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Special Education
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At home
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At home
How Can Therapy Improve My Child's Working Memory?
Therapy improves working memory by teaching playful strategies — chunking instructions, memory games, and self-talk — that gradually stretch how much a child can hold and use at once, building steadier focus and smoother following of instructions in everyday life.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle a 2-year-old who cannot sit still?
Near-constant movement is normal and healthy in a 2-year-old, and sustained sitting is still developing. Handle it with short active tasks, plenty of outdoor play, predictable routines and less screen time — and book a general developmental check only if you also notice persistent concerns about language, hearing or play across more than one setting.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle a 3-year-old who cannot sit still?
A 3-year-old who can't sit still is usually showing typical toddler energy, not a disorder. Support focus with active play first, short winnable sitting tasks, heavy work, predictable routines and protected sleep. Seek a developmental check only if restlessness is constant across every setting or comes with delayed speech, limited play or safety concerns.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle a 4-year-old who cannot sit still?
At four, constant movement and short attention are usually normal — sitting still is still developing. Help at home with shorter expectations, movement breaks before quiet tasks, comfortable seating and predictable routines. Consider a developmental check only if restlessness is far beyond peers, happens everywhere, and affects friendships or learning.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle a 5-year-old who cannot sit still?
Plenty of movement and fidgeting is normal at five — children learn through movement and have short attention spans. Help at home with predictable routines, built-in movement breaks, short sit-down tasks and calm, clear expectations. Seek a developmental check if the restlessness is extreme, happens everywhere, and affects learning or friendships.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle a 6-year-old who cannot sit still?
Frequent movement and fidgeting is developmentally common at six. Support it with movement breaks, short clear tasks, active seating, outdoor play and steady sleep. Look closer only if restlessness is far beyond peers, present across home and school, lasts months, and affects learning or friendships.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle lining up toys in a 1-year-old?
Lining up toys at 12–24 months is usually normal exploratory play, not a warning sign. Join in, add words, and gently widen the play rather than stopping it. Only consider a developmental check if it appears alongside other patterns — little pointing, no response to name, or no emerging words.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle lining up toys in a 2-year-old?
Lining up toys is usually typical two-year-old play exploring order and sequence. Don't stop it — join it, add words and playful twists, and build shared attention. Watch the wider picture: pointing, name-response and early words. If those are limited, a calm developmental check is the sensible next step.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle lining up toys in a 3-year-old?
Lining up toys at three is usually ordinary, ordered play that signals a love of pattern — not a problem. Join in, gently widen the play, and watch the whole picture. Consider a developmental check only if it's rigid and distressing alongside differences in language, shared attention or pretend play.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle lining up toys in a 4-year-old?
Lining up toys at four is usually normal play that brings order and pattern. Join in and gently widen it into pretend or sorting. It only needs a closer look if it's rigid, the only way your child plays, or paired with delays in talking, pretend play or relating — when a developmental check brings clarity.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle lining up toys in a 5-year-old?
Lining up toys is a common, often healthy play pattern in five-year-olds, reflecting order and focus. Handle it by joining in, adding language and pretend, and gently widening the play rather than stopping it. Seek a developmental check only if it is rigid, all-consuming, causes intense distress when interrupted, or appears with speech, social or sensory concerns.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle not following instructions in a 1-year-old?
A 1-year-old not following instructions is almost always typical — receptive language and impulse control are still developing. Use one-step requests with gestures, get attention first, and celebrate small wins. Raise it at a routine check only if comprehension, pointing or response to name seems limited by around 18 months.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle not following instructions in a 2-year-old?
A 2-year-old not following instructions is usually typical development, not defiance. Keep directions short and one-step, pair words with gestures, allow processing time, and praise cooperation. Consider a developmental and hearing check if your child rarely responds to their name or doesn't seem to understand simple familiar requests.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle not following instructions in a 3-year-old?
At three, not following instructions is usually typical and very fixable. Use one-step instructions, gain eye contact first, allow processing time, offer simple choices, and praise cooperation. Seek a developmental check if your child rarely responds to their name, doesn't understand simple words, isn't combining words, or shows social or listening differences.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle not following instructions in a 4-year-old?
At four, not following instructions usually reflects developing attention and language processing, not defiance. Use one short instruction at a time, eye contact, gestures and extra wait-time, and praise cooperation. If your child rarely follows simple requests across all settings, arrange a friendly developmental check.
Read the answer AnswerHow do I handle not following instructions in a 5-year-old?
Most five-year-olds find multi-step instructions hard because attention, memory and impulse control are still developing. Get to eye level, give one clear instruction at a time, allow processing time, and warmly praise follow-through. Seek a developmental check if your child rarely follows simple single-step requests, seems not to hear, or has speech or attention concerns.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with activity completion?
Try a "first–then finish basket": a short, 2–4 step task with a visible end — like posting five blocks into a box — so your child experiences finishing something all the way through. Show the whole task, support only as needed, and warmly celebrate the moment it's done.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity for behaviour awareness?
Try the "Freeze and Notice" game: during play, pause and ask your child what their body and feelings are doing. This daily five-minute pause helps a 3–7 year old connect actions to feelings — the foundation of behaviour awareness and self-monitoring.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with cognitive component?
A simple sort-and-name game with everyday objects builds attention, memory and early problem-solving for 3–7 year olds. Spend five to ten warm, playful minutes daily, name objects aloud, and stretch gently with two-rule sorting or 'what's missing?' to grow cognitive skills.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with distractibility?
Try "Beat the Timer": one short, clear task in a tidy, low-distraction space with a visual timer and warm encouragement to finish. Short daily bursts of focus, celebrated at the end, gently strengthen your child's developing attention — and are everyday support, not an assessment.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with early math skills?
One powerful everyday maths activity is "count and compare" during snacks or play: count objects aloud while touching each, then ask which group has more, less or the same. This builds number sense and quantitative reasoning in 3–7 year olds with no toys or screens — just a few playful minutes woven into daily routines.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with focus and attention?
One simple home activity is "Beat the Timer" — pick a short, enjoyable task, set a visual sand-timer for 3–5 minutes, and play alongside your child to finish before it runs out. This playfully builds task initiation and sustained attention; lengthen the time gradually and always end on a win.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with instruction recall?
Play a daily "Two-Step Treasure Hunt": give two simple instructions in a row and let your child carry them out, building from one step to two to three. Five to ten playful minutes a day strengthens the working memory that instruction recall depends on.
Read the answer AnswerWhat is one Everyday Therapy activity to help my child with interruption control?
Try the "Talking Token" game: whoever holds a small object gets to talk while others wait, turning the abstract rule of turn-taking into something a 3–7-year-old can see and hold. Played for five playful minutes a day, it grows inhibition control — the brain's brake — far better than reminders to stop interrupting.
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