Activities, advice, and department updates provided by our Occupational Therapists.
June 2025 - Occupational Therapy Summer Activities!
- Occupational Therapists at Celebrate the Children
May 2025 - Helping Students Build Real-Life Skills at the High School
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From an Occupational Therapy (OT) perspective, we’re excited to share how students are learning and growing through some of the great programs happening at the high school. The office internship, Canine Crunch, Robotics Club, and Breakfast Club are all helping students build important skills they’ll use in everyday life, future jobs, and beyond.
In the office internship, students practice being responsible, organized, and independent. They learn how to follow directions, stay on task, and complete real office-related jobs—great preparation for future employment. Canine Crunch is a fun, hands-on sensory experience where students make dog treats from start to finish. They measure, mix, roll, cut, bake, and package, all while working together. This builds teamwork, fine motor skills, and the ability to follow steps in order. The Robotics Club challenges students to think creatively and problem-solve while working on exciting projects. It’s a great way for them to build patience, persistence, and communication—all while exploring interests in technology and science. |
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Speech and Occupational Therapy (OT) collaborate to make this a robust club experience by supporting students in developing the communication, social interaction, fine motor, and executive functioning skills needed to participate fully. Together, these disciplines help students practice turn-taking, teamwork, planning, and using tools—preparing them for future academic and vocational success.
Finally, Breakfast Club gives students the chance to work on real-life skills like planning, preparing food, and cleaning up. These everyday tasks help boost independence, confidence, and social skills in a supportive, fun setting.
All of these programs help students practice important life and job-readiness skills in ways that feel meaningful and engaging. We love seeing them grow and succeed!
- Lisa Rogers, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
Finally, Breakfast Club gives students the chance to work on real-life skills like planning, preparing food, and cleaning up. These everyday tasks help boost independence, confidence, and social skills in a supportive, fun setting.
All of these programs help students practice important life and job-readiness skills in ways that feel meaningful and engaging. We love seeing them grow and succeed!
- Lisa Rogers, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
April 2025 - Wheels and Motion in the Middle School
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“Wheels in Motion” is a program that was started in Spring of 2023 and has continued to grow and develop throughout the years. This program is carried out by licensed therapists and was created after discovering a need for increased social participation and leisure skills within our population. This program provides students with the opportunity to take part in a leisure activity using a range of equipment from
bicycles to scooters and everything in between. Through the generosity of the ADD network, Bike to the Beach funding, and grants, we were able to get the program off the ground and “rolling” in Spring of 2024. This program is provided to students in a group format, further increasing the skills necessary in their daily lives such as balance, control, cognition, and so many more. From finding joy, to learning the steps of regulation, participating in bike riding provides a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie for each student that participatein the program! Middle school is a crucial time to increase social development within the environment, and what better way to increase these skills than bike riding? From a wellness perspective, exercise promotes the release of endorphins, and bicycling can ease feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety, which are, unfortunately, harsh realities for some of our students during adolescence. |
Additionally, many of our students have physical challenges that can limit their exercise and sports participation. Motor planning, bilateral hand use, visual-spatial skills, and safety awareness can get in the way of robust exercise. Biking can be modified to become more accessible, and self-confidence and self-esteem will continue to build as students experience success and master equipment, resulting in a broader positive impact.
In addition to all the health and physical benefits, cognitive and social development occur as students take turns, exercise self-control, observe each other, learn to converse, and work together with peers. From finding joy to learning the steps of regulation, having the bicycles and the equipment necessary can provide a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie for each student participant.
These small moments of interaction lead to profound future applications of social etiquette within the community!
- Jennifer Ovalle, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
In addition to all the health and physical benefits, cognitive and social development occur as students take turns, exercise self-control, observe each other, learn to converse, and work together with peers. From finding joy to learning the steps of regulation, having the bicycles and the equipment necessary can provide a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie for each student participant.
These small moments of interaction lead to profound future applications of social etiquette within the community!
- Jennifer Ovalle, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
March 2025 - New R.S. Sensory Gym!
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This month, the R.S. department was so excited for our new state-of-the-art sensory gym to be installed! Over the February break, the company Fun Factory came in to build a custom-made, state-of-the-art sensory gym for our students to use during therapy. The money used to install the new gym was raised during the Bike to the Beach and the Fort Marathon fundraising events! Special thanks to the Drohan and Trink Families and all of our incredible staff and families for their support! The students have loved using the gym! Take a look at the attached pictures of one student enjoying our new facilities during an O.T. session with Dr. Lisa Bruno.
- Daniela Pace, Related Services Coordinator at Celebrate the Children |
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February 2025 - O.T. Zones of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation offers a practical, proactive approach to developing emotional regulation and self-management skills.
With a structured framework and a clear sequence of lessons, this method helps children improve their behavior and focus in class.
