Pediatric therapists know quite well that motivating a young child is the key sometimes to successful outcomes. If a child is not interested or motivated in a task, he will not want to practice the task. Therapists try various ways to motivate children through the use of toys and reward systems. Here are several creative […]
A recent study published in Current Biology reports on the sense of smell and memory. In the study the researchers noted that people remembered unpleasant smells the best. Associations of objects and good or bad smells made an imprint on the brain. This only occurred with smells and not sounds. In addition, functional MRI scans […]
Here is a simple, fun activity that encourages muscle strengthening in the hands and fingers, fine motor skill development, visual perceptual skill development, tactile and proprioceptive input. All you need is clay, small objects and a tray. Want to take this activity outdoors? Take a nature walk and collect small, tactile natural items. Make clay […]
Here is our latest issue of a digital pediatric occupational and physical therapy monthly magazine. If you can not view it below you can download a pdf copy.
Here is an interesting and informative website for any therapists who work on handwriting skills. Handwriting without Tears has created a website on handwriting standards. It includes a document with handwriting standards by grade level. In addition, you can look up standards by your state as well. There is also some (not much) research quoted […]
I just finished reading about this creative activity idea in the current issue of Advance for OT’s. The article, written by Cumba Siegler OTR/L, explains how to create “fingarings” out of Sculpty clay. She describes how to create rings for the fingers out of clay. She then offers several activity suggestions for the “fingarings”. This […]
Here is something to consider when working with children who have neurological disorders. A recent thesis study revealed that children in wheelchairs with neurological disorders have different skin temperatures than in children without neurological disorders. The study showed that in children with neurological disorders the temperature of the feet was three degrees colder and the […]
Pediatric occupational and physical therapists frequently practice independently within the schools and clinics. Unless you work for a large school district or children’s hospital, therapists can feel very alone when it comes to having a personal learning community around them. Sure therapists interact with children, parents and teachers but sometimes finding other therapists to bounce […]
Every year Family Fun magazine publishes an issue with their Toys of the Year. This year there was a large collection of toys that encourage fine motor skill development and handwriting skills. You can view the top 10 Toys of the Year at Family Fun. Here were some of the fine motor winners for this […]