Parent Resources

Did You Know? ...

Poor core strength could be contributing to your child’s inability to sit still.

The body’s core refers to the muscles surrounding the abdomen, pelvis and back. It is the foundation for children to be able to assume and maintain an upright posture while standing and sitting without support. Core strength affects head position, shoulder position, elbow position, wrist position, and finger position.

Possible Signs of Poor Core Strength

• Changing positions frequently
• W sitting
• Difficulty paying attention
• Using “helper hand” to prop themselves up
• Slumping and slouching
• Difficulty with balance
• Leaning on chair or other furniture
• Poor endurance during exercise
• Struggling to get up and down off ground

 A Stronger Core Can Improve Handwriting! Here’s Why:

• Children with weak cores often tend to sit with a modified base of support, slumping over on their desks or leaning on their elbows. This inefficient posture can lead to poor handwriting.
• A weak core can lead to inattention or inability to focus, which impacts alertness levels needed for handwriting.
• A child’s non-dominant hand cannot support the paper when writing if the core is not engaged. Legibility is impacted when the paper is not stabilized.
• A weak core can lead to fidgeting, slouching, and slumping, which all impact a child’s ability to sit and complete handwriting tasks.
• A weak core can lead to weak fine motor skills. When the core is weak, it becomes difficult to hold a pencil or complete in-hand manipulation tasks.

Activities to Help Strengthen Core

• Pumping legs to swing on a swing
• Walking, running, or biking to school
• Climbing on playground equipment
• Karate
• Yoga
• Swimming
• Bike riding
• Tree climbing
• Jumping or hopping games
• Crawling through obstacle courses
• Using a scooter board
• Heavy lifting chores (i.e., carrying laundry baskets and grocery bags)
• Pushing/pulling chores (i.e.,  sweeping, shoveling)
• Wheelbarrow walking
• Animal walks
• Playing games while kneeling at table
• Playing games on all fours (hands and knees)

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Tips to Consider for All Self-Care Strategies:

• Break it down. – Tasks with multiple steps may be overwhelming. Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. Visuals with labeled steps (words or pictures) may be beneficial.
• Help the right way at the right time. – It is important not to give too much or too little help. Try to understand the level of help your child needs and proceed accordingly.
• Try backward chaining for challenging tasks. – Let your child complete the final step of the task in order for he/she to feel successful and gain confidence.
• Make things easy while learning. – Compensatory strategies are a great way to increase independence while learning new skills. If shoe tying is a new task being learned, use slip-on style shoes or shoes with Velcro, so your child can participate independently.
• Build skills through play. – Many self-care skills derive from underlying skills that can be addressed through play skills. Think about the basic skills needed to complete the self-care tasks you are trying to teach.
• Practice at tabletop level or on practice boards. – If applicable, it is much easier to learn a skill when you can see everything that you are doing. Be sure to orient the board or shirt/jacket/shoe properly on the table so the skill will eventually translate over to wearing the specific article of clothing.

*If working on management of clothing worn, be sure clothing isn’t too tight.

Buttoning

• Pincer grasp activities – string beads, clothespins, tongs, stickers
• Start with large buttons
• Use different color stickers on buttons and next to button hole to help with lining up button to correct side

Zipping

• Interchange sides of 2 contrasting colored zippers; can also use nail polish to paint one side
• Attach key ring to zipper to pull up easier
• Use a sticker to show child where to hold jacket when pulling up zipper

Shoe Tying

• Use 2 different color shoe laces
• After progressing from tabletop level, tie laces around thigh
• Explore different shoe tying methods; YouTube videos

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Visit the ACES Extension Therapy Services Pinterest Page and check out the “Self-Care” board for more ideas! Search: acesets

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Fine Motor: Hand/Finger Strengthening and Grasp

Promoting a Mature Grasp

Proper hand/finger positioning includes wrist extended with fingers flexed and 1st three fingers on the pencil in a tripod position. Active finger movement (as opposed to whole hand movement) makes writing and coloring more effective.

