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Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw Holiday Ornament

Here is a holiday ornament activity that includes scissor skills, sequencing, motor planning, visual motor skills and following directions!  All on one piece of paper (translation: NO PREP activity).  This ornament activity is from the Cut, Sequence, Paste and Draw – Holiday Edition.   Print out this activity and the child can cut, sequence, paste […]

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Holiday Match Up Fine Motor and Visual Memory Activity

Check out this FREE Holiday Match Up activity from the December Packet. Print and laminate the page. Using thumb, index and middle finger create small balls of clay. Flatten each ball between thumb and index finger. Place clay over each circle. Player one removes two pieces of clay. If it is a match, keep the […]

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Block Play and Spatial Awareness

Developing the skills to express and understand spatial skills are the first step in understanding spatial ability and awareness such as math skills, visual perceptual skills and body awareness. Child Development published research on the importance of block play in over one hundred preschoolers. The children in the study who were better at copying block […]

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Perceptual Reasoning, Handwriting and Autism

Neurology published research on a small study consisting of 24 adolescents, half with autism and half without autism. Using the Minnesota Handwriting Assessment Test, intelligence test and Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle (Motor) Signs (PANESS), the researchers found that the adolescents with autism showed worse overall scores on handwriting just like younger children with autism […]

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Will My Child with Cerebral Palsy Walk?

If you are a pediatric physical therapist who works with young children you have most likely been asked by parents “will my child with cerebral palsy walk?”  Many times the response is based on evaluation results, clinical experience and research. Disability and Rehabilitation published the results of a systemic review on 1123 identified articles on prognostic […]

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Bilateral Coordination and Academic Performance in Children

Pediatrics International published research on 100 Brazilian children (ages 8-11 years old)  evaluating interlimb coordination and its relationship to their academic performance.  Each child was assessed with the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Academic Performance Test. Participants were grouped into low (<25%) and high (>75%) academic achievers. The results indicated: a significant difference between groups […]

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Turkey Squares Craft Project

After seeing this on Turkey Squares craft on Pinterest, the original blogpost at A Spoonful of Learning and seeing it on Pediatric OT Group Facebook page, I decided to make a template for the activity (see below for free download).  You can print out four different versions of the template – black and white turkey, color turkey, […]