The Digital OT Designs

08/08/2024

Now that school's back, let your students know you welcome and accept them as they are with this poster.

Students will thrive when they are allowed to learn in the best way for their brains - this won't always look like them sitting still on a chair!

There are plenty of learning styles, and once we allow students to use the styles that work best for their brains or neurotype, we open up a whole wide world of positive learning for them!

You can purchase this digital download at www,digitalotdesigns.etsy.com

[Image desc: a colorful poster with brains on each corner, and the words "All learning styles are welcome here!" in bold font. Below this is a rhyme in smaller font that reads, "you may sit on a exercise ball or sit on a chair, your may sit on the floor, you may use headphones or fidgets, I really don't care! Just makes sure your body and brain are all set, to listen and learn, so you won't forget!"]

01/07/2024

I made this as a memo to me, and now it can be a memo to you.

My experiences do not seem to align with others, which often leads to gaslighting myself or minimising my feelings.

It's now 2024 - you'd think as a society we've finally accepted that individuals can experiences differently from us and be accepting of it. Alas, there is still so much learning to be had.

This poster is available in my Etsy: www.digitalotdesigns.etsy.com

29/06/2024

I long for and will fight for a time when everyone is afforded the appropriate adjustments and accommodations so that they are actually, for real, 'ready to learn' and not just abide by the neurotypical standards.

It is incorrect to assume that everyone can learn well when they are sitting straight on their chairs, hands 'politely' (what the heck does that even mean?!) on their desks, with their heads and faces staring straight at their teacher in front of the class.

'Whole Body Listening' is crap and is NOT the gold standard.

Eye contact DOES NOT immediately indicate full attention.

FIDGETS ARE OKAY.

FIDGETING IS OKAY.

Individual differences are real AND valid!

Make the necessary adjustments and provide the appropriate accommodations.

IT. HELPS. EVERYONE.

/endrant



You can find this poster at: digitalotdesigns.etsy.com

28/06/2024

⚠️ Safety First ⚠️

What does "safe" mean, really?

When talking about supporting our kiddos, especially during co-regulation, "safety" means not just the absence of danger or threat, but ALSO the presence of nurturing connection.

Often I hear adults say, "but they are safe - we've removed x, yet they're still on fight/flight!". And to that I query what type of connection and attention was provided in the moment. Yes, you may have remove the threat but perhaps we can work on how we connect with them. Maybe we can reconsider the tone of our voice, or the volume of our voice. We could also look at the type of physical support such as safe touches or deep hugs when the child is open to them.

Safety means BOTH the absence of danger and the presence of our connection. It does not exist if only one of these are present.

You can find this poster for digital download at: www.digitalotdesigns.etsy.com

26/06/2024

🌿 Growth mindset 🌿 if we REALLY want to see our kids thrive, we MUST look at their environment.

There is a transactional relationship between an individual's capacity or development and the environment they are in.

If the physical, sensory, and social environment is toxic and and not supportive, the child may still gain and build skills but at a massive cost - their health and well-being.

To nurture the child, we must build spaces that allow them to thrive.

This poster can be purchased at: www.digitalotdesigns.etsy.com

13/06/2024

Keep calm and co-regulate.

Easier said than done, but we must try.

How do you keep yourself calm when kids are expressing big feelings?

This poster design is available in our shop! Link in bio.

12/06/2024

11/06/2024

"Kids do well if they can." is something I learned from Dr Ross Greene many, many years ago and to this day I keep this mindset. It helps me temper my expectations and has also improved my patience.

Have you heard of this phrase before?

This poster design is currently available in our shop. Link in bio.

10/06/2024

Plants have different requirements for them to thrive, yet we expect our children to "do well" in an environment that only caters to a select few.

What small changes can we make so that kids of diverse learning styles can all have an opportunity to thrive?

This design is available for purchase in our shop. Link in bio.

09/06/2024

Neurodiversity should be celebrated and accommodated. That's it. That's the post.

This poster design is currently available in our shop. Link in bio.

08/06/2024

🌿🦋

This design is now available in our shop.

07/06/2024

For our kids to learn self-regulation skills, we must be available to co-regulate with them first.

What's your least favourite part of co-regulating with your child right now?

Would you like to have this print in your spaces? It's available in our shop! Check it out - link in bio.

06/06/2024

Kids do well WHEN the can. If they're aren't able to do a thing, it is likely because they haven't yet mastered all the skills needed to do it.

