 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. It is my pleasure to introduce fellow Sydney occupational therapist, Simone Ryan (Rocket OT) as my guest blogger today! Simone's area of interest (and passion) is self regulation. Simone has created the "REGULATION ROCKET" to help us (parents, teachers, OTs) to understand the development of self regulation and what may be contributing to dysregulation in our children. Thank you Simone for introducing us to the Regulation Rocket! When working or living with children and young adults, one of the most common areas that needs to be addressed is self regulation and it's development. Self regulation contributes to a number of outcomes including success in the school and workplace, development and sustainability of quality relationships, and successful engagement in occupations. It's an area of development that has been explored from a number of professionals including occupational therapists, educators, psychologists, sociologists and neuropsycholgists. This array of perspectives and approaches to self regulation development can be both overwhelming and confusing. After studying literature across a variety of areas, I realised the need to have something that "tied it all together". As a visual learner myself, I wanted to create a visual model that could be used to both increase and support understanding of self regulation development, and explore what areas may be contributing to dysregulation within a given occupation and environment. I gave myself the goal of developing something that:
And so the Regulation Rocket was born! The Regulation Rocket encourages parents, teachers, therapists or children/adolescents exploring their own regulation development to ask 3 questions:
OCCUPATION I like to start with the first question, where is it going? Having a destination (or goal) helps plot the route, figure out what supplies are needed and what changes may need to be made to get there. The model shows three planets that represent the countless occupations that an individual may engage in. Some things we want to do (such as our hobbies), some things we need to do (such as look after ourselves) and some things we are expected to do (such as work or go to school). An individual may be having difficulty reaching a particular planet, but be able to reach other planets with ease. Recognising that there may be a fair few planets in between where an individual can go and is attempting to go, can help build the parts of the Rocket needed to get there by grading the occupational demands. ENVIRONMENT Once we know where a Rocket is headed, it's important to look at where it's coming from? An environment needs to be supportive both in the construction and launching of a Rocket. In other words, we need to ensure the physical, cultural, and most importantly, social environment helps develop and support regulation. Of the social environment, an individual's co-regulators play the largest role in supporting regulation development. Addressing co-regulation as a factor has been found to be more often than not missing from interventions focusing on self regulation development. This is a pretty worrying finding, when many studies identify co-regulation as a major predictor of successful regulation development. A statistic the Regulation Rocket model is aiming to change! PERSONAL FACTORS Lastly, we look at the Rocket itself. We know where it's going, so we can figure out what it needs to get there. Sometimes an individual will be able to steer it themselves, other times they may need their co-pilot (or co-regulator) to help them. We may need to make changes to the environment in order to ensure certain parts of the Rocket are being built. Sometimes this means explicit teaching, but oftentimes it's about addressing the various personal factors throughout an individual's day or week in naturalistic settings. Factors will influence regulation differently depending on both the occupation and environmental demands. This is why some factors would be looked at more closely than others throughout an individual's development. The personal factors that contribute to regulation maintenance and development are:
 A question I often get asked about the Regulation Rocket is: "Can I use it with the programs I already do?". My answer is absolutely! However, I have often seen therapists using just one or two programs that they are familiar with/prefer when supporting self regulation development. My aim with The Regulation Rocket is to support therapists, parents and educators to use critical thinking when choosing a program, and understand that self regulation development is complex and not "one size fits all". Whilst using pre-existing programs, it's crucial to keep in mind all the factors presented in the Regulation Rocket model, as regulation is fluid and an individual's needs may change. Neglecting factors that are influencing an individual at a given point in time may actually reduce the success of a self regulation program. The Regulation Rocket can also be used to select a program, by highlighting what areas of the Rocket need the most support, depending on the environment and occupations attempting to be reached. A program can then be selected to address the areas identified as influencing an individual's regulation the most. For more information on the Regulation Rocket, please visit RocketOT.com. You can also follow Rocket OT on Facebook or subscribe to the blog to keep up with the lastest updates.
Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. You may also like:
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Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.
Vuly has provided a Lift 2 Large Trampoline for the purposes of this giveaway. Your Kids OT has not received any remuneration for this article or giveaway. Vuly does not have an affiliate program. All opinions expressed in this article are that of Your Kids OT.
Trampolines have become a quintessential part of an Aussie backyard! Do you have one?
There are so many therapeutic benefits to trampolining. 1. Sensory benefits Trampolining provides proprioceptive and vestibular input and can help children to regulate their bodies. Proprioception is sometimes called "position sense" or "muscle sense" as information from receptors in our muscles and skin help to inform us of where are body parts are in space, how they relate to each other, how much and how quickly they are stretching, the speed and timing of movement as well as the mount of force exerted. Proprioception helps us to be aware of our bodies and directs our motor control and planning. The brain processes vestibular sensations received through the hair receptors in the inner ear and are stimulated by gravity. Vestibular input can be described as linear (up/down, forward/backward and side to side) as well as rotational (spinning around). These movements can be calming or stimulating. Trampolines are a great way for children to explore movement and their own bodies. A well regulated body means that a child's mind will be ready to learn! 2. Motor benefits A trampoline is a great way to work on balance, coordination, weight bearing, body awareness and bilateral coordination. Trampolining can also provide cardio-vascular and fitness benefits! 3. Social skills A trampoline is fun on your own but even more fun with friends and family. Children can practice turn taking and social skills; working out different ways to use the trampoline and be collaborative in play. 4. A boost of happiness! A child's mental health and happiness is so important and can affect every aspect of their lives. Trampolining enables children to feel weightlessness and bouncing can bring pure joy! 