• Write/color on a vertical surface – white board/chalk board on wall, easel, slant board (or 3 inch binder used as slant board), laying on stomach while writing/coloring
  • Vertical surfaces automatically put the wrist in the correct extended position
• Use short writing implements (less than 2 inches in length) – golfer pencils, broken crayons, short pieces of chalk
  • Providing small writing implements will make it difficult to use a fisted grasp, therefore promoting the use of the 1st three fingers
• Promote wrist extension:
  • Staple items on a bulletin board, push tacks/push pins in a cork board placed on the wall, stack items above head height
• Promote refined finger movements:
  • Insert coins/buttons into slotted contained, use a pegboard attached to a wall surface, use small manipulatives (pop beads, nuts/bolts, interlocking resistive toys), use items that promote pincer grasp (stringing beads, lacing boards, clothespins)

Hand/Finger Strengthening Activities

Items to use to increase hand/finger strength:

• Tweezers/tongs
• Balloon pump
• Clothespins and bag clips
• Stress balls and stretch toys
• Elastic bands
• Playdough with cookie cutters/rolling pin
• Resistive putty
• Bubble wrap
• Paper clips
• Pipe cleaners and beads
• Hole puncher
• Spray bottles
• Legos
• Eye droppers

Activities to increase hand/finger strength:

• Crawling
• Wheelbarrow walks
• Turning self on Sit’n’Spin
• Digging in the sand
• Climbing
• Hanging on jungle gym
• Push another person on swing
• Tug of war
• Pull a heavy wagon

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Did You Know? ...

Our sensory systems are actually made up of 7 different senses, not 5. We all know about the visual (sight), auditory (hearing), olftactory (smell), gustfactory (taste), and tactile (touch) systems, but there are 2 more systems that most people do not know about.

• Proprioception (body position/force) – Receptors in the joints and muscles allow you to sense the position your body is in and how much force you are moving with. It functions to help you move in a coordinated way.
• Vestibular (balance and motion) – Two receptors in the inner ear (linear and angular/rotary motion) provide two main functions:
  • Protection – maintain balance and appropriate muscle tone for posture and motion
  • Discrimination – maintain posture/upright position, spatial orientation, and eye-hand coordination

Sensory Processing Disorder

is a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. Input from our senses help create sensory-motor movement experiences, which are used each time a person engages in fine or gross motor movements.

Sensory Modulation Difficulties

are an over or under-reaction to sensory stimuli and an inability to regulate reactions and responses to stimuli from the internal and external environments. This may lead to sensory over-responsivity, sensory under-responsivity, and/or sensory seeking/craving behaviors.

Sensory Over-Responsivity

Sometimes referred to as “sensory defensiveness,” this refers to children who respond more intensely and faster for longer durations.

Example: bothered by sounds in a busy mall

Sensory Under-Responsivity

These children show less of a response to sensory input than what would typically be expected for the situation. They take longer to respond and require more intense input before responding.

Example: doesn’t seem to notice being hurt

Sensory Seeking/Craving

These children have an intense craving for sensory experiences and will actively seek this out, usually in ways that aren’t appropriate to the environment.

Example: takes excessive risks during play, such as jumping off of furniture

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Different types of activities can help with different types of sensory modulation difficulties: seeking/craving, over-responsiveness, under responsiveness

Heavy Work activities often help those with sensory seeking/craving behaviors, can have a calming or alerting effect

Sensory Calming activities typically help those with sensory over-responsive or sensory seeking/craving behaviors.

Sensory Alerting activities usually help those with sensory under-responsive behaviors.

Give these activities a try at home to aid in your child’s self-regulation!

Heavy Work Activities

• Helping in kitchen
  • Mix/stir
  • Roll out dough
  • Gather supplies
  • Wipe down table
• Daily chores
  • Take out trash
  • Carry grocery bags
  • Vacuum/dust
• Weighted blankets
• Spandex (tight fitted clothes)
• Read a book in a bean bag chair
• Jump on  a trampoline
• Ride a bike with a helmet
• Push/pull a loaded wagon
• Swings and playground equipment (monkey bars)
• Bean bag squishes
• Throw/catch heavy items
• Fidget toys (squeeze ball/putty)
• Eating crunchy, chewy foods
• Sliding
• Rolling down a hill

* Many of these activities can be a naturally occurring part of your child’s day. The activity itself should be short (5-10 minutes), occurring every 1 ½ - 2 hours.

