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The Sensory Show 029: Transition Tips for the Summer

Published
by
Kelli Arnone
on June 30, 2009
in Episodes
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Well school’s out and m any kids that have sensory modulation difficulties or self-regulation difficulties may have a hard time dealing with the change in their routine and schedule, so parents…this episode is to help you set up your summer schedule so your child’s emotions can stay in check.

Children who have problems with transitions and changes in plans and routines are our dyspraxic kids.  These kids find comfort in routines, to the point that a lack of structure and routine can make or break their day.  They can thrive on structure down to the foods they eat, the way they eat them, the color of the utensils they use, the way they play with certain toys, the rules they establish during play or self-care routines, the TV shows they watch and the way they complete their morning and bedtime routines (usually in a very rigid and inflexible way).  In order for them to be less rigid they need to have better processing in their brain stem, which means their nervous system can’t have any traffic jams or lose any important information when it’s in transit to the brain.

These kids are rigid in their thinking and easily stressed and reactive.  So, how are we going to keep their nervous systems calm and their bodies happy so that summer is enjoyable for the whole family?

We need to establish routines to provide a highly structured day for these children who thrive on structure.  These are the kids that do better in school due to the structure and then have a difficult time regulating their arousal on the weekends when there is less structure and predictability, and sometimes more “down time”.
Times of the day to structure include:

  • a morning wake up time & wake up routine
  • physical activities and outlets several times per day
  • learning times (this can be anything from simple to rigorous depending on the child, the age and the goals that need to be achieved before the start of the new school year)
  • quiet/relaxation time
  • meal times (try to keep these at a consistent time)
  • an established bed time & bedtime routine

Tips for vacations include:

  • try to keep the same structure as outlined above (especially sleep/wake and meal times)
  • plan ahead (have opportunities for movement, quiet time, a change of clothes, chewing objects, etc…to prevent meltdowns based on what makes your child’s nervous system stressed)
  • build breaks into your day to prevent over-stimulation or over-tiredness
  • set aside quiet time opportunities (away from other siblings, away from the busy areas in theme parks, etc…)
  • setup a schedule for your child to refer to throughout the trip or for each day if your vacation is packed with a lot of activities in one day, this schedule can be a group of pictures, words or a written outline for those who are good readers

Your Discipline Style:

It’s always best as a parent, babysitter, teacher, therapist or other professional to be firm, forgiving and consistent when helping a child manage his emotions and actions. Children may not appreciate you being firm and setting boundaries, but they ultimately thrive on the structure that your rules and boundaries provide.

Foods Recommended: yes, we are what we eat, so get your child to eat as healthy as possible, which often includes the following:

  • a high protein diet
  • low sugar foods
  • organic when possible, especially for meat, milk (if any at all), grains and porous fruits that can easily absorb pesticides when they are growing.

Sometimes you will want to give your children the same, fun experiences that you had as a child, and you may relate your summer vacations to foods like ice cream on the boardwalk or cotton candy at a baseball game, but you really need to look at the best interest of your sensitive child.  He or she will have equally fond memories of their childhood if you provide safe and fun activities for them.  The most important thing to them is truly your time and attention.

Please pass this on to your parents and extended family members as well, so the grandparents and relatives aren’t sabotaging your great ideas, plans and efforts.  You can have a more gentle summer if your family is all on the same page! Enjoy!

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Rating 3.00 out of 5

The Sensory Show 028: (cont’d) A Neurofeedback Parent Interview for Sensory, OCD, Tourette’s, Attention and Emotions

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Kelli Arnone
on June 24, 2009
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Great big thanks to Amy for returning this week to share more information on her family’s journey to help Christopher. Last week Amy talked about Christopher’s symptoms that were most frustrating and challenging to him and others. She reported good improvements from previous cognitive behavioral therapy along with the new addition of Neurofeedback. After 20 sessions of Neurofeedback, Amy reported amazing changes in her son, which include:

  • being more compliant
  • being able to reason with adults much better
  • being much less reactive and having less tantrums
  • being able to fall asleep on his own, when his Mom is nearby versus in his room with him

From a sensory modulation perspective, Christopher needs an intense physical outlet each day in order to help keep his nervous system better balanced. He thrives on the fact that he has P.E. in school every day, and relies on this time to help him make his body feel better. He also makes time for physical activity at home on a frequent, if not daily basis and his parents are very supportive. Therefore, physical activity would never be taken away from him as a form of punishment. It’s a “given” in his household.