It is also flexible and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each child. Let’s explore the benefits of this approach in more detail:
Benefit 1: Inclusivity
The Zones of Regulation support positive mental health and social-emotional learning (SEL), making it an inclusive framework that benefits all children, including those with ADHD, ASD, and other neurodiverse conditions. By providing a tailored approach, it helps all students participate more fully in class.
Benefit 2: Skills-Based Approach
Rather than focusing solely on managing behavior, the Zones of Regulation emphasize the development of universal coping skills and emotional regulation techniques. By participating in this framework, children can improve their ability to focus in class, build stronger social connections, and engage in a wider range of activities. Over time, these skills lead to better emotional control and improved functioning in both school and social settings.
Benefit 3: Common Language
The Zones of Regulation introduces a simplified, easily understandable language that helps children, teachers, and family members
communicate more effectively. By using a consistent framework to describe emotions and behaviors, everyone involved can better understand and
support the child’s emotional needs.
Benefit 4: Effectiveness
The Zones of Regulation are effective in promoting emotional regulation and coping skills. This approach provides children with a safe space to express their feelings and learn strategies for managing their emotions. This shift fosters a more positive and supportive environment where children can thrive emotionally and academically.
- Shana Makosky, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
With a structured framework and a clear sequence of lessons, this method helps children improve their behavior and focus in class.
It is also flexible and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each child. Let’s explore the benefits of this approach in more detail:
Benefit 1: Inclusivity
The Zones of Regulation support positive mental health and social-emotional learning (SEL), making it an inclusive framework that benefits all children, including those with ADHD, ASD, and other neurodiverse conditions. By providing a tailored approach, it helps all students participate more fully in class.
Benefit 2: Skills-Based Approach
Rather than focusing solely on managing behavior, the Zones of Regulation emphasize the development of universal coping skills and emotional regulation techniques. By participating in this framework, children can improve their ability to focus in class, build stronger social connections, and engage in a wider range of activities. Over time, these skills lead to better emotional control and improved functioning in both school and social settings.
Benefit 3: Common Language
The Zones of Regulation introduces a simplified, easily understandable language that helps children, teachers, and family members
communicate more effectively. By using a consistent framework to describe emotions and behaviors, everyone involved can better understand and
support the child’s emotional needs.
Benefit 4: Effectiveness
The Zones of Regulation are effective in promoting emotional regulation and coping skills. This approach provides children with a safe space to express their feelings and learn strategies for managing their emotions. This shift fosters a more positive and supportive environment where children can thrive emotionally and academically.
- Shana Makosky, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
January 2025 - Winter Activities
Indoor Snowball Fight: Crumple up balls of paper or roll up white socks. Give your child a bucket of these indoor snowballs and toss at a target, play catch or have a snowball fight.
Build a Snowman: Think you need real snow and the outdoors to build a snowman? Think again. Stuff a bunch of large white pillowcases, with comfy clothes or even crumpled up paper. Use tape to stack them as well as to adhere items such as buttons, eyes, and nose onto your indoor snowman.
Building: Popsicle stick cities, card towers, buildings out of blocks, or indoor forts out of boxes or pillows, will do just fine. If you want to get competitive, whoever builds the highest tower wins.
Freeze: Choose some of your child’s favorite tunes and turn up the volume. Ask them to dance until the music stops. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in – even if they have one leg up. To make the game more challenging, ask your child to freeze in specific poses: animals, shapes, letters.
Build a Snowman: Think you need real snow and the outdoors to build a snowman? Think again. Stuff a bunch of large white pillowcases, with comfy clothes or even crumpled up paper. Use tape to stack them as well as to adhere items such as buttons, eyes, and nose onto your indoor snowman.
Playdough: Forming letters, shapes, or making a snowman are all great activities.
Freeze: Choose some of your child’s favorite tunes and turn up the volume. Ask them to dance until the music stops. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in – even if they have one leg up. To make the game more challenging, ask your child to freeze in specific poses: animals, shapes, letters.
Board Games: Many board games focus on a gamut of skills; fine motor, visual motor, and problem solving. Examples of some games are; Don’t Break the Ice, Don’t Spill the Beans (can pick up the beans with tongs), Jenga, Uno, Memory Game, Perfection, and Dominos
Build An Indoor Fort: Use a quiet space in your home and build a fort with pillows, sheets, couch cushions or anything else you can find. Lifting and moving the cushions is great for upper body strength and building the fort focuses on problem solving skills and visual spatial skills.
Board Games: Many board games focus on a gamut of skills; fine motor, visual motor, and problem solving. Examples of some games are, Jenga, Uno, Memory Game, Perfection, and Dominos
Help With The House: Here are some functional and potentially fun activities your child can help out with and carry over some of the things we’ve been practicing here.