Sensory Calming Activities

• Noise cancelling headphones
• Dim lighting
• Warm bath
• Deep pressure, such as bear hugs and massages
• Weighted blankets or stuffed animals
• Stretching
• Slow, rhythmic movements (i.e., rocking chair)
• Smelling “calm” smells (i.e., vanilla)
• Sucking through straws
• Laying in a bean bag chair
• Squeezing a stress ball or playdough
• Hiding in a fort
• Fidget toys
• Joint compression activities (i.e., finger pulling)
• White noise or quiet music with a steady beat
• Sensory “calming” bottles
• Yoga

Sensory Alerting Activities

• Cold drinks
• Crunchy and/or sour foods
• Bright lighting
• Loud, fast-paced music
• Movement activities (i.e., jumping, running, climbing)
• Jumping on a trampoline
• Bouncing on a therapy ball
• Controlled spinning
• Walking on an uneven surface
• Vibrations on the arm, hand, or back
• Playing with messy textures

REMEMBER:

Every child is different! What may work for one child may not work for another. It is important to trial several strategies in order to find what works best for your child. Do not become discouraged if a specific strategy does not help!

Check out our “Sensory Tools” board on the ACES Extension Therapy Services Pinterest page for more ideas! Search: acesets

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

A week off from school can be fun and relaxing, and it may also become difficult and stressful.  A week without school means a disruption in routine.  Here are some activities you might try over April break!

Indoor Activities

• Arts and crafts
  • Q-tip painting
  • Finger painting
  • Coloring
  • Cutting
  • Stringing beads
• Sensory play
  • Shaving cream
  • Make slime
  • Make sensory bottles
• Make a fort – gather blankets to drape over chairs and fill with pillows
• Read a book
• Complete chores

Outdoor Activities

• Trampoline
• Hop scotch
• Bike riding
• Sidewalk chalk
• Obstacle courses
• Going for a walk
• Go on a picnic
• Blow bubbles
• Fly a kite
• Garden
• Scavenger hunt
• Hiking
• Bird watch
• Swings
• Monkey bars
• Game of tag
• Collect shells at the beach

Outings

• Park or playground
• Grocery store
• Library
• Beardsley Zoo - Bridgeport
• Maritime Aquarium – Norwalk
• CT Children’s Museum – New Haven
• Children’s Museum – West Hartford
• Monkey Joe’s – Hamden
• Chuck. E. Cheese – Orange
• Sky Zone – Wallingford, Norwalk
• Lighthouse Point Park – East Haven
• Yale Peabody Museum – New Haven
• Shore Line Trolley Museum – East Haven
• Essex Steam Train

How to Make Slime

1. Pour 12 ounces of white glue (try Elmer’s) into a container.
2. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of baking soda. Mix together.
3. Add drops of washable glitter paint. Mix together.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of saline solution
5. Mix the saline solution until slime starts for form together.

*If not sticky enough, add more saline solution. If too sticky, add more baking soda.

*For an added sensory and fine motor experience, add small objects, such as beads, to your slime! This will add texture, and give your child something to dig for!

How to Make Sensory Bottles

1. Fill a plastic water bottle ½ way with water
2. Add clear glue to almost full
3. Color with food coloring (optional)
4. Add glitter, small objects or confetti
5. Glue lid shut

Shake and have fun!

When trying something different or going somewhere new, it may be beneficial to prep your child for the upcoming experience. Social stories are extremely helpful for preparing children for unfamiliar events. Talk about where you’re going, what you’re doing, and provide pictures whenever possible.

