Is your child a clumsy kid? Does he or she frequently run into things or have difficulty learning gross motor tasks like climbing or jumping rope? One explanation for clumsiness is dyspraxia.
Children with dyspraxia can be clumsy and awkward. They have particular problems learning new motor skills and activities and coordinating the upper and lower limbs of their body. To efficiently move through the environment and learn new skills, your body relies on your tactile (touch), vestibular (movement), and proprioceptive (how your muscles perceive your actions) sensory systems. If these systems are not properly integrated, your child may appear clumsy. Given this information, it is not suprising that children with sensory processing disorder who have atypical sensory systems are often clumsy.
Some behaviors that may indicate dyspraxia include poor fine motor skills (e.g. handwriting or manipulating small objects), poor ball play, difficulty imitating movements, and/or decreased balance.
What can be done to treat dyspraxia? An occupational therapist can work with a child to integrate his or her sensory systems so that the child can better understand his or her environment and more efficiently function within it. An occupational or physical therapist can, though play and exploration of new motor activities, improve your child's motor planning. If you have concerns about your child's clumsiness orability to motor plan, consult a professional.
Fine motor skills are the building blocks of an unlimited number of childhood skills!! The efficient use of one's hands is necessary for dressing, feeding, written expression and communication, and playing. Enhancing your child's fine motor skills includes strengthening, stretching, and coordinating the movements of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the hands. Practicing these skills can be fun for the whole family! Try some of the following games that develop fine motor skills.
Abbey's Fine Motor Favorites:
- Play with play-dough: “Play-dough Fun Factory” contains great toys to practice fine motor skills (http://www.amazon.com/Play-Doh-Fun-Factory-Deluxe-Set/dp/B000ZZV22U)
- Lacing activities: lace a shoe, make a bracelet, or string cereal for a necklace
- Tearing paper to make pictures: instead of coloring a picture, tear small pieces of colored paper and glue them on
- Watering mom or dad’s garden with a spray bottle
- Play with sidewalk chalk, then use a spray bottle as your eraser
- Building with Legos, Bristle Blocks, or standard blocks
- Cooking activities: knead bread, use a rolling pin, cut with cookie cutters, mix the dough
- Painting: use your fingers or a brush. For increased support, write on a vertical surface. (Writing on a vertical surface provides more support for the upper extremity.)
- Laundry: hanging clothes on hangers is great fine motor and coordination practice
- Board games with tweezers: here are some of my favorites…
- Toy Story 3 Alien Rescue Claw Game By Mattel
- Beware of Dog by University Games
- Bed Bugs by Patch
- Operation by Milton Bradley
- Wok and Roll by iPlay
- Finger soccer: Draw or purchase a board like this one… http://www.christophersgames.com/ccp15019-finger-soccer-fs50400.htm and propel the ball by “flicking” it with your fingers
- Tennis ball mouth: instructions on how to make and play with one can be found here - http://www.school-ot.com/tennis%20ball.html
The nation celebrates our independence in a few days. At Child and Family Development, however, we celebrate independence each and every day! As children gain more and more independence with daily tasks, they further develop their cognition, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, coordiantion, and self-esteem. Independence for daily living does not come naturally for all children, especially children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, congenital disorders, or other childhood diseases.
Whether your child is "typically developing" or has special needs, one of the best ways to boost your his or her development is to allow him or her the opportunity to explore independence. Parents frequently tell me that they didn't know it was age-appropriate for their child to be playing with markers, be getting dressed independently, or be brushing his or her own teeth. Below is a sampling of self-care tasks and the age range when your child should be able to complete each task (or, more specifically, when 90% of children are able to complete such a task). Use this information to confidently promote your child's independence!
Spoon use: 2 - 2.5 years
Pours liquids: 5 - 5.5 years
Brushes teeth (not thoroughly): 2.5 - 3 years
Brushes hair: 3.5 - 4 years
Washes hands thoroughly: 4 - 4.5 years
Tries to wash body: 1.5 - 2 years
Buttons: 5 - 5.5 years
Removes socks and shoes: 2 - 2.5 years
Puts on shoes: 3 - 3.5 years
Ties shoelaces: 6.5 - 7 years
Wipes self thoroughly after toileting: 6 - 6.5 years
If you have concerns about your child's independence with self-care tasks, you can seek advice or evaluation from a Child and Family Development Occupational Therapist.
Happy 4th of July!
March 2, 2010 marks the 106th birthday of beloved American icon, Dr. Seuss. As I spend the day celebrating his endearing characters, colorful illusrations, and fun ryhmes, I am also inspired by his story.
Did you know that Dr. Seuss' story,
And To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was turned down by publishers 27 times?! What persistance! I also read that he used to sit and imagine stories for eight hours at a time while actually wearing a thinking cap. After such perseverance, Dr. Seuss has now sold more than 200 million stories in 15 languages!
A fun and educational way to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with your child could be to make his or her own Dr. Seuss thinking cap. The website below give simple instructions to make one out of paper. After all, sometimes all it takes to work past the frustration of a difficult handwriting lesson, shoe-tying practice, or homework assignment is a smile...or a funny hat.
http://familycrafts.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/YS/crafts/cathat.htm
It is hard to believe that it was nearly a month ago that we rang in the new year with lofty resolutions and goals for the year to come. Did it ever occur to you to help your child set goals for the new year? Or to create a resolution for a healtier diet for your child?
