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The Mozart Effect on Weight Gain in Preterm Infants

The most recent issue of Pediatrics reports on 20 healthy preterm infants that were exposed to a 30 minute period of Mozart music for 2 consecutive days. The resting energy expenditure of the infants was significantly lower during the 10 to 30 minute period of listening to the music. There was no difference in resting […]

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Traumatic Brain Injuries and Sensory Processing

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy published research on the sensory processing of children (3-10 years old) who experienced a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Sensory Profiles were completed on a random sample of 20 children with TBI. The results showed “behaviors outside the typical range in all sections of the Sensory Profile […]

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Visual Supports during Therapy Sessions

It is well known that children with autism and certain other disabilities benefit greatly from the use of visual supports throughout the day. Visual supports can be pictures, objects, written words, body language and cues. Some children use visual supports as a primary means of communication in the classroom and home. If this is a […]

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Sensory Motor Countdown to the Holidays

Here is a twist on the usual countdown to the holidays. This calender for December includes gross motor and fine motor activities for each day leading up to the holiday season. You can get a printable version at Your Therapy Source. Print it out and give to parents or hang up in your home to […]

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Holiday Soft Tee Giveaway!

We are sponsoring a holiday Soft® Tee giveaway of 5 seamless, tagless, soft cotton tees! Created by a Mom and special educator, Soft® is the first line of inclusive clothing designed with the needs of all children in mind, including those with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, and tactile defensiveness. They use flat seaming and […]

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Simple Multisensory Lessons – Spelling

This will be the first post of a series on simple multisensory lessons. Traditionally, a classroom lesson is delivered as verbal or written material. The student relies on auditory and/ or visual input to understand the concepts. The student is expected to sit for extended periods of time and remain on task. For many of […]

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Children with Autism and Handwriting

The current issue of Neurology published research on handwriting abilities in children with autism (14 children with autism and 14 children without autism). The research indicated that children with autism displayed poorer quality in forming letters but size, alignment and spacing were similar to their peers without autism. In the study, motor skill level was […]