Five Friday Features

1. Did you see my guest post for These Broken Vases on Monday? No, then head on over to read my activity suggestions for children with Down syndrome. While you're there, be sure to browse the rest of Ellen's blog and her website, too. I especially love her writing prompts. They are always thought provoking and give a jump start if you're having a bout of writer's block.
2. Looking for some last minute Thanksgiving craft ideas? I love these Gratitude Turkeys from Modern Parents Messy Kids. No Time for Flashcards also has a fun 3D Handprint Turkey Craft.
3. Therapists, are you interested in receiving a free game? Of course you are! Blue Orange Games is giving a free Spot It! game to the first 200 therapists to sign up for their newsletter. This is a great game to work on visual scanning skills. Click here to enter
4. Why listening is so much more than hearing. Interesting article in the New York Times.
5. And on the topic of hearing, what does sensory overload sound like? If you only click on one of my links this week, this should be the one! Thank you NPR for bringing this fantastic video to my attention!

Five Friday Features

Whew! What a week it has been! My thoughts go out to those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. Here in Massachusetts, the damage was minimal and power outages were short, but many others were not so lucky. I can't stop thinking about families with children with children with special needs who need and depend on technology to keep their children healthy.

In the midst of all of the hurricane news, here are some other things that caught my eye this week.

1. World OT Day was on October 27 and to celebrate Online Technology 4 Occupational Therapy held a 24 hour virtual exchange. I have no excuse for not checking it out, since I had power AND I was home from work because school was cancelled, but nonetheless I did not listen to any of the sessions. I am hoping they will be archived here and I will be able to check them out a later date.
2. In honor of World OT Day, Linda (over at Linda's Daily Living Skills) hosted an OT Blog Carnival. The theme was the same as the theme of World OT Day: Finding Balance. I haven't had a chance to read through all of the submissions, but I am looking forward to checking them out this weekend and discovering some new OT blogs. I hope you will do the same! Click here to visit the OT Blog Carnival.
3. Remember this New York Times Op-Ed? I Had Asperger Syndrome. Briefly. New York Magazine is back on that topic, questioning, is everyone on the autism spectrum? Hmmm...interesting read.
4. Baby play tables are one of my must-have pieces of equipment for early intervention therapy. MamaOT has a great post articulating exactly my thoughts on why they are so great. Be sure to check it out here!
5. Did you hear about these NICU nurses? Amazing.

Five Friday Features

First things first. Drum roll, please....And the winner of the $50 Educational Insights Giveaway is.....Carrie Hager! Congrats, Carrie! Please send me an email so I can get your prize to you!

Not the winner? Don't despair! Thanks to the generosity of Educational Insights I will be hosting more giveaways soon, so be sure to check back!

1. I received my copy of Dark and Light: A Love Story in the mail this week! I'm so happy to see Shasta's book in print and so proud of what she has accomplished! Way to go Shasta!

2. The October newsletter from Tots-N-Tech is a great one! The topic is Using Visual Supports with Infants and Toddlers. The newsletter defines visual supports, helps you decide which type of visual support to use, and then gives examples and how-to's on making a variety of visual supports, from social stories to visual schedules to choice boards and more! What a fantastic resource! Click here to view the newsletter (it is a PDF file).

3. Love, love, LOVE these DIY travel size chalkboards from No Time for Flashcards. The tactile feedback that chalkboards provide are great for teaching letter formation.

4. On Wednesday I attended an in-service at work about Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking. I'm very excited to implement some of the concepts I learned with my students! It should tie in nicely with concepts from The Hidden Curriculum.

5. I recently started a new job and I'm now working with more older children than I was previously, which means I'm being challenged to think of different ways to address skill development. This week I played a game of Twister with a couple of my students. What a fun way to work on strength, motor planning, and right/left identification! What activities do you use to work on right/left identification?

Five Friday Features

It's officially October and Halloween activities are everywhere. Here are a few I think are worth checking out (plus a few other things worth reading this week).

1. Last October I posted a recipe for pumpkin spice playdough (you can see the pumpkins I made above!). Mom Not a Pro has come up with another fun way to use pumpkin playdough - put it in baby food jars to create little pumpkin favors! What a cute idea! And squishing, rolling and pinching playdough helps to develop fine motor skills.

2. Miss Mancy has a fun twist on the usual sensory bag. Check out how she encourages fine motor skills with a fun Halloween sensory bag.

