Category Archives: Community-Based Practice

Learn about tools and strategies for providing therapy in community environments such as recreation centers, job sites, and public spaces. Focus on building independence, social participation, and generalization of skills beyond clinical or educational settings.

Supporting Youth Mental Health in Therapy Settings

Clinic & Hospital-Based Practice, Community-Based Practice, School-Based Practice, Social Emotional Learning, Therapist Resources

Youth mental health support is no longer optional—it is essential. Across schools, clinics, and community settings, professionals are seeing increased rates of anxiety, emotional dysregulation, trauma responses, and behavioral challenges. For clinicians working in children’s mental health, the need for practical, evidence-informed tools that bridge assessment and intervention has never been greater.

Understanding the Root of Behavior

Is It Sensory or Behavior

One of the most persistent challenges in pediatric mental health is distinguishing between behavior and underlying sensory or emotional needs. Resources like Is It Sensory or Behavior help clinicians and educators make this critical distinction. By reframing behaviors through a sensory-informed lens, professionals can shift from reactive strategies to proactive, supportive interventions that align with a child’s nervous system needs.

Integrating Sensory and Emotional Regulation

Sensory processing plays a foundational role in emotional regulation. Programs such as Just Right! A Sensory Modulation Curriculum® provide structured, practical strategies for helping children achieve optimal arousal states for learning and participation. This type of curriculum empowers therapists to design individualized interventions that directly support youth mental health support in both clinical and educational environments.

Similarly, The Sensory Connection Program offers a comprehensive framework that connects sensory integration theory with real-world application. It equips professionals with tools to address regulation challenges while promoting functional participation—key for children experiencing mental health difficulties.

Trauma-Informed Assessment Matters

Assessment is a critical first step in effective intervention. The Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children™ Screening Form (TSCC-SF) is a valuable tool for identifying trauma-related symptoms that may otherwise be misinterpreted as behavioral issues. Early identification allows clinicians to implement targeted supports and refer to appropriate services when needed, strengthening overall youth mental health support systems.

A Polyvagal Perspective on Engagement

The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning

Understanding the nervous system is central to working with children experiencing stress and trauma. The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning introduces clinicians to polyvagal theory in a practical, accessible way. This approach helps professionals recognize how safety, connection, and regulation influence a child’s ability to engage, learn, and build relationships.

Building Functional Skills for Daily Success

Executive functioning and participation challenges often accompany mental health concerns. Tools like FAB (Functionally Alert Behavior Strategies) provide structured insight into how behavior impacts daily functioning, allowing therapists to create meaningful, goal-driven interventions.

Moving Forward

Professionals in children’s mental health are uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact. By integrating sensory-informed, trauma-aware, and evidence-based tools, clinicians can create environments that foster regulation, resilience, and engagement.

Explore additional resources and tools to support your practice on the Therapro website, including our full range of mental health and sensory integration materials:
https://www.therapro.com

Investing in the right tools today strengthens outcomes for the children you serve tomorrow.

Bean Bag Chair

Enhancing Sensory Experiences in the Home Daycare Setting

Community-Based Practice, Sensory

Porch, the home services platform, reached out to Therapro for help with their latest article, Safeguarding Your Home Daycare: What Experts Have to Say. The question posed to the Therapro team was: How can home daycare providers utilize therapeutic and educational resources to enhance sensory experiences and cognitive development for children in their care? Therapro’s team of experts had a lot to say on this topic! Read our latest post to see what Therapro shared and be sure to check out the full article for additional information!

Home daycare providers can greatly enhance sensory experiences and cognitive development for children in their care by incorporating therapeutic and educational resources from Therapro, among others. In this post we are covering several strategies and Therapro resources that can be used to enhance these experiences.

Tactile Search & Match a tool used to enhance sensory experiences

Sensory-Focused Environments: Creating sensory-focused environments within your home
daycare is a great, all-around way, to enhance sensory experiences. This can be accomplished simply by utilizing sensory tools, like fidget toys, or sensory integration equipment like therapy balls. These resources can stimulate children’s tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular senses, promoting sensory exploration and integration.

Create And Play Sensory Beads (6 Pack); a set of 6 beads with various textures to enhance sensory experiences

Sensory Bins: Therapro offers various sensory bin materials, like mini animals or sensory beads. These bins can be customized to match educational themes and provide opportunities for tactile exploration, improving fine motor skills and cognitive development.

Waddle Plastic Balance Board

Fine and Gross Motor Activities: Tools like therapy putty, sensory beads, and balance boards. are examples of therapeutic resources that can be integrated into activities to enhance sensory experiences. For instance, swap therapy putty for traditional playdough activities to bring in grounding proprioceptive input. Add a balance board to traditional circle time activities to add vestibular stimulation that can increase alertness. 