Amy’s next exciting venture is to jump into the world of alternative health and make some dietary changes. She is reading the book by Sheila Rogers, called “Natural Treatments for Tics & Tourette’s” which is serving to be an amazing resource book for people with tics, Tourette’s and other conditions such as ADHD.

Amy highlighted some of the book’s recommendations and stated that there’s more to be done than just reducing your child’s sugar intake. Big culprits that add to neurological disorders are food coloring, preservatives and processed sugar. Dietary supplements are showing to be invaluable, and allergies are reported to be a very large part of Tourette’s and Tic Disorders.

Although every child is different in their biological makeup, Amy was willing to share with everyone what Christopher is taking so far which includes: Juice Plus+, and Coromega (an omega 3 fatty acid product which comes in a great tasting chocolate or orange pudding consistency). Christopher’s thinking, anxiety and stress levels all improved within a few weeks of taking these products.

Amy’s tips for struggling parents:

There’s hope!! Although the interventions that have been done may not be a quick fix, you should see good progress. Amy’s family has spent 5 long years trying to help Christopher in any way they can and she feels like they are just scratching the surface. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it” she says, as nothing is better than being able to tell that your child’s body feels better.

Please listen to this episode for more information as Amy is an amazing wealth of knowledge and a true inspiration!

Rating 3.00 out of 5

The Sensory Show 027: A Neurofeedback Parent Interview for Sensory, OCD, Tourette’s, Attention and Emotions

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Kelli Arnone
on June 18, 2009
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I had the pleasure of interviewing a very kind and informative parent on the experiences her son and her family have gone through before receiving neurofeedback, and then after 20 sessions of neurofeedback therapy have been completed.

Amy is the mother of my client Christopher who is almost 13. He’s a really nice and down-to-earth 7th grader who showed symptoms of having Tourette’s and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder around 7-8 years of age. He was highly emotional several times per day and always had difficulty falling asleep or sleeping through the night. He had night terrors until 3 years of age, hated loud noises and didn’t like the dark. He also had trouble focusing on difficult tasks. He was a straight “A” student in elementary school and had a hard time adjusting to transitions to many different teachers and their learning styles in middle school. He’s very friendly and has two very close friends, but because other peers harass him at school, he has a defensive personality and becomes very emotional.

Then he was around 7-8 years old it was thought that he had Generalized Anxiety and he saw a therapist for this. Then he had an obsessive ritual at night that he had to complete, which involved asking the same 6 questions he had in his head, over and over. His tics started with eye blinks and throat clearing, and got worse through puberty (which is expected). He also received Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Exposure & Response Therapy) and used this approach with the prescribed medication of Zoloft. He also had a phobia related to vomiting and the Zoloft made his stomach upset, so he had to stop taking it. His family then ventured off to find a Neurologist, who informed them that there weren’t very many medications available for children with Tourette’s. Some medications being used for Tourette’s are medications related to blood pressure and Bipolar Disorder.

This is where Amy researched her options and came across Neurofeedback. When her son Christopher started the Neurofeedback program his presenting symptoms were:

  • a lot of crying
  • a lot of drama & emotions
  • temper tantrums
  • aggression/defiance
  • impulsivity
  • poor transitioning.

Amy expects her son’s symptoms to wax and wane with the diagnosis of Tourette’s, but his morning routines are so much more pleasant when getting ready to leave the house and his ability to calm his body down is so much easier for him, after doing a handful of neurofeedback sessions. He is also more remorseful and not so angry.

Amy’s overall list of improvements seen after 20 sessions of Neurofeedback includes:

-being more compliant;

-being able to reason with adults much better;

-being much less reactive and having less tantrums; &

-being able to fall asleep on his own, when his Mom is nearby.

