Last week I presented at another conference for early childhood educators.  Entitled 10 Terrific Tips for DAP Fine Motor Skills the workshop  covered  important sensory and motor components needed for developing  good hand skills.  (See my blog from last spring on the AHA! Moment).  The room was packed and ...

So we have smart phones and tablets, and now lately I have seen a growing interest in the use of smart pens. These pens such as the SkyTM wifi pen from LiveScribe, actually record audio as the user is taking notes on the page. The user can then go back later, touch the pen to any part of the page and hear the audio recording playback of what ...

As my year as your peds blogger comes to a close, I thought I would give you a rundown of the top 5 most popular posts.   5.  Weighing in at the fifth spot was the final update on the DSM-5 due out next May: SPD Excluded from DSM-5. 4. The AJOT published study on Speed and Legibility with Pencil Grasp had some surprising ...

 I have been catching up lately on all my research and journal readings (in case you missed it, see my recent blog on idiopathic toe walking).  Browsing the current edition of AJOT, a study on handwriting grips caught my attention.  Entitled ''Effect of Pencil Grasp on the Speed and Legibility of Handwriting in Children'' by ...

For the next few weeks many of us will be glued to our televisions (and laptops and tablets!) to view the Summer Olympic Games held in London.  In the spirit of the games this innovative idea was too cute to pass up. Check out this SPORTOS clip and I think you will agree. These blocks look like just the thing to work on fine motor/visual ...

As an OT with a background in SI, I think our sense of smell is often overlooked.  Here are some easy suggestions to use olfactory input as a fun way to supplement treatment activities: Add dry JELL-O®mix to watercolor or tempera paints. Or mix up the gelatin with only half the amount of water and have the child paint with the mixture. ...

I travel a good bit with my job these days so am a frequent flyer with the airlines. Typically the in-flight magazines have a feature where they interview some movie star, CEO or savvy world traveler to ask them what they always carry in a flight bag. In the spirit of this theme (minus the celebrity status!) I have put together my favorite list of ...

Just thought I would share this helpful clip I found awhile back.  I present regularly at conferences and in-services for teachers and as an OT, am always asked how to help students with skills like cutting and handwriting.  We all know that good fine motor skills develop long before the child picks up the scissors or pencil ...

We've probably all seen a child with sensory defensive behaviors relating to their hand play skills.  They're the ones who shrink away when it's time to finger paint.  They will go to any other place in the classroom or playgroup other than the sensory table.  Don't even bring out the play-doh or clay to play with!  And if it ...