What skill is your kid working on right now?

If you like this poster design, it's available in our shop. Link in bio!

05/06/2024

Neurodiversity is a biological fact. No one brain is the same nor considered to be the best "type" of brain. The moment we accept this fact, the better we can support our young people.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "neurodiversity"?

This poster design is available in our shop, go check it out! Link in bio.

04/06/2024

Co-regulating with our kids begins with us using our own self-regulation skills to keep calm. It is vital for us to be calm when we're supporting our kids through big feelings.

What strategies do you use to keep yourself calm? Let me know in the comments!

This design if available in our shop - link in bio.

03/06/2024

When our young people have safe spaces to be in, we make it possible for them to thrive. 🎍

This design is currently available in our shop!

02/06/2024

Young people need safe spaces - may we all ensure that the spaces we occupy are safe for them to be their authentic selves. ❤

18/05/2024

It's been a minute since I've made any new design or posted here. Life has the tendency to drag us out of blissful special interests (also, the world is pretty crap right now).

Anyway, I hope everyone is well. I am still working and advocating as I have always done, just away from social media. I still have yet to stop talking about co-regulation in private and work life, so here's one new design that's now up on my Etsy for anyone interested. :)

Design can be purchased for personal use here: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1719128132

19/01/2024

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how our brain constantly seeks safety on cellular and chemical levels.

Safety makes skill-building and learning so much easier and better!

You can find this at www.etsy.com/shop/DigitalOTDesigns

17/01/2024

Minimalist poster set: Wait, Watch, Wonder

iykyk ;)

15/01/2024

Happy New Year!

I have been away for a while as I sorted stuff out in my personal life. I've missed making art and being around, but I'm happy to report I'm back at creating again after a much-needed break!

We'll start simple but still one of the most profound concepts I hold in my personal and professional life: Kids do well WHEN they can! If they aren't doing anything well, it is more likely due to them being UNABLE to, rather than choosing NOT to ;)

This design can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/DigitalOTDesigns

24/08/2023

This has probably been the most cathartic piece I've made to date. There was plenty of introspection and reflection (and tears) the entire 5 hours (estimated, due to way too many water breaks) it took me to make this.

It's been overwhelming coming to terms with the fact that I have *always* been disabled my entire life, but hardcore religious and psychological disciplinary techniques formed me into a neurotypical-presenting person all these years... But it came at a significant cost and I am still paying the bill.

I've added it to my Etsy shop, hoping it'll find spaces to light up or spark difficult but necessary discussions about hidden disabilities. I hope it moves people to choose to offer lifeboats instead of just watching someone barely keep their head above water because, "as long as they're still breathing, that's all that matters". Sometimes, "just breathing" requires too much effort, it is almost impossible to resist the allure of stopping.

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1534854634

23/08/2023

One of my (lofty) goals is to inspire classrooms to be more neurodiversity-affirming by:
✅ welcoming and accepting different neurotypes
✅ willingly adjusting spaces, lessons, and school work to accommodate different neurotypes
✅ allowing regulation strategies instead of withholding them as a reward or punishment
✅ allowing and accepting different communication styles
✅ teaching students about different social nuances instead of promoting or enforcing only neuronormative "social skills"
.. among other things. I think we can and SHOULD get there!

I dream of a world where every child is able to access education without fear of being shunned, othered, bullied, or punished for being different. ❤️

Link for this poster design: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1535718552

02/08/2023

This is one of my earliest designs. Back when I was huge on the Keep Calm and Co-regulate idea. I still am. Too many other ideas are swimming in my head, seeking attention to see the light of day.

I also like to believe my designs have improved since I started over a year ago... but then I could also be delusional. 😂

I really want to touch more on co-regulation on this page, but my brain is... being my brain. 😵

01/08/2023

It's officially August in Australia, and all I can think about is how I hope to find the courage to live as authentically as possible without fearing being othered, shamed, dismissed, or discouraged, at least for this month.

I wish for a world where individual differences are so normalised we don't make a fuss when someone is Autistic or otherwise neurodivergent.

For neurodiversity to be so thoroughly understood and welcomed across the globe, adjustments and accommodations are just a normal part of life and no one bats an eye.

That we understand communication styles and adapt to them, instead of allowing our biases to be so reactive when someone is different.

I don't know if I will ever see such a version of our world in my lifetime, but I will continue to hope. And I will continue to do as much as I can in my little corner or whatever space I fill to build the foundations for such a world.