BLOG
How to Measure Progress with Your Child’s Manipulation Skills
What is in-hand manipulation, anyway? In-hand manipulation is the ability to manipulate objects in the fingers and hand or adjust an object within the hand after grasping it. There are three types of in-hand manipulation: 1) Translation - the ability to move an object...
An “Old O.T.’s” Advice for other “School O.T.s”
Forward from Miss Jaime, O.T.: When I first graduated from OT school, I got a job working as a contract therapist in a public school. I had no supervisor, no mentor, and no one to ask questions. Thank goodness, I ended up placed in a school with such a large caseload...
The All In One Magic Magnetized Shoe-Tying Miracle
"How am I supposed to teach him to tie his shoes?"The Occupational Therapy student's cheeks were pink. A concerned look creased her face. Self-doubt was creeping in. I understood. Sometimes you get a child on your caseload that seems to have a lot of obstacles to...
“Cookie Cutter Therapy”- Why it’s OK with me….
The other day I did an autumn arts and crafts project with all of the students on my caseload. Every. Single. One. Kindergartners as well as fourth graders. Very often we hear about the problem of a "cookie cutter therapist." Meaning—a therapist that does one thing...
For the Hardworking Therapists Who Work With Children with Special Needs
I'm sure you've heard of Mom guilt, Daughter Guilt, and Irish Guilt, but have you ever heard of Therapist Guilt? I may have invented it... You've probably read letters and blog posts written toward the parents of children with special needs; talking about how strong...
BIG CRAYONS
When to use big crayons with your child When it comes to helping your child develop their writing skills, their hand grip is a very important component. As you’re working with your child on developing those fine motor skills, you should consider using big crayons to...