Please tune in next week to hear Amy’s recommendations, thoughts on nutritional/dietary changes needed, and overall advice to help your own child who may have some similarities to Christopher.

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Rating 4.00 out of 5

The Sensory Show 026: Am I Doing the Therapeutic Listening Program Properly?

Published
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Kelli Arnone
on June 9, 2009
in Episodes
. 2 Comments

This episode is geared toward parents who are already doing the Therapeutic Listening (ThL) program at home, and want to make sure they have crossed all their T’s and dotted and their I’s. Episode Number 25 from last week was dedicated to defining this program, how it works, and the benefits for your child.

General Guidelines for Implementing the Therapeutic Listening Program:

  • This protocol is designed to be used at home during physical activity, for 20-30 minutes each listening time, 2x per day, 7 days per week. There must be a minimum of 3 hours of time separating each listening session (i.e.- first session is done by 9:30am, so the next earliest time it can be done on the same day would be 12:30pm). It’s best to do the listening first thing in the morning before school and then in the late afternoon/early evening (not immediately after school or directly before bed). The CDs need to be changed every 2 weeks, in order to have variety and to receive optimal benefits (as the brain becomes bored and doesn’t take in/benefit from the sound information when it’s so predictable).
  • Adults need to place the headphones on their own head before each listening session to check the headphone volume and make sure the sound is coming out of each ear phone (otherwise the cord is likely damaged, or pulled out of the headphones or CD player).
  • Turn the CD player on by pressing the “Play” arrow.
  • Check the volume, which should be medium to low. You should not be able to hear the music coming out of the headphones on the child’s head when you are 3-4 feet away. You should also be able to talk to others without having to raise your voice or take the headphones off to hear.
  • Make sure the sound is coming out of each head phone. If not, check the connection of the cord to the headphones (this can be tricky as it may be pulled out slightly and not noticed initially), then check the connection to the CD player.
  • Press the mode button until you have “Rand” for Random or “Shuf” for Shuffle set. Then press the “forward” button to change the track, so the listener is not always listening to track #1 first.
  • Press the “Hold” button on the side or back of the CD player to “hold” the shuffle mode and keep the player “on” as kids may bump the player while in motion, turning the player off or changing the settings accidentally (or not so accidentally).
  • Place the CD player in the neoprene fanny pack with the cord sticking out of the side, so it’s not bent (otherwise it will be damaged). Put all the extra cord in the fanny pack to get it out of the way.
  • Clip the fanny pack to your child’s waist, and adjust it to be snug, so it doesn’t fall off or bump around when the child is in action (walking, jumping, bouncing, climbing, etc…).
  • Put the headphones on the child’s head with the cord on the left. The headphones are marked “R” and “L”, but if you remember “cord on the left” then you will know it’s on backwards from across a room, and you can be quick to switch it. This is very important as the music is specially designed to go in a certain ear and up to a certain part of the brain for the desired effects. If the headphones are on the wrong ears, the sound information will not get to its intended destination! Oops!
  • Set your timer based on the recommended protocol (never more than 30 minutes at one time). It’s best to have a portable timer. A clip-on kitchen timer is great to clip to your pants pocket so you can make sure your child never listens more than the allotted time.
  • Encourage your child to be active, as the music is stimulating, and muscle work can help to clear up traffic jams and make sure the sound information gets to the correct part of the brain for processing.
  • If your child is not physically active during the listening times, make sure you know why the therapist is recommending or allowing this, as this is not the intention of this music, nor is it the norm.
  • If you child’s behaviors are worse during the listening session or the next few hours after the session, you will need to contact the prescribing therapist, and make adjustments. It’s likely the child needs less time, more physical activity to balance out the intensity of the music, a different CD, and/or a break if congestion, allergies, or an ear infection is present. You can restart the listening after your child has been on medication for an active ear infection for 24 hours. Restart after a flu or illness, when symptoms and the fever have subsided. It’s okay to continue if the child has a cold or allergies, if the program is tolerated under these conditions.
  • Keep the Bass Boost turned off at all times, the music is already perfectly recorded, so we don’t want to alter it by increasing the bass.
  • If the player is not working after the cord connections are checked, wiggle the cord by the headphones and then by the CD player. If the sound clearly cuts in and out when you wiggle it at either end of the cord, then you need a new cord. These headphones have a warranty for a new cord that you can look in to, otherwise you will need to buy a new one quickly in town (last I heard they are available at Radio Shack for $10). If the headphones are still not working, gently shake them when held in your hands. If you hear one ear piece loudly rattling, then it’s broken. You will have to mail them to the manufacturer and wait a few weeks for them to be fixed or for a replacement. This will really put a kink in your listening program, so be very careful with this equipment.
  • Don’t allow the headphones to be used for regular music or by other siblings, as they are too expensive to be using for any other purpose.
  • Place all equipment in a mini backpack or a small bag and use this as a designated bag. Don’t allow food, drinks or toys to be put in the same bag for obvious reasons.

