A Better Way to Support Parents: Why I Created Learning Tree Resources

A Better Way to Support Parents: Why I Created Learning Tree Resources

When I started looking for parent education materials to use in my practice, I quickly realized something wasn’t working. I knew I needed to create something to streamline parent education, and I was a little disappointed by what I found online. Handouts often came with the same, consistent issues:

1.) Too text-heavy and full of jargon -There’s no way busy parents were going to read all of that! The last thing I want to do is add extra reading to a parent’s already-full plate or risk doling out mom guilt because it’s something she just couldn’t get to that week.

2.) Not very engaging– If half the time the parent handout is overly academic, then the other half of the time it is overly simplistic. In a pinch, I’ve given these types of handouts to families because I was short on time with back-to-back sessions and wanted parents to walk away with something. But it always made me cringe because I didn’t want to come across as patronizing or waste their time with obvious information.

3.) Not visually appealing– Insert bad clipart here, there, & everywhere. As a visual learner who often needs to write it, draw it, and literally connect those dots on paper for new information to stick in my brain, this is a pain point for me! I try really hard to be intentional about what I create and how I place information (both text and images) on the page. If it isn’t appealing to me as an OT, then it sure as heck isn’t going to do it for someone outside the field.

4.) Blatantly wrong or misleading information– This is probably the worst offender on the list. I created Learning Tree Resources to provide quality, evidence-informed resources. I don’t water down the material for parents, but I do try to make it as relevant, reader-friendly and visually engaging as possible.

As a pediatric OT with over 10 years of experience, I know the struggle. With packed, back-to-back schedules, therapists don’t have the time to create polished, parent-friendly resources. More often, we’re quickly grabbing what’s available and handing over that home program or info sheet as families walking out the door. It’s not ideal for clinicians or families.

Parents don’t just need information- they need clear, practical, evidence-informed strategies they can actually use in daily life. That’s the heart of Learning Tree Resources.

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Thanks for being here, and I hope you find something in this space that makes your day just a little bit easier.