Children love to use ink dabber markers. This is a great way to encourage visual motor skill development. But, ink dabber markers can be very expensive. Here is a simple way to make your own ink dabbers including using different types of handles. To order the letter dot worksheets visit Your Therapy Source’s DOT Letters […]
Previously, I had done a post on Yoga for children. I have since come across two additional resources that may be of interest to pediatric occupational and physical therapists who work in the schools. One is Yoga in my School. This website has all the steps you need to do to bring Yoga into the […]
Children love to dress up from an early age. Boys or girls enjoy the fun of pretending to be someone else. Pediatric therapists are always looking for innovative and creative ways to incorporate movement tasks into everyday play. Since Halloween is coming upon us, perhaps dressing up will do the trick. Here are several reasons […]
Here is a new activity idea called Hunt and Find. This inexpensive activity can be created with objects from around the house or the therapy room. To view the directions on how to create and play the activity click on Hunt and Find. For more activities like this check out $ensory Motor Fun on a […]
School based occupational and physical therapists are responsible to track a student’s progress with regards to the goals that pertain to their area of expertise. This is done my daily notes, monthly progress reports and annual reviews. Goals are created by the IEP team and in some cases by the therapists themselves depending upon the […]
I was so excited to find this recent research. Finally, some strong statistics supporting that occupational therapy home programs make a significant difference in a child’s life. Pediatrics published research on children with cerebral palsy who received occupational therapy home programs. There was 36 children in the study (mean age of 7.7 years old) with […]
Here are some free count down timers on the computer to keep children aware of the amount of time left for an activity or lesson. My favorite is the timer on classtools.net where you can actually see the time expiring instead of just numbers counting down. You can also add music to the timer at […]
Here is a fun activity for children of all abilities. Add or eliminate steps depending upon the child’s ability. Step One: Write on a piece of paper in white crayon. This can be something more difficult like a mystery note to practice letter formation or try something simpler like a scribble. If necessary, have an […]
An article in a recent issue of Pediatrics brings up an interesting point when dealing with mothers of young children and their child’s development. Three focus groups, consisting of mothers of children who received early intervention, mothers of typically developing children and specialists were studied. Most mothers indicated a “non alarmist style of communicating if […]
Recently, there have been more studies on autism and motor skill development. Many children with autism exhibit delays in motor skill acquisition. Some research has shown deficits in the following areas: 1. dynamic balance and diadochokinesis (rapid pronation/supination of forearms)2. fine motor skills with regards to timed movements3. increased variability to perform simple movements4. performing […]