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Just because the school year is coming to an end, doesn’t mean that keeping up with skills should take a break too! Luckily, there are so many fun ways to keep your child practicing their skills while having a good time!

Sensory Play

*Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates the sense of touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight and hearing. This plays a large role in language development, cognitive growth, fine/gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction.*

• Tactile Tray – fill with water, sand, or other sensory items
• Squirt Toy Painting
• Puffy Paint
• Chalk Spray
• Ice Eggs
• Bubbles
• Nature Collection
• Kinetic Sand
• Slime
• Sandboxes
• Collecting Shells

Gross Motor Activities

*Gross motor skills involve the use of large muscle groups for the performance of functions such as walking, running, jumping, bike riding, and playing sports.*

• Animal Walks
• Swimming
• Beach Ball Play
• Hopscotch
• Simon Says
• Jumping Jacks
• Hiking
• Treasure Hunt
• Obstacle Course
• Bike Riding
• Yoga
• Kite Flying
• Playground
• Trampoline
• Jumping Rope
• Playing Tag

Fine Motor Fun

*Fine motor skills involve the use of precise and coordinated movements of the fingers to perform hand use tasks necessary for completing daily tasks such as dressing, feeding, writing, and cutting.*

• Sidewalk chalk
• Unlacing/lacing shoes
• Clothespins
• Ripping paper
• Building with Legos
• Playdough
• Using an eye dropper
• Sorting coins
• Using tongs or tweezers
• Stringing beads/Fruit Loops
• Pipe cleaner animals
• Coloring
• Q-tip painting
• Twirling streamers
• Board games with small pieces
• Squirt guns
• Peeling stickers

Visual Motor Activities

*Visual motor skills involve the use of vision to control hand movement. This is important for coloring, drawing, catching a ball, and tying shoes.*

• Scissor use – cutting paper, playdough, foam sheets, straws
• Mazes
• Copying patterns using shapes, pegs, etc.
• Hidden picture searches
• Puzzles
• Word searches
• Dot-to-dots
• Rainbow writing/tracing

Fun around the House

• Cooking/baking
• Making s’mores
• Matching socks
• Putting away groceries
• Cleaning up toys
• Sweeping
• Sorting silverware
• Making bed
• Folding laundry
• Washing tables

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Winter break should be a time for relaxation and fun, not stress! However, we all know a change in routine can be a big disruption for a child with sensory challenges. Use these tips to help reduce sensory meltdowns and enjoy the holiday season with family and friends!

Plan Ahead

It’s important to know where you are going and what the setting will be like. How many people will be there? Will it be noisier than usual? Are there going to be bright and/or flashing lights? Will you need to sit still for a long period of time? Find out if there will be a quiet room you can use if your child becomes upset. The more information you can gather ahead of time, the better and less stressful your experience is likelier to be.

Prepare a Calm Down Bag

New situations can be extremely overwhelming for a child with sensory challenges, whether it’s bright lights, loud noises, or new people. Having a bag full of different soothing items can help keep your child calm when facing these different experiences.

Ideas of items to keep in your own calm down bag may include:

• Favorite toy/stuffed animal
• Noise cancelling headphones
• Fidget toys
• Sensory balls
• iPod with calming music
• Weighted blanket
• Favorite snacks

Get Your Child Ready

Unfamiliar settings may be upsetting if your child is not properly prepared. Social stories are a great way to familiarize your child with something new. If possible, visit the place ahead of time. If that is not an option, show your child pictures and/or videos of where you will be going and what you will be doing (i.e., holiday lights display). It may help to talk about the event days ahead of time so the activity is not brand new to your child.

Sensory Friendly Gift Ideas

• Exercise/therapy ball
• Mini trampoline
• Lava lamp
• Bubbles
• Liquid motion toys
• Swings
• Gears sets
• Kinetic sand
• Playdough
• Plush/weighted toys
• Weighted blanket
• Fidget cubes
• Vibrating/massager toys
• Spinning/rocking chair

Simple Snow Slime

• 2 cups - silver glitter glue
• 1-2 cups - liquid starch

1. Pour glitter glue into large mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add liquid starch and mix until reaching desired consistency.
3. Knead with clean, dry hands.

