New research published in the Journal of Pediatrics reports that 16 children (ages 6-11 years old) with developmental disabilities had decreased anxiety during dental visits when a sensory adapted environment was used. The study compared developmentally disabled children to typical peers. During the first dental visit, no environmental adaptations were used. During the second dental […]
Here is a video on 4 children with autism and how they use Google Sketch Up. This is a great program for visual spatial learners. If anyone has used this with older children on the spectrum please comment. I would love to hear how it worked.
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine published research that indicated children who lack self regulation exhibit excessive weight gain. This was a longitudinal study of 1061 children. The children participated in self regulation tasks at ages 3 and 5 years old. They were then followed until 12 years of age with body mass index (BMI) […]
Your Therapy Source Inc. is the host for the next Occupational Therapy Blog Carnival. A blog carnival is a collection of articles on a specific topic. There have been two previously done on occupational therapy. All you have to do is submit your favorite OT blog post to the carnival at http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_6317.html. You must submit […]
Earth Day is this Wednesday, April 22, 2009. Why not incorporate the theme into your therapy sessions. Here are a few suggestions: 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 […]
Here is a video of a suggested activity to do with our newest electronic book – Alphabet, Number and Shape Cards.
Traditionally, a classroom lesson is delivered as verbal or written material. The student relies on auditory and/ or visual input to understand the concepts. The student is expected to sit for extended periods of time and remain on task. For many of the students who receive related services, this can be a frustrating method of […]
Here is some information on an intriguing study in the Developmental Neurorehabilitation on children with hemiplegia and their use of upper extremity splints and assistive technology. The study reports that 56% of the children were prescribed UE splints but only 48% of those children were using the splints. In comparison, 46% of the children were […]
Here is a new activity video to encourage grading of movements, motor planning and eye hand coordination. You will need balloons, cardboard tube or soft bat, and old box to do the activity. Reminder: Balloons can be hazardous to children. Do not allow children under 8 years old to use balloons unsupervised. The child pretends […]
There is a lot of buzz going around about OT Month. Here are 10 suggestions to celebrate OT Month in a school or pediatric setting: 1. Host the Occupational Therapy Olympics – invite school staff, parents and students to participate in the OT Olympics. Try relay races to get dressed, get down objects using reachers, […]