Think • Feel • Move
Community Resource: Sonoma County Durable Medical Equipment Exchange
Occupational Therapy • Education • Wellness
Sonoma County Durable Medical Equipment Exchange
Connecting Resources to Families
A collaborative community resource in Sonoma County that connects gently used durable medical equipment with families that could benefit from them. By increasing visibility and access to adaptive tools, this exchange helps extend the life of equipment as children grow and needs change.
If you have gently used equipment that can help other families that you wish to donate or if you are in need of durable medical equipment in Sonoma County please contact us.
Featured Blog
Movement Needs Are Not Always Behaviors
Understanding Vestibular Sensory Processing in School-Based OT: How Muscle Strength and Tone Affect Learning
In my experience as a school-based occupational therapist, I’ve found that a high percentage of students who struggle to access their education also demonstrate atypical sensory processing, particularly in the vestibular sensory system. Of all the sensory systems we assess in pediatric OT, vestibular processing consistently plays a major role in students’ challenges with attention, posture, handwriting, reading, and overall classroom participation.
However, identifying atypical vestibular function (and distinguishing it from behaviors caused by cognitive, emotional, or motivational factors) can be difficult for educators. Understanding the signs of vestibular dysfunction in children allows teachers and caregivers to provide the right supports early.
Four Key Ways the Vestibular System Impacts School Performance
The vestibular system influences many aspects of human movement and attention, but in my practice, four areas consistently emerge as the most common:
- Postural Control and Sitting/Standing Balance
Students may appear “wobbly,” fall easily, fatigue quickly, or shift constantly in their seat.
- Muscle Tone and Endurance
Low muscle tone or poor endurance leads to difficulty maintaining upright posture.
- Ocular Motor Skills (Tracking, Saccades, Convergence)
Dysfluent tracking, jumping eyes, and difficulty maintaining visual attention impact reading and writing.
- Attention and Regulation During Non-Preferred Tasks
Students may struggle to stay engaged, especially when the task requires sustained effort or fine motor precision.
Most students with vestibular processing challenges show a mixed profile across these four domains. If one area is impacted, the others are often affected to some degree.
How low tone shows up in the classroom
One of the most visible signs of vestibular and proprioceptive challenges is low muscle tone, especially noticeable during floor sitting (e.g., circle time). A student with reduced postural endurance may cycle rapidly through a variety of positions such as:
- W-sitting
- Side-lying
- Lying on their back
- Kneeling with weight forward
- Slumped cross-cross sitting
- Squatting on their chair
- Sitting in a chair with knees against the desk
- Intermittently standing
Teachers often report these behaviors as “noncompliance,” but more often, the student is genuinely fatigued.
Simple Classroom Accommodations That Support Vestibular and Postural Needs
Providing a few OT-informed seating accommodations can dramatically increase classroom engagement and reduce behavioral concerns. Strategies include:
- Recycled bicycle tire inner tubes as a chair leg band (can be obtained for free from a local bike shop or REI)
- A chair with armrests for extra stability
- Ensuring feet rest flat on the floor or on a foot stool
- Using a mostly deflated wedge cushion for trunk support
- Placing a sit disc behind the student as lumbar support
- Adding a chair leg band made from bicycle inner tubes
- Using cube chairs for younger students
- Turning a chair around and having the student straddle it with a backpack worn in front
- Offering use of an adult office chair if appropriate for older students
- Allowing the student to alternate between 3+ predetermined workstations
- Letting them work:
- standing at a counter
- lying on their belly with a clipboard
- seated at their desk
These adaptations reduce the postural workload and allow the student to allocate more cognitive energy toward learning. It is compassionate to consider that the student may not be acting out, and that they may just need supportive seating to help them attend.
Does This Sound Like a Student You Know?
If you’ve worked with a student who matches this description, there is a strong chance that vestibular sensory processing and postural control contribute to their challenges. Supportive seating and proactive accommodations often prevent misunderstanding, reduce frustration, and help students access the curriculum more effectively.
Freebies!
Communicate with pictures using art PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
Art PECS is a crucial way to communicate in classrooms or homes with clear expectations. It can communicate the ways that we can work on our iPad at home or at school. Please download, print, and place in a spot where visual reminders like this are helpful.
Remote Pediatric Occupational Therapy Consultations
Get expert guidance for your child’s sensory, motor, and learning needs—without leaving home. Matt Horwinski, pediatric occupational therapist and wellness educator, combines years of clinical experience with a family-centered approach to create practical strategies that fit your daily life.
Personalized strategies for sensory, motor, and learning challenges.
Video-based assessments—easy, secure, no travel.
We’re Matt and Eve Horwinski Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Naturalist Educator Team
Together, we create tools that support holistic growth through learning, movement, and emotional wellness. Our first children’s book, My Trip to Salmon Creek, blends early literacy with nature connection and sensory-friendly storytelling.
Nature is the Perfect Sensory Input
Discover a children’s book that sparks curiosity, builds literacy skills, and brings nature to life.
My Trip to Salmon Creek is a beautifully illustrated children’s nature book that blends the wonder of the outdoors with early literacy learning and sensory-friendly storytelling. This engaging story is perfect for preschoolers, kindergarten students, and early readers who are learning Fry’s First 100 Sight Words.
Each page invites children to explore the sensory richness of the Pacific Coast forest—hearing birdsong, spotting black bears, watching dragonflies, and feeling the cool rush of the creek. The vivid imagery and rhythmic text make reading a joyful, multisensory experience. Whether read at bedtime, in the classroom, or as part of outdoor learning activities, this book is more than a story—it’s a tool for helping children think clearly, feel deeply, and connect with nature.
One-On-One Tutoring From Preschool through Grade 5
Personalized lessons — aligned with Common Core and adapted for your child’s unique needs.
Engaging strategies — phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, and writing activities brought to life through stories, puppetry, and interactive tools.
Flexible scheduling — convenient times for busy families.
Support for all learners — from early literacy skills to advanced reading comprehension. Tailored for ADHD students and gifted thinkers.
