Apps Can Promote OT

Although it may be true that kids are getting enough screen time as it is, I think an Ipad/tablet is an effective tool for therapy because of the amount of finger skills, and visual/cognitive benefits it provides. It is a great way to use as a 'reward' at the end of therapy or at the end of a task. Depending on the app, they can help reinforce pincer grasps, letter formation, finger isolation, and visuomotor skills. Here are few below that would be helpful in the world of pediatric occupational therapy one of which I enjoy using.

Therapy Activities and Tricks

 Therapy Activities and Tricks

Water beads

Water beads are a great toy that can be used in therapy. Water beads can be used for sensory play as well as fine motor activities. Below are some different ways that I utilized water beads in therapy.

http://youtu.be/25bmwtPQlQM
          -Putting water beads into a marble board game. 

http://youtu.be/lOao0LPbfuE
          -Putting water beads into a bowl using their hands/fingers.

http://youtu.be/DF1mEH7WPC4  
          -Playing and exploring in the water beads
http://youtu.be/aokszRf8Q7s 
          -Putting pegs in a peg board to place the water beads on.
http://youtu.be/IS0oPOVgdaI 

          -Putting water beads onto the pegs.

Whiteboard trick

Many people are under the assumption that permanent markers and whiteboards do not mix. However, using permanent markers on the whiteboard can be a useful trick for tracing on the whiteboard. When working on UE function and handwriting on a whiteboard I would write the child’s name on the whiteboard with a permanent marker then have him/her trace over top of it with a dry erase marker. Once the dry erase marker goes over the top of the permanent marker it works to erase the permanent marker off the whiteboard. Below is a video demonstrating how this works.

Or if you need to leave something on the whiteboard and you are worried about it being erased then you can use a permanent marker to ensure it stays up for as long as you need.

Here is a youtube link showing you how it works:

http://youtu.be/384lzG68udg

Sandpaper

When working on correct letter formation I used sandpaper letters. The idea of using sand paper letters and sensory feedback as a way to teach correct letter formation was derived from the handwriting without tears curriculum. When the kids were tracing letters I would have them either use the eraser side of a pencil, their finger or cinnamon sticks (targeting another sensory system and working on pencil grip). When making the sand paper letters I used a die cut machine replacing paper with sand paper.

Sand paper is also a great way to provide kids with feedback when they are coloring a picture. The sand paper can be placed underneath the picture providing the child with resistance and sensory feedback.

Reinforcing boundaries while coloring

Teaching kids with cognitive disabilities the concept of staying in the lines is difficult to do. A couple of methods that I found to work are putting glue on the picture boundaries then sprinkling glitter on top and gluing wiki sticks to the boundaries. Both of these methods provide the child with sensory feedback helping them to understand that they are supposed to stay within those lines. The raised line made from wiki sticks also provides a better visual line for the child.

Tennis ball woman

Feeding the tennis ball women is a fun interactive way for the children to work on bilateral integration. It also can target weak finger/hand strength, three jaw chuck, pincer grasp, problem solving skills (figuring out how to get the chips back out of the tennis ball women) and finger isolation (when getting the chips back out of the tennis ball women).

http://youtu.be/M0LIEImsVnk

http://youtu.be/LyRIO1QWvx8

Ping Pong Ball activity

This is a simple DIY activity that works on visual discrimination tasks, and left to right sequencing. The object of the activity is to have the kids move and rotate the pinball balls so that they are matched up with the picture above it. 

 

Bilateral Integration and handwriting

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	Bilateral Integration
Summary	Bilateral Integration is the ability to use both sides of the body simultaneously and independently in body-related, as well as mind-related actions. Bilateral development is crucial for both growth and fine motor skills. Bilateral integration is also an important factor in academic performance and mental activity. On a body level, bilateral integration will cause the development of a dominant hand, a dominant foot, a dominant eye. On a mental and academic level, we differentiate between using the left hemisphere (logical thinking, reasoning, analytic deductive reasoning) or the right hemisphere (holistic, emotional, big picture thinking, integration) for a given task, depending on the nature of this task.
Lateral Dominance	Acquiring a dominant hand is crucial, for gaining efficient everyday skills such as handwriting. Purposeful use of the 2 hemisphere is vital for our system to be efficient and consequently directly related to academic performance and problem solving skills.
	Different stages of Bilateral Integration
	There are different stages of bilateral development through which the individual will proceed in sequential order.
Symmetrical Bilateral Integration	In this stage of development, both sides of the body perform the same action at the same time. Both sides of the body are essentially mirroring each other in this stage. Examples: Jumping with both feet together, clapping the hands, performing star jumps. For the older children: Bringing both hands together in front of the face, moving both arms in the same way at the same time for a baby.
Reciprocal Bilateral Integration	In this stage of development, one side of the body does the opposite of the other side. While one arm comes forward, the other arm moves backward. Crawling is the primary example in this context. Walking, crawling (while swimming), working the stairs, climbing a ladder and many rhythmical activities are additional examples.
Asymmetrical Bilateral Integration	This is the critical stage in the child's development. Asymmetrical bilateral integration occurs when each side of the body learns to perform a different activity, both related to the same task. This is significantly more complex than the previous stages because the brain has to coordinate 2 different streams of actions. Coloring of paper, squeezing toothpaste onto the brush, cutting and similar activities are good examples here. The brain needs to coordinate for the non-dominant hand to keep still and stabilize, while the dominant hand does the action required. Look at a child trying to tie a knot or the shoelaces, or even putting on a shirt, doing the buttons and you get an idea of the stage of bilateral development of this individual.
Crossing the midline	Crossing the midline is the 4th stage of bilateral development and integration. Now the brain has accomplished to coordinate the movement of the 2 sides of the body independently. The system starts on crossing the midline and the imaginary vertical line in the middle of the body. This invisible midline doesn't always divide the whole body, only some of the extremities/ sense may be affected. The presence of the inability to cross the midline in a child at school age is a strong indicator for a poorly developed integration and almost certainly an indicator for difficulties in activities such as reading, writing, motor planning and consequently gross and fine motor coordination. Since this is also the time to learn patterns, strategies and procedures, inefficient patterns may be established from a child with poor bilateral integration.
Bilateral development and Academic Performance	Inefficient work in problem solving strategy may have a minor impact or even remain hidden with a bright child. There is enough mental capacity to work with a comparably low workload. As school advances typically between the 3rd and 5th degree, individuals with poor bilateral integration tend to (fall apart). Their system becomes more and more unable to cope with the increasing workload. When this starts, motivation, interest and enthusiasm, self esteem and the willingness to accept a given challenge are likely to be affected often accompanied by the onset of behavioral components.