Rhythm is  a word often used in music, but in this blog, it means ‘a smooth flow of daily activities of a child.’ A daily rhythm can be understood as a natural impulse like breathing. And this daily rhythm, if followed from early childhood, can impact a child’s healthy development.

A daily rhythm should not be misunderstood as a routine. 

Routine is a set of the scheduled number of activities to be done throughout the day; whereas rhythm is more flexible and it defines a smooth flow of activities during the day.

Creating a balanced rhythm for young children during the day is a tool to make parenting easier. It helps young children to have an understanding of time, which is an abstract concept for them. Rhythm also creates a sense of predictability and security in them.

A balanced rhythm follows the concept of ‘breathing in’ and ‘breathing out’. As breathing in and out happens naturally, uninterrupted and in a smooth, balanced flow...

Play is a physical or mental activity that is performed for leisure, pleasure or delight. While the play has no obvious objective, it is an important tool for physical, social, learning and intellectual development. All these lead to changes that allow children and adults to achieve their maximum potential.

The play has many characteristics that are crucial for brain development and learning. It offers opportunities for children and adults to encounter new experiences and refine already existing skills. It also encourages creativity in children and adults.

There are many different types of play.

1. Gross Motor Play: This type of play involves whole-body movements and large muscles of the body to perform everyday functions such as standing, walking, running, jumping, swimming, throwing, dancing and so on. Gross motor play helps in improving balance, increased strength, and better postural control.
2. Fine Motor Play: Fine motor play involves the use of the smaller muscles of the...

The story of the Humble Marble

One bright sunny day, as I sat in my therapy room waiting for my three-year-old client, the wide array of toys all around me caught my attention. They were all branded, shiny, bold, and bright coloured toys. 

The child who would come to me for Autism intervention had language limitations. “I am sure he would have fun playing around here. These toys are way too good. They will surely engage him. Sure they will also alleviate parental concerns and give me an opportunity to help in his treatment” I thought.

Hiding behind the mother, the kid walked through the door. The cat-eyed cute little boy saw me from the corner of his eye for a fleeting second and quickly looked away. As I greeted and welcomed him, he continued to shy away from me.

After a while, his mother and I sat down to talk. Back of my mind, I was sure the little champ would head straight to play with the toys I had laid out.

Not really! A tiny green pebble kept in a vase on my...

Caregiving is a demanding task. When it comes to caring for a loved one with special needs, caregivers can face many struggles and challenges. It can also become a full-time responsibility for some caregivers. Some caregivers even gave up their careers in order to provide full-time care for their loved ones with special needs.

Caregiving is stressful and caregivers are prone to suffer from caregiver stress which in the long run can lead to caregiver burnout. And there are stress-relieving strategies that caregivers can adopt to help mitigate the stress impact. Hence, to be able to provide caregiving in the long term, it is important to strike a balance between caregiving and stress relieves.

To strike a balance between caregiving and self-care, it is necessary first to learn to be able to identify signs or symptoms of caregiver stress. Some of the common signs and symptoms of caregiver stress are listed below: 

• Constantly feeling lethargic and exhausted
• Not getting sufficient...

Writing is an important skill for communication and especially in the education field when students are expected to write well and fast throughout their learning at school. In today’s world of technology, students are presented with lesser opportunities to practise their writing skills which may potentially be one of the contributors to a reduced speed in our students’ handwriting. This creates some concerns among parents on their children’s handwriting skills and speed.

There are many factors that can affect your child’s speed in writing, such as writing tools, body posture, etc. Here are some tips which can help your child to improve on his/her writing speed:  

1) Check the Writing Tools  Always use a good quality pen/pencil because it has a great significance on our writing speed and these days they do not cost much.

2) Body Posture and Technique

a. Maintain Good Posture

This is one of the easiest ways the child can do to improve his/her...