During this age of social media, we are bombarded with inspirational messages of which some hit home more than others. I think this quote is perfect for pediatric therapists. As a profession, I think we live and breathe this everyday for the children and their families. When children want to achieve a certain skill (no […]
During therapy sessions, we frequently break down activities into smaller parts or chunks to make it easier for children to learn new motor or life skills. As the child progresses with those individual parts of the skill, the child then practices the entire activity as a whole. Sometimes this is done in an isolated environment […]
It can be a challenge at times to encourage children with physical disabilities to participate in leisure activities. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy published a small study to determine the effectiveness of environment-based interventions on participation of 6 adolescents with physical disabilities. A 12-week intervention occurred with a focus on removing environmental barriers and coaching parents. […]
Here is a new twist on a do it yourself stress ball – dried bean stress balls. You might be wondering what make these any different than others? Well until you make one and feel it you will not understand. These dried garbanzo bean stress balls feel more like a deep massage in the hands. […]
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS AND SCISSOR USE The ability to complete the functional task of using scissors requires fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills, coordination skills and gross motor skills. Gross motor skills involved in scissor use refers to the postural control and bilateral coordination that is required for scissor skills. Efficient control of the larger […]
The Journal of Writing Research published a study on developing writers in grades 4-7 to compare manuscript , cursive and keyboard letter formation. One study instructed the children to write the alphabet from memory as quickly as they could without sacrificing legibility since previous research indicated that the number of legible manuscript letters in correct order during […]
Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) is defined by Polatajko and Mandich as a “a client-centered, performance based, problem solving approach that enables skill acquisition through a process of strategy use and guided discovery”. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics published a small single case study series on 18 children between the ages of […]
Why are so many of us over-sensitive? When a gentle glow feels like a spotlight and everyday sounds hurt your ears, life can get anxious and painful. But, discovers Emma Young, there may be an upside to being highly sensitive. Written by: Emma Young At the age of six, Jack Craven started telling his mother […]
Here are two sample pages from the My Summer Handwriting Book packet. The complete My Summer Handwriting Packet download includes 5 different font styles of an 8 page summer themed handwriting practice booklet. Research indicates that to improve handwriting, practice sessions are necessary (Hoy, 2011). This copy booklet is easy to encourage handwriting practice. The five […]
If you are a new or seasoned pediatric occupational and physical therapist, the world of assistive technology and adaptive equipment is constantly changing. Here are many resources that can help guide you to select the most appropriate technology. Access to Independence Website – Michelle Lange is one of the top OTs in the field of […]