These activities to improve convergence skills are easy ways to support visual processing needs, especially convergence insufficiency.
Welcome to PrAACtical Peek, an occasional series which features photos of therapy materials we use. This one is interactive, so have fun exploring the hot spots. Also, we’d love to have YOU g…
Art therapy may help you manage your anxiety symptoms. Here's why and how, and what to expect during a session. Spoiler: you don't need to be artsy at all!
As OT practitioners, we try to have our sessions and OT cognition treatments be as individualized as possible. Best practice calls for using the client’s own
This case study for a client with anorexia includes an exercise designed to provide your client with insight into the negative outcomes of self-criticism.
Have you realized what the biggest challenge for Occasional Genealogists is? It's not a lack of research results. It's remem...
I recently received the following question from one of my readers: I have a question about my just about 22 month old. He is very active and smart. He can figure out how to take anything apart and put it back together. He loves to be busy. A few people have commented he should be "saying more." I don't agree, but then again I'm no expert. He can talk and has always been vocal. He will bring things to me (or bring me to things!) point and say help and nod. He will ask for his needs. He asks me for his water, snack, relax (when he's sleepy.) He can communicate what he wants very well. He doesn't have melt downs, because he knows how to tell me what he wants. With all that said, he says only a handful of words. Snack, water, help, dog, go play, home, yes, no. He has started to make noises when he's playing...quacking like his ducks and making a car sound with his trucks. I have heard he's not saying enough often enough, to become a bit concerned. I was never concerned before, because he really communicates awesomely and comprehends what we ask him and does it right away. My question, is should I be worried? He has his 2 year check up in a couple months. It can be disconcerting and a bit confusing when well-meaning family members and friends bring up concerns about your child that you don't share. What's more, young children are highly varied in all areas of development and so it can be hard to know exactly what your child should be really be doing and when you should be worried enough to talk to your pediatrician. Although I obviously can't evaluate a child without seeing him in person, I can certainly provide some guidance about when I would typically suggest a referral for an evaluation and how I would help parents of toddlers determine if speech and language intervention was needed. First, the easy answer: if a child reaches 24 months and isn't yet using 50 words and/or isn't yet putting two words together into short phrases (e.g., more juice, bye mama), we do typically recommend that they talk to their pediatrician about an evaluation by a speech-language pathologist. That, however, isn't the full answer (life is never that easy, right?). When I evaluate young toddlers who aren't yet speaking as much as we'd expect, I don't just look at how many words they are saying. While that is an important piece of the puzzle, there are many more pieces to the full picture. I also look at what that child understands, how he is communicating with gestures and facial expressions, how he is using the words he does have, what kinds of sounds he is using, and how he is playing. Looking at each of these areas helps me to determine if a child is "just" a late talker or if there are bigger concerns that need to be addressed. What would I look for in each of those areas? While I can't detail every skill that I would look at in an actual evaluation, I can certainly paint a broad picture of what we would hope to see in a young toddler. At 24 months, I'd want to ensure that the child could follow a wide variety of directions, find objects when mom and dad ask him to do so, point to pictures in a book, show off some body parts when they were named, and follow silly directions like "put a cup on your head." I'd also look to make sure that the child was using gestures; by 24 months I'd expect to see him nodding and shaking his head no, pointing at things that he wants, waving "hi" and "goodbye", and clapping with delight. Very importantly, I'd also want to make sure that he is pointing at things that are interesting to him, just to get his mom and dad to look at those things (not just to ask for those things). This is a skill that emerges around 12-18 months, and it's important to ensure that a child is using it. I also like to see that children are showing objects of interest to their parents on a regular basis. And I'd ask the child's parents if he enjoyed playing simple games like "Pat-a-cake" or "Peek-a-boo" with them. Then I'd take a peek at what the child was doing in play. At 24 months, we like to see children starting to use pretend play in some very simple ways. They might, for example, give a bottle to a baby. Or they might feed a stuffed bear with a spoon. Kids this age also play simple rolling or fetching games with balls with their mom and dad and should be starting to imitate housework (my 19 month old daughter, for example, is currently enthralled with wiping up the floor with paper towel. Who needs toys when you've got paper towel?). I'd also want to see that the child was imitating actions: Will he clap when an adult does? Does he imitate stacking blocks? Will he imitate his parents if they do something silly and unexpected, like place a block on top of their head? Then I'd listen to the sounds the child was making. At 24 months, I like to see children using a variety of sounds such as p,b,m,n,t,d,h, and w, and I hope to see that child using those sounds in a variety of words. I'd also want