Unlock the Magic of Play – An Interactive and Empowering Workshop for Parents at Bridging the Gap
Play might seem to be an ordinary and day-to-day activity for every child, but many a times, this tool has been underutilised. Bridging the Gap launched an exclusive workshop with an enlightening exploration into the role of play in child development and its impact on effective parenting. One Saturday morning, 27th of July 2024, wonderful parents signed up for the workshop “Unlock the Magic of Play” and had an engaging session at Bridging the Gap – Buona Vista. The workshop was led by Bridging the Gap’s Principal Speech Therapist, Wong Suet Leng. A New Perspective on Play The workshop aimed
Understanding Occupational Therapy for Children in Singapore: Everything Parents Need to Know
Occupational therapy plays a crucial role in supporting children with developmental needs in Singapore. As a parent, understanding the importance of occupational therapy and its significance in your child's life is crucial. What is Occupational Therapy? At Bridging the Gap, Pediatric Occupational Therapy is part of our Early Intervention Programme, focusing on helping children to the best level of functional ability in school, home, and society. Occupational therapy for children can help in improving gross and fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, posture, balancing, over-all coordination, visual-motor integration, handwriting, and activities of daily living. Understanding Occupational Therapy in Singapore
Keep Trying, Kiddo! Why Giving It Another Shot Is Super Important
Hey parents, ever wonder why telling your kids to try again is a superpower move? Well, it turns out encouraging them to give things another shot does more than just save that half-finished Lego tower. This article dives into why letting your little ones have another go at things is a game-changer for their growth and happiness. Oops, Let's Try Again Oops Moments Aren't the End Let's chat about how mistakes aren't the end of the world—they're just pit stops on the way to being awesome. Time to change the narrative around little missteps! High-Five to Growth Mindset Discover
Bridging the Gap: Elevating Your Child’s Life Beyond Special Needs
Having a child with special needs impacts the entire family. As a special needs caregiver myself, the path forward beyond diagnosis was fraught with uncertainty, confusion, and anxiety. It’s not uncommon for caregivers to look for instant ‘fixes’ to ‘cure’ their child’s special needs, the way we think of medicine getting rid of our sicknesses. A diagnosis is not a curse, but a signpost guiding you towards understanding your child’s behaviour and needs. If you’re a new special needs caregiver with little or no experience, there are experts from Bridging the Gap who are here for you and your child.
Speaking Your Child’s Love Language
Just like any human being, children also have different personalities and preferences. They have their own way of expressing love and perceiving love. If we come to think of it, children also have their love languages. For instance, in a set of siblings, one child would prefer physical touch while the other would prefer words of affirmation. Some parents would share that learning the love language of their kids made them have a profound impact on their relationship and helped them build a strong connection to them. From Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Ross Campbell’s book “The Five Love Languages
Co-Regulate to Self-Regulate: Emotion Coaching Guide
A sight of a child melting down is not truly desirable. An adult’s impulse might to firmly tell the child to simply stop, however, that’s not simply the case on their end too. Some kids, especially those with Autism, may find it a challenge to self-regulate when overwhelmed with big emotions. They would definitely need some help to go back to their green zone of calm state. One of the co-regulation strategies that teaches children to self-regulate over time is called emotion coaching, developed by Dr. Adele Lafrance Robinson and Dr. Joanne Dolhanty. Emotion coaching is a component of
The Importance of Early Intervention: Identifying Developmental Delays in Preschoolers and Young Children
Prior to the 2000s and 2010s, Early Intervention was not an option to many parents. Although they may have noticed some delays or differences in their child, it is unlikely that they considered early intervention. One of the reasons are due to some of the myths of older generations. For example, a 3-year old child is not talking yet. This may just be regarded as “delay” and eventually the child would speak after few months. Another example would be, when a child is still unable to walk by 2 years of age, for some, they would think that using a walker
Understanding Sensory Processing Disorders: Signs and Solutions
Have you ever wondered why your child avoids paint while other kids enjoy touching it? Or perhaps you've noticed that your child dislikes the bright sun while others enjoy playing outside on a hot summer day? These behaviours could be linked to Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD), a condition where the brain struggles to receive and respond to information from the senses. Sensory processing difficulties affect how a child responds to information from their environment. This could impact a child’s learning ability, emotional regulation, social participation, and daily functioning. As children grow and explore their surroundings, they first learn to register information
Understanding Our Children’s Behavior Better
Have you ever wondered why your child avoids paint while some kids enjoy touching it? Or have you even wondered why your child hates the bright sun while other kids enjoy playing outside on a hot summer day? As a child grows and begins to explore their surroundings they learn to firstly notice/register information from their senses, then process it and then respond appropriately. This is called Sensory Processing. Oftentimes we complete everyday tasks without any difficulty processing information received from our senses. For young children sometimes this information can become muddled, might appear too intense or the information is slow
Different Ways to Understand Emotions
Recognising and understanding feelings can be difficult especially for kids with ASD (autism spectrum disorder). It’s because these kids have low social awareness which makes them hard to identify and understand social cues. However, it is essential for one to recognize own feelings and emotions especially when you grow older as this will affect the relationship with others and relationship with oneself. Emotions are part of human nature. They give information about what we’re experiencing and help us know how to react. As mentioned, recognizing emotions doesn’t come easy especially for kids with ASD. Hence, there are many ways on