Statistics say that more than 16% of youth ages 2 to 19 in the United States are considered obese. "Occupational therapy offers structured intervention and support for the management of obesity with a holistic and unique focus on occupation and daily life activities" (Yamkovenko, aota.org). An obvious way to influence your child's health is to control what enters their bodies. My attention was sparked by a recent article published on the Livestrong TM website about the "Top 10 Worst Foods for Kids to Eat." The article lists hot dogs, soda, sticky candy, doughnuts, pre-packaged lunch kits, sugary breakfast cereals, microweable meals, juice drinks, toaster pastries, and french fries as the culprits.
Not only can these foods contribute to an unhealthy weight and decreased cardiovascular health, but they can also create other issues for children with special needs. Quite obviously, many of these items are full of sugar, which creates bursts of energy and subsequent "crashes." This kind of labile energy can be extremely difficult for a child with sensory processing disorder, ADHD, or autism. Their differences in sensory processing can leave them confused and irritated when trying to sort through the changing energy they are feeling.
Now, I'll admit, many of these items were regulars in my pantry when I was younger and perhaps they're in your house right now. It is never too late, however, to make a healthy adjustment to your family's habits and the fresh, new year is a perfect time to try!
If you have more concerns about the your child's weight or sensory processing, seek a professional. A nutrionist can provide more information on how to build a healthy diet for your child and occupational therapists and physical therapists can help you find fun, meaningful exercises that will keep your child active and in an optimal state of arousal.
Happy New Year to a happier, healthier you and family!
You can find the Livestrong TM article mentioned above at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/70149-top-worst-foods-kids-eat/?utm_source=jannewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100126
As the holidays wind down and your child's behavior winds up, I am guessing the allure of the holidays is wearing off. Staying up late, sleeping in, a diet filled with sugar....all of these seemingly fun changes to your routine may be responsible for some negative changes in your child's behavior. Sometimes exacerbations of sensory processing symptoms, temper tantrums, poor compliance, and irritibilty can be quelled simply by returning to your family's routine.
Children find comfort in a daily routine, even when it includes activities that they do not love. It provides them with a feeling of control and a better ability to cope with varying experiences by making their day predictable. During the holidays, we operate on a different schedule and thus take away the predictability of a child's day. This can make your child feel on-edge, especially if your child has a sensory processing disorder or a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.
As we approach the last long weekend of the holidays, find your sanity again by incorporating aspects of your normal routine back into each day.
1) Keep waking and sleeping times consistent. If you have plans to visit friends or relatives at parties that may go late into the night, pack your child's pajamas and favorite snuggle toy. This way, no matter where the night takes you, your child will be able to comfortably go to sleep at their bedtime.
3) For school-aged children, replace the time spent at school with productive activities. Use your imagination to create "outdoor school" (aka playing organized games outside) or indoor "lessons" (i.e. reading and crafts centered around one topic each day. Librarians are always great resources to go to when seeking inspiration for a daily lesson.
2) Return to a healthy diet and a regular dinner time. Decrease the sweets in your child's diet. As we well know, sugar leads to hyperactivity followed by "crashing." Too much sugar will surely lead to increased temper tantrums and breakdowns. Return to your normal healthy diet. When possible, have dinner as a family around the dinner table at a predictable time.
3) Incorporate "homework time." If your child usually does homework after dinner, provide fun holiday worksheets or coloring pages to mimic homework. It is great fine motor and visual motor practice! Plus, it will be less time away from that cool new video game that they can't seem to pull themselves away from.
4) Provide quiet time before bed for more sound sleeping. A family bedtime story, puzzle, or coloring activity always work well.
If you have more questions about developmentally appropriate activities to fill your child's day, ask your Child and Family Development Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist, Educational Specialist or Psychologist.
Santa's elves have been filling the halls of Child and Family Development! They are very curious about gifts that will stimulate the sensory systems of the good little girls and boys on his list. If you are shopping for a little one with a sensory processing disorder or one who is just seeking sensory experiences at home, look no further! I have I found many great and affordable products online that will provide fun sensory experiences.
For proprioceptive input, which helps your child understand the position, force, direction, and movement of his or her own body parts...
Bean bag chair - great to pull around the house for "heavy work" that will provide proprioceptive input through the arms and core.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11254400
Rope ladder
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40054072
Tunnel for crawling
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80078877
Wagon - more "heavy work" fun
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=kids%20wagon&tag=computerrep01-20&index=toys-and-games&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
For vestibular input, which helps your child understand his or her position in space by providing stimulation to the structures of the inner ear (Plus, it's lots of fun!)...
Castle Bouncer
http://www.walmart.com/Castle-Bouncer-Inflatable/ip/10967575
Ekorre relaxing seat
available in the children's section of your local Ikea store
Spring Horse
http://www.etoys.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2738040
Hippity-Hop ball
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=hopping%20ball&tag=computerrep01-20&index=toys-and-games&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
For quiet places to take a break from the overly stimulating world...