3. Last week, I mentioned the app review by OT's With Apps of the Wet-Dry-Try app and the incorporation of manipulatives with the app. Well, Your Therapy Source tried out the use of a sponge and reports that it really does work! Which further inspired me to try using a sponge, and indeed, it really does work! Yay! I'm so excited about this discovery! {That's a photo of me using a sponge on the LetterSchool app, if you were wondering}

4. With the arrival of October, that also means that it is almost time for World OT Day and the OT24Vx. This is a free 24 hour virtual exchange containing live speaker presentations and discussions from the international world of occupational therapy. I think I'll try to actually listen in on a few this year. Or at least catch them on the archives if I don't want to stay up all night or skip work :)

5. The American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren.org has just released a new publication, Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know. Through October 14th, you can download a free 83-page excerpt and the entire publication is 30% off through the end of October. I've briefly skimmed through the free 83-page excerpt (the entire thing is 300+ pages!) and it looks like a great resource for parents and therapists. You do have to register on the HealthyChildren.org website to gain access to the free excerpt, but I'm sure as with all websites that you can opt out of being on their email list if you don't want to be hounded by them.

Five Friday Features

See those quotes above? The one in the middle is me! Back in July (or maybe August), OT Practice Associate Editor, Andrew Waite, contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in being interviewed for an upcoming article. I said yes, and I managed to get a line in the article! Burnout is a serious problem in helping professions, such as OT. Whether you're feeling burned out or not, I recommend you take a look at the article in the most recent issue of OT Practice.

And now, here are some other articles and blog posts worth reading, if you find yourself with some extra time this weekend.

1. I haven't tried the new Handwriting Without Tears Wet-Dry-Try app, but there has been a lot of buzz about it on the web. Carol Leynse Harpold, of OT's With Apps, shares her thoughts on the app here. I love that she focused on how to incorporate real manipulative tools into the use of the app, since that is the heart of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum. She also made a good point about the use of a stylus and that all styluses are not created equal - to promote a tripod grasp, make sure the stylus you're using has connectivity using the edge of the stylus, when held at an angle. Check out her post for photos if my description doesn't make sense :)
2. I'm a little late on this one, but be sure to read this article from The Atlantic, "iPods as the Next-Generation Autism Aid". It features the research of an occupational therapist using iPods with young adults with autism. Yay for OTs getting out there and being heard!
3. I came across a few good articles on parent and children's rights. The first one was the story of Maya when she and her family moved to a new state and the process of transferring her son's services across states. Read her story on Love That Max. Special-Ism ran a great article called IEP's and Evidence! Written by a lawyer, this article explains in easy to understand terms why it is a good idea for parents to collect evidence and how to do it. By collecting evidence this will help parents support their case if there is ever any wrongdoing. I'm hoping by parents becoming more savvy, there won't be so many cases of children not being given the education or services they are entitled to.
4. Dr. Zachry of Pediatric Occupational Therapy Tips shared an easy way to teach children to cut on the lines using a simple DIY tactile cue. You can see what she did by clicking here.
5. Okay, this one doesn't require much reading. If you haven't seen this short film, One, I highly recommend you check it out. This is a touching film by a woman whose brother has cerebral palsy. It's only ten minutes and well worth your time!

The leaves on the trees are just starting to show glimpses of changing colors. I am so excited to experience a New England fall this year! Have a fantastic weekend!

Five Friday Features

1. I've been busy adding to my Amazon store in preparation for the holidays. I know it's only September, but the holidays will be here before we know it and I'm always asked for recommendations for gifts for children. Anytime you click through to Amazon from my blog and then make a purchase while you're there, I receive a very small commission, which I am dedicated to using to help others. So far I have used the money I have received to support Shasta's Kickstarter Campaign and to participate in the virtual Bravery Run. Like I said, I receive only a very small commission, but every little bit does help.
2. This week I discovered the blog, Your Kid's Table. Written by an OT and mother to two kids under three, Alisha Grogan. In Your Kid's Table, Alisha shares the strategies she uses both at home and at work, to help parents improve their children's eating and feeding skills. This is a great resource!
3. I also discovered Beyond Basic Play, a blog written by a pediatric physical therapist, Natalie. Beyond Basic Play is where Natalie shares news, tips, and resources relevant to pediatric physical therapy, including her Tips and Tricks Tuesday. Be sure to check it out!
4. Julian Treasure gave a thought provoking TED Talk called Why Architects Need to Use Their Ears. In this talk he discusses how the noise level of buildings, offices, classrooms, hospitals and even cities, are affecting our health and well-being. He is especially committed to changing the way classrooms are designed to make better learning environments. This talk made me think of the students I work with, many of which are sensitive to noises and may have auditory processing delays. Wouldn't it be great if classrooms were universally designed to make it easier for everyone to hear and learn? Read more about his tips for designing classrooms that are kind on the ears on the Ted Blog.
5. The FDA has updated their warning on the use of Simply Thick with infants. The previous warning related only to infants born before 37 weeks gestation, and now the FDA is recommending no use of Simply Thick with any infants, due to a possible increase in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Please visit the FDA website for more information.

