Crazy Straw Fidget & Fine Motor Challenge

Our COTA-student, Kaylin Blackwell, created these inexpensive items for fidgeting and fine motor fun:

"So this is my crazy straw activity. I've made two different versions and attached pictures of both below. I used them to work on motor planning, sequencing, and coordination, but the maze version would also be useful for wrist extension/flexion."  K.B.

Add a washer or another item to slide through the straw "maze" and use pieces of tubing or an old pencil gripper at the ends.

This would be a nice, quiet fidget toy.  Or, a soothing fine motor coordination activity, with that soft material.

Thanks for sharing, Kaylin!

Help for Handwriting--Alphabet Beats

This morning I joined a class session for handwriting training.  There were about six elementary-age students with autism and five adult helpers in the room--whew!

This DVD was used to learn how to write the lower case letters "f" and "g":

Alphabet Beats DVD

I found the demonstrations a little slow paced but the kids were mesmerized, at least for the first letter (about 10 minutes), and then they naturally got a little "wiggly."

My OT buddy who ran the session uses it on a weekly basis with the students and says that the students really pay attention.  When I was there they were chanting along with the letter talk and participating in the activities just fine (for the first 10 minutes!)  All the adults were chanting along and participating, too.

Using a solid program, like Handwriting Without Tears, is very successful.  The Alphabet Beats video kept the students' attention and engagement for a good 10 minutes, which is pretty much a record in our attention-span compromised world.  I think using both programs will be a smart move for those of us, and for our teacher buddies, who have students with significant letter writing concerns.  

Online Keyboarding Programs and Apps

One of my OT buddies just forwarded this resourceful link to our staff.  The post is from 2014 but I bet many of these recommended sites & apps are still active, maybe even improved!

http://mamaot.com/keyboarding-programs-to-help-kids-with-typing-practice/

Music Therapy story

Thanks to Ms. Carlson, teacher for students with autism, for sharing this great story with me:

A Boy and His Guitar

Have You Looked at GoNoodle Lately?

I've been recommending videos from https://www.gonoodle.com/ to several of my teachers lately, from elementary school through high school.  Check it out yourself and see which videos might be helpful for your students, then pass the link along to your teachers.

Here's an interesting post from the GoNoodle blogsite.  I don't agree with every word but there're lots of good ideas:  http://blog.gonoodle.com/2016/06/using-gonoodle-to-improve-self-regulation-language-and-more/

A Night to Shine--a Very Special Prom

Great photos of last night's prom for teens and adults with special needs--here in RVA!

http://www.richmond.com/photos/collection_fd1a4697-769d-56ea-8c02-0c6dace3ab59.html

Middle + High School Students With Significant Intellectual Disabilities

Ideas for OT Consult/Intervention

for Students with Significant Intellectual Disabilities*

Depending on the educational and related service goals and objectives of your students, this is what a school year might look like for many occupational therapists.

