Would You Call My Child A Retard?

Today is Spread the Word to End the Word Day, part of an ongoing campaign against the r-word created by the Special Olympics.

In honor of this day, I want to share with you a video created by Ellen, over at Love That Max. The video really speaks for itself.

Cloud Dough

Scoop it and mold it and then let it crumble between your fingers!

I added pegs for my preschoolers who weren't quite ready to touch the cloud dough with their hands. They could push the pegs into the dough and pull them out, without actually touching the dough.

Make a mountain,

or practice pre-writing strokes.








What you'll need:

• 4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup of baby oil

Or any 8:1 ratio of flour to oil (vegetable oil might be better for kids who tend to taste everything)

Just mix the flour and oil together and you have cloud dough!

LetterSchool App

I occasionally use my iPad in therapy sessions, and I have been on the lookout for a good handwriting app. I tried out several handwriting apps, but didn't really like any of them. Thanks to the Thriving in School blog, I have recently discovered (and love!) the LetterSchool App.

The LetterSchool app teaches letter formation by having the child tap, trace, and then draw the letter. This app provides lots of auditory and visual feedback, and works on letter sounds too!

The LetterSchool app also allows you to choose D'Nealian, Handwriting Without Tears, or Zaner-Bloser letter formation, as you can see below.

The first video shows a student using the LetterSchool app to form the letter D.

This second video shows how I've been using the LetterSchool app in conjunction with the Handwriting Without Tears Letter Cards to develop handwriting skills in the same student. (Be patient, it's a little slow in the beginning, because I was trying to limit my prompts).

I love the second video, because it shows how using this app is translating into a functional skill! I initially hesitated to use the iPad in therapy, because I wasn't convinced that it could enhance fine motor or handwriting skills in a way that would carry over to a functional skill.

The child in this video typically requires A LOT of assistance to complete any writing task. He uses very light pressure when writing and he and rarely looks at the paper.

You can't see it in the video, but he is looking at the iPad, the Handwriting Without Tears Letter Card, and the dry erase board! He even looked up and made great eye contact with me when imitating the words and sounds on the app!
 
After using this app, I am convinced that using certain apps in conjunction with other therapeutic activities can improve functional outcomes.  I would love to see some research done on this!


The LetterSchool app is available from the Apple iTunes App Store for $2.99.

IEP's According to Dr. Seuss

I'm working on an IEP while I eat my lunch :(
This post by PediaStaff is very fitting. Go check it out!

Friday Features

~Thank you 101 OT Ideas for bringing this great resource to my attention! The National Museum of Dentistry has created a FREE guide, Healthy Smiles for Autism, to empower parents of children with autism to establish a healthy oral hygiene routine and to prepare their children for a visit to the dentist. This 36-page guide contains facts and tips (including tips for behavior modification and sensory modification), visual sequencing cards (for brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist), and social stories (I Can Brush My Teeth, I Can Floss My Teeth , and My Visit to the Dentist). This is a great resource for parents! I highly recommend that you check it out and pass it on to families you work with!

~More dental information! The Autism Treatment Network has created a Tool Kit for Dental Professionals. The purpose of this tool kit is to help dentists, dental hygienists and their office staff better serve children with autism. You can download a copy here. 

~OT students at Western Michigan University are working with families of finicky feeders. I am so glad to see OT programs teaching students about feeding issue and providing students with opportunities to get hands on experience. 

~And last but not least, US News and World Report has named occupational therapy as one of the best jobs of 2012! But we already knew that, didn't we?

Oobleck Recipe

Here's a fun sensory filled way to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2nd. Read Bartholomew and the Oobleck and then create some oobleck of your own!

What you'll need:

• water
• cornstarch
• food coloring (optional)

Oobleck Recipe:
Mix 1 part water with 1.5 to 2 parts cornstarch. Add a few drops of food coloring if you want to make it colored. Stir and stir some more! You will need to stir for about 10 minutes to create oobleck, a weird semi-solid mixture. 


Enjoy!

We used the paintbrush to stir the mixture. For the kids who weren't quite ready to touch the oobleck with their hands, they could participate by stirring or just using the paintbrush to touch the oobleck.

How will the new definition of autism affect occupational therapy?

With the proposed changes to the DSM-IV, I think that this is a question many occupational therapists are asking right now.

AOTA's staff writer, Stephanie Yamkovenko, has written an article, How Will the New Definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder Affect Occupational Therapy?

I don't think anyone can say for sure what the implications will be, but do check out the article for a good overview of how the changes may affect occupational therapy services.