to know that the child uses his voice to get attention, that he vocalizes often throughout the day, that he babbled often as a baby, and that he uses his voice in a way that sounds like he's having a conversation, even if there are no real words involved in that conversation. Finally, I'd talk to the parents about hearing. I'd ask if they had any concerns with hearing and might also encourage them to talk to their pediatrician about doing a hearing test to rule out a hearing loss. Some kids can hear some sounds but not others. If a child has a language delay, we usually recommend a hearing evaluation just to make sure the child is really hearing everything. What if the child was doing all those things I just described but still wasn't talking as much as we'd expect? Then he'd be what we call a "late talker" (such a professional term, eh?). The benefit of getting an evaluation for a "late talker" is that parents get to have a professional speech-language therapist look specifically at all those areas and help them to figure out what's really going on. If nothing else, this can ease a parent's mind. The speech-language therapist can also give parents some simple suggestions that can be woven into their day to increase the odds that their child will start using more words. A really good speech-language therapist will shed light on what comes next in child development and help parents figure out how they can get their child to that next level. Having said all this, though, opinions are mixed about whether or not speech therapy is truly needed for children who are just late talkers. Some studies seem to indicate that as long as late talkers are in supportive, nurturing, and responsive families, they will catch up on their own. Other studies suggest that late talkers can potentially have lingering difficulty with reading and spelling when they enter elementary school. My advice for parents of late talkers? Have a good conversation with your pediatrician about your concerns and ask your pediatrician to help you weigh your options. Then, listen to your own inner parenting voice to make the final call about what to do. You know your child best. Trust yourself. The other piece of good news is that there are lots and lots of strategies that all parents can use in the context of their typical day to help their children develop language, whether or not their child is a late talker. Check out these to get you started: Three Magic Words Monkey See Monkey Do Moo Baa La: Animal Sounds and Speech Baby Signs: How All Kinds Of Talk Books, Toddlers, and Language Choices Choices: Using Choices for Behavior and Language And find an updated list of all strategies here. You might also want to check out this post: Should Your Late Talker Get Speech Therapy?
This free Spring writing prompt cootie catcher can be used to work on fine motor skills and handwriting. Print and go!
Crippling depression is a severe mental health condition that can drastically impact a person's daily life and relationships. Get help at We Level Up Tamarac FL
If your house is like mine, you have homemade slime filling containers and plastic baggies everywhere! The slime craze is very much still oozing over here! With all of the slime sitting around, I thought it might be fun to put it to work and use it to work those hand muscles. Here are creative ... Read more
I'm so pleased to introduce Wendy Pirie, our first-ever guest blogger. Wendy is part of the Moving Smart family in the Hawke's Bay area, joining us a year ago after completing her Masters in Perceptual Motor Development. Wendy works with schools, preschools, parents, and children and, like me, is a lifelong advocate of children's natural wiggling, giggling way of learning! We all know that most Olympians have spent a fair share of their lives in the gym, in the pool, or on the track preparing for their Olympic moment. They embody dedication to perfection. But when you compare that training regimen to what a preschooler goes through everyday, it's just possible our Olympians need to take a few more laps if they want to keep up with our little ones. The other day I had the pleasure of participating in the Gumboots Kindergarten tribute to the Olympics! This is a photograph of my son Carter jumping his very first hurdle! Like an Olympian, it's taken him years to perfect his skills in preparation for this event. But now put that in perspective. He will turn four next month which means three years ago, he took his very first step. That's advancement on an Olympic scale, and it happens one tiny step at a time. So let's take a look at what it takes to clear your first hurdle... CLEARING HURDLES The Hurdles is a sport for masters of speed, strength, agility, and balance. But there's actually a lot more to it than that... and it all begins in early childhood... LATERALITY Leaping is the signature skill of a great hurdler, and demonstrates a high degree of proficiency in Lateral Movement skills. Laterality is the ability to move arms and legs in opposition to one another. It begins when babies first start crawling, walking, and running, and continues to be refined through the early school years. LEAPING Leaping -- jumping into the air off of one foot -- is an advanced skill that comes after much practice with the everydayness of walking and running (taking one foot off the ground at a time). Over time, a child's natural instinct to move his body in different ways progresses to two-footed jumping in place, followed by two-footed jumping forwards, backwards, and side to side, and eventually leaping off of one foot (usually from the couch). But it will probably take some more time before he can put the run-leap-run combination together (without tripping over his own feet). The rhythm and timing to successfully "switch gears" mid-stride signals more that physical coordination. It's an indication