Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services, LLC

08/26/2026

🏆 DAY 8 — TODAY’S VOTE COUNTS DOUBLE! 🏆🚨

PLEASE vote today if you can! ❤️⚽️ Your ONE FREE VOTE counts as TWO FREE VOTES today, so this is an especially important day to help Drew stay in FIRST PLACE in his group for Youth Athlete of the Year! 🙌

It only takes a few seconds, and we would appreciate it SO much!

👉 https://athleteoftheyear.org/2026/drew-5293

Thank you to everyone who keeps showing up and voting for Drew every day. Your support truly means so much to us! ❤️

DAY 8 — let’s make those DOUBLE VOTES count! ⚽️🏆🙌

Drew Is A Varsity Goalkeeper And Leader Known For Skill, Faith, And Dedication. His Work Ethic, Growth, And Character Make Him AOTY!

08/22/2026

Here’s a simple visual for therapists to share with parents as a helpful handout on the developmental sequence of pencil grasps. ✏️

As a seasoned professional, one of my goals is to get practical, easy-to-use tools into the hands of as many therapists, parents, teachers, and caregivers as possible. If something I create can make a concept easier to understand or support a child’s development, I want it shared.

Please feel free to use it, share it, save it, and pass it along. I hope it helps! 💛

08/19/2026

Cutest William — a day in his OT session! 🤩

Such huge growth today and such a gift to witness his progress in feeding and regulation skills. 💛 We are seeing him trying new texture foods, expanding his repertoire, and feeling more confident. He is also beginning to move toward more rotary chewing patterns, building upon all of the foods he already feels comfortable eating. His trach was removed a few months ago, and although he still has a G-tube, we are continuing to work on building safe and confident oral feeding skills.

We always start with high sensory input prior to feeding to help his body feel ready to learn. Today William wore his weighted vest and engaged in calming, organizing input including vibration plate + therapeutic music from Vital Links to support regulation and attention.

We also did gentle body massage and oral-motor input to the outside of his cheeks before moving into Z-Vibe work to help prepare his mouth for feeding success.

🥄 Then we moved into feeding!

We incorporated an acrylic stand mirror during feeding practice to support visual feedback and body awareness while eating. This helped William better understand mouth movements and positioning as we worked on oral control and coordination.

We are also introducing more intentional tongue and oral-motor awareness work, helping William become more comfortable handling food inside his mouth and learning how to use his tongue to move and manage food. We are working on tongue lateralization, positioning food onto the chewing surfaces, progressing from a munching pattern toward rotary chewing, and learning how to gather food together to form a manageable bolus for swallowing. 🤩

💡 OT TIP:
High sensory input before feeding or other challenging tasks can make a big difference. Movement, vibration, deep pressure, therapeutic listening, a metronome, or other calming and organizing input can help prepare the nervous system for participation.

✨ Small supports = big growth ✨

08/10/2026

🧡 WHY BALANCE ACTIVITIES MATTER!

Balance is SO much more than just standing without falling! Balance activities help build the underlying skills kids need to move, learn, play, and feel confident in their bodies. 🌈

Working on balance helps develop:

✨ Core strength & stability
✨ Postural control
✨ Coordination
✨ Motor planning
✨ Body awareness & proprioception
✨ Vestibular processing
✨ Bilateral coordination
✨ Protective reactions
✨ Focus & attention
✨ Confidence with movement

And when balance improves, we often see improvements in everyday skills too—running, jumping, climbing, navigating playgrounds, sitting upright for learning, participating in sports, dressing, and moving safely through the environment.

Balance boards are one of my favorite OT tools because there are SO many ways to use them—rocking, wobbling, squatting, reaching, playing games, or even using them during tummy time!

💙 Better balance → stronger bodies → more confident kids!

08/10/2026

🧡 THE PEANUT BALL — SUCH A GREAT BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!

I truly love a peanut ball for home therapy. For around $20, there are so many ways to use it while working on important underlying skills through play.

Sit, bounce, stretch, do pizza squishes, work on puzzles, strengthen the core, build balance, improve body awareness, motor planning and so much more.

It’s simple, affordable, fun, and one of those therapy tools that can grow with your child. 🌈

One inexpensive tool. So many possibilities.

Always supervise and choose activities that are appropriate for your child.

08/09/2026

12 weeks of growth, learning, laughter, and memories I’ll carry with me forever 🤍

I’m so grateful for my Level II fieldwork at Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services and for everything this experience has taught me about pediatric OT and the therapist I hope to become.

A huge thank you to Justine for an amazing 12 weeks. Thank you for your guidance, encouragement, and for showing me what it means to truly love and care for every child you work with. I’m so lucky I got to learn from you! 🤍

And to all of the families who trusted me with your children, thank you for allowing me to be a small part of their growth and progress. I’ll always be grateful for the memories and connections I made. 🫶🏼

I shared a little more about my journey and fieldwork experience on the blog! Link in bio ✨


lexi🌷 Justine What is OT?

