How to make an adapted board book

I adapted this book for the little guy you met on Wednesday. He enjoys looking at books, but doesn't quite have the fine motor control to turn the pages of a board book by himself. The self-stick rubber pads provide enough spacing between pages that he is now able to turn the pages of the book. This is a very simple adaptation that anyone can do.

You will need:

• board book
• self-stick rubber pads - from a craft or framing supply store (I found these at Michael's. You can also find them on Amazon)

Stick one rubber pad to the bottom corner of each page:

 And now you have an adapted book!

In my therapy bag...a beach towel

In honor of National Prematurity Month, check out this little guy:

Born at 26 weeks gestation, he has spastic diplegia affecting his legs (which means his legs are very stiff and it is hard for him to straighten his legs completely). He loves to crawl all around and is learning to sit by himself. He does great if propped up a little. A folded up beach towel is perfect!

Look what I found!

I was at Target this weekend, and of course, I couldn't walk past the dollar spot without taking a peak. I think it's a little early for stores to have Christmas stuff everywhere, but I did find these great foam shapes.

These will be great for some fun fine motor holiday crafts. Maybe squeezing fabric paint to decorate the tree while working on fine motor and visual motor skills? Or gluing cotton balls and writing the child's name on the stocking?

What fun crafts would you do with these foam shapes?

EZ SOX

I just came across these great socks that were created by a mother who wanted to help her children become more independent with putting on socks. EZ SOX have little loops attached to each side of the sock to make it easier to hold onto them and pull them up. They also have animal faces on them, so you know which way is supposed to face up. I love that idea and I could use that myself some mornings! They also come in solid colors in big kid and adult sizes. And they are seamless for sensitive toes. They seem like an all around winner!


I think I will be ordering a few to have on hand to try out and share with parents. Maybe the penguin and frog set...

Update on CA SB 946

Autism Votes has created a Frequently Asked Questions about the recent autism insurance reform bill passed in California. This bill ensures coverage for behavioral health treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders. Behavioral health treatment includes applied behavior analysis (ABA) and other evidence-based behavior intervention programs. It is not yet clear to me if this will have any effect on coverage of occupational therapy. It seems to me that OT could fall under the category of "other evidence-based behavior intervention program."

New York Mandates Insurance Coverage for Autism

On Tuesday, New York became the 29th state to enact autism insurance reform. This new law, which will go into effect on November 1, 2012, will include coverage for occupational therapy services for children with autism.

For more information, Autism Votes has created a one page summary of the law here.

Prematurity in America

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

Did you know that 1 in 8 babies is born prematurely in the US?

Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborns. Those who survive often have lifelong health problems, such as cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment, and blindness. 

Occupational therapists frequently work with babies who were born prematurely, both in the NICU and in the home and educational settings as the child grows. Working in early intervention, I frequently work with children who were born prematurely, including micro preemies. It is amazing to help these children grow and learn!

The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign works to reduce the rate of premature birth and raise public awareness about the seriousness of the problem.

Check out the March of Dimes website for more information, including the 2011 Premature Birth Report Card