Activities That Should Be Discouraged:

  • Sedentary activities
  • Activities that make the child unavailable such as TV, videos, video games, computer use, homework, sleeping, and/or toys used in a perseverative way (i.e.- lining them up).

Children Under 2 Years of Age:

  • They can benefit from this program, but their inner ear is not fully developed yet, so they cannot listen to the CDs with headphones.
  • They can listen to the therapeutic CDs using speakers that are equidistant from each other and the child’s ears. The speakers and the child’s ears should form a triangle, which means these speakers need to be quite close to the child’s ears (no more than 3-5 feet away).
  • Use a small space such as a bathtub, bathroom or walk in closet (where you and the child can both fit comfortably).

Contraindications:

  • Schizophrenia
  • Auditory-evoked seizures (meaning it’s known through neurological testing, that your child’s seizures are caused specifically by sounds).

Please keep up on your protocol, be organized and prepared! If you have questions or any challenges, please talk with your child’s therapist. This is an amazing program that can result in huge gains if you can follow through with it. It’s one of the most economical ways to make great developmental gains in therapy, so jump in and you too will get to reap the benefits!

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Rating 4.00 out of 5

The Sensory Show 025: What is Therapeutic Listening-Auditory Integration Training?

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Kelli Arnone
on June 3, 2009
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There are a handful of auditory integration training programs on the market for therapists to use with their clients. Today I am going to talk about the “Therapeutic Listening” program, which is a very well known program in the world of Sensory Integration.

This is a program that was developed by Sheila Frick, from Vital Links, who is an occupational therapist in Madison, Wisconsin. She offers trainings and the purchasing of this specialized equipment to qualified professionals only.

This program involves the use of specialized headphones, that are high quality Sennheiser headphones, that have been altered to provide a therapeutic benefit to the listener. Then there are many CDs to choose from to help meet the therapeutic goals of the client who will be listening to this program. Each CD that’s available addresses the underlying component of sensory processing. Then, each CD has key features that are addressed in addition to sensory processing, which is the core benefit of every CD.

The key features of the CDs address areas such as: social skills, turn taking, sensitivity to sounds, language skills, motor planning, timing, sequencing, organizational skills, coordination, attention, deep breathing, feeling grounding and calm, multisensory processing, the ability to tune into what you are suppose to and tune out background stimulation, improving posture, waking up the body for greater engagement, regulating basic body functions like sleeping, eating and controlling emotions for behavioral control, and the list goes on and on!

Basically, the sound engineers that developed this program, have determined the parts of the brain that need to be stimulated in order to help the listener improve his or her development in that area.

What happens anatomically is the sound waves come into the ear directly from the headphones. This is the purest form of sound which is not distorted for the listener, because the sound waves didn’t get to travel out into open space, like it would if we listened to the music on speakers in a room. Once the sound waves hit the ear, they turn into nerve impulses that send messages to the cochlea in the ear, for hearing. The cool part from here is that the cochlear nerve sends messages to the brainstem from these sound waves, but the vestibular nerve sits on top of the cochlear nerve- they actually share a nerve, which is called the vestibular-cochlear nerve. The vestibular system sits on the inside of each ear, on top of the cochlea, and detects movement from our body. So, when the sound waves vibrate the cochlea for hearing, it has an overflow effect into the vestibular nerve. This sends messages of movement to the brain stem, which in turn satisfies the listener who craves movement! This is how these CDs can help a child have better posture, attention, eye skills, level of alertness, and more. It’s as if a child is moving, jumping and swinging- but they are listening instead! These children still need to be active and moving during their listening times, to further integrate this sensory information, but the power of this listening program in addition to movement and muscle work is amazing! Progress is usually seen within a few sessions and then the child continues to show improvement throughout the course of their listening program.

