More Students Entering School Without Fine Motor Skills

Teachers and occupational therapists say an increasing number of children are showing up for kindergarten without the fine motor skills needed to grip a marker, hold their paper still while coloring or cut and glue shapes.

The Decline of Play in Preschoolers and the Rise in Sensory Issues

As parents and teachers strive to provide increasingly organized learning experiences for children (as I had once done), the opportunities for free play – especially outdoors is becoming less of a priority. Ironically, it is through active free play outdoors where children start to build many of the foundational life skills they need in order to be successful for years to come.

A Child’s View of Sensory Processing Issues

Want to know what sensory processing issues are like for kids, and what can help? Neil Cannon, a child with sensory processing issues, can explain it firsthand. He shares his story in this video.

Mom Creates Clothing Line So Autistic Children Can Learn to Dress Themselves

For most people, getting dressed every morning seems like a simple task. But at 17 years old, Lauren Thierry’s son Liam still has trouble dressing himself. That’s because Liam has autism.

“A lot of people with autism have issues with fine and gross motor skills,” Thierry told ABC News on Friday. SoThierry started Independence Day Clothing, a fashion line for those with cognitive impairments or physical handicaps, so that people like Liam could get dressed independently and look just like everyone else.

Crawling: To Do or Not To Do?

These days, crawling is very controversial. Many babies are skipping crawling during the progression of their motor milestones. There is a lot of research proving the link between crawling and certain aspects of brain development, but no studies have directly looked at the effects of not crawling.

 

The Dreaded W-Sitting In Toddlers
Why This Sitting Position Needs To Be Corrected

WHY CHILDREN FIDGET and what we can do about it.

Over the past decade, more and more children are being coded as having attention issues and possibly ADHD.  A local elementary teacher tells me that at least eight of her twenty-two students have trouble paying attention on a good day. At the same time, children are expected to sit for longer periods of time. In fact, even kindergarteners are being asked to sit for thirty minutes during circle time at some schools.

Study: crawling a developmental milestone 

The concept that, when it comes to babies, belly time equals brain time. New studies show that crawling is a developmental milestone for children.

W-sitting and your child’s growth

“W-sitting” is a position that is too commonly used by children when seated on the ground. In this position, a child sits on their bottom, with knees bent, feet tucked under, and legs splayed out to each side in a “W” configuration. Because this position is so common, most adults do not realize that use of this position can have negative ramifications on children’s growth and development.

Motor Play

Motor play is crucial for the growing child.  Pathways in the brain grow when children move and explore the world through their senses.   Building a strong sensory motor foundation leads to competence in sports, the classroom and life! The Motor Story helps parents and teachers understand how all that play can enhance emotional, social and cognitive growth as well as physical well being.  Activities and the target benefits (besides fun!) are shared and updated in the blog. In addition to great activities for the home and classroom, experts share ideas about  health, sports and the wellbeing of children. The Motor Story will also be teaming up with Sustainable CAPE to explore the benefits of GARDENING for children this spring and summer.

Welcome to a Sensory Life

When there is a greater understanding of sensory needs and differences, a transformation and shift in how one perceives the challenges can make all of the difference in behavior, development, and quality of life for a child – Angie Voss, OTR

Speech and Language Development Red Flags

Every child develops differently and at different rates. However, there are some very important skills that need to be developed in order for the child to grow and thrive as he/she continues to develop. These foundational skills are crucial for speech and language development and if not observed by certain ages we see this as a red flag that may indicate your child should be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist or a related specialist (early interventionist, psychologist, etc)

Angelfish Therapy

Angelfish Therapy offers Pediatric Aquatic Therapy, Swim Lessons, and Summer Camps for children with special needs. They work with children a variety of diagnosis such as Autism (ASD), Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Rett syndrome, Down syndrome, Cerebral palsy, or any condition that affects sensory or neurological function, motor coordination, mobility, or core strength.