Happy first weekend of autumn!
 

Friday Features 9.14.12

 

This week I...

- received some demo shoelaces in the mail from Tying is a Snap. I haven't had a chance to try out the laces yet, but so far I like what I see! I'm always recommending that parents use two different colored laces when teaching their kids to tie shoes. These laces look like a great solution without making a mess of your shoelaces by trying to tie two different colors together! Look for a full review and giveaway once I have a chance to try them out!

Friday Features Link:

- There were many poignant stories on the web this week about remembering the victims of the 9/11 attacks. I especially enjoyed Ellen's inspirational post, A plate of cookies to remember 9/11. This touching story features a man with cerebral palsy and lesson for her children.

- I came across a fantastic website/blog called Special-Ism. I'm still wading my way through all of the great information provided on this site dedicated to "invisible" special needs, but I highly recommend you go check it out. I was especially impressed with the article, Showering as a Sensory Tool written by an OT. This article encourages us to rethink the sensory aspects of our children's daily routines.

Friday Features 9.7.12

This week I...

- did a lot of mundane, yet time consuming tasks related to moving, like registering my car, getting a new driver's license, and getting my internet set up (yay for the last one!)

- am learning to adjust to my stove. Before I moved, I had a gas stove. Now I have an electric stove and when I make my morning oatmeal, it just doesn't come out the same. It's all slimy. Yuck! Obviously I have texture issues. In fact, about a year ago, I would gag on oatmeal, but that's an entire post in itself. Long story short, I'm learning to adjust to my new stove and my slimy oatmeal, and it makes me more sensitive to what the kiddos I treat in feeding therapy are experiencing.

Friday Features Links:

- Alisa, who was featured in this week's Parent's Perspective, recommended that I check out the website CP Daily Living. What a great suggestion! CP Daily Living is a website created by the mother of a child with cerebral palsy and is full of useful information and resources about cerebral palsy. Be sure to visit at www.cpdailyliving.com.

- If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know that I love to hear from parents and hear a parent's perspective on what makes therapy successful for their child. This week Hopeful Parents had a great post called 10 tips on having a good home therapy program. This is a must-read for both parents and therapists.

- Tonya, of Therapy Fun Zone, had an idea that is pure genius! She used two iPad styluses to create iPad chopsticks. I will definitely be trying this with apps like Dexteria or Ready to Print that have tasks that require pinching. What a creative way to work on fine motor skills on an iPad!

Friday Features 8.31.12

This week I...

- officially became a resident of the East Coast!! I'm slowly working on getting settled in and back into some sort of routine. Until I settle in, I'm happy spending my time being a tourist in a new part of the country!

Friday Features Links:

- Looking for therapy treatment ideas? Tonya at Therapy Fun Zone held a link-up for therapists to share their Pinterest boards. Click here to see the full list.

- Karen at Days of Our OT Lives is holding a weighted blanket giveaway! Interested in a chance to win?  Head over to her blog and leave a comment!

- The 2012 Paralympics are underway in London! Be sure to check out one of the competitors, OT Kerri Morgan, as she competes in the 100m and 200m dash.

- I am super excited about this last one! AOTA has announced a new member benefit: Access to two international OT journals: British Journal of Occupational Therapy and Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. This is in addition to access to American Journal of Occupational Therapy that AOTA members already have. Now there is really no reason to not be an AOTA member!


Happy three day weekend!!

Friday Features

This week I...

- returned from vacation and am working on getting caught up reading all of my favorite blogs. Now it's time to pack for the big move. I can't really put it off any longer!

- reviewed the new BrainWorks App by Sensational Brain for PediaStaff. I'm loving the potential this app has for helping children become more independent in self-regulation and following sensory diets, so head over to PediaStaff and read  more about it!

