How to Help Your Anxious Child Cope with Thunderstorms

The warmer months of the year bring all kinds of fun such as swimming, picnics, and fun outdoors. Kids love to play outside and kick off their shoes. Unfortunately for some, the warmer months also bring thunderstorms. And while some of us love a good thunderstorm, if you have an anxious child, you will know

How to Spot Trichotillomania in the Classroom

Trichotillomania has always been a secretive thing, leading health professionals to believe for many years that it was extremely rare. But in recent years, researchers have discovered that it’s actually a common problem that affects up to 2% of the population(1). Children and young people are no exception; trichotillomania commonly begins between the ages

Hair-Pulling: The Hairy Habits of Trichotillomania

Once upon a time, health professionals considered the hair-pulling habit of trichotillomania to be a rare disorder. A person’s urge to pull out their own hair was thought to be a psychiatric condition that affected a miniscule portion of the population. As a result of this belief, there were limited research and treatment options for

Eat Well When You’re Anxious

If you have had a bad start to your day or things have gone wrong during the week, you may be familiar with the symptoms of anxiety creeping up on you. You might feel tight in the chest or experience a panicky feeling. Or you might feel scared, tense or irritated; anxiety manifests itself in lots

How Your Anxious Child Tells You What’s Wrong

At Life Skills 4 Kids, we recognize that anxiety has no age limit and kids are not exempt from all the feelings and symptoms that adults experience. Of course, we realize that they are usually unable to articulate exactly what is causing them to feel the way they do, so an anxious child will tell

Tips for Surviving the First Weeks of School

Written By Deb Hopper, Occupational Therapist Planning for Back to School Success Summer holidays are ending here in Australia in the next few days. As parents’ ideas for how to fill in time start to dwindle, and we finish off the back to school shopping, it’s really important to talk to and plan with our

A Sensory-Friendly Christmas in Summer

It’s count down before Christmas day, so let’s check these top tips and enjoy a truly sensory-friendly Christmas in summer! As a parent, how can you create a sensory-friendly Christmas in Summer? Christmas is traditionally a time of great excitement for all kids around the world, but if your young person has sensory or anxiety

How to Cope with Fireworks With Your Kids

Christmas is around the corner. It is the season to be jolly! Let’s enjoy the holidays by knowing some tips on how to cope with fireworks with your kids! A fireworks celebration is one that kids and families alike are ‘supposed’ to look forward to. The explosions of light and sound, and joys of the

SPD and Anxiety – How Do Symptoms Look Similar (and Different) in Classrooms

SPD and Anxiety - How Do Symptoms Look Similar in Classrooms - LS4K

SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and anxiety have many similarities and to the untrained eye, it can be difficult to differentiate between the two. As a professional, how can you recognise the similarities (and differences) of SPD and anxiety in classrooms? A 2009 study found that 16.5% of 7-11 year olds have sensory issues that make

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and Anxiety – How are they similar and different ?

Written By Deb Hopper, Occupational Therapist Does your child (or the children you work with) have Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? Does your child (or the children you work with) have anxiety? How do you know where a child’s SPD and anxiety begin and end? Have you noticed that your child’s (or the children you work