Researchers in Italy studied 20 high functioning children with autism compared to neurotypical children regarding picture/ shape identification with and without shadows present. The presence of shadows hampered the children with autism’s ability to recognize the objects. The researchers hypothesize that the children may hyperfocus on the shadows distracting their attention. The researchers recommend using […]
Current Opinions in Psychiatry published a review of motor coordination and emotional-behavioral problems in children. The author begin by discussing measurement issues with regards to developmental coordination disorder (DCD) i.e. lack of specific definition of exactly how much a child needs to be delayed to get a diagnosis of DCD and lack of consistant terminology […]
Parents, teachers and therapists who instruct teens and young adults, may want to check out Ready, Set , Fly A Parents Guide to Teaching Life Skills. This electronic book was created with foster parents in mind in particular but it is very useful for all parents and therapists. The activities are graded using different levels […]
Physical Therapy published reference values for aerobic fitness in children, adolescents, and young adults who have cerebral palsy and are ambulatory. Three hundred six youth (ages 6-20), who were classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I and II, were tested on the 10 m shuttle run. Based on the test scores, 4 reference […]
NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders, Inc is sponsoring a free webinar entitled “TS and Difficulty with Sensory Processing and Integration”. It will be aired on July 21st from 7:30-8:30pm EST. It is being presented by Lesley Austin Geyer, MA, OTR/L. She has over 30 years of experience as a therapist and is […]
An interesting study was published in Psychological Science regarding motivation in adults. Using a computer screen and subliminal images, the researchers determined that motivation can occur on only one side of the brain and body at a time. For example, the subjects were shown a subliminal image of a coin on one side of the […]
According to the Summer issue of Pediatric Physical Therapy only 9.4% of adolescents with cerebral palsy (126 males and 104 females) studied participate in weekly levels of moderate physical activity. The percentage was 11.4% of the sample participated in weekly levels of vigorous physical activity. Gross Motor Function Classification System Levels did have a significant […]
Do you work with children who need to practice cause and effect on the computer? Check out the activities at Special Educational Needs resources. These simple activities range from super simple to more complex. The user does not have to provide input to start then progresses to one click to start animation to 3 presses […]
Clinical Rehabilitation published research on an adapted version of constraint-induced movement therapy to promote functioning in children with cerebral palsy. Sixteen children with cerebral palsy (mean age 5 years 6 months) participated in constraint induced therapy for 2 weeks. The control group received the usual rehabilitation services during the 2 weeks. The intervention group had […]
Physical Therapy has published research on family priorities for activity and participation of children and youth with cerebral palsy. Caregivers (80% mothers) of 585 children with cerebral palsy completed the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. This measure identified priorities for daily activities, productivity and leisure. Gross motor function classification system levels (GMFCS) were determined for each […]