As a pediatric occupational therapist, scissor use is something I assess but also something I teach. And I teach it early. I also teach safety early, and teach it with a focus on early success. What makes it easier to teach children to cut with scissors? Good timing. Typically-developing children have the visual-motor skills to…… Continue reading Teach Kids How to Cut With Scissors…The Easy Way
Tag: back to school
Need a Desk Chair for Your Hypermobile School-Age Child? Check out the Giantex Chair
One of my colleagues with a hypermobile third-grader told me this chair has been a great chair at school for her child. It hits a lot of my targets for a good chair recommendation, so here it is: The Giantex chair. Why do I like it so much? It is a bit adaptable and it…… Continue reading Need a Desk Chair for Your Hypermobile School-Age Child? Check out the Giantex Chair
How To Get Your Kid To Share (Hint: The Fast Food Rule Will Be Used)
Not a week goes by that a parent or nanny asks me how to get a young child, usually under 3, to share. I get it; it is embarrassing when a toddler rips a toy away from another child, or has a death grip on a toy car while growling at their playdate friend. Sharing…… Continue reading How To Get Your Kid To Share (Hint: The Fast Food Rule Will Be Used)
How To Spot A Gifted Child In Your Preschool Class (Or Your Living Room!)
Do you have a gifted kid? Do you teach one? You might not be able to tell the difference between a bright child and a gifted child by the number of letters they know, or the facts about dinosaurs they can recall. Here are some distinct signs that your child, student or therapy client is…… Continue reading How To Spot A Gifted Child In Your Preschool Class (Or Your Living Room!)
Is Automaticity The Key To Handwriting Success?
I know that this is a bold statement. Handwriting is a complex skill, with visual-motor coordination, perceptual, cognitive and postural components. But when I evaluate a child’s writing, and I watch them having to think about where to start and sequence movements to form a letter and place it on a line, and then decide…… Continue reading Is Automaticity The Key To Handwriting Success?
Help Your Special Needs Toddler Make The Transition To School Routines
Many developmentally delayed toddlers move their therapeutic and educational services to a toddler developmental group, A.K.A. special needs program, when they are between 18 and 30 months old. Not all of them slide into the routine easily. There can be a few tears and a lot of complaining about fitting into a schedule…… Continue reading Help Your Special Needs Toddler Make The Transition To School Routines
Make Handwriting Fun While Getting Ready For The New School Year
Here in the US, kids are getting ready to go back to school. And most of them haven’t been writing much in the last 6-8 weeks. At the kindergarten level, some children will have forgotten any lowercase letters they knew in the spring. At the 1-2 grade levels, it is not uncommon for kids to…… Continue reading Make Handwriting Fun While Getting Ready For The New School Year
Should Hypermobile Kids Use Backpacks?
It is back-to-school season here in the US. One of the items on shopping lists is a new backpack. But for kids with low muscle tone or hypermobility, backpacks can be more than a way to carry books and water bottles. They can be a source of pain, headaches, even numbness in hands and fingers.…… Continue reading Should Hypermobile Kids Use Backpacks?