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Earth Day Ideas to Encourage Fine Motor, Gross Motor and Coordination Skills

1. Earth Day Crafts: Create collages out of recycled materials. The children can cut up recycled cardboard or magazines to create a collage. Perhaps think of a theme such as healthy foods or exercise. Maybe write the child’s name in large bubble letters and glue on the recycled pictures. 2. Earth Day Challenge: Who can […]

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Sitting Postural Control, Focused Attention and Cerebral Palsy

Pediatric Physical Therapy published research on whether focused attention changed as sitting postural control improved in 19 children with mild to moderate cerebral palsy (mean age 21.47 months).  Each participant was evaluated for focused attention and sitting scores pre and post intervention.  The intervention consisted of physical therapy sessions (perceptual motor training, home program and […]

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Brick Design Activity Pages for School and Home

Here are some sample pages from a great new download “Brick” Activities for School and Home by Michael Callahan, MS, OT.  Created by an OT with 25+ years of experience, these two dimensional designs offer a just right challenge for some students.  Using only 2×2 and 2×4  LEGO® type blocks, children can copy the holiday themed projects, […]

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Push In, Pull Out or Consultation School Based Therapy Survey Results

The results are in from the survey on service delivery model for school based therapy.  There were over 500 responses to the questions!  You can read all the results at Your Therapy Source.   Please take a moment to answer the two question survey on evaluation tools.

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Digital Magazine for Pediatric OTs and PTs

The April 2016 issue of the Your Therapy Source Digital Magazine for Pediatric Occupational and Physical Therapists is now available.  Read articles on pre-handwriting skills, postural control, self regulation, toe walking, activity ideas and more!  Check it out below or download the free magazine at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/magazine.html

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Toca Boca Dance App for Motor Planning, Rhythmic Timing and Body Awareness

(This post contains affiliate links) Every so often an app comes along that has to potential to actually get kids to move instead of just stare at a screen.  Toca Boca Dance is a great, fun app with that potential. It is available as a free version which offers quite a bit.  Basically, you dress […]

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Vibration Threshold and Toe Walking in Children

Pediatric Physical Therapy published research comparing distal vibratory perception threshold and sensation in 11 children who toe walked and 15 controls.  The mean vibration perception threshold at the metacarpal and metatarsal phalangeal joints was calculated for each participant.  In addition, the Short Sensory Profile was completed by each participant’s parent or caregiver.  The results indicated […]

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Butterflies, Bugs and Blocks

Print this Butterfly, Bugs and Blocks freebie to practice fine motor, visual motor, visual closure and visual discrimination skills.  You can download the freebie at Your Therapy Source Inc. Need more building block ideas?  Check out the freebies and download with Building Block Patterns and Games.

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Handedness, Language and Autism

Did you know that about 90% of humans are right handed?  Did you also know that research indicates a decreased degree of right-handedness in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)?  In addition, other research found that children with ASD tended to have more mixed-handedness, but that those who had a definite hand preference performed better […]

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Free App Friday Suggestions for Pediatric Therapists

Here are a few free app suggestions.  These apps are always totally free which is awesome.  I did test these out.  Gigglebug’s Face Race:  This app is super cute for some oral motor and motor planning fun.  Basically an animated creature makes a face and you copy it.  The app snaps a photo and then […]