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Having a child who is a picky, fussy eater can be extremely challenging, and at times, very frustrating! It doesn’t have to be. Take the time to understand why your child has a difficult time trying or eating new foods, and you may be able to help expand his/her food repertoire!

Is It Sensory?

It is very possible that your child may have some type of Sensory Processing Disorder that makes it difficult to eat certain foods. These behaviors may include:

• Overly Sensitive to Sensations: These children may avoid strong flavored foods, solid food, or lumpy food in order to prevent gagging.
• Overly Sensitive to Smells: These children may prefer to eat bland foods.
• Sensory Seeking: These children may seek out crunchy, strong flavored food.
• Sensory-Based Motor Difficulties: These children may have difficultly coordinating appropriate movements to use utensils needed to eat certain foods.
• Low Muscle Tone and/or Poor Oral Motor Coordination: These children may have difficultly chewing and swallowing, making solid foods unappealing.

Once you figure out why your child avoids certain foods, it will become easier to explore new foods that he/she may enjoy.

What Can You Do To Create A Better Eating Experience?

• Take note of the foods your child eats and avoids. Try to determine if there is a commonality between these types of foods.
• Allow your child to play with food not at the dinner table. Exposure to new foods will encourage exploration of sights, scents, textures, and tastes of unfamiliar food, and allow him/her to become more comfortable. Cooking together is a great way to introduce new food.
• Present food in a different way. Can a certain type of food be blended into a smoothie? Can you cut something into “fun” shapes? Are there different plates you can use when presenting food?
• Write a social story. Things to include are where you are going to eat, what you are going to eat, where the food comes from, or different ways you can eat the food.
• Offer familiar foods when offering new foods. This is likely to create a less stressful situation.
• Model eating. Make sure you are eating the foods that you are encouraging your child to eat.
• Take it slow. These changes will not happen overnight. It may take several trial-and-error attempts to find what works best for your child. It takes 15 times of exposing a new food before a child accepts it.
• Create a calm and quiet mealtime environment. If sensory issues exist, decreasing overall sensory input during the meal may decrease anxiety around eating.
• Never force your child to touch, taste, or eat a food. This can be a frightening experience, and it is important to respect that your child may be anxious. It is important to build trust.

Specific questions or comments?

Contact your school’s occupational therapist!

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Personal hygiene is a very important self-care skill that most of us take for granted.  It can affect health, socialization, and eventually, employment.  Learning these skills and becoming independent may take longer for some children than others.  Whether it be a sensory issue, anxiety, or just needing a little extra push and practice, these tips can help ease the struggle of creating independence in these self-care tasks.

General Strategies for Personal Hygiene

• Break down the process into smaller steps.
• Provide visuals when possible to pair with verbal cues.
• Explain why each task is important.
• Allow your child to choose items needed for hygiene tasks (i.e., toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner).
• Take advantage of YouTube.  There are several videos with different characters who help teach important self-care skills.
• Create songs to sing for different steps.
• Use a timer for each task.

Bathing/Showering

• Use a showerhead that adjusts pressure and sound to decrease the amount of sensory input.
• Use a handheld nozzle so your child can control when/where the water hits.
• Warm the temperature in the bathroom before bath or shower.
• Dim the lights.
• Trial different times of the day.  When you find one that works best, set a schedule.
• Be aware of the scent of soaps and shampoos.
• Use soft washcloths/loofas.
• Have your child practice washing body parts on a plastic doll.
• Encourage child to say body parts when cleaning each one.
• Keep several different toy options available to play with in the tub.
• Use baby wipes to clean if shower/bath is unavailable.

*NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN THE SHOWER OR BATHTUB.*

Handwashing

• Talk about when to wash hands (i.e., after bathroom, before eating).
• Model handwashing.
• Sing a song that lasts about 20 seconds (i.e., ABCs, Happy Birthday).
• Provide adaptations, such as a step stool, long handle, and soap within reachable distance.

