OT4me

21/10/2026

Captain Zoom wriggles all the way through story time.

It can look like she isn't listening.

She is.

Her body just needs to move so her brain can stay with the story.

Meet Captain Zoom. She's a superhero with an ADHD brain, and she's helping us explain ADHD to children in a way they can picture.

Here's what her brain is great at:

- Fast ideas and big energy
- Focusing for ages on the things she loves
- Coming up with creative ways to solve problems
- Noticing exciting things other people miss
- Jumping in to try something new
- Thinking quickly when plans suddenly change
- Bringing fun and enthusiasm wherever she goes

And here's what can feel tricky, with what helps:

- Waiting her turn → a movement break first
- Sitting still for a long time → a wobble cushion or something to fidget with
- Lots of instructions at once → one step at a time, with a picture checklist

Lots of zoomy brains find these things tricky. It's not just Zoom, and it's nobody's fault.

None of this is about making Zoom less zoomy.

It's about helping her body feel regulated, so learning has room to happen.

If your child's brain feels zoomy too, read this with them and ask: "What helps your body feel ready?"

Their answer might surprise you.

21/10/2026

That soggy sleeve at bedtime isn't a bad habit. 👕

For many children, it's how they calm their body down.

Louise, Clinical Director at OT4me, explains what's going on. Chewing gives the mouth and jaw strong, steady input. That input is soothing, and working the big jaw muscles helps the whole body settle. So a child who chews their sleeves, collars or hair at bedtime is often doing exactly what their body needs.

What can help:
🧣 Offer something that's OK to chew, like a soft muslin cloth. A hole in a cloth beats a hole in expensive pyjamas
🎀 For hair chewing, tie hair back or try a soft headband. The gentle pressure on the head can be calming too

Swap the sleeve, keep the calm.

Book a free 30-minute call with an OT 👉 ot4me.co.uk/book

19/10/2026

Halloween and autumn groups this October half term 🎃

Two small groups of just 4 children, to play, create and explore.
Monday 26th October, 9.30am to 10.30am, ages 4 to 7
Tuesday 27th October, 2pm to 3pm, ages 8 to 11

Once the spaces are filled, they're filled. Call us on 01904 501601 or email [email protected].

18/10/2026

Some children hold it together all day, and then come home exhausted.

One reason can be masking. Lizzie Huxford, our Clinical Director, explains that we all do it to some degree. It is how people blend into social situations and get through the day without being noticed.

For many neurodivergent children and adults, though, masking goes on for long periods of time. That takes a lot of energy, and it can lead to burnout. Masking is often talked about in autism, and many autistic children mask without anyone realising.

What helps, in Lizzie's words, is normalising different communication styles, offering flexibility, and using a supportive check-in.

If you are wondering whether your child might be autistic, our free autism screening guide takes a few minutes and tells you what to do next. ot4me.co.uk/autism-screening-guide

16/10/2026

A parent’s story

"Mornings were the hardest part of our day. Getting Max, who’s seven, dressed for school could take an hour. His socks felt "wrong". His school shoes were unbearable and by the time we reached the gate we were both in tears. Afternoons were worse, he held it together all day, then lost it the moment he got in the car.

School said he was fine in class. Friends told me all kids are fussy. I started to think I was making too much of it.

On our free call, the OT at OT4me told me I wasn’t. They listened, asked about his whole day, and said what we were seeing could be linked to sensory processing difficulties. Someone was finally describing my son instead of judging him.

After his assessment, Max thought his sessions were play. He swung, climbed and crashed into crash mats. Every activity had a reason, though, and his OT explained how each one helped his body settle. They gave us small things to try at home: a few minutes of heavy work before getting dressed, seamless socks, a calm-down corner Max chose himself. They also shared recommendations with his SENCO, so school and home started doing the same things.

Nothing changed overnight. Then, a few months in, Max got himself dressed while I made breakfast. Last week he sat through a whole assembly with his ear defenders on. He came home and told me about it instead of melting down.

He’s more confident and more independent, and he’s started enjoying things we used to avoid. I am too."

15/10/2026

If you can help with the York Inspirational Kids Fundraising ball, please do! Such a wonderful organisation.

If you know a local company that would like to sponsor our fundraising ball please get in touch. Alternatively they can put an advert in the ball brochure or donate a raffle/ auction prize. Thank you

14/10/2026

Wondering about autism?

We've built a free autism screening guide for parents and adults. It takes about four minutes, and it's a good place to start if you've been wondering.

Your answers stay in your browser. We don't save them. You get a clear result with practical next steps, plus short clips from our team.

It's a screening guide, not a diagnosis. It helps you decide what to talk through next.

Try it here: https://ot4me.co.uk/autism-screening-guide/

Wondering is reason enough to look.

12/10/2026

Halloween and autumn groups this October half term.

Two small groups of just 4 children, to play, create and explore.

Monday 26th October, 9.30am to 10.30am, ages 4 to 7
Tuesday 27th October, 2pm to 3pm, ages 8 to 11

Once the spaces are filled, they're filled.

To book a space, call 01904 501601 or email [email protected]

10/10/2026

Listening is where support begins.

Today is World Mental Health Day, and this year's theme is Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.

For many of the children we meet, it looks like:
- Holding it together all day, then finding home much harder
- Big feelings that are hard to settle
- Needing a long time to wind down at night
- Feeling overwhelmed by noise, light or busy places

Sensory needs can sit behind how a child feels day to day. When we start by listening to the child and the people who know them best, support can be built around what daily life is really like for them.

Because it's never too late to be understood.

Book a free 30-minute call with an OT at ot4me.co.uk/book

09/10/2026

There will be a lot of headlines today about the Independent Review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.

First, this: you, your family and your children are not the problem. The review says so too.

We'd like to take you back to what it actually says, and what we see every day.

It says support should not have to wait for a diagnosis. We agree. It also says diagnosis remains essential and must be protected. Both can be true: assessment stays, and help starts earlier, based on need.

For many families, it looks like this:

- A child who holds it together at school, then finds home much harder
- Mornings that take a long time
- Handwriting and organisation that don't match their ability
- Big feelings that are hard to regulate

These needs are real with or without a diagnosis. And it isn't only the child who feels them. Parents, loved ones and schools feel them too.

The review does not find that overdiagnosis is happening at scale, though it says that risk needs watching. It also says the people coming forward are no less affected than before. What it points to is a system where a diagnosis has been the main route to support.

It sets out neighbourhood teams for children and young people, across health, education and social care. As that work moves forward, we'd like to see:

- Support based on need
- Occupational therapy in those teams and in schools, where sensory and regulation needs often show up
- Clear pathways, and support while families wait
- Investment in training and the workforce

Today may feel heavy. We're reading the detail, we're listening, and we'll keep speaking up for children's needs.

Regulation before learning. Small hinges open wide doors.