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3 Motor Control Variables to Check On When Teaching New Motor Skills

As pediatric therapists, we learn a significant amount of information on motor control theory.  Do you always put it into practice?  When teaching new motor skills, do you stop and think about the theories and research you have studied?  Here are three motor control variables to check when teaching new motor skills:1.  What is the child’s […]

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Playing with Food = Better Learning

Researchers at the University of Iowa studied 16 month old children’s exposure to 14 non solid objects such as applesauce, pudding and juice.  The researchers presented the items and created fictional names.  One minute later the children were asked to identify the same non-solid objects in different sizes or shapes.  The toddlers willingly interacted with the non […]

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Occupational Therapy Improved Everyday Tasks in Children with Autism

The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published research on the effects of occupational therapy with a sensory integration approach or behavioral therapy on the ability to complete everyday tasks in children with autism.  In a randomized study, 32 children (ages 4-8), were assigned to an OT-SI group (occupational therapy sensory integration group) or a […]

3 Free Tools for Video Conferencing

 Have you ever considered using your webcam on your computer to have a meeting?  Perhaps you have a parent that you would like to show some exercises to in person but they are working during the school day.  Maybe you want to discuss therapeutic techniques or hot topics with other professionals.    If you just one […]

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Research: Children Are Significantly Less Fit than Decades Ago

Photo by Chucka_NC on Flicker Creative Commons License The American Heart Association presented research on 50 studies on running fitness between 1964 and 2010 that involved more than 25 million kids, ages 9 to 17, in 28 countries. Most of the studies measured cardiovascular endurance by how far kids could run in a set time […]

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5 Tips on Tackling Big Goals

At times, all children need some help to achieve big goals.  Whether it be a lofty IEP goal that you inherited, a large project the student needs to complete or a complex motor skill often times it is easier to break it up into smaller, more manageable chunks.  Teachers call it scaffolding and therapists sometimes […]