearing is an essential sense! Our hearing sense, or auditory sense, is a sense everyone has typically heard of. It responds to noises in the environment. These noises, or sound waves, travel through [...]

What is Tactile Defensiveness, or touch sensitivity?

By GriffinOT|2021-08-08T11:58:56+01:0024th November 2018|News, Sensory Challenges|

Tactile defensiveness or touch sensory sensitivity Touch sensitivity is commonly reported by children or adults who experience sensory processing differences . Sensory integration trained occupational therapists would usually call this tactile sensory issue [...]