Here are some fun activities that can provide some of our little ones with proprioceptive input.  These work for all of those sensory seeking kiddos that may be constantly on the move.

While many generally think about a child’s acuity when considering how well a child can see, therapists and educators realize there is much more to eyesight than having 20/20 vision.

Children require intact visual perception to understand, evaluate, and interpret what is seen. Even if a child has had their vision examined, it has been reported that up to one-third of vision problems are missed in vision screenings.  Here are some ways that you can recognize if a child has visual perceptual problems.

Research shows that sensory issues affect 5-16 percent of the general population and up to 90 percent of people with autism spectrum disorders. Please fill out this checklist for the student indicated in order to help assess the impact of any sensory processing challenges on this student’s classroom performance.  Here is a simple checklist for teachers to utilize to see if their students may have sensory processing challenges.

This week I have been exploring various opportunities for growth in various nontraditional areas.  I've traveled across the United States from Washington, DC to California.  Stay tuned to see what happens!!

Something to think about the next time you think a kiddo needs someone to advocate a bit harder for them.

Functional impairment is defined as difficulty performing, or requiring the assistance of another person to perform, one or more Activities of Daily Living. All healthcare professionals who care for adults are caring for an increasingly large number of older patients. Older patients are more likely than younger patients to have unrecognized comorbidities and impairments that increase their risk of medical morbidity, functional decline, and mortality. Often, older patients' comorbidities are unrecognized by health care professionals since they may not be the primary focus of clinical encounters, and are unrecognized or not mentioned by the patients themselves.

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At the end of the day, Occupational Therapists are, in a way, teachers.  Though our teaching may be in the form of modifications and varied ways of completing tasks...we teach.  However, our jobs needs to go beyond just rehabilitation and adapting.  As a profession who provides care for those that are differently-abled, we can help our clients clearly understand empathy and care for others.  Though some may say that this is taught at home, we can also have a part.  Here is a cool video showing genuine care for others....which is definitely something we can include in all that we do.

A simple thing can change your life—like tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor. If you fall, you could break a bone, like thousands of older men and women do each year. For older people, a break can be the start of more serious problems, such as a trip to the hospital, injury, or even disability.  Here is a great checklist to avoid such accidents. 

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The years between 6 and 14--middle childhood and early adolescence--are a time of important developmental advances that establish children's sense of identity. During these years, children make strides toward adulthood by becoming competent, independent, self-aware, and involved in the world beyond their families.