By integrating therapeutic and educational resources into your home daycare setting, you can create an enriching environment that fosters sensory experiences and cognitive development for the children in your care.

child playing with blue sticky object

Keeping Skills Sharp All Summer Long: Summer 2022 Edition!

Community-Based Practice, Sensory, Therapist Resources, , ,

Allyson Locke M.S., OTR/L & Sarah Glovasky M.S., OTR/L

Summer is fast approaching but that doesn’t mean kids need to lose the skills they developed over the last academic year! Last year, we posted a blog filled with summer activity ideas geared toward preventing the “summer slide”.  As therapists, we know summer activities provide numerous opportunities to develop and keep skills sharp for the upcoming school year.  So we are bringing back the topic with this new post.  New this year are more activity ideas and contributions from Sarah Glovasky M.S., OTR/L! As always, appropriate supervision is recommended!

Get Messy!

Messy play is a great way to develop the sensory skills needed for important school tasks like handwriting and social interactions.  Summer is the best time for these messy activities because they can be done outside leaving the mess outdoors. An added bonus is that it is usually warm enough for a quick wash with the hose before going back inside.  A few ideas to try:

  • Hide objects (like rocks, sticks, or mini animals)  in a pile of mud, shaving cream, or leaves. How fast can you find them? How many can you find in 10 seconds? Not only is this a great sensory activity it helps strengthen the visual perceptual skills needed for academic tasks like reading! 
  • Stomp in rain puddles, roll down a grassy hill, or skip through a soft patch of dirt. These big body movements help develop the vestibular and proprioceptive systems which are so important for self regulation! 

When it is too hot or too rainy to go outside there are still plenty of opportunities for sensory exploration that are a bit less messy! 

  • Make a sensory collage with items found in the recycling bin! How many different textures can you incorporate? What textures do you like to feel? As a bonus, ripping, crumpling and rolling paper, tissue, and cardboard are all great ways to strengthen the muscle of the hand.  For more ways to use recycled materials check out Second Hand Therapies. 
plastic container scooping water and dumping it into a yellow bin filled with water, an example of an activity for keeping skills sharp in summer
Jug Scoop
From: Second Hand Therapies: Recyclable Strategies & Useful Tools

Make Art!

Art projects afford great opportunities to develop the small muscles in the hand.  This muscle development is critical for academic tasks like writing with a pencil and cutting with scissors. Get creative with your art projects, try:

blue turtle made of playdough with a green shell and colorful dots- an example of an activity for keeping skills sharp in summer
  • 3D Art.  Three dimensional art helps kids build form and space concepts.  Building a fairy castle outside is a great way to learn about size concepts.  Inside, building with blocks, clay or even pillow cushions is a great way to explore how these concepts work.  To add a sensory component try using scented dough! 
  • Tie-Dye Prints: This is a great outdoor activity! First color an old bed sheet or large piece of paper with washable markers. Next use a spray bottle, filled with water, to squirt the drawing. Watch the colors mix and swirl together! Using a spray bottle not only helps build the muscles in the hands it is also great for bilateral coordination! For a smaller scale version, use an eyedropper to wet the paper! 
  • Draw pictures in the dirt or other mediums like pudding (great for kids who like to explore with their mouth!) Use a stick, rocks, or fingers to draw with! We still love the Ed Emberly drawing books when you need drawing inspiration, stencils are another helpful tool! Drawing is so important for early writers and is great for visual perceptual development!

Play With Bubbles!

Many skills can be targeted with simple bubble activities. Eye hand coordination and oral motor development are just a few!  Blowing bubbles is also great for attention and regulation; to learn more about this check out the book M.O.R.E.: Integrating The Mouth With Sensory And Postural Functions. For fun with bubbles, try:

  • Making Bubble Art!  Make bubble paint by putting a small amount of bubbles and a dab or two of food coloring in a bowl (use different bowls for different colors). Use a bubble wand and dip it into your favorite color. Blow the colored bubbles right at plain paper and watch the designs come alive! 
  • Play Catch! Chasing after, stomping on, and catching bubbles are great ways to get some extra energy out. It is also a great way to develop eye-hand coordination and the visual skills needed to complete academic tasks like copying from the board.  To make bubbles easier to catch try using Touchabubbles! 
  • Make A Mountain of Bubbles! For a fun indoor activity, fill a small dish bin or other similar size, shallow bucket with lots of dish soap and a few inches of water.  Use a straw to slowly blow into the water to make a mountain of bubbles.  To really work the muscles in the mouth try a long straw or one with lots of twists like the Connector Straws. 

With these fun activity ideas the learning doesn’t have to stop when school is out. Keep skills sharp and be ready for the upcoming school year!