This program can be done for weeks, or many months, depending on each child’s needs. It’s a great way to increase the intensity of a home program established by your child’s therapist.

The Therapeutic Listening program is listened to using a portable CD player and a neoprene waist band that holds the player close to the body so a child can listen to this program while in motion. Again, this is not a program that encourages a child to sit and listen. It’s trying to activate different parts of the brain and mature the brain stem- where sensory processing occurs, so movement and muscle work activities are a big component of making this program successful.

If you are interested in starting this program, you will need to be committed to having your child listen to this program ideally twice a day for 20-30 minutes each time, every day. There is some wiggle room here, but it does need to be done close to this time frame in order to expect good results. You can talk to your child’s therapist if you have concerns with how well you will be able to follow through.

If you are ready to try this program, you will need to find a trained therapist and work with them to determine the appropriate CDs and equipment for your child. This is not a program you can order online or buy somewhere and try on your own. It is highly specialized equipment that needs to be purchased through an authorized professional. Therefore, you don’t want to borrow this from a friend and just to give it a whirl!

Next week I will go over the specific details of how to make sure your therapeutic listening program is being done properly, which can be a helpful reminder to families who have purchased this program and are ready to start it at home, or to anyone who would like guidance to make sure they are on track.

If you don’t know of a professional in your area, you can find a practitioner online through our website links at www.pediatricpotentials.com, or by going to the Therapeutic Listening company website at www.vitallinks.net.

I hope you can make the time to add this to your busy schedules as an intense and powerful home program addition for your sensory kids, as the children we work with in our office seem to progress toward their goals about twice as fast, if they are doing this program at home, in addition to their weekly therapy sessions in our office. It’s well worth the time and money!

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Rating 4.33 out of 5

The Sensory Show 024: Complimentary Programs to Consider When Neurofeedback Isn’t Working

Published
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Kelli Arnone
on May 27, 2009
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Last week I introduced Neurofeedback, including: what is it, how does it work and the many symptoms that can be addressed with this brain-based exercise program. Since there’s no “one program” out there that can fix all, I have dedicated this episode to helping parents and professionals think about other factors that can be holding a child back from making greater gains.

The number one culprit for sensory kids is FOOD! You are what you eat, and a child who eats junk food is going to act out behaviorally or emotionally. Sugar, preservatives and other unnatural ingredients can interfere with smooth brain function. Chemicals were not made to be digested and interpreted in the brain, so the brain gets confused or stressed and malfunctions. No wonder these kids do not make further progress, or they can’t maintain their progress between sessions, because these food culprits are sabotaging the neural connections that were just strengthened in their Neurofeedback sessions. Here’s an overall list of common reasons why Neurofeedback sessions can fall short of their expectations:

1. Food intolerances

2. Allergies

3. Dietary insufficiencies

4. Digestive Malabsorption

5. Heavy Metal Toxicity

6. Visual Processing Disturbances

7. Auditory Processing Disorder

8. Blood Sugar Regulation Difficulties

9. Poor Sleep or Sleep Routines

10. Degenerative Disorders or Structural Limitations (stroke, tumor, blood vessel malformations, hydrocephalus, etc.)

You will need to speak with your Neurofeedback Practitioner, Holistic Medical Practitioner, and/or your Primary Care Physician to discuss these possibilities and ways to remediate any additional factors, to get the best out of your child.