08/09/2026

🧡 THE PEANUT BALL: ONE OF MY FAVORITE OT TOOLS!

In my opinion, a peanut ball—also called a Physio Roll—is one of the most economical tools for home therapy. For around $20, you can work on SO many underlying skills while your child plays!

Try it for:

🐴 Sitting & bouncing
🪑 Seated play
⭐ Backward reaching & stretching
🍕 Pizza squishes/deep pressure
🧩 Prone puzzle play
💪 Heel-to-glute ball rolls

All while working on:

✨ Core strength & stability
✨ Balance & coordination
✨ Postural control
✨ Motor planning
✨ Body awareness & proprioception
✨ Shoulder & hip stability
✨ Sensory regulation

Peanut balls come in many sizes, so choose one appropriate for your child.

One inexpensive tool. SO many ways to MOVE, PLAY & GROW! 🌈

Always supervise and choose activities appropriate for your child.

08/09/2026

🧡 THE PEANUT BALL: ONE OF MY FAVORITE OT TOOLS! 🧡

If you’re looking for an affordable, versatile therapy tool to use at home, the peanut ball—also known as a Physio Roll—is one of the best options, in my opinion!

For around $20, there are SO many ways to use it to work on important underlying developmental skills. 🙌

A peanut ball can be used for:

🐴 Sitting like a horse & bouncing
🪑 Sitting like a chair for play or tabletop activities
⭐ Leaning back to reach for toys or objects
🍕 “Pizza squishes” for deep pressure/proprioceptive input
🧩 Prone play while completing puzzles or games
💪 Heel-to-glute ball rolls
🤸 Reaching, stretching, balancing & strengthening activities

And while your child thinks they’re just PLAYING, they can be working on:

✨ Core strength & stability
✨ Balance & coordination
✨ Postural control
✨ Motor planning
✨ Bilateral coordination
✨ Proprioception & body awareness
✨ Shoulder stability
✨ Hip and leg strength
✨ Visual-motor skills
✨ Sensory regulation

Peanut balls come in many sizes—from approximately 30 cm to 100+ cm—so choose the size that best fits the individual using it.

One simple piece of equipment. So many possibilities. 🧡

MOVE. PLAY. GROW. 🌈

Always supervise children during peanut ball activities and choose activities appropriate for your child’s abilities.

08/09/2026

✨ PRIMITIVE REFLEXES: A SIMPLE GUIDE FOR PARENTS ✨

Primitive reflexes are automatic movements babies are born with that support early development. As children grow, these reflexes should naturally fade as more controlled movement takes over. 🧠🌈

If they remain active, you may notice challenges with:

⭐ Balance & coordination
⭐ Posture & core strength
⭐ Crossing midline
⭐ Handwriting & fine motor skills
⭐ Body awareness
⭐ Attention & self-regulation

Common reflexes include Moro, ATNR, STNR, TLR, Spinal Galant, and Palmar Grasp.

🏠 AT-HOME SUPPORT IDEAS

Try simple daily movement play:

🌟 Cross-crawl
🌟 Cat-cow
🌟 Bear & crab walks
🌟 Starfish or snow angels
🌟 Bird-dog
🌟 Log rolls
🌟 Theraputty or clothespins
🌟 Deep pressure hugs & breathing

Just 10–12 minutes a day can support foundational development through movement and play.

The goal is to build strong foundations for play, learning, and independence 💪🌈

📚 Learn more in Primitive Reflexes: Retained Reflexes and Integration Techniques by Justine Bedocs, OTR/L (Amazon)

💾 Save & 📤 share with someone who may find this helpful

Primitive reflexes are only one part of development. Concerns should be evaluated by a qualified professional.

08/06/2026

📚💙 “What Is OT? And What Will I Do There?”

Today I had the sweetest little reading buddy, Stella, help me share my children’s book about occupational therapy! 🥰 And she gave it TWO thumbs up! 👍👍

The main character is my son, Drew, who takes kids along with him to OT and shows them that therapy can be a place to play, learn, practice, grow, and build confidence.

Through Drew’s story, children learn about some of the many things we work on in OT:

✨ Fine & gross motor skills
✨ Visual-motor skills
✨ Dressing & daily living skills
✨ Feeding skills
✨ Sensory processing
✨ Body awareness & motor planning
✨ Executive functioning
✨ Interoception — understanding what our bodies are telling us
✨ Social-emotional skills
✨ Self-regulation & independence

My favorite message of all:

💙 OT is all about helping children become their best, most independent selves.

At OT, children learn:
I am strong. I am capable. And I am ready to do amazing things. 🌟

And according to Stella… it’s definitely a two-thumbs-up read! 👍👍📖