Research was published comparing the muscle activation and energy expenditure of different postures in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Energy-expenditure and muscle activity were measured during lying supine, sitting with support, sitting without support, and standing in 19 subjects with cerebral palsy (GMFCS- E&R Levels I-V). Using indirect calorimetry and surface electromyography, the […]
School-based therapists have a tough job in terms of keeping all the paperwork requirements in an organized fashion. With large caseloads and different schools, it can be a daunting task to keep it all in order. Here are few ideas to help your stay organized during the school year: 1. Try using one color folder […]
Play for young children is crucial to healthy development. Pediatric therapists who work in early childhood education know the importance of play and how to use it to reach IEP goals that are set for specific children. When a child is evaluated for therapy services, the therapist observes the child in the classroom setting. Therapists […]
These are ready just in time for the start of the school year (or use them anytime you change your schedule to update everyone). These scheduling cards are the size of business cards. Use them to inform teachers, students and parents what day and time a student has therapy and to provide your contact information. […]
Researchers from the University of Montreal taught a group of subjects a new sequence of piano-type finger movements on a box. Using functional MRIs, the subject’s brains were analyzed during their performance of the task before and after a period of sleep. In addition, the same test was performed by a control group at the […]
We all know that we learn from our mistakes. But new research specifically indicates that our brains learn faster from our mistakes. Researchers at Johns Hopkins university determined that people learn an identical or similar task faster the second, third and subsequent time around because they are helped by memories of how to perform the […]
Frontiers in Neuroscience published research looking at the diffusion MRIs of 24 nine and 10-year-old children to determine an association between aerobic fitness and the brain. The study showed that children who are more aerobically fit have more fibrous and compact white-matter tracts in their brains than children who are less fit. More specifically, the […]
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy published research analyzing 275 parental responses to 3 questions on history intake forms regarding concerns and hopes for their children’s outcomes in OT with a sensory integration approach. The results indicated that parents had four types of concerns for their children: 1. self-regulation 2. interacting with peers 3. participating […]
Child Development and Neurology published research on 40 makes with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) to examine tactile perception and manual dexterity, with or without visual feedback. The participants were assessed for tactile perception using two-point discrimination and stereognosis tests, and manual dexterity using the Pick-Up test with the eyes either open or closed. The results indicated […]
Perhaps you have already started back to school or will be shortly. Here are a few tips to make sure you are ready for those first few days back at school providing therapy: 1. Stay calm during scheduling. If you work as a school based therapist you know how stressful scheduling can be. Just try […]