Teeth Brushing

• Experiment with different brush sizes, bristle firmness, and handle thickness for a best fit.
• Trial electric toothbrush instead of a manual toothbrush.
• Try different flavored toothpastes (i.e., mint, bubblegum).
• Determine if there is a preference between using warm or cold water.
• Use a mirror.

Items to Keep on Hand

• Portable hand sanitizer
• Mini packs of tissues
• Baby wipes
• Breath mints/gum

*Look for colors/designs that appeal to your child in order to make using these items more fun!

For more tips and resources, visit:

www.pinterest.com/acesets

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Exposure to new experiences is so important for developing and generalizing skills in children, especially those with special needs. However, it may not seem easy to think of where to go and how to create these new learning experiences. Luckily, it’s not too difficult to become involved in the community so these new skills can be practiced on a more regular basis!

Choosing Your Community Outing

Deciding where you want to go is probably the hardest step. Think about your child’s interests. Does he/she like animals? Look into local farms. Does he/she like trains? Look for a train station.

It is important to keep your child’s likes/dislikes in mind when first choosing a new experience. As time goes on, newer experiences can be introduced.

Places to Go

• Grocery store
• Farm
• Animal breeder
• Pet store
• Dog training school
• Train station
• Airport
• Racetrack
• Greenhouse
• Community garden
• Theater
• Museum
• Science center
• Movie theater
• Bowling alley
• Jump park

Sensory Friendly Activities in Connecticut

Many places offer sensory friendly events for children with special needs, offering dim lighting, lower volume, and less crowds. Check out these places for specific times and locations of these events!

• Sky Zone – multiple locations
• Chuck E. Cheese – multiple locations
• AMC Theaters – Danbury, Plainville
• Regal Cinemas – Branford
• Connecticut Science Center – Hartford
• Godspeed Musicals – East Haddam

Before You Go…

• Educate others about your child’s unique behaviors. For example, let them know that your child screaming may be a way for he/she to show happiness and excitement.
• Be sure to contact your destination beforehand in order to explain your situation. Giving a heads up will help to ensure all accommodations and needs are met appropriately in order to create a smooth, positive experience.

Keep in mind the reason why you are going on this community outing.

Would you like to introduce a new experience?

Are you working on generalizing skills?

Are you trying to build new skills?

Make connections.

Talk about the things you are doing.

Get the family involved.

Make these experiences memorable!

Have fun!

For more tips and resources, visit:

www.pinterest.com/acesets

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Sensory/movement walkways in schools seem to be the up and coming trend recently! So many schools are beginning to realize the positive impact that sensory input and movement have on a child’s ability to focus and self-regulate during the school day. Not only is this important to further develop learning in school, it can also be helpful at home! With the warm spring weather around the corner, there are so many ways to create fun, movement opportunities!

Did You Know?...

Gross motor and movement activities can help improve the underlying skills needed for strengthening and sensory input. Movement in children can help increase memory, perception, language, attention, emotion, and decision making. Not only does movement help with development, it will teach children the habits they need in order to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

Activities to Incorporate

• Wall push-ups
• Animal walks (bear crawl, crab walk, frog jump, bunny hop)
• Tip toe walking
• Marching/stomping
• Hopping/jumping
• Spinning
• Walking backwards
• Side steps
• Obstacle course (over/under items)

Materials to Use

Plenty of household items can be used to create movement opportunities at home.

• Sidewalk chalk
• Duct tape
• Printed pictures
• Movement cards
• Cones
• Balls and/or basketball hoops
• Jump rope

Use Community Resources

Playgrounds are the perfect place to get in movement activities! Take advantage of what is around you!

• Monkey bars
• Climbing stairs/ladders
• Slides
• Seesaws
• Running/rolling in open space
• Freeze tag

Even if you don’t have any equipment or a ton of room to create your own walkway, there are still plenty of ways to move! Play a game of Simon Says, find a dance video on YouTube, or even turn chores into games!

It doesn’t matter what you do; just get up and move!

