Expert interview: Lori Howell, Occupational Therapist

This summer we’re looking to bring your a broader range of content that really supports parents in the National Capital Region.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know many people in our region who support parents and am going to run a series of interviews with them sharing some of the knowledge I’ve learned from them that has helped me with my parenting, or some that I wish I’d known when my kids were younger.

This first interview is with Lori Howell who is a pediatric occupational therapist. (Check out her web site and give her Facebook page a like!)

We talked about :

• The importance of crawling (and what to do to help your kid without stopping them from walking)

• Starting babies on solids, not confusing gagging with choking and how your baby putting all their toys in their mouth is a GOOD thing

• Pencil grip - why it matters, how it impacts use of other tools (like scissors) and how some adjustments can really help eliminate hand fatigue when writing

• Sensory issues with masks - if your child isn’t wanting to wear a mask, do they just need to get used to the idea, are they needing to practice, are there specific areas that are bothering them the most (ears or blocked vision for example)?

Check out the interview and let us know if you have any questions. If you want more support or an assessment on any of these topics, reach out to Lori and she or her team can help!