that body-brain communication is reaching a refined state. And when that happens, he'll be able to turn his focus and attention to more important matters, like deciding what he's going to leap over next! TEMPORAL AWARENESS The ability to judge distance either while standing still or moving is a hurdler's best friend. Without it... ouch! You see, understanding where the hurdle is, how fast you are running, and calculating -- on the run -- the exact right moment to "lift off" is a complex body-brain-environment triangulation that can only happen after years of experience with motion -- his own movements and the comings and goings of the people, places, and things around him. And that's no small feat for big or little feet. Happy Olympics, everyone. Go Team New Zealand! Thanks to the Gumboots Kindergarten team for allowing me to participate in your tribute to the Olympics. A lot more winning went on that day than just the gold medals that were handed out. To contact Wendy in Hawke's Bay area for Moving Smart courses and resources... Wendy Pirie Moving Smart Ltd. [email protected]+64 273 296 776 BAREFOOTIN' BEANS Bean bags are so versatile. They're fun to throw, catch, balance with, and the wibbly-wobbly crunchy feel is great tactile experience for little hands. And little feet too! Here's a super-simple game for preschoolers that enhances skills they'll need -- laterality, balance, concentration, amongst others -- to be able to clear all the hurdles they want some day. SET UP Line up bean bags in two straight rows like stepping stones. If you have enough, use one color for the left row and another color for the right row to make it easy for the child to spot the difference. Now, take off your shoes and socks and you're reading to start. WARM UP Standing at the top of the two rows, have the child walk on the bean bags any way they'd like. CROSS-STEPPING Next, have the child walk down the rows, stepping his right foot on the left row of beans and his left foot on the right row. (Easy as this sounds, little ones might need a little support with this one, so be standing by.) Have fun!
No one can deny the fact that injury is a part and parcel of people’s life. This is all true if you happen to be an athlete or a player. But, with the rise of science and technology, handling even …
You know from our Vision Help Concussion Project that concussions or mTBI cause significant visual difficulties that can delay a student’s ability to return to learn. One of the common sympt…
Revolutionary apps for simplifying everyday life with brain injury.
Heavy work has been used to help calm and stimulate students with sensory needs for years! You are probably already using some heavy work activities and you might not even realize it! So what is heavy work? Heavy work is an activity that either pushes or pulls against the body and provides the muscles and joints with input. Heavy work activities can be beneficial to EVERY student but can be particularly helpful for students with sensory processing needs. Heavy work can help students feel regulated and focused. Heavy work activities fall into 3 main categories: Whole body/ gross motor activities (like pushing, pulling, lifting, and moving) Oral activities (like chewing, sucking, and blowing) Fine motor/ use of hands (like squeezing and pinching) 1) Examples of gross motor/ whole body heavy work at home and school include: Pushing & pulling objects / items: Vacuuming, sweeping, moping Pushing someone on a swing Pushing a heavy/ full grocery cart Pulling a heavy/ full wagon Pushing heavy doors open Raking leaves Dusting furniture/ wiping tables Cleaning the white board Scooters Climbing on the playground or obstacle courses Lifting heavy objects/ items: Carrying everyday household objects (laundry basket, groceries, taking out trash, etc.) Playing toss/ passing games with weighted balls or weighted toys Carrying buckets of sand or water Yoga & exercises with body weight Carrying a heavy lunch bucket/ basket Stacking and un-stacking chairs Jumping & bounding on/ with items: Jumping on a trampoline Jumping/ falling into beanbags Bouncing on therapy balls/ chairs Jump roping Gymnastics Climbing/ hanging on items: Hanging/ swinging on monkey bars Rope swings/ rings Rock walls Ladders and slides 2) Oral heavy work activities at home and school include: Chewing food items: Gummy candies (like gummy bears, licorice and Sour Patch Kids) Bagels Gum Cheese Dried fruit (raisins, craisins, mango, etc.) Dried meat (beef jerky, turkey jerky) Popcorn Blowing activities: Blowing bubbles Blowing up balloons Using whistles Blow party favor toys (like kazoos) Blowing through a straw Sucking activities: Sucking through fun straws (bendy or twisty straws are awesome!) Using water bottles with straws Drinking smoothies or milkshakes with a straw Hard candies Popsicles & lollipops 3) Fine motor heavy work activities at home and school include: Resistance toys and activities: Using stamps and molds with Play Doh Using spray bottles to spray cleaner on tables or water plants Cutting thick paper or cardboard with scissors Putting clothespins on materials Bingo dabbers Ripping heavy/ thick paper Writing & working on vertical services: Writing and drawing on vertical or slanted chalkboard or whiteboard Erasing and cleaning/ wiping chalkboard or whiteboard Tabletop easels for art or writing Cleaning/ wiping vertical surfaces above eye level (like doors, walls, showers, etc.) It's also important to observe your students and take data to determine what activities calm and stimulate (or over stimulate) your students. You should remember that what calms one student might over stimulate another student. There are so many different ways to incorporate heavy work into your day! Take the time to figure out what works best for your students and then start sprinkling the activities throughout your day!
