Hi Reader,
It is a week of heart-filled activities and here are some ideas for the kids you see :
STNR -Inspired Valentines Reaches
These are great one to use if a child has difficulty:
-sitting still
-maintaining good upright seated posture
-copying from a board or model in front of them
-concentrating and attending to tabletop tasks
-with eye hand coordination such as catching
(All signs that STNR may need further integration)
ATNR-Inspired Valentines Reaches
This activity:
❤️Opens the chest and expands peripheral vision
❤️Reinforces differentiated right and left body awareness
❤️ Works eye tracking and visual discrimination skills
❤️ Is inspired by the integration of the ATNR reflex (a big culprit of academic difficulties such as dyslexia)
Make it easier or start off by having them only use their upper body (no dual tasking).
If they struggle keep place visually have the call out the colors verbally (I needed to do this).
Work figure-ground and discrimination skills by putting up competing symbols!
Here is that heart chart download ❤️(which is a unintended pun since people use HART charts which look like random letters and numbers for similar vision-based tasks. )
I got the ❤️ stickers at the dollar store but you can also print this paper and cut out hearts for your targets. (You don't have to cut out the hearts thoroughly for this to work, a square with a heart in it would do.)
Hope you have a great start to your week!
Jasmine
The Big Picture Therapy
Hi Reader, There has been a great response to the Twister therapy game series so I'm sending everyone the Twister visual tracking PDF for free. Here it is: Twister tracking.pdf In case you missed the posts here are some ways to use it : Twister Hops These are intended to work on the ATNR pattern and visual tracking. You can grade it up and down using a metronome beat though you may want to just practice jumping to each dot on the beat without the visual first. Twister Toss This is an activity...
Hi Reader, I just did a goal check on a kid whose mom is noticing that her son in OT is maturing and instead of resorting to anger or physically harming his brother he is more likely to get her help. Another dad last week said things that would normally cause huge destructive meltdowns are no longer causing the same reaction. He said he can see his son start to get upset and then regain control much faster than before. If you are scratching your head with kids that lose control and take...
Hi all! Hope you enjoy the printables and the accompanying videos. With these breath activities you teach physical skills for emotional regulation. The deep breaths (longer exhalations than inhalations) make it impossible to stay in the sympathetic fight/ flight state. It has been a crafty week and I am still working on some of the gross motor videos so sorry PTs getting this email! PS I really do appreciate everyone who filled out the questionnaire. For those of you interested in reflex...