Out of the Box Occupational Therapy in Stanthorpe, Queensland | Medical and health

Out of the Box Occupational Therapy

Locality: Stanthorpe, Queensland

Phone: +61 402 234 690

Address: shop 3, level 1 Target Building 42 Maryland st 4380 Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.outoftheboxot.com

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• Occupational therapist

24.01.2022 Love this visual and what is reminds us.... Offering choices provides a sense of control and control is important especially when we feel disorganised internall...y. We often see a strong sense for control to support regulation especially when sensory processing challenges arise..... so respect the need for some control but providing choices around the things that can be controlled and are ok to be is the key! Remember that the balance of how much control may need to vary depending on the current state of your childs nervous system and regulation and we need to respect this to help them feel a sense of security in this process. This process will save the power battles and help your child to understand the art of controlling the things they can and working together #occupationaltherapy #ot #sensorymotor #outdoorplay #autism #add #adhd #aspergers #spd #sensoryprocessingdisorder #t21 #downsyndrome #cp #cerebralpalsy #learningdifficulties #22q #borntostandout #thrivenotsurvive #socialthinking #socialinclusion #childhood #letkidsbekids #playislearning #playisimportant See more

24.01.2022 Welcome back to Fingertip Friday for 2020! We hope you enjoy all the handy facts this year. Please feel free to share these posts to spread the hand trivia Friday fun!

23.01.2022 Accumulation of Stress Chemicals Research has shown that individuals with ASD have greater levels of stress chemicals in their nervous system. Even when in a r...elaxed state their systems have increased levels of stress chemicals. This is because their nervous system is continually taxed and drained throughout the day. Running on high idle wears it down and makes it more prone to overload. Most mild snags for us can be major stressors for those on the spectrum. Most daily tasks at school take much more mental effort for children with ASD. For all of us, stress chemicals accumulate in the nervous system as we go through the day. For children on the spectrum these chemicals accumulate quickly. As the stress chemicals accumulate, eventually they hit boiling point, setting off the brains fight or flight response. For most of us we can feel when we are getting stressed and often pull back and/or engage in coping strategies to lower the stress chemicals. Our brains can sense the buildup of stress chemicals, cueing us that we need to pull back and take a break, so that we do not reach overload. For people on the spectrum, they often have poor internal body awareness (interoception) and do not feel the stress chemicals build up. Consequently, they may be unaware that they are getting stressed until they hit boiling point. Unfortunately, by that time their coping skills have often collapsed. This series on Shutdowns and Meltdowns can be found in the blue book, Autism Discussion Page on the Core Challenges of Autism. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2

23.01.2022 The prescribed play of normal playgrounds stifles kids’ imagination and creativity. Now, this dad is rewriting the playbook for fun. Freethink

21.01.2022 Cookies reloaded thanks em

20.01.2022 Exciting things to come - paint on the walls and signage up! Out of the box OT and Hand Therapy is moving into a purpose built clinic in shop D, 42 Maryland st above target - looking forward to bringing Stanthorpe its first state of the art Sensory Integration gym and Hand Therapy clinic - more updates to come Amy x

14.01.2022 Great checklist

14.01.2022 A great opportunity to sign up for free - this is a super program for some home movement breaks

14.01.2022 Happy OT WEEK !!

14.01.2022 Great advise for your hose in a splint at the moment

13.01.2022 We estimate that 99.9% of children benefit from a clear schedule during their day-to-day, especially while out of school. Valuing the individual differences of ...each child makes it impossible to provide a one size fits all option. What we do know however is, you . Heres our guide on incorporating sensory rich activities into your family lifestyle and your daily schedule. We hope you find it helpful. * * * Thank you to our faculty member Renee Allen from Roots Pediatric OT and our own Maura Mooneyham for all your work on this today. * * * #sensoryprocessing #sensoryhealth #quarantine #socialdistancing #covid19 #coronavirus #homeschooling #extendedspringbreak #weareinthistogether See more

11.01.2022 Know an amazing OT that is looking for a change? Please share! The Gabrielle Centre For Children has a very rare opportunity for an OT to join our consortium. I...f you are looking to start your own practice, but dont want the financial and time stressors of setting up a practice, this is for you. Work for yourself in a state of the art clinic, in a team of over 20 multi-disciplinary practitioners. With a constant OT waitlist of over 100 clients, you can work as little or as much as you need. If interested, contact Linda Collier: [email protected]

10.01.2022 Why are transitions between activities so hard? Erin Humans "Tendril Theory" provides a powerful explanation based on lived experience: "I came up with Tendri...l Theory when someone in a support group asked for a good way to explain executive function, specifically the challenge of being interrupted or having to switch tasks suddenly, to a neurotypical person. I think the reason this resonates with so many people is that a lot of different kinds of brains work in a similar way not only for autistic people, but also people with ADHD, and neurotypical introverts. So if this doesnt describe you, it probably describes someone you know." Read more here: https://erinhuman.com/2015/08/10/tendril-theory/

10.01.2022 WHEN LOWER LEVELS OF THE BRAIN DONT WORK, LEARNING IS DELAYED If your child has trouble with balance, coordination, motor skills, and attention and focus due to a disconnection in the brain, reading and writing could be delayed.