- Written by the Occupational Therapy Department at Celebrate the Children
Build a Snowman: Think you need real snow and the outdoors to build a snowman? Think again. Stuff a bunch of large white pillowcases, with comfy clothes or even crumpled up paper. Use tape to stack them as well as to adhere items such as buttons, eyes, and nose onto your indoor snowman.
Building: Popsicle stick cities, card towers, buildings out of blocks, or indoor forts out of boxes or pillows, will do just fine. If you want to get competitive, whoever builds the highest tower wins.
Freeze: Choose some of your child’s favorite tunes and turn up the volume. Ask them to dance until the music stops. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in – even if they have one leg up. To make the game more challenging, ask your child to freeze in specific poses: animals, shapes, letters.
Build a Snowman: Think you need real snow and the outdoors to build a snowman? Think again. Stuff a bunch of large white pillowcases, with comfy clothes or even crumpled up paper. Use tape to stack them as well as to adhere items such as buttons, eyes, and nose onto your indoor snowman.
Playdough: Forming letters, shapes, or making a snowman are all great activities.
Freeze: Choose some of your child’s favorite tunes and turn up the volume. Ask them to dance until the music stops. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in – even if they have one leg up. To make the game more challenging, ask your child to freeze in specific poses: animals, shapes, letters.
Board Games: Many board games focus on a gamut of skills; fine motor, visual motor, and problem solving. Examples of some games are; Don’t Break the Ice, Don’t Spill the Beans (can pick up the beans with tongs), Jenga, Uno, Memory Game, Perfection, and Dominos
Build An Indoor Fort: Use a quiet space in your home and build a fort with pillows, sheets, couch cushions or anything else you can find. Lifting and moving the cushions is great for upper body strength and building the fort focuses on problem solving skills and visual spatial skills.
Board Games: Many board games focus on a gamut of skills; fine motor, visual motor, and problem solving. Examples of some games are, Jenga, Uno, Memory Game, Perfection, and Dominos
Help With The House: Here are some functional and potentially fun activities your child can help out with and carry over some of the things we’ve been practicing here.
- Emptying the dishwasher and putting the dishes away. (Believe it or not this helps them feel useful and part of the family unit)
- Sort/fold/put away laundry
- Vacuuming
- Making a bed
- Help with grocery shopping by giving them a list of five to ten items they’re familiar with.
- Have a snowball fight with used wrapping paper. Then have them clean up the mess :)
- Set the table for dinner.
- Delegate small meal prep tasks including rinsing vegetables, buttering bread, or mixing butter in pasta.
- Plan a dinner party or social outing with a friend/family member.
- Order takeout
- Written by the Occupational Therapy Department at Celebrate the Children
December 2024 - CTC Cafe
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CTC Cafe is a student-run business where participating students prepare and sell lunches to school staff. Students use the age-old "door to door" sales method by walking around school grounds to sell Cafe lunches to staff.
Working in the cafe introduces students to opportunities of social engagement, kitchen skills, grocery shopping, budgeting, time management and so much more! Past CTC Cafe specials have included cheese quesadillas, chili and chicken caesar salad! - Immy Mustafa, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children |
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November 2024 - Robotics Club
The speech department and occupational therapy department have joined forces and creativity to start a Robotics Club. This new endeavor will allow for the students to work collaboratively with peers, using shared control and engagement, to complete multi-step tasks. The students present with the maturity to read each step, identifying the components of the task, problem solving and adhering to the sequence to see a finished product. The initial role-out of such a group has yielded high interest and gleam in the eye from the students. Verbal language and critical thinking are paired with fine motor and executive function skills to achieve a cohesive goal. We hope to expand the group to more like minded students who enjoy seeing how things work. -Michelle Attardi, Speech-Language Pathologist at Celebrate the Children |
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October 2024 - Heavy Work Activities for Kids
Heavy work is a tool that therapists use to regulate students' sensory systems. Providing strong proprioceptive input (heavy work) on the joints and muscles will help to calm the body and make students feel more oriented in space, while also improving strength and body awareness. Heavy work provides proprioceptive input in a safe way and can be used throughout the day. Once students are regulated, they are more focused on classwork and daily living skills along with increased ability to interact with peers and develop social skills. Lots of heavy work activities are fun and can be completed at home with little to no equipment.
- Lisa Bruno, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
Heavy work is a tool that therapists use to regulate students' sensory systems. Providing strong proprioceptive input (heavy work) on the joints and muscles will help to calm the body and make students feel more oriented in space, while also improving strength and body awareness. Heavy work provides proprioceptive input in a safe way and can be used throughout the day. Once students are regulated, they are more focused on classwork and daily living skills along with increased ability to interact with peers and develop social skills. Lots of heavy work activities are fun and can be completed at home with little to no equipment.
- Lisa Bruno, Occupational Therapist at Celebrate the Children
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Source: And Next Comes L Hyperlexia Resources