For more tips and resources, visit:

www.pinterest.com/acesets

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Motor planning. It’s a term we hear so often, but what does it really mean? And more importantly, how is it affecting and impacting your child?

What is Motor Planning?

Motor planning (sometimes called praxis) is an important skill that we use in order to execute a certain movement. It allows us to know, remember, and perform specific steps that make a movement or action happen. We use this for all physical activities in our daily lives.

Motor planning is addressed through:

• Gross motor skills – large muscle movements that help us do things like walk, jump, and balance
• Fine motor skills – small muscle movements that control our hands, wrists, and feet for more precise tasks
• Coordination – the way we organize all these activities in order to move efficiently

How Does Motor Planning Work?

When we’re learning a new action, we have to try over and over again until we get it right. With each adjustment made, our body receives feedback. We use this feedback to determine the most efficient way to complete a task. After repetition and time, these tasks become automatic.

Trouble with Motor Planning

When a child has motor planning difficulties, each time they complete a task may feel like the first time. They are not able to learn from the feedback that their bodies receive as quickly as others. Because of this, it takes additional time to learn basic skills that may typically seem “easy.”

Possible Signs of Motor Planning Difficulties

• May appear clumsy or accident prone
• Trips often or bumps into things
• Breaks toys/objects unintentionally
• Difficulty with self-care tasks with multiple steps
• Trouble playing with/using manipulatives
• Messy or sloppy eating
• Difficulty completing new, unfamiliar tasks
• Desire for sameness
• Frequently drops items
• Confused about how to initiate motor tasks
• Difficulty with sequencing and timing of tasks
• Difficulty keeping belongings organized
• Trouble navigating around obstacles

How Can You Help?

• Break down tasks into smaller steps.
• Use pictures, videos, or other visuals.
• Use simple language.
• Allow time to complete tasks.
• Give a demonstration.
• Give one direction at a time.
• Give specific feedback.
• Create obstacle courses or play games with directions, such as Simon Says.
• Practice, practice, practice!

For more tips and resources, visit:

www.pinterest.com/acesets

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L

Tablets, iPads, computers, laptops, cell phones. These are all pieces of technology we (and our children) are using on a day to day basis. Whether it be for work, school, or leisure purposes, use of technological devices has become second nature for many of us. Since technology plays such a major role in our children’s lives, it’s important to use it appropriately and beneficially to maximize learning experiences and skill development.

Handwriting Apps

Not only are these apps extremely interactive, most of them also teach proper letter formation, which may help increase handwriting legibility and/or speed.

• Writing Wizard - $4.99
• LetterSchool – $9.99
• Handwriting Without Tears - $4.99
• iWriteWords - $2.99
• Letter Reflex - $3.99
• Tap Typing - $3.99
• Word Burst - FREE

More Apps by Category

Fine Motor

• Dexteria - $5.99
• Dexteria Jr. - $3.99

Visual Motor/Visual Perception

• My First Tangrams -$0.99
• LittleFinder – FREE

Visual Schedules/Self-Regulation

• Choiceworks - $6.99
• Social Story Creator and Library – FREE

Yoga

• SuperStretch – FREE
• Cosmic Kids - FREE

Movement!

We all know how important movement is for development. Luckily, with the help of YouTube, you can create structured movement opportunities by looking up videos online. Check out these movement programs through YouTube!

• GoNoodle
• Brain Breaks
• The Learning Station
• Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel 

Tips When Using iPad/Tablet

• Use a short stylus to promote mature grasp
• Lay on stomach when using
• Use a case that allows iPad/tablet screen to be propped up
• Use “guided access” to block use of inappropriate programs
• Set a time limit for use
• Establish clear rules before using device

Talk to Your Child’s Teachers

Many times, apps are available for free that teachers are using to help learning in class. Download these apps on your device at home for consistent carry-over of reading, math, and other educational skills!

For more tips and resources, visit:

www.pinterest.com/acesets

Information Compiled by Melissa Lavorgna, MOT, OTR/L