What I Learned

    
       During my 3 months at Blossomland, I learned many things.

Firstly, I learned a lot about equipment and positioning. Not only did I learn the names of different wheelchairs, strollers, standers, walkers, chairs, and their working parts, but I learned how to fix them too! I am now able to problem solve through equipment issues by finding the problem, the tools to fix it, and then executing the solution.

If I don't know how to fix an issue, I know who can and how to get a hold of them.  I learned what correct positioning looks like and how to adjust equipment to ensure that a child is adequately supported.

I learned how to advocate for children and how to complete the process of acquiring funding for adaptive equipment. I learned the in's and out's of medicaid and what they see as "medically necessary."

I learned new strategies for treating everything from handwriting issues to ADL deficits.

I learned new ways to play, how to see a toy through the eyes of a child, and how to use this new found ability to motivate the kids on my caseload.

I learned how to be consistent with the students and how to be firm yet supportive at the same time.

I learned how to push the kids while respecting when they had enough. I also perfected my "Dad voice" for when a child needed redirection or a behavior adjustment.

 I learned how to work with and alongside teachers. How to speak with parents and how to listen.

These are just a few of the many many lessons and skills that I learned while at Blossomland. I will forever be grateful for my experience and I hope to always remember what learned, but most importantly, the people I met.


Cheers,
        Jairus Sturgeon

Sensory Integration: The Vestibular System and Handwriting Issues

The vestibular system, located in the inner ear, is made up of three major semicircular canals which are responsible for our sense of balance, spatial orientation, and our sense of movement. Fluid, located in the three canals, orients our head in space and provides feedback during movement.

When the vestibular system fails to process sensory information correctly, other senses such as auditory, visual, and proprioceptive integration can be skewed.

John:

Children with vestibular processing issues exhibit certain characteristics that affect their ability to play and learn in their environment. While working in a center based school.  I worked with a young 3 year old boy we'll call John. Along with other developmental issues, John presented with a hyperesponsive vestibular system.

John's reactions to sensory stimulation:

• Tolerates up and down movements while bouncing on a peanut therapy ball.
• Side to side movements on the ball upset John. 
• While on the net swing, John was able to swing forward and backward slowly for a short time  but could not tolerate spinning or swinging in any other direction. 
• While interacting with his environment, John would keep his head straight without turning or tilting out of midline. 
• Instead of turning his head, he would move his entire body to face something he was interested in or to look at me during therapy. 
• Very limited eye movements, cannot isolate eye movements and head movements.
• Moderately defensive to tactile stimulation-reluctant to touch beans and rice, would touch lightly with finger tips only.
• Will cross midline to participate in activities.
• VERY brief visual attention to task.

John resists vestibular input, he displays issues with fine motor coordination, postural control such as trunk and shoulder stability, attention, and visual motor control.

These issues will significantly affect John's ability to develop the skills necessary for handwriting in the future.

Components of handwriting:
-visual motor skills
-visual perception skills
-fine motor skills
-trunk control and shoulder stability

When reading through the research, it is clear that we know a lot about the affects of vestibular difficulties and we know what is required for handwriting. However, there has yet to be a study to link children with vestibular processing issues to their ability to learn hand writing. As a profession, we need more research in many areas and we stand to benefit from understanding these effects.

Special Needs: IEP’s According to Dr. Seuss

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Heidi Kay

Thanks to Special Education Advisor.com for passing along this oldie but goodie that circulates the internet at this time of year!  Could the Cat in the Hat juggle IEPs like YOU can??

Image Credit:  The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss

IEP’s According to Dr. Seuss – by:  Author Unknown

Therapeutic Horseback Riding for People with Special Needs-Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties

Rider and Volunteer Opportunites

The Therapeutic Equestrian Center (TEC) is accepting new Volunteers and Riders for the Holiday 2011 Session!


For Riders:


The Holiday Session starts the week of October 23rd and will run for 7 weeks. New Riders are encouraged to download Rider Registration forms from our website, http://www.tecfarm.org/. A current physical is required at time of registration.


For Volunteers:


New Volunteers are provided training. Classes will be offered in October on the following dates:
Oct 18th- Volunteer Training Part 1, 6pm at TEC 615 N. M-140, Watervleit, MI
Oct 20th- Volunteer Training Part 2, 6pm at TEC 615 N. M-140, Watervliet, MI



Current Volunteers are encouraged to attend Volunteer Training Part 2 on Oct. 20th for a refresher course.


For more information, friend us on facebook, visit our website http://www.tecfarm.org/ or email us at info@tecfarm.org.

Special Needs Children: Developmentally Disabled: Small victories

I work with severely multiply impaired children ages 3-6.   Like many of us in this field I came into special education with a lot of big ideas. I was going to change their world. Very quickly I realized that it would not happen over night. And I would need to embrace the small victories to keep from feeling like a failure. Soon after I realized that would be enough for me.

Special Needs Kids: Working with Disabilities: Cortical Visual Impairment

As a Paraprofessional in a classroom for Severe Multiple Impairments I work everyday with Cortical Blindness. Cortical Blindness is also often referred to as Cortical Visual Impairment or CVI, basically a neurological disorder where the occipital cortex of the brain doesn't know how to process or properly interpret what the eyes are seeing.

Four major causes of CVI:

• Asphyxia


• Brain maldevelopment


• Head injury


• Infection

Occupational Therapy: Sensory Integration Warm-Ups for Special Needs Children/Disabled Kids

As an occupational therapist working with special needs children I find that sometimes it is very difficult to find fine motor activities that cognitively impaired kids can not only understand but enjoy.  As with any other population when working on improving fine motor skills with special needs children I always use the same formula.

• Begin with a warm-up activity.  Warm-up activities usually include sensory integration, gross upper extremity activities and move into fine motor warm-up activities prior to working on fine motor goal work.
• Try to incorporate neurodevelopmental techniques (NDT) into activities.
• Fine motor skills/activities that are functional.

This post will focus on sensory integration warm-up activities for special needs kids.

Fund Raising Event for Horseback Riding for Children with Special Needs in Cass, Berrien and Van Buren Counties

 

TEC is having a FUN raiser to raise money for their Spring/Summer riding season!!  

Come join the fun or go to the website to make a donation to support special needs kids and therapeutic horseback riding!!

The Therapeutic Equestrian Center (TEC) is a non profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding for special needs kids in Cass, Berrien and Van Buren Counties.


Where:  Getaway Cubbie Bar
              9489 Red Arrow Hwy
              Bridgman, MI
When:  Saturday March 26th, 2011
Time: 6pm-close

Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids - Part 1

As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect with your loved one and motivates them to move and do things you may not have seen before!  These short clips reveal just that - simple techniques of how to make "play time" with your child more fun for both them and you.  

This video is embedded through YouTube. 
What do you find that severely impaired kids like to play with?

Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids - 4

As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect with your loved one and motivates them to move and do things you may not have seen before!  These short clips reveal just that - simple techniques of how to make "play time" with your child more fun for both them and you.  
This video is embedded through YouTube.

Top 10 Toys for Kids with Special Needs

And Now, Our Creature Presentation - 
Kids with Down syndrome can have difficulty with fine motor skills, so games and puzzles with just a few large pieces to work with are often a hit. Especially good are games like this Monster Toss -- its level of difficulty can be adjusted to custom-fit the child and her developmental stage. Try starting out close, and then slowly moving farther back!