Friday Features Link:

- Embrace Your Chaos has started a new series called 101 Ways to Play. So far this series has covered classic games and ways to play, such as Simon Says, coloring with sidewalk chalk, building a fort, and playing with Play-Doh. Full of great for ideas to keep kids engaged in play, while also promoting physical and sensory development at the same time. I look forward to following this entire series!

Friday Features

This week I...

- wrote a guest post for Love That Max, Summer fun for kids with special needs (that's actually therapy). Check it out and leave your favorite summer activities for kids with special needs in the comments section!

- made the list of Top 10 Occupational Therapy Blogs by The Healthy Per Diem! I'm honored to have made the list and happy to hear that people find the information on my blog worth reading.

So, what does the picture have to do with my post? In about an hour I'll be heading off to the airport to make my way to Iowa. On Sunday I will start riding my bike across Iowa with about, oh, TEN THOUSAND other cyclists. It's my favorite week of the year! I'm looking forward to a week of being outdoors and unplugged (and eating lots and lots of homemade pie!). For the next week or so, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Pinterest, no Instagram, no email, no blogging...life the way it used to be :-) Don't get me wrong, I love all of those things, but I do think we should all take a healthy break now and then to recharge. I do have a few posts scheduled for while I'm away, including another fantastic Parent's Perspective, coming up next Wednesday!

Friday Features Links:

- Tongue in Cheek SLP is in the middle of a four part series about the benefits of eating a rainbow of foods. This week's post focused on the color green. Last week was all about red, orange, and yellow. Be sure to stop by and subscribe to the posts, so you can learn about the entire rainbow of foods.

- MamaOT shared 10 types of toys and games every preschooler should have. This is a fantastic list! She also wrote 7 types of toys every toddler should have and 15 toys for baby's first year. What a great series! I hope it will continue to older children as well!

Friday Features

This week I...

- Introduced my new weekly feature, A Parent's Perspective. I've been thinking about creating some sort of feature to help families share their thoughts on therapy with therapists. I'm so excited that I have moved from thinking about starting a series, to actually doing it! In case you missed the debut, Allie, from Having a Fields Day, was kind enough to be the first parent featured. Click here to check it out and then come back next Wednesday to meet another family! If you are interested in being featured on A Parent's Perspective, please send me an email: AbbyPediatricOT [at] gmail [dot] com.

- Submitted my application my Massachusetts Occupational Therapy license. This move is coming up fast!

- Put a profile picture on my blog. Yes, I am a real person!

- Started using Twitter more consistently and I'm going to try to keep it up. Follow me @AbbyPediatricOT

Friday Features Links:

- MamaOT is on a roll with her blog posts! This week check out her 15 toys for baby's first year. This is a very useful list for new parents, therapists working in EI, or anyone shopping for a little one!

- Check out this guide to some simple DIY therapy equipment from We Can Do All Things. Useful for parents and therapists. I especially love the simple balance beam.

- Embrace Your Chaos has a great oral motor activity: Sensory-Motor "Awesomeness" with Glitter. I'm definitely going to have to try this!

Friday Features

This week I...

- Wrote a guest post for Mama OT. If you missed it, hop on over to her blog to read 5 things your school OT wishes you would do this summer.

-  Changed the url on my blog to www.abbypediatricot.blogspot.com. I know this will be good in the long run, but I'm concerned all of my readers won't be able to find me (blogger doesn't have a way to set up a redirect page). I want to avoid confusion with Loren Shlaes' blog, pediatricOT, whose url is www.pediatricot.blogspot.com. By the way, her blog is full of great articles, so I'd recommend that you go over and visit Loren's blog for some great information. I'm not sure how my url change will affect RSS feeds and other links already out on the web, I hope I don't lose my faithful readers! Feel free to help spread the word that my url is now www.abbypediatricot.blogspot.com!

- Did a ton of pinning of my own blog posts. I hate doing that because it feels like I'm just trying to push my own blog and ideas, but since I changed my url, all of the pins that others put on Pinterest will no longer link back to my blog (and blogger won't let me set up a page redirect) :-(  I really prefer to use Pinterest to organize all of the great ideas I come across on the web and from other bloggers, but I have to admit, I do enjoy getting comments and emails from people who have found my blog through Pinterest. If you're interested in checking out what I've come across on the web, feel free to check out my therapy boards by clicking here.