There are two ways a Neurofeedback practitioner can provide his or her services. Some practitioners are trained to provide their treatment based on a child’s presenting problems and the parents’ greatest concerns. This is symptom-based treatment, where the practitioner requires the parent and/or child to provide feedback on how they feel and how they performed during, and shortly after each neurofeedback session. The alternative to this is having a QEEG done (which can be expensive, my guess is around $600-$1,000 or more) which is a comprehensive analysis of the brain waves, so that a practitioner can set up a specific protocol, based on this information. It takes some of the guess work out, but each method has its pros and cons. You will want to ask your local provider what he or she feels is best for your child and his or her specific problems that need to be addressed.

Aside from Neurofeedback training, there are many other complimentary programs out there to help your children with overall brain processing, sensory processing, learning, and behavioral/emotional control. The following programs are worth discussing with a professional or looking up on-line:

1. Fast ForWord- from a Speech Therapist

2. Interactive Metronome- from an OT or Speech Therapist or Learning Center

3. Emotional Freedom Technique or EMDR- from a Mental Health Practitioner

4. Emotional Healing &/or Energy Work from Alternative Medicine Practitioners, Mental Health Professionals and most often from Massage Therapists

5. Craniosacral or Myofascial Release Therapy- from a Massage Therapist, PT, or OT

6. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy- from an Alternative Medical Practitioner

7. Developmental Visual Training- from a Developmental Optometrist

8. An Auditory Integration Training Program- from an OT, Speech Therapist, PT, or Learning Center

9. Brain Builder- from a Learning Center

10. NAET- allergy elimination treatments from an Alternative Health Care Practitioner

There is no way I can make these lists to be all inclusive in such a short amount of time, so please feel free to offer additional information by posting a blog or asking questions if you can’t find information on these programs. Every child is different, but at least there are a wide variety of programs and services available, you just need the right guidance to get you there! Above all, please get your kids eating well and taking some basic supplements. You can listen to this episode for more specifics, watch Neurofeedback videos on our website at www.pediatricpotentials.com, or go on www.eeginfo.com/research to look at more information on complimentary modalities offered by Chief Scientist, Siegfried Othmer.

Be Well!

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Rating 4.33 out of 5

The Sensory Show 023: Neurofeedback for Sensory Kids

Published
by
Kelli Arnone
on May 21, 2009
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. 0 Comments

I came across a great press release today from Dr. Martin Johnson, PsyD, from the Hawaii Center for Psychology, that I would like to share with everyone. He posed a great question, “Wouldn’t it be great if there were a “Wii Fit” for the brain”? Well scientists have come up with something pretty close- a video game that you play without using your hands- only using your brainwaves. And the best part about it, is that it’s good for you! This is called Neurofeedback which has been around for about 30 years, but improved technology and advances have made it more accessible for the masses.

Neurofeedback training is painless, relaxing and non-invasive. During a session, sensors are placed on the scalp to monitor brain waves, which are displayed as a video game or movie clip. The child watches the screen and engages in the feedback without much obvious effort. When the brain produces waves that are in-sync with the settings on the computer, the video game or movie rewards the participant by playing the video or movie more often. Over time, the brain learns and builds stronger connections so that the child has improved skills such as self-regulation, attention, and behaviors, etc…

This training is based on positive reinforcement, so the game is going to play regardless, and then every so often it will slow or stop to provide cause and effect feedback to the child, so they know when their brain waves are on or off track. This happens at a more subconscious or automatic level of the brain, so the child doesn’t have to work hard to focus or relax, it will just happen.

The idea of playing a video game with only your mind is hard for many people to grasp. The sensors simply measure what you are already doing. There is no electrical current, pain or discomfort at all.

Neurofeedback has been used by many athletes, musicians, and executives to improve their focus and performance. It is also used to treat a variety of issues including problems with sleep, concentration, expression and social skills, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, physical and mental stress as well as headaches, seizure disorders, and much more! We generally use it at Pediatric Potentials to help our sensory kids improve their overall self-regulation skills.

This program can be thought of as a way to “work out your brain” for optimal health, just like you would work out with a personal trainer to keep your body fit and feeling good. People of all ages are able to benefit from these types of programs.

For more information to determine if your child is a good candidate for this program, you can refer to our website online, and also watch the new You Tube videos on this program, from www.pediatricpotentials.com

You can also find a local practitioner and an extensive resource & research list, by going to www.eeginfo.com

It will be well worth your time to look into this program, as it has the ability to make a huge difference in your child in a relatively short period of time, often times in the first few sessions.

