Perfect Fidget Toy for OTs at Work

Finally made myself veer off course on the drive between schools and spent my rare lunch break looking for the perfect fidget toy for students and us OTs...

Kinetic Sand! (I ended up buying Sands Alive! at 5-Below because the quantity was greater than the other brands.)  It feels soooo soft and doesn't make a mess.  I originally learned about it last year when one of my 3rd graders quietly played with it in her general education class to keep herself calm during tests/quizzes.  Her smart mom had seen it at Brookstone and sent in a small portion in a little plastic container.

Back in the office this afternoon I sent a quick message to one of my OT buddies, who has small kiddos at home:

We OTs don't need much to brighten our days.

Thx, Fiona, for the inspiration for this post!  All about Fiona, my work buddy:

Gel Pens for Lefties

A case manager at a nearby private school for students with disabilities recommended this brand/style of pen for lefties:  energel-deluxe-gel-pen

Not sure if she preferred a specific tip thickness, but I'd probably go with the bold tip for younger students who are still writing on wide-line paper or even wider than that.

Will be on the lookout for this brand and style next time I'm cruising the stationery aisle, which happens to be my favorite section in most stores.

New Thoughts about Organizing

My friends know that one of my weaknesses is anything new under the sun that comes out in print about organizing.  When I work with students on becoming more independent in organizing their materials, desks and backpacks they look at me like I'm a crazy woman, especially when I have them follow the steps in a flip-book we create of photos of their own desk as they work through the organizing process.

So, this article is pure "eye candy" and "creative fuel" for nuts like me:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/garden/home-organization-advice-from-marie-kondo.html

Think there will be lots of applications to helping students and friends at school and at home.

The last sentence is my favorite one of the article.  Sadly, I can't throw every scrap of paper away--at work or at home--but I can toss out quite a bit more than I have so far.

LiveBinders

Another blog post on ScoutieGirl.com by one of my technology colleagues, Barbara:

http://www.scoutiegirl.com/bind-it-with-livebinders/#comment-54341

If you need some digital organization in your life and you don't mind looking at a computer screen to achieve it, you might try her suggestions.  She's a wonderful writer and is loving writing for a larger audience via this Richmond-based blogging team, I hear.

Listening to Birdies Singing

One of my colleagues, who is a teacher for students with visual impairments, took this bird song/call quiz with one of her middle school students. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dedfpN1fZnI&list=TLr1qLLxvv6Ew

Her student LOVED it.

My friend explained that many people with visual impairments are attracted to bird "watching" since they often have well-tuned auditory skills which allow them to locate and identify birds.  Since I have such difficulty visually locating the birds I hear maybe I should hone my auditory discrimination skills and learn their calls/songs. 

Touchy Math

One of my teacher buddies (thx, Jennifer M!) created these touchy math & geometric shapes about 4 years ago, and they're still going strong!  They have Velcro on the back to make it easy to attach them to a grabby-fabric background. 

I think I can find some willing students to help me make more of these for kids in other schools I serve.  Nothing beats making shapes out of Wikki Stix, thinking you're just having fun, while your sneaky OT is having you work on spatial, motor planning and fine motor skills. 

Dental Care and Kids with Autism

Thx to AOTA for sending along this very helpful article:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/for-children-with-autism-opening-a-door-to-dental-care/?_r=0

I frequently have families and teachers ask me how to help students cope with the fine motor and/or sensory difficulties associated with toothbrushing.  However, visiting the dentist is a huge undertaking and many students don't receive the care they need because of their difficulties with the sounds, smells and other aspects of the dentist's office.