Month	Intellectual + Physical Disabilities	Intellectual Disability + Autism
September	Observe feeding--any adaptive equipment needed? Take photos of each student’s feeding equipment. What equipment is on hand in classes, kitchens. Need timer to pace intake? Prep feeding guidelines for individual students. Initiate or update feeding forms on annual basis, or after hospitalization affecting feeding status. Obtain photo permission from parents, for use in therapy records and training staff. Take photos of UE splints and other specialized equipment, for OT file.	Observe during snacks, lunch.  How wide/how narrow are their food preferences? Note fine motor skills and grasp patterns during utensil use or finger feeding. If needed, provide photos of typical grasps for visual models to use with students during mealtimes. Address immediate needs for self-regulation strategies and activities. What was used in the past?  Review former therapy records in student’s school confidential file.
October	Document what assistive technology is in place.  Take photos of mounting systems for AT and mark wheelchair or other equipment for best sites to attach AT. Visit physical education to observe students out of wheelchairs and note gross motor skills and UE skills in more dynamic environment. Observe students in school environments (lunchroom, assemblies, transition in hallways, art class, school jobs…) and consult on adaptations for promoting fine motor skills and independence.	Observe students in school environments (lunchroom, PE, assemblies, transition in hallways, art class, school jobs…) and consult on adaptations for promoting fine motor skills and self-help skills. Explore primary classroom environment (lights, seating, noise level, computer placement, window glare) and items in place for self regulation. Provide written recommendations to teachers and, possibly,  additional items for trial periods (fidget mat, light diffusers, standing desk, other). Offer team in-service for creating items that have been successful with students.   Use therapy session to model creating simple items to use in class--have students participate (such as rice-sock fidgets).  Include precautions.
November	Assess classroom inventory of materials for sensory exploration and individual leisure skills. Create set of materials for students on OT caseload and train teachers & classroom aides on using items for alerting/calming to aid self regulation & readiness to learn.  Include precautions and symptoms of over-stimulation.	Do students have preferred activities for self regulation?  If so, help students and staff create a personal menu of preferred activities they can select from on a regular schedule through the day.  Enlist the school SLP to use visuals in the schedule.
December	Use seasonal weather and holiday traditions to expand group activities (ice maker for snow, cinnamon-nutmeg or peppermint to salt/flour/water dough for olfactory & texture exploration.	Use highly-textured materials (pinecones, gumballs, holly leaves) and other natural materials to create small gifts for families and school staff. Students can create gift tags (tracing/cutting), write greetings then deliver gifts to school personnel during group sessions.
January	Review progress in self-help skills: Self feeding Food prep (cutting) Utensil grasp Independence in lunch line Self dressing Managing fasteners Shoe tying Provide adapted materials, as needed, to supplement classroom items.  (shoe laces cut in half and re-tied in contrasting colors)	Same as column to left.
February	Schedule visit with school-based SLP for shared students using augmentative communication devices.  Observe and collaborate on best access for switches/devices.	Schedule visit to off-campus work sites or adapted sports (skating, Medford League games, Special Olympics). Observe student’s response to environment and need for any modifications needed at site.
March	Observe students during school-based jobs (washing windows, watering plants, working in school store, stationery business, café cart). How have their fine motor skills and self help skills increased since October? Refresh any customized “sensory kits” for students with seasonal items.	Observe students during school-based jobs (washing windows, watering plants, working in school store). How have their fine motor skills and independence with self help skills increased since October? Refresh any customized “sensory kits” for students with seasonal items.
April	Update materials for practicing self-help (bubble wrap for snaps).  Send home parent handout on tips for increasing independence at home.	Update materials for practicing self-help (bubble wrap for snaps).  Send home parent handout on tips for increasing independence at home.
May	Incorporate water and other outdoor activities into group sessions (reaching into water-filled basis to grasp objects). Send thank-you notes to donors, describing how $$$ or materials were used to help students.	Improve hand strength for greater endurance in school jobs and work settings via carrying different sizes of water for outdoor plants, bringing heavy water bottle on outside walks. Send thank-you notes to donors, describing how $$$ or materials were used to help students.
June	Meet with teachers, SLP, PT to determine what intervention strategies  to repeat and what to change for the next school year. What feeding precautions need to be in place on the first day of school next year?  What equipment?  What self regulation strategies?	Meet with teachers, SLP, PT to determine what intervention to repeat and what to change for the next school year. What feeding precautions need to be in place on the first day of school next year?  What equipment?  What self regulation strategies?

*

"Intellectual disability is a below-average cognitive ability with three (3) characteristics:

• Intelligent quotient (or I.Q.) is between 70-75 or below
• Significant limitations in adaptive behaviors (the ability to adapt and carry on everyday life activities such as self-care, socializing, communicating, etc.)
• The onset of the disability occurs before age 18." 

Source of definition:  https://www.thearc.org/learn-about/intellectual-disability