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Rating 4.33 out of 5

The Sensory Show 022: Summer Handwriting Activities

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Kelli Arnone
on May 15, 2009
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Summer Handwriting Helpers!

Summer is a great time to help your child improve his or her handwriting potential for the following school year. Trying a combination of the following suggestions may help your child develop greater skills to be more ready and willing to write!

Good kinesthetic awareness is needed in order for your child to feel his/her hand on the page, know where it is without having to look at it all of the time, and to know how hard to press into the paper when writing.

Kinesthetic activities:

  • Making and/or playing with playdough, putty, clay or a combination of corn starch and water
  • Making cookies or mixing other fun foods together in the kitchen with his/her hands
  • Coloring on thin paper placed on top of sand paper or cement outside
  • Using chalk on a mini chalk board or sidewalk
  • Practice writing or drawing in shaving cream or sand for fun

Good postural stability of the trunk, shoulder, hand and neck muscles are also very important in order for your child to have the ability to sit at a table with good upright posture and fine motor control. The ability to maintain this posture and perform fine motor skills without tiring easily is necessary for good handwriting skills.

Postural activities:

  • Underwater swimming is great for postural endurance!
  • Lying on the floor on the stomach to watch TV, have a snack, read a book, or play games
  • Set up: push ups, sit ups, wheelbarrow walks or crab walks as a game, or to set a record and then try to beat it!
  • Climb on jungle gyms & monkey bars to build upper body and hand strength
  • Enroll in martial arts camps, yoga programs, gymnastics programs or other physical programs that promote strength and endurance as a part of their curriculum

Teach the proper way to hold a pencil, by encouraging your child to use a 3-finger grasp. The tip of the thumb and index finger should be on the pencil and the middle finger should support the pencil from the underside. You can try a variety of pencil grips to see if any particular gripper helps your child keep his/her fingers in this position. You can also try thick pencils, short pencils or mechanical pencils to see what makes your child’s handwriting look the best. The thumb should not be wrapped around the pencil or the other fingers, as this causes difficulty with precision and makes the fingers tire quickly. Now you are ready to encourage your child to work on the activities below. Present these activities in a fun or challenging way to your child, but monitor and respect their frustration and level of resistance.

Eye-hand coordination activities:

  • Dot-to-Dot, tracing, coloring, art or learning-to-draw workbooks (have your child lie on his/her stomach, or seated in a chair with both feet flat on the floor for good postural support)
  • Practice copying three-dimensional block designs (i.e.- parquetry boards) or find a few new challenging puzzles
  • Order the Handwriting Without Tears program materials or workbook for the summer, practicing 5-10 minutes a day to reinforce the proper way to form (print & cursive) letters (www.hwtears.com).
  • Children that have done journal writing this past year in school can continue to journal write over the summer, on fun topics of their choice.

These are fun activities that can help promote your child’s handwriting skills. They can be incorporated into their daily routine for 5-30 minutes at a time, a few times per week.

Feel free to e-mail me through my website @ www.pediatricpotentials.com if you would like more activities or any clarification.  Try to enjoy this time with your child and have fun!

Have a great summer!

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Rating 4.33 out of 5

The Sensory Show 021: Therapeutic Toy Selections

Published
by
Kelli Arnone
on May 6, 2009
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Hi everyone, today I am going to talk about therapeutic toy selections for children, but first we need to talk about play.  “Play” is critical for children in order for them to develop their social and emotional skills as well as their motor skills.  Through exploration and play, children develop the strength, balance, coordination, eye-hand skills and regulation skills their bodies need in order to be happy children that show an inner desire to learn.  Skill development should come naturally as children explore, so appropriate toy selections are important for children as they need to have the right opportunities to acquire new skills and build their self-esteem.  Children who don’t get enough play time, especially physical activity, often have a hard time sitting still, focusing on tasks or school work, calming down, falling asleep or managing their own emotions or behaviors.  This is where sensory integration therapy and sensory-based toys become extremely beneficial.

