Yoga4Kids In The Classroom

I love Yoga4Kids in the classroom.  I try and integrate yoga techniques into my classrooms as much as possible. It really helps children understand strategies for self-regulation.

http://www.yoga4classrooms.com/benefits-of-yoga-in-schools

Quote Of The Day!

With Memorial Day Weekend past us now and the school year coming to an end I just wanted to remind all of those school-based occupational therapists out there how fun our job really is!

Tips For Making Handwriting Fun!

Here are some great tips from a HomeSchool mom shares how she makes practicing handwriting fun!

http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2016/02/ways-to-make-handwriting-practice-fun.html

Go Noodle

Here is a short video about Go Noodle a great interactive website that gets kids moving!  It 's a wonderful tool to use when your students need a quick movement break or when there has to be indoor recess.  There are also opportunities to use yoga ,mindfulness and coordination exercises.

https://www.gonoodle.com/

Apple's Short Film about Dillon a Non-Verbal Teenager with Autism

This is a beautiful short film about Dillon, a non-verbal teenager with Autism.  We often times misinterpret what our students or children understand when they do not have the ability to communicate.  Technology is providing a voice to these children, what a wonderful gift.

The Role of Occupational Therapy and Autism

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) outlines an occupational therapists role when working with children with Autism.

chrome-extension://mloajfnmjckfjbeeofcdaecbelnblden/https://www.aota.org/-/media/corporate/files/aboutot/professionals/whatisot/cy/fact-sheets/autism%20fact%20sheet.pdf

The Flame Band

All of the band members of the Flame Band have a disability; here is an incredible video that showcases the talents of these individuals.

Decreasing Visual Clutter

Here is a board that I made for one of my students with Autism.  She is often times visually overwhelmed by the amount of visual stimuli in her classroom.  I created this board for her so that she could have access to her daily classroom schedule, daily specials and of course a checklist for her handwriting.  Her pens and pencils are kept on the board as well!  This has decreased her anxiety as well as kept her more focused when working behind the board.

Occupational Therapy Wordle

I love being an occupational therapist!  Why do you?

Happy Speech and Hearing Month!

One of my favorite disciplines to work with are Speech and Language Pathologists.  Collaboration between an Occupational Therapist and a Speech and Language Pathologist equals better treatment outcomes and student success!

Using Assistive Technology to Support Writing

As a graduate school student who is studying assistive technology in special education, I have come to realize the importance of using technology to support writing.  I have been learning about various types of software, hardware, and apps that can be beneficial when supporting these students.  Here is a nice article on using assistive technology to support our students so that all students can access the curriculum in the most supportive way.

http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=108

Using Pictello To Create Stories for Children With Special Needs

I love this Pictello app!  You can create social stories, sensory diets, picture cue cards when learning new tasks!  It is a great app to use and below is the link about Pictello.

http://www.assistiveware.com/product/pictello

TEACCH Program

The TEACCH Autism Program is clinical, training and research program based at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  This link will provide you with information on TEACCH and how it has helped children with Autism around the world learn.

https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/treatment/teacch

Cue Cards For Helping Your Child To Get Dressed

Here is a nice example of using cue cards to help a student with Autism or with a Developmental Disability get dressed.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/Aetc2Z0WEmr8rC8IqJQKW5vjNNhQf4CxjpkgA2-8ITPqePEB7H-E4K0/

Autism and Occupational Therapy- Sensory Difficulties

Here is nice video to help you understand what it is like to have Autism and sensory sensitivities.

Teaching Channel Present Kindergarten and the Common Core

Here is a great video that shows us how Kindergarten teachers are using the Common Core Standards to teach their young students.

Education Researchers Blast Common Core Curriculum

What are your thoughts?  Do you think the Common Core Standards are to difficult for Kindergarten students?  I have to say I was very skeptical when we first adopted the common core standard.  As an occupational therapist I have seen lots of kindergarten students who come in to school and they don't know how to use a paint brush, hold scissors or actually demonstrate pre-writing skills?  How are they expected to read and write if they don't have some of these skills?  This is an interesting article about Kindergarten and the Common Core Standards.

http://edexcellence.net/articles/is-common-core-too-hard-for-kindergarten

The Importance of Sensory Play

This is a great article from PBS about sensory play and the impact that it has on a child's development.

http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/sensory-play/developing-and-cultivating-skills-through-sensory-play/

Wonderful Resources by Carol Kranowitz

I love these books written by Carol Stock Kranowitz.  They are easy to read and a wonderful resource for parents and educators.  Here is a link to all of her books.

http://out-of-sync-child.com/carols-booksdvds/

Changing the Brain Through Play

There isn't enough evidenced based research to back up Sensory Integration treatment.  I am SIPT certified and use SI techniques when working in the schools, in particular when working with children with Autism.  I have often times heard from educators or parents that it looks like we are just playing and how is this technique going to help their students or children.  Read this article, I think it gives a nice overview of why we do what we do when using a Sensory Integration Model to treat our students.