Friday Features Link:

-Mama OT has a great post on 10 tips to prepare parents for their child's in-home evaluation. As an OT and mama to a 10 month old, she recently found herself in the unique position of having her son undergo a developmental evaluation. Her insight into the whole process is great for parents wondering how early intervention works and what to expect at the developmental evaluation.

Friday Features

This week I...
- Did a lot of work on some upcoming blog projects. I don't have much to show for it right now (on my blog at least), but hopefully I will soon!


- Got my haircut and missed a great opportunity to explain what occupational therapy is to my hairdresser when she asked me where I work. My excuse is that I was tired and I just wanted to sit there and relax while she did her thing, so I gave her a kind of short, vague answer about where I work. Lame, I know, but don't tell me you've never done the same thing. Anyway, I read this post the next day and it got me thinking. The author challenges occupational therapists to educate one person per week for the month of July about what an occupational therapist is, what we do, and the different areas in which we practice. Are you up to the challenge?

Friday Features Links:
- OT blog alert! Check out Mama OT for tips and tricks for those who care for children. The author of this blog shares helpful tidbits she has learned as both a new mother and pediatric OT.


- With the Fourth of July fast approaching, check out these tips from an OT for Putting the Fun Back into the Fourth of July.

Friday Features

This week I...
- Began to clean out my desk and now I just have piles of OT books and CDs and toys (like the one above) that I need to do something about. Would anyone be interested in hearing about some of my favorite therapy books in upcoming posts?As you might be able to tell from the photo, I'm a huge fan of the Kumon 'My First' workbooks to work on pre-writing and scissor skills.

Friday Features Links:
- It's a week full of surveys. If you are a parent of a child who has received early intervention services (birth to age 5), Stephanie Bruno-Dowling over at Early Intervention Speech Therapy, is looking for feedback from parents via a survey to share the results on her blog. Click here to learn more about the survey.


- Dr. Anne Zachry at Pediatric Occupational Therapy Tips, is looking for feedback from pediatric physical and occupational therapists for a research project she is working on about the amount of time infants under six months of age should spend in various baby gear (e.g. car seats, swings, bumbo chairs, etc). Click here to learn access the survey.

- If you haven't already heard, Shasta at Outrageous Fortune, has started a Kickstarter Campaign to publish a baby book that she has written to raise money for her son Malachi's therapy. She has had such an overwhelming response to her campaign that she is hoping to expand the project to help other children with disabilities as well. To learn more about her book, Dark & Light: A love story for babies, or to support her Kickstarter campaign, click here. 

Friday Features

This week I...
- Tried to get back into my work/blogging/regular life routine after all of the wedding/honeymoon excitement. An 18 hour power outage yesterday threw me off a little (ok, maybe a lot), but the power is back on and I think I'm settling back into regular life.

- Started a new blog feature, What's in Season? This will hopefully be a somewhat regular post about ways to expose the children in your life to tasty foods. Check out my first post all about blueberries here.

- Was contacted by Andrew Waite, associate editor of OT Practice, to be interviewed for an upcoming article. It was a fun experience to share my thoughts on what I look for in an employer, and a good time to reflect on this topic, since I will be moving and searching for a new job this fall. When I asked Andrew how he finds OTs to interview, he said that he looks on OTConnections for active members. Just another reason to use the forums on OTConnections. Maybe you'll get interviewed and get your name in print!

- Started working on a new blog feature that will hopefully help therapists and parents better understand each other. Keep an eye for this new series on my blog!

Friday Features Links:
- Here's some food for thought for parents and therapists, Too Much Therapy, Not Enough Love. While the title of the article seems a bit harsh to me, it does bring up a good point about the need for parents to spend quality time with their children. Another reminder that therapy one time a week doesn't do much without parent involvement and carryover the rest of the week. (I should probably apologize to parents in advance, since the parents that blog and search the web for ways to help their children, are already aware of the need to be involved :-)

- As school based therapists are wrapping up the end of the school year, Your Therapy Source has written 10 Questions to Ask Yourself At the End of the School Year. The end of the school year is always a good time to reflect about the previous year and plan for the next to be even better!

- And in honor of Father's Day this weekend, Ellen at Love That Max has a guest post by Halfdan W. Freihow, father of a child with autism, 7 things you didn't know about a special needs dad. Mom's often take on a big portion of the therapy duties, so it's good to hear a father's point of view.

