The JointSmart Child series started off in 2019 with Volume One: The Early Years. It is finally time for the school-age child to have their needs addressed!
Volume Two: The School Years is available now on Amazon as an e-book, filled with information to make life at home and at school easier and safer. This book is equally at home on a parent’s or a pediatric therapist’s shelf. Filled with clear explanations for the daily struggles hypermobile children encounter, it answers the need for a practical reference guide for daily living:
Section I reviews the basics: understanding the many ways that hypermobility can affect motor, sensory and social/emotional development. General principles for positioning and safety are presented in easy-to-follow language.
Section II addresses daily living skills such as dressing, bathing and mealtime. School-age kids may not be fully independent in these areas, and they need targeted strategies to improve their skills while boosting their confidence.
Section III looks at school and recreational activities. It covers handwriting and keyboarding, playing sports and playing musical instruments with less fatigue, less pain, and more control. When parents and therapists know how to select the best equipment and use optimal ergonomics and safety guidelines, kids with hypermobility really can thrive!
Section IV reviews the communication skills in Volume One, and then expands them to address the more complex relationships within and outside the family. Older children can have more complex medical needs such as pain management, and knowing how to communicate with medical professionals empowers parents.
The extensive appendix provides informational forms for parents to use with babysitters and teachers, and checklists for chairs and sports equipment such as bikes. There is a checklist parents can use during IEP meetings to ensure that their child’s goals include issues such as optimal positioning, access, and endurance in school. Therapists can use the same materials as part of their home program or in professional presentations to parent groups. There are even simple recipes to use cooking as a fun activity that develops sensory and motor skills!
I believe that this e-book has so much to offer parents and therapists that have been looking for practical information, but find they have to search around the internet only to rely on other parents for guidance instead of health care professionals. This is the book that answers so many of their questions and empowers children to reach their highest potential!
for more information on how to help your hypermobile child, read Need a Desk Chair for Your Hypermobile School-Age Child? Check out the Giantex Chair and Should Hypermobile Kids Sit On Therapy Balls For Schoolwork? plus Should Hypermobile Kids Use Backpacks?
