Children’s Higher Physical Activity Levels Associated with Decreased Depression

Pediatrics published a meta-analysis on the association of children’s physical activity levels in childhood and adolescence with depression.  Fifty studies (89,894 participants) were included from 2005-2015 that measured physical activity in childhood or adolescence and examined its association with depression  The results indicated that stronger effect sizes were seen in studies with: cross-sectional versus longitudinal designs […]

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April 2017 Digital Magazine for Pediatric OT and PT

The April 2017 Digital Magazine for Pediatric Occupational and Physical Therapy has been published.  You can view articles on the following topics: RESEARCH: CONSTRAINT INDUCED MOVEMENT THERAPY IMPROVES UPPER LIMB ACTIVITY SENSORY BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AT HOME FOOD TACTILE PLAY AND FOOD PREFERENCES SENSORY PROFILES OF CHILDREN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION INFLUENCE OF […]

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Fun Ideas for Hand Strengthening Activities for Kids

Looking for some easy, fun ideas for hand strengthening activities for kids that require little to no equipment and no, extensive preparation?  Check out these free sample pages from The Hand Strengthening Handbook.  Who knew you could do so many fun games and activities with donkey kicks?  How about using rubber bands in some creative […]

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Speech Production and Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy

Recent research examined changes in speech skills of children who have hemiparesis and speech impairment after participation in a constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) program.  The participants in the study included 18 children with hemiparesis and co-occurring speech impairment who participated in a 21-day clinical CIMT program. The Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation-2 (GFTA-2) was used to evaluate […]

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3 Evidence Based Reasons to Incorporate Movement into Classroom Instruction

Here are 3 evidence based reasons why teachers should incorporate movement into classroom instruction: increases student interest, motivation (Vazou et al., 2012), and learning (Braniff, 2011). improves content knowledge, skills, and test scores in core subjects such as mathematics and reading fluency (Adams-Blair & Oliver, 2011; Erwin, Fedewa, & Ahn, 2013; Browning et al., 2014). […]

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New Book on Idiopathic Toe Walking

Renowned Occupational Therapist, Ileana S. McCaigue, OTR/L  and author of Typical Classroom Sensory-Based Problem Behaviors & Suggested Therapeutic Interventions and Autism Sleeps™, has written a new book entitled Taming Idiopathic Toe Walking: A Treatment Guide for Parents and Therapists.  This new book provides a non-invasive, efficient and effective sensory treatment strategy for children and adolescents that display atypical toe […]

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Balance and Coordination of Boys with Intellectual Disability

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly published research examining the balance and coordination of 123 boys (ages 8-18) with intellectual disability (ID) but without Down syndrome.  The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2) was used to measure 6 items for balance, 5 items for upper limb coordination, and 6 items for bilateral coordination. The results indicated the […]