Friday Features

This week I...
- enthusiastically proclaimed, "you did it!" after one of my students cut out this circle (those curves can be so tricky!) and he replied, "I made a hexagon." Well, I guess if you want to get technical about it, he appears to be right :)

- prepped for the six IEPs that I have next week! The end of the school year is near...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

- finally got around to writing my review of Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids. If you missed it, be sure to check it out here. It's a great book for OTs to add to their resources for parents. 

Friday Features Links:
- Embrace Your Chaos wrote an article, Dealing With End-of-the Year Burnout. When I saw the title, I thought it was going to provide tips for therapists to get through the end of the year :) It's actually full of great tips for helping students regulate and focus, so they can get through the last few weeks of school. The tips might be helpful for the adults in their lives too. I know I like to go for a run before work and eat crunchy foods in the middle of the day :)

- Jill Perry, an OT over at All for My Child, wrote Ten important things my SLP colleagues taught me. This is a great article to remind OTs and other non-speech professionals how to encourage speech in the children we work with.

- The CDC has a ton of free downloads as part of their Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program. These are great to share with parents to educate about developmental milestones.

Fiday Features

This week I...
~added this Melissa and Doug wooden puzzle set to my therapy bag. Puzzles are great for developing visual perceptual skills and it's been fun to add it as the final product of an obstacle course. **Hint: Michaels sells lots of Melissa and Doug toys and frequently has coupons for 40% off one item!
 
~had two prospective OT students shadow me for a few therapy sessions. Hopefully, I showed them how much fun it is to be an occupational therapist and inspired them to pursue a career in OT! For any prospective students reading this blog, please check out AOTA's website for prospective students to learn more about OT and to find a list of OT schools.

~looked at my Twitter account...briefly.... I even downloaded the Twitter app to my phone. You can follow me if you want (@AbbyPediatricOT), but I don't expect to add tweeting to my list of social media to keep up with right at this moment....maybe once I get some followers....more likely, maybe once I make it through the end of the school year :) Anyone want to explain the hashtag thing to me?

Friday Features Links:
Lots of great information out there this week!

~Do Apps Help with Fine Motor? That is a great question! Head over to OT's with Apps to read Carol Leynse Harpold and Carolina Nugget's answer.

~Allie, over at Having a Fields Day, wrote a great post on wandering in children with autism. This is a serious problem, and Allie has some great tips and resources for parents.

~April is over, but in honor of OT Month, AOTA is launching a new initiative to gather stories from clients who want to share the positive experience they had with occupational therapy. They will use the testimonials on their website, as well as to promote OT in other venues. Have a story to share? Visit AOTA for more information.

~Dr. Elizabeth Spelke's research was profiled in the New York Times. Insights From the Youngest Minds highlights how babies interpret information. A very interesting read!

~Know a family who is struggling to pay for adaptive equipment for their child with special needs? At Tadpole Adaptive Registry, families can set up a registry for the items they need, and then share with friends and family to gather donations to help pay for the equipment. What a great idea!

Friday Features

This week I...
~had fun playing this game with some of my students. I'm not sure where the game came from (I think someone I work with found it at the dollar store), but it's been a fun fine motor/visual motor warm up. 

~guest blogged over at Having a Fields Day, in support of Autism Awareness Month. Be sure to stop by and check out my Sensory Strategies for Toddlers with Autism!

Friday Features Links (lots of good stuff this week!):
~I know I've mentioned once or twice how much I love the Handwriting Without Tears handwriting curriculum. If you'd like to know what someone else thinks about it, visit Testy yet trying, for a detailed review by an SLP and mom.

~Allie, at Having a Fields Day, wrote a terrific post about starting the Early Intervention process. This well organized post is a great resource for parents who find themselves beginning the evaluation process for EI services.

~The Atlantic put together a touching photo gallery for Autism Awareness Month. I would love to see more group homes like the one featured at the end of this photo gallery.

~Thanks to Carol Leynse Harpold over at OT's With Apps for sharing a link to 40+ Super Secret iPad Features and Shortcuts. This was very useful to me and taught me some things I didn't know I could do with my iPad (like splitting the keyboard to make typing easier!).
 

Friday Features

This week I...
~received this lovely dandelion from one of my students. He sure knew how to brighten my day :)

~finally updated the iOS on my iPad (I think this is only the second time I've updated the iOS on my old school iPad 1!), so I've been able to try out my new Ready to Print app, a brand new app that was developed by an OT to promote pre-writing skills! I'm loving it already and will post a full review soon!

Friday Features Link:
Check out this hidden camera video about a child with autism and his family eating in a restaurant. What would you do?