The Journal of Physical Therapy Science published research examining the effects of stabilization exercises on balance in children with cerebral palsy. The participants included 11 school aged children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (GMFCS Levels I-III). Each child engaged in stabilization exercises of neck and trunk twice per week for eight weeks with each treatment lasting […]
This summer word bank collage is perfect to encourage reading, handwriting and coloring. This summer word bank is FREE for you to download (see bottom of post) to our subscribers. Students can read the words, refer to it when writing or simply color in the collage. It is part of the Summer Word Collage complete […]
Ileana S. McCaigue, OTR/L is a nationally certified/ registered and licensed Occupational Therapist, author, program developer, holistic clinician and educator with 40 years of experience. Her professional career and expertise include a continuum of care. These range from the neonatal intensive care unit to pediatric concerns in the home, school and community for developmental delays, […]
Did you know that deep breathing exercises can help to alleviate stress, reduce anxiety, strengthen the attention span and sharpen the ability to focus and learn? In addition, deep breathing helps certain physiological responses as well such as slow the heart rate and decrease blood pressure. Seems like an easy fix right? Well, maybe not […]
When students press too hard during handwriting tasks, the hand can fatigue, paper can rip and legibility may decrease. Recently, a reader asked for tips and suggestions to help decrease pencil pressure for when students press too hard during handwriting tasks. Here are 10 suggestions to help children reduce pencil pressure when writing: Write on […]
Right now, fidget spinners are everywhere. Whether they are banned from your school or not, here is a fun way to add in some overall exercise while your spinner spins! You can download your FREE fidget spinner workout below. Years ago, I created a fun printable with a different DIY spinning top (you can view […]
The fingers, hands and shoulders require hours and hours of practicing different skills to get ready for the actual job of picking up a pencil and making marks, lines, shapes and letters on paper. Prewriting skills include the ability to write straight lines, curved lines, zig-zags and shapes. These skills are building blocks for letter […]
As pediatric therapists, we all know how beneficial proprioceptive activities are for children. These heavy work exercises help provide students with sensory information about body awareness and positions. They help to calm and regulate a student. Proprioceptive activities can also help to wake up the muscles getting our bodies in an alert state to be […]
Self-regulation skills help children to control emotions, thinking, behavior and motor actions in different situations. Throughout the day, children need the ability to tolerate sensations, situations and form appropriate responses. It requires that children control their impulses to stop doing something if needed and to participate in something even if the children does not want […]
As the end of the school year approaches, the weather gets warmer, the kids get more antsy and attention spans decrease. Sometimes our bodies need a little extra sensory input to help us maintain an appropriate level of alertness for optimal learning. Here are some simple, sensory, quick fixes that may help children to increase […]