Hideaway Swivel Chair
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40100253
Bed canopy
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20116207
For tactile input to practice discriminatory touch, provide input for children to are hyposensitive, and train reactions of those who are hypersensitive...
Wikki Stix
http://www.officeplayground.com/Wikki-Stix-Rainbow-Pack-P855.aspx
great to assist with learning shapes, numbers, or letters!
Sand and Water activity table
http://www.walmart.com/Naturally-Playful-Sand-Water-Table/ip/10983986
Bathtub traffic fun - for a distraction in the tub
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2401623
Fidget toys to keep those hands busy...
Blob ball - my favorite fidget toy :)
http://www.ourcreativemindsinc.com/product.sc?productId=151&categoryId=6
Play Dough fun factory
http://www.etoys.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2731980
To ease with transitions...
Sensory Stories - To prepare your child from everything from school assemblies to ear cleaning
http://www.therapro.com/AdvancedSearch.aspx?k=sensory%20stories
If you have questions or are seeking more input for your chiuld's specific needs, ask your Child and Family Development Occupational Therapist.
Happy Shopping!!
Please note: Many of the items listed are available on more than one website, so feel free to shop around for the best deal, Santa. I know your budget may be tighter this year!
Right! Left! Up! Down! These directions seems obvious to a mature adult, but can be very challenging for developing children. Directionality is the ability to recognize right versus left, up versus down, and under, over. It is an important developmental skill that influences a child's ability to write, dress themselves, and follow directions. If, for instance, you've faced the common dilemma of your child putting his shoes on the wrong feet, then practice this skill. Here are some suggestions to try at home.
Treasure hunt
Give your child specific commands to hunt for small treats in your house. Give directions like, "Go through the door to the left. Then, crawl under the table in front of the couch." At the end of the hunt, reward your child with a small toy or edible treat!
Art activities with the child's hands
Assist your child in tracing his or her hands. Cut out the hands and decorate. Hang the new artwork in a visible place to review each day. The refrigerator might be a good spot! Say, "point to the left hand" or "which color did you paint on the right thumb?" Frequent repetition of this skill can lead to great improvements in understanding.
Dance Party
Play lively music for your whole family and have a directionality dance party! Take turns to allow each family member be the dance leader. The leader can give directions like. "stomp your right foot" or "slide to the left!"
Household chores
When asking your child to clean his or her room or put away the dishes, use directionality commands. You can instruct them to put things way using left/right, up/down, and under/over commands.
The possibilities are endless! The more repetition with this skill, the better. Since this skill is a precursor to other developmental milestones, practice with it will lead to some notable benefits. For instance, you may observe that your child's ability to learn new letters improves. Letters are learned by following directionality comands. Think about how you describe letters - B starts at the top with two loops to the right. Also, some therapists have observed that, after repetitous practice of this skill, children with dyselxia will form their letters with fewer reversals. You may also observe improved direction-following because your child has a greater understand of what is being asked of him or her. He or she will be able to successfully follow the teacher's command to complete the top of the worksheet.
If your child is having difficulty with this skill, consult a Child and Family Occupational Therapist for more ideas to practice!
Hello there! My name is Abbey Sipp and I am happy to introduce myself as a new Occupational Therapist on the Child and Family Development team! I recently moved to Charlotte from Pittsburgh, PA, which was home to child development pioneer and beloved television personality, Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers always had great suggestions to assist families in fostering their children's development. Here are a few tips I learned from him that will foster healthy development with children throughout your daily routines.
Children have feelings, too!
Children experience all ranges of emotions including happiness, fear, saddness, stress, and anger. Help your child develop loving inner controls to cope with feelings. Encourage your child to discuss feelings by saying things like, "I remember feeling angry in school when..." or "Sometimes I become frustrated when..." When a child feels angry, allow them to draw a picture to express their feelings or pound on toys to express aggression appropriately. Being able to identify and cope with feelings in an invaluable lifelong lesson!
Learning does not just happen at school!
Yes, your child learns all day long at school, but never pass up an opporutnity to teach your child during your daily routine! Help them understand the practical side of reading and writing by creating and then reading the grocery list during your visit to the store. Create a cozy, fun place in your home just for reading. Practice fine motor skills and object manipulation during meal preparation by asking your child to roll dough, mix ingredients, or set the table.
Boost you child's self-esteem!
One of the best ways to boost your child's self esteem is to set them up for success! Cleaning his or her messy room may seem like an overwhelming task. When you break down the task into smaller parts, the child will feel a greater sense of accomplishment and have greater motivation to finish the tasks. Examples of this could include saying "find all of the blocks and put them in the bucket" or "put away the yellow objects first." Then, when they complete the task, don't forget to tell them how proud of them that you are for their accomplishments.
I'll leave you with one of Mr. Rogers favorite quotes (and one of mine).
"There isn't anyone you couldn't love once you've heard his story."
Help you child develop the skills to be able to tell their "story" to the world! The possibilties to help your child grow emotionally, physically, and intellectually are endless. Each experience that your child has throughout the day is one of learning!
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