Feelings of numbness or tingling in your hands are annoying, but fortunately, pins and needles usually go away quickly. Holding your hands in a relaxed position or giving them a good shake should do the trick. While occasional, temporary...
Excessive alcohol drinking can have negative effects on the body and the mind. Alcohol and anxiety have a strong link regarding the effects that...
Ten different ways to practice functional writing skills in special education. Incorporate these ideas into life skills lessons.
*See below for IMPORTANT information about using BOOM Cards™. Preview the short e word families BOOM deck (play with the first four cards) here. Preview the short a word families BOOM deck (play with the first four cards) here. Preview the short i word families BOOM deck (play with the first four cards) here. Interactive Boom Learning™ flashcards for word families (CVC and CCVC) with the short -a- -e- and -i- sounds. Short -o- and short -u- will be added eventually. I will send an email notification upon each addition to this bundle. Each card has a picture hidden behind a screen. Just maneuver the blocks as you sound out the word, then move the screen from the frame to see a picture of the word to support comprehension. Blocks are all moveable so that you can spread them out, move some aside as you work on individual sounds, or just have fun rearranging them once the word has been read. There is no correct/wrong feedback in these decks, as that feedback can come from a parent, therapist or teacher. Choose a word family to target or choose "mixed" to have the word families presented in a mixed order (35 words). Return to menu at any time. Choose "make words" to play with blocks in a play scene. To form CVC words in the play scene, choose blocks from the top first and the work down the shelf. This will ensure that the blocks "stack" next to each other in a visually ordered way. Or just go crazy and make towers and bridges and buildings! *About Boom Cards: To use Boom Cards, you must be connected to the Internet. Boom Cards play on modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge). Apps are available for Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. For security and privacy, adults must have a Boom Learning account to use and assign Boom Cards. You will be able to assign the Boom Cards you are buying with "Fast Pins," (play provides instant feedback for self-grading Boom Cards). Fast Play is always a free way for students to engage with Boom Cards decks. For additional assignment options you'll need a premium account. If you are new to Boom Learning, you will be offered a free trial of our premium account. Read here for details: http://bit.ly/BoomTrial. You may be eligible for a free trial from Boom Learning. Read here for details: http://bit.ly/BoomTrial. If you choose not to stay on a premium account after your free trial, you will still be able to assign all your Boom Cards to as many students as you see fit using Fast Play pins (which give instant feedback for decks that are self-grading). Boom Learning and Boom Cards are the trademarks of Boom Learning Inc. Used with permission. Copyright information: Purchasing this product grants permission for use by one individual and their students/children. If you'd like to share with other professionals, please purchase an additional license. Click to follow Say Gray Speech for updates of new materials.
Therapists Are Not Perfect As therapists, each of us would like to do exactly the right thing in each and ever
Inclusive education is still not widely practiced in schools across the United States. As a result, only the lucky few have seen what inclusion really is. Those that haven’t, are...
Providing occupation-based interventions is crucial to the practice of occupational therapy. Here are 10 top reasons to be occupation-based.
Rob tipped me to a collection of photos that are great of examples of the adage "timing is everything." See if you don't agree. And thanks, Rob.
The most effective anxiety treatment is the combination of psychotherapy and medications. You may benefit most from professional help that offers...
Wondering what is visual scanning? Use these occupational therapy resources to work on visual scanning skills in kids.
Acute Trauma Take me straight to: Ingredients & Directions for Use What's It Good For? This collection of herbs, provided in their natural form, is gentle on the horse’s GI tract, so horses who are unable to tolerate other options