09.01.2022 And we are up and running - cant wait to share this amazing space with my existing and new clients.

09.01.2022 Getting ready for the grand opening thanks all things caked by em for the amazing cookies

08.01.2022 Waiting Too Long The mistake most people make is waiting too long before pulling back to recharge. We wait until we see the child becoming disorganized before ...beginning to think about giving a break. Often, we press on a little further, hoping the child will learn to cope. As the childs energy level begins to drop into the compromised zone, three primary challenges occur. (1) The childs processing skills start to deteriorate making the activity more difficult to process. Sensory issues become amplified; processing more fragmented and delayed; judgment, reasoning, and problem-solving deteriorate. (2) Since the processing is more difficult, it stresses the nervous system and drains energy even quicker. An activity that typically represents a minimal drain when the child is operating on a full charge may require moderate to severe drain if the childs battery is compromised. Hence, activities become more draining as the battery runs low. (3) The more depleted (compromised) the battery, the longer it will take to recharge. Once in the compromised zone, the child may take three times longer to recharge (couple of hours) or a full day if the child is forced into the danger zone. Plus, once in the danger zone, we most likely will see a variety of challenging behaviors (opposition, acting out, etc.). Stress becomes distressed because the demands are greater than the childs abilities to cope with them. Jimmy, the child, sitting dazed in class at the beginning of this chapter, is in the compromised zone. By the afternoon, his battery has depleted and his processing severely compromised. He cannot adequately process the expectations and is shutting down, trying to minimize the amount of stimulation coming in. Jimmy is doing his best to hold it together and avoid maxing out. Any simple demand or expectation at this point is too much for his depleted energy. The teacher may not recognize that Jimmy is compromised because he is quiet and sitting still. He is being good. Although his nervous system is drained and overwhelmed. To avoid this state, Jimmy would need a well-designed plan to provide accommodations to lower the processing demands during the day, frequent breaks to recharge, and a sensory diet to keep his battery operable. By reducing the drain and providing breaks to recharge, Jimmy may be able to stay alert, receptive and organized for the full day. The Danger Zone! Once the environment demands outweigh the persons processing abilities, the battery drains very quickly. A specific activity, which may be fine when the child is processing well, can become too demanding if his battery is compromised. Most teachers have experienced a child who comes into school already compromised, agitated and close to the danger zone. The child had such a poor nights sleep and a rough morning that he is disorganized and depleted. Coming in like this, facing the daily demands of the classroom is like sending the helpless child into a battle zone. He can barely hold it together, let alone process any of the sensory, social and task demands of the classroom., pushing the child further into the danger zone and placing him under chronic stress. Like all operating systems, this ongoing stress will be detrimental to both the emotional and physical health of the child. The best the teacher can do is allow the child to escape the classroom, withdraw all demands, and allow him or her to sleep most of the day. If the child is not allowed to escape these overwhelming demands, he most likely will become agitated and either shutdown (become unresponsive) or act out to escape the chaos. The child is better off not coming to school that day. Simply too much processing for a helpless, depleted battery. If this stress and pressure occur regularly, even the thought of going to school becomes overwhelming in anticipation of the stress. The child then begins to refuse to go to school. Once the childs mental energy becomes compromised, and the demands (stimulation, expectations) become greater than his ability to process, stress chemicals (cortisol, adrenaline, etc.) rapidly increase. Anxiety increases, avoidance sets in and the child either withdraws, becomes oppositional or acts out to escape the overwhelming demands. All thinking, problem-solving, communication and effective responding deteriorate. The person begins to respond reactively and defensively, with poor emotional control. Unfortunately, if not allowed to escape the stimulation and demands, the person will be pressed into fight or flight, which is traumatic for everyone. Remember, these explosive outbursts are usually the result of others pressuring the child into situations where the demands are too overwhelming for the person at that moment. This is not the fault of the person himself. Dont blame the child. We are the ones pressuring the child, not anticipating his processing needs, nor recognizing the early signs that he is struggling and not respecting the persons communication that he or she needs to escape, de-stress and re-charge. The child should never be pressed into the danger zone. We should recognize the early signs when the child is becoming compromised, pull back on demands (activities, expectations), and allowed to withdraw, de-stress and re-charge. It is best to monitor the energy level, give frequent breaks to re-charge and be cognizant of the processing demands of activities we are presenting. We should be accommodating for processing weaknesses, minimizing challenging demands, providing a sensory diet to keep the nervous system organized and giving frequent breaks to allow the child to de-stress and re-charge. Under these conditions, the children feel safe and secure that we are not overwhelming them; we are listening to their needs and allowing them to escape when needed. This article will be published in the upcoming book, The Autism Discussion Page on stress, anxiety, shutdowns, and meltdowns https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Discussion-Anxi//ref=sr_1_3