 

https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2013/12/03/sensory-integration-changing-brain-through-play

Dad Communicates With His Non-Verbal Son With Autism

Here is a great video from a dad who demonstrates how he can communicate with his son who was diagnosed with Autism.  Although his son is non-verbal his father is able to get responses from his son by watching how responds to different questions.  His son's self-regulation changes with each question, remarkable!

A New Script for Teaching Handwriting by the Washington Post

Over the past couple of years I have had to make changes in my approach on handwriting.  Occupational therapists would start supporting cursive handwriting in a public school setting, often creating IEP goals to support cursive writing.  However now that we have adopted the Common Core Standards in our state of Rhode Island, cursive handwriting is no longer supported.  We know teach keyboarding skills to get them ready to participate in standardized tests such as the PARCC assessment.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323644904578272151551627948

Should We Still Teach Cursive Handwriting?

This a topic that teachers often bring up to me.  Teachers will often times say that teaching handwriting is no longer in the curriculum, especially cursive handwriting.  I have been an OT for 23 years and I still believe that teaching handwriting is very important.  Not only do children need to understand the formation of letters but they need to refine the small muscles on the hand for improved fine motor coordination.  Learning to write also improves visual motor integration skills, literacy skills and perceptual skills.  What are your thoughts?  Do you think handwriting should be taught in school?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rae-pica/should-we-teach-handwriti_b_905721.html

QR Coding

Check out my QR code that I designed using Unitag.  You can use QR code apps on your iPad or iPhone to scan my QR code and it will take you directly to this blog!

Where Do You Start Your Letters At The Top Song

I love making handwriting fun!  I will play this video to the Kindergarten class when they are first introduced to the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.  They are able to get up and move before writing, what's better then that!

Handwriting Without Tears Screencast

Check out this screencast that I did on how to use the Handwriting Without Tears online tools.  I love the resources that Handwriting Without Tears has to offer!  I use the digital teaching tools right on the SMART board to teach letter formation before the students practice in their workbooks.  Teachers love it too!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9w2l8w6mLe0eE9UZy1LTDA0c3c/view?usp=sharing

Awesome videos made by people with disabilites

Check out this great video called Spectrum-Autism Animated.  Sprout Flix hosts the largest and most diverse assortment of films featuring people with developmental disabilities.  This link brings you to a video narrated by Temple Grandin about having Autism and living with sensory processing difficulties.  

http://sproutflix.org/?s=spectrum+autism+animated

Shoe Tying

Here's a video I made with some classmates on the iPad App. Explain Everything 

Adolescents with Autism

Here is a great article from the Washington Post that talks about non-verbal adolescents with Autism.  As therapist's we often time struggle with how much our clients/students understand language when they are non-verbal.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/05/19/this-non-speaking-teen-wrote-an-incredibly-profound-letter-to-police-about-autism/

Infograph explaining what OT's do in the school!

Check Out My Powtoon Presentation on Neuroscience and Learning

Occupational Therapy Live Binder

Check out my Live Binder!

My Live Binders will provide resources and occupational tools in the area of visual motor integration, fine motor coordination, handwriting and sensory integration.

Occupational Therapy and School Mental Health

Do you collaborate with your school team and support your students who need a little more mental health support?  If so how do you collaborate?  What types of strategies do you implement to help a student?  I have been working in specialized schools that support students with behavioral and psychiatric disorders for over 16-years.  I collaborate with teachers, behavior specialist's and psychologists to implement an appropriate plan for a student.  I will often  implement sensory- based strategies such s progressive relaxation techniques, yoga techniques, movement breaks with heavy work opportunities.  Social skills groups are also very beneficial and can be done when collaborating with psychology, social work or speech and language therapists.

The Decline of Play in Preschoolers and the Rise in Sensory Issues is a must read!! Our children are over scheduled and are not given enough time to play and be creative little beings, instead they spend their time riding in cars, eating fast food so they can get to their next scheduled activity. Kids need "down time" and it's ok for them to be bored or get dirty.

This is a great article that discusses a decline in play in pre-school children.

The Importance of Play!