April is national Autism Awareness Month and your pediatric physical therapist is here to help if you need it. The publication, Move Forward and the American Physical Therapist Association outlines just how a physical therapist can help. [Read more…]

Whether you are staying home, going across the state, or going across the country, Spring Break season is here and that usually means Fun! While spring break trips are meant to be fun, with the change in routine and time off school, it can cause some difficulty and extra stress as families need to adjust to this new schedule. Luckily, there are some Sensory Strategies and tips that can be used during your spring break to decrease some of the extra stress these trips may bring:

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You will see Choiceworks used a lot around TEAM 4 Kids! It is an app that is used to create visual schedules so that a child can predict what will happen within a given routine or throughout the day. It can make transitions easier and decrease anxiety when they can predict what will be happening next. This app is wonderful because it is very easy to customize by using pre-loaded pictures, adding your own pictures, and even recording your own voice.

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I’m Wondering…..

How to use simple science experiments to help your child ask questions.

Questions form the foundation of our ability to learn new information. Many children with language and/or pragmatic delays struggle with the ability to ask questions appropriately. The first concept children need to understand is that questions are used to find out information you do not know. Model this for them by telling them your thought process before you ask questions.

One of my favorite ways to teach this important skill is through simple science experiments that can be done with everyday household items. Here’s an example of how to model questions using one of my favorite experiments: dancingpopcorn! (http://www.letstalkscience.ca/programs-resources/activities/item/how-can-you-make-popcorn-kernels-dance.html).

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If your child presents with three or more of the following symptoms, make an appointment for an occupational therapy evaluation:

Poor posture (stooping or arching of the body backwards)

Poor balance

Walks on toes

Motion sickness

Fear of heights

Weak muscle tone or Stiff muscle tone

Poor spatial awareness (stands too close to others or bumps into things)

Fatigues easily (Tires easily when standing for any length of time)

Avoids sports

Poor sequencing (telling stories, counting, alphabet)

Poor rhythm

Poor time management skills

Poor organizational skills

Poor depth perception (banging into things or knocking things over)

Poor near vision (reading and copying difficulty)

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