07.01.2022 Out of the Box OT is looking for expressions of interest for disability support workers, mostly to support children with various disabilities and behaviour issues- 2-3 hours a week , an ABN and Blue Card is essential and experience in a similar role would be an advantage pm for more details Amy

07.01.2022 Out of the Box OT and Hand Therapy is expanding and will be offering a 5 day a week service in Stanthorpe. We will have a full sensory gym and hand therapy clinic working alongside the beautiful Charlotte Battle and her team at Total Balance Health. Regular therapy spots are filling up fast for 2020 so if you would like to chat about services for next year just let me know. Looking forward to 2020 and bringing a comprehensive OT and Hand therapy service to sunny Stanthorpe Amy x

07.01.2022 Merry Christmas to all from Out Of the Box OT and Hand Therapy looking forward to 2020 x Amy

06.01.2022 I carry him. I know it looks silly, his toes dangle past my knees. Hes getting tall and heavy, too. It sometimes hurts my back to lift his frame, but, I carry ...him. It starts in the morning when waking up is hard. I should make him walk down the stairs, as its still something he is working on in physical therapy. But with his sleepy eyes and tired heart, he doesnt want to start off his day with a task. So, I carry him. He works hard to get off the school bus. One hand on the rail and down three large steps with care. He takes my hand and cant wait to go inside to play. But I make him go to the bathroom first. He doesnt want to pause. I kneel down, give him a hug, and a reassuring word. Then, I carry him. At the end of the day, when weve worked on manners at the table and holding his utensils with the correct grasp, sometimes he is so done. And there is still the bathing, teeth brushing, and getting dressed to do. From the table and up the stairs we go. Sometimes, I carry him. The world moves fast and demands so much from all of us. I imagine with my sons age and disability, it is often more exhausting. Hes directed and redirected, pushed and pulled throughout the day. There are times when hes had enough. Thats when I carry his awkwardly long body against my own short one. Because sometimes, we all need someone to carry us to get us through the next hard thing, to love us through our good, bad, and weak moments. When hes reached his limit, Im close to my own. But when I carry him, he somehow carries me, too. This essay by Jillian Benfield is part of her free e-book, "5 Spiritual Comforts for Special Needs Parents." Get your copy! https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5df181b3154bd20026a1aeaa Follow on Instagram @jillianbenfieldblog

05.01.2022 These are amazing resources for anxiety would be worth checking out

04.01.2022 Absolutely celebrating the fabulous schools giving students the freedom to play freely!!

04.01.2022 Such a great opportunity for all my families

02.01.2022 I am still open and have emergency appointments available for all your hand therapy needs

02.01.2022 Tha is so much to Emma and the team at a betterway to print Stanthorpe for my fabulous logo and printing such a fantastic service!

01.01.2022 Advanced fracture management course - from the comfort of my own home - whole new world

01.01.2022 EARLY INTERVENTION IS KEY So many times we hear pediatricians recommend wait and see or other parents saying dont worry, my child didnt talk until 3 and... now hes fine and both of these things DELAY intervention- and this is happening all the time! Why is this harmful? Lets say your child has 3 words at 18 months (average is 50 words) so you start intervention. Theres two options, either your child is a late talker and will catch up by kindergarten OR they will continue to have delays that will impact them for years to come. If your child is a late talker, they will do well with intervention and catch up at a quicker rate, they will have a solid language foundation, and will have increased communication and therefore decreased frustration and tantrums. If your child has a language disorder, ALL of the same things will be true, and you will be starting intervention while they are only six months behind and earlier which research says results in the best possible outcome. Now lets say you wait for your child to spontaneously start talking (which it does happen, but I would NEVER recommend waiting for this) but its just not happening for your child- as it does in about 30% of the late talking population. Lets say the child has progressed without therapy and has learned 17 new words in 18 months. They are now 22 months behind age expectations and have SO much catching up to do. And that would mean that between the ages of 3 and 5, they would need to make up almost 4 years (the 22 months they are already delayed + 2 years for time) of language growth to be caught up to same age peers in kindergarten. That is a HUGE gap and really nearly impossible to fill. Its also important to note that research has found those late talkers that do catch up frequently have academic, reading, and social emotional difficulties in school- and having an earlier solid language foundation can ABSOLUTELY improve these later difficulties. So please please, if someone is concerned about their child not talking, DO NOT tell them to wait, DO NOT tell them not to worry. Encourage an evaluation! Intervention might not be needed, and then again it might be- and it has the potential to positively impact that child for the rest of their life! So please dont wait, evaluate!!