When the Alert Program® first got rolling, it was an idea in search of a visual. Children and adults alike needed to wrap their brains around a mental picture of three basic alert levels – high, low and middle, or what the program developers call “just right.” A little car came to mind. Maybe lurching … Read more
How’s it going? Comfortable at your computer or plagued by screen glare and a back ache? Good music in the background or nagging construction going on next door? Sipping a glass of iced tea or nursing a dry throat? Yeah, those small things can go a long way toward distracting you or keeping you alert. … Read more
You might think the Alert Program® is just for elementary school-aged kiddos. But it supports self-regulation (changing how alert you feel) for all ages, populations and settings. Once you know about the importance of self-regulation, it can take you to some surprising places. Here are seven Alert Program® success stories. After taking an Alert Program® training… Read more »
The engine analogy is not the “be all and end all,” although the Alert Program® often uses the metaphor of a car engine running high, low, or just right. Young children relate to the playful side of it; adults drive and own cars, so they understand it from a practical standpoint. Naturally, each level has its … Read more
Something going on with your kiddo? Maybe learning or socializing isn’t going so smoothly? You’ve come to the right site. Here are five Alert Program® tips to ease your mind and set change in motion. 1) Know that there are a lot of kids and teens like yours and parents like you — and loads … Read more
Let’s Chat: What Is the Alert Program®? What makes a child too sluggish or hyper to learn, too wired to go to bed? Well, it all has to do with a bunch of stuff we occupational therapists have been studying for years, like alert states, sensory integration, self-regulation, automatic responses, sensory motor preferences. Jargon, jargon, … Read more
How are things going with your kiddo? Maybe you’re seeing some behaviors that get in the way of learning and socializing. Or maybe your son or daughter has actually gotten a diagnosis, like autism or a learning disability. Well, take heart, you’re not stuck and you’re not alone. We’ve made these challenges our life’s work … Read more
OK, prepare yourself, because your first question will be, “Where was this when I was in school?” Especially if some version of “sit still and pay attention” was the motto. The Alert Program® disagrees. It teaches that the brain was never designed to focus without body movement or sensory “brain breaks.” Take Five! Staying Alert … Read more
If you’re unfamiliar with this dynamic duo of occupational therapists or their fun and effective sensory regulation program, this is the place to be. Read on! The Alert Program® is a cognitive and experiential sensorimotor approach to teach children how to change and maintain levels of alertness necessary for any given task during their day (i.e., how to self-regulate). Sherry … Read more
As parents, we all want to help our children to grow, play, and learn. For our young ones, perhaps we hope they will learn to dress themselves, learn to write their name, or learn good table manners. You might be surprised to learn that self-regulation is the basis of these and all goals we have … Read more
You know that student you have who always seems to be in the wrong gear? If everyone else is excited about painting a mural, he seems to need a nap. If it’s time to take turns reading aloud, he wants recess now. After recess, he’s too revved up for learning. And when he’s finally settled … Read more
It is likely that, at this very moment, competition for your attention is fierce. While you are reading these words, your brain is being bombarded with countless pieces of sensory information per second, most of which is irrelevant to the task at hand. Can you keep reading? That depends. Do you feel lethargic, like a couch potato? … Read more
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