Trouble Cutting Your Child’s Nails?
Explore this page for helpful tips on nail cutting. https://yourkidstable.com/sensitivity-to-nail-cutting/ This fantastic resource was written by an occupational therapist. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at dandroe@dearbornschools.org
Posted in Helpful Links, Sensory by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
Try out Ms. Erin’s Adapted Book Page Turners
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19qCnIhSfssd1s5hpasPp04s_atSZSOoBQ60zbybaoz8/edit?usp=sharing
Posted in Bilateral Coordination, Helpful Links, Motor Planning by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
Tracing and Pencil Control
Here is a PDF of worksheets you can use to practice tracing, which will lead to better pencil control: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rM29c7D6axdVTk9F20rPG5_1-tq8TZRz/view
*Make sure your student sits with her/his feet flat on the floor, trunk upright, and with his/her helper hand resting on the paper.
Posted in Handwriting, Helpful Links, Visual Perceptual by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
Try the Downward Dog Yoga Pose!
This yoga pose is great for stretching, mindful breathing, improving balance skills, building (arm, shoulder, trunk) muscles, and providing vestibular input.
Give it a try: https://www.yourtherapysource.com/files/Yoga_Cards_Freebie.pdf
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at dandroe@dearbornschools.org
Posted in Bilateral Coordination, Helpful Links, Mindfulness, Motor Planning, Sensory and tagged Yoga by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
Trace and Color Shapes!
Help your student to trace and color these shapes to practice fine motor, visual motor, and visual perceptual skills.
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i_9rPK-FdfeT8fc6F2unGcW_t4qCJazh/view
- Have your student sit with her/his feet flat on the floor if you are working at a tabletop
- Remind your student to sit upright
- Remind your student to use her/his helper hand to stabilize the paper
- Encourage your student to keep the crayon touching the paper as s/he traces the shapes (don’t pick up the crayon at the end of each line)
- Encourage your student to color within the lines
Posted in Bilateral Coordination, Handwriting, Helpful Links, Visual Motor, Visual Perceptual by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
Resources from the Michigan Department of Education
The Michigan Department of Education compiled some resources for families to use while students are home due to the school closure. The documents are divided into sections with links to the various resources in each section.
English: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/ExtendedTimeAway_FactSheet_686645_7.pdf
Arabic: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/ExtendedTimeAway_FactSheet_Arabic_687729_7.pdf
Posted in Helpful Links by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
Howe Students, Please Join Ms. Dawn, Ms. Letrisha, and Me for our Group at 2:15 pm Today!
Email me at dandroe@dearbornschools.org if you have any questions.
Posted in Blogs by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
What Are Visual Perceptual Skills?
In OT we talk a lot about Visual Perceptual Skills. Visual perception is essentially how our brains interpret what our eyes see. Many Students who struggle with simple puzzles, handwriting, and neatly coloring have difficulty with their visual perceptual skills. Here is a helpful website that breaks down what visual perceptual skills are, and gives an example of each skill: https://www.visionlearningcenter.com/visual-perceptual-skills/
Posted in Handwriting, Helpful Links, Visual Motor, Visual Perceptual by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.
Let’s Try Coloring & Writing on a Vertical Surface!
Writing and coloring on vertical surfaces works on so many skills at once!
- Helps to strengthen and stabilize the joints and muscles in the shoulder and arm
- Bilateral coordination skills (using both arms at once) to stabilize paper on a wall
- Encourages wrist extension which will help to develop a functional pencil grasp
- Core Strength and Posture
- Visual attention to task
- Hand-eye coordination
- Crossing midline (reaching across the center of our bodies)
- Visual perceptual skills: spatial awareness
- To learn more visit https://azopt.net/vertical-surface/
Some Activity Ideas:
- Writing & Coloring on a mirror with dry-erase markers (have your student erase their creations too by wiping with a damp paper towel)
- Tape paper to the wall and color with small crayons
- Place a paper with a pre-writing shape on the fridge and have your student place magnets directly over the lines of the shape
- Do you have an eager helper in your household? Have your student “wash the walls” with a damp washcloth or help you wash windows (You MUST supervise if your student is using cleaning products.)
- Drawing on a white board with dry-erase markers
- Write in shaving cream or whipped cream on a mirror
- Paint/draw/color/write on an easel
Posted in Bilateral Coordination, Handwriting, Helpful Links, Motor Planning, Sensory, Visual Motor by Emily Dandron, OTRL with comments disabled.