Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by obsessions, compulsions, or both. Obsessions are recurring, unwanted thoughts, images, sensations, or urges that cause distress. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors
Dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are terms used for specific patterns of difficulty in reading, mathematics, and writing. In clinical systems, they may be identified under a broader diagnosis such as
Giftedness refers to unusually advanced ability or the potential for advanced performance in one or more domains when compared with others of similar age, experience, or environment. Those domains may
“Developmental disorders” is a broad term for conditions that begin during the developmental period and affect the acquisition or use of abilities such as language, learning, movement, attention, social communication,
The phrase sensory diet can sound more precise than it really is. In everyday occupational-therapy language, it usually refers to a planned pattern of sensory activities or environmental supports intended
A supermarket asks a shopper to do far more than choose food. Fluorescent or LED lighting fills a large room with few visual breaks. Refrigeration units hum continuously. Carts rattle,
“Just cook something” can sound like a simple solution to hunger, budgeting, or nutrition. In practice, preparing a meal may require choosing what to eat, checking ingredients, remembering what is
A shirt tag can be a minor annoyance to one person and a constant, impossible-to-ignore source of discomfort to another. The same can be true of sock seams, stiff waistbands,
When someone becomes overwhelmed by a loud room, glaring light, strong fragrance, crowded space, or uncomfortable texture, the response is often framed as a problem of regulation: take deep breaths,
One person cannot tolerate the sound of chips being eaten during a movie. Another needs background television while relaxing. Someone wants the overhead lights off; their partner needs bright light