Do you wonder how effective inclusion is for students with special needs? Perhaps you are involved in IEP planning and placement meetings where different types of settings are discussed for students and often times anecdotal evidence is provided. Recently a study was published that helps to support the positive impact of inclusion on academic outcomes […]
Have you heard of practicing getting your body into the “just right” state to be ready to learn? As children develop motor skills and process sensory information they start to understand how their body can move slow, fast and all the speeds in between. Over time, children begin to learn to self-regulate and determine their […]
Mindfulness can be defined as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. Research indicates that mindfulness techniques in school aged children can help to improve: sense of well being, ability to focus, relaxation and self regulation. Although mindfulness practices have not been studied in younger children (i.e. preschoolers) […]
Anxiety can be very difficult for children resulting in considerable stress with negative consequences on daily living skills. There are many strategies to help with anxiety in children. Many children with co-morbid conditions such as autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities are at greater risk for anxiety. Parents, teachers and children can learn strategies to […]
As the school year winds down, encourage self reflection by asking students to record answers regarding their biggest accomplishments, improvements, goals and more. This accomplishment worksheet can help students stop and reflect what they have acheived, it also helps them to plan for the future. Bonus – it requires handwriting and drawing practice. How to […]
Pediatrics published research on the trajectories of picky eating in low income children in the United States. The researchers wanted to investigate the trajectories of picky eating in 317 low-income 4 to 9 year old children including associations with child BMI z score and maternal feeding-behavior trajectories. Methodology of the Study There were 317 mother-child […]
Playing catch with a friend is always fun but do you ever stop and think about all the skills that are required to play catch? Learning how to play catch involves many skills. Tossing a ball back and forth requires eye hand coordination, visual motor skills, visual tracking, focus, timing, bilateral coordination, visual spatial skills, […]
How to increase home exercise program compliance for parents of children with disabilities can be a tough question to answer. Parents have a particularly tough job today. Juggling work, home life, children’s schedules, homework assignments and more can feel impossible on some days. Add home exercise programs for parents to perform with their children in […]
Practicing writing strokes can get boring doing the same thing over and over again. This free summer worksheet for visual motor skills will mix things up and add visual scanning too! How to Complete the Free Summer Worksheet for Visual Motor Skills After you download the freebie at the end of this post you can […]
Does your child need to practice balance skills? There are many every day activities that help to strengthen children’s overall skills to maintain their balance. When children practice these types of skills all day long it is easier to see improvements. Check out these simple balance activities for kids. WHAT ARE BALANCE ACTIVITIES? Balance activities […]