So what type of toy can a parent make to save money?

Try: making play dough with a fun new recipe off the internet; or filling balloons with sand, rice, flour, sugar or salt to make hand-sized squeeze balls (for sensory calming and hand strengthening).

Therapeutically, these are the most common items I have seen parents purchase from therapy catalogs or websites:

  • Bodysox- these are common to allow kids to calm as they climb in this big spandex bag and usually cover their faces for less visual stimulation and then push against the spandex to get resistance to their muscles for calming. Kids can walk, crawl and roll in these, or get pulled around on the carpet for a calming ride.
  • Jigglers- these are oral vibration toys that are turned on and either held or chewed on by a child, when they need calming to their nervous system, or when they need greater awareness and sensation to their mouth for better eating, talking and less drooling.
  • Physioballs/Exercise Balls- these are great for people of all ages as they come in many sizes and textures now. They are often used to work on balance, strengthening and stretching or deeper breathing, but can be used for many other play activities if you allow the adult or child to use their imagination!
  • Dizzy Disc- this is an excellent sensory stimulating product that activates the vestibular system (the receptors in the inner ear that detect movement) to improve a person’s balance, posture, attention and awareness of their body in space (so kids are less clumsy and more attentive). This is an excellent product used for many children with attention difficulties as they often under-register movement and therefore need lots of it!
  • Seating cushions- these are very common in schools and for sitting at a desk or at the dinner table at home. They allow people to wiggle in their seat, in order to activate their vestibular system (the receptors in the inner ear that detect movement). These cushions come in child and adult sizes and help people of all ages to sit still in their chairs for longer without the need to wiggle around or feel restless/inattentive. The seating cushions that come in the shape of a wedge are also excellent to help improve posture.

Please listen to the full podcast show for more details on how to use these common items, or just be creative and have fun with your child, whether you buy therapeutic toys or make them yourself.  And, if all else fails and you don’t know what to do, just know that the kids are the experts in finding different ways to use toys and objects.  Have a great day!

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The Sensory Show 020: How to Calm Hyper Kids

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Kelli Arnone
on April 30, 2009
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So many children and some adults present with a high level of activity and energy throughout their day, which is considered to be “hyperactivity”. While sometimes as an adult you may feel that being hyper can make you feel more productive, most times this high level of activity can be detrimental to your health.  For adults, this can stress your home life, your marriage, your ability to be focused and follow through with home or work projects and your health, such as your adrenal glands.  Then you may crave salty foods, sweets and most commonly lots of caffeine.

When it comes to hyperactivity in children, this impacts their success at school in order to sit still, pay attention and complete their work assignments, as well as pay attention to the details of their assignments in order to do them correctly.  At home, this hyperactivity affects their attention and focusing ability to complete morning and evening routines without needing reminders, and getting their homework done in a reasonable time frame (without having to pull teeth or have emotional outbursts from someone in the family).

So, we are going to look at two ways to calm these hyper kids:

First, we need to look at their diets, as a children with hyperactivity have a very active brain!

Adding red dye #40 or other food colorings, preservatives, artificial ingredients and sugar to their diet may make their symptoms worse.  This includes caffeine which is found in chocolate, and sugar free ingredients (which are chemicals that are not natural, that stimulate the brain even more).

If you eliminate these foods for a few weeks and you see grater calmness, then you are onto something.  A local practitioner here has told our clients that a 1/4 cup of juice is enough sugar for a kid to last all day. So, keep this in mind when trying to make some of these adjustments.

Secondly, we need to look at the child’s activity level!  Movement and muscle work are two powerful ways to regulate kids.

An example of home activities that would be helpful include physical activity in the morning, running club before school, swimming, and/or completing animal walks.

Kids cannot sit still and pay attention if their bodies are craving movement!  Most children in my practice that are hyperactive have under responsive vestibular systems.  So they need more input than their peers.  If this is the case- these kids need physical activity at home before doing homework and before bedtime so they can be calm enough to fall asleep.

I hope these suggestions are enlightening and helpful! Best of luck to you all!

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Rating 4.33 out of 5