Videos for families

Watch video · 7:42

Food and the nervous system: making mealtimes more manageable

Understanding the sensory, physical and relational demands of eating helps families reduce pressure while protecting nourishment and seeking support for feeding difficulties.

Watch video · 8:03

Demand avoidance: where to begin when requests become battles

When everyday requests lead to distress, understanding the demand, reducing escalation and protecting connection are more useful starting points than winning the interaction.

Watch video · 7:41

Giving time: noticing change while therapy builds

Giving therapy time means understanding daily participation, trying manageable changes and reviewing the plan, while necessary assessment and care continue.

Watch video · 8:14

Safety first: seeing the load around a child

A difficult moment makes more sense when the task, the child’s comfort and the accumulated demands of the day are considered together.

Watch video · 8:13

Polyvagal theory: a useful question, with scientific limits

Polyvagal language can prompt attention to comfort and connection, but it cannot diagnose a child’s biology or prescribe the right activity from behaviour alone.

Watch video · 7:58

Co-regulation: supporting a child through a difficult moment

Co-regulation combines responsive presence, manageable demands and support for skills, with safety boundaries and help for adults included.

Watch video · 6:02

Home or clinic: choosing where therapy can help

The best therapy setting depends on the child, the goal and the family, with a clear plan for support to work in everyday life.

Watch video · 6:11

Why sticker charts don’t always work

A reward can support an achievable activity, but it cannot replace understanding the task, the child’s needs or the conditions around learning.

Watch video · 4:48

Connection comes first: trust in children’s therapy

A responsive therapeutic relationship helps the child and family take part in purposeful support, without replacing assessment or specific treatment.

Watch video · 5:04

What is a sensory diet? A plan that fits the child’s day

A sensory diet is a personalised, voluntary plan of sensory support whose usefulness must be assessed against the child’s comfort and daily participation.

Watch video · 4:42

What a paediatric OT actually does

Paediatric occupational therapy investigates what makes everyday activities difficult and works with the child and family on meaningful participation.

Watch video · 4:57

Understanding a child’s sensory sensitivities

Sensory responses vary across senses and settings, so support begins with understanding the child’s experience and making participation more accessible.

Watch video · 4:41

Understanding your child’s nervous system

The nervous system helps a child sense, move, think and respond, and everyday participation depends on the task, context and support as well as the child.

Watch video · 4:39

Family routines: a rhythm that can bend

A useful family routine makes an everyday sequence easier to understand and take part in, with room for preferences, change and real family constraints.