GIVEAWAY TIME!
I am partnering with Vuly Trampolines to bring an incredible giveaway to an Australian reader. Vuly is an Australian manufacturer and supplier of world-class trampolines and swing sets. Vuly are now a registered NDIS approved supplier of trampolines. To win a VULY LIFT 2 LARGE TRAMPOLINE (AND DELIVERY WITHIN AUSTRALIA) with a total value of $1200: 1. Complete the form below. 2. Let me know "Why should kids use trampolines?" . This is a game of skill, and the winner will be chosen from the original and creative responses. 3. Enter now. Entries close 27th October, 2018
Terms and Conditions
**1. The prize includes a Vuly Lift 2 Large Trampoline and delivery within Australia. Vuly will provide all costs associated with shipping the product to one address in an Australian territory. 2. Open to Australian residents only. 3. Entries close on October 27th, 2018 at 12am. 4. Winner will be announced at on Your Kids OT Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot/ after October 27th 2018. 5. Winner will be notified via email provided with entry. 6. Prize winner must inform Your Kids OT of their mailing address within 48 hours of being notified as the winning entry. 7. This is a game of skill, not a random draw. Your answer must be original or creative. The winner will be chosen from the original comments. 8. Your Kids OT and Vuly will not be held accountable for any injury sustained as a result of misuse or damage to the product.**
I'm looking forward to reading all your great entries!
Who wants a trampoline??? (.... perfect for Christmas which is not too far away!) Remember to share this giveaway with your friends and family! 
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Subscribe to the Your Kids OT Newsletter!Receive your FREE PRINTABLE as a thank you! This form collects information we will use to send you our newsletter with our latest posts, products and special offers.
Already subscribed? Don’t worry you won’t be added twice!  Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Your baby turns their head with their mouth open when the corner of their mouth is stroked or touched. They look like they are looking for food. (Rooting reflex). You touch the corner of you baby's mouth and they begin to suck to feed, suck on fingers, suck on a pacifier. (Sucking reflex). Your baby throws their head back, extends their limbs, cries and pulls their arms and legs back in again when they hear a loud sound or even their own cry. (Startle reflex). Your baby wraps their fingers around yours when you place it into the palm of their hand. (Palmar grasp reflex). These are some of the primitive reflexes that full-term babies demonstrate at or soon after birth. Primitive reflexes and their postural reactions are automatic brainstem-mediated movement patterns that start developing inutero and are usually integrated (and are harder to elicit) after 6 months of age. * After birth, a baby experiences the sensations and stimulation of the world. They begin to develop more coordinated movement and neurological control. This helps them to integrate the primitive reflexes and postural reactions to higher level motor patterns (such as crawling, walking, talking) and higher level learning and brain development. When primitive reflexes do not fully "integrate" they are also referred to as "retained". You can get a free copy of "Signs of Retained Primitive Reflexes" from Integrated Learning Strategies. ----> Take me to Signs of Retained Primitive Reflexes.  Primitive Reflexes and Brain development There is much evidence that can be found in medical, neurological and pediatric journals on primitive reflexes and brain development. Here are a few references from the great body of evidence.
Impact of Retained Primitive Reflexes There is a growing body of evidence connecting retained primitive reflexes with a variety of disorders including cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and learning difficulties. Here are a few of these references.
Efficacy of Movement Programs for Helping Those with Retained Primitive Reflexes. This is an emerging area of research which continues to grow. Here are a few of these references.
This is not an exhaustive literature review. Please let me know if you have further evidence.  Want to find out more about primitive reflexes? Are you interested in testing if your child has retained primitive reflexes? Are you a therapist or teacher looking for training on this area of practice? Integrated Learning Strategies are offering a new e-Course to assist therapists and professionals with retained primitive reflexes.The e-Course offers a wealth of information that includes the following: * More than 40 videos of personal instruction, testing for the reflexes and exercises to integrate the reflexes * 85-page digital handbook with signs and symptoms of primitive reflexes, myths about primitive reflexes, testing and exercises * 7 charts and graphs that include parent observation sheets, exercise schedule, progress tracking sheets, learning and motor development checklists and much more * Private Facebook group where you can ask questions about testing or exercises, visit with other parents or OTs that have had similar experiences and receive additional instruction or trainings as needed AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME. MAKE THE MOST OF THE 24 HOUR EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! --------> SIGN UP FOR THE INTEGRATED LEARNING STRATEGIES E-COURSE * Early Bird Special $97 October 1st (4pm Sydney time) - Oct 2nd (4pm Sydney time). * E-Course and Handbook Registration (full price) until October 15th (4pm Sydney time) There is a limited time to purchase the e-course but then you have 12 months to watch the videos. I have personally just completed this e-course and highly recommend it. It takes about 3 hours to complete the whole course but you can start and stop when it suits you. It is very well presented and very comprehensive. The handbook is a wonderful resource to refer to during the course as well as to keep as a handy reference in the future. Have you considered how to integrate primitive reflexes? Have you joined up to do the e-course? 
* Zafeiriou, D. I., MD, Phd. (2004). Primitive Reflexes and Postural Reactions in the Neurodevelopmental Examination. doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2004.01.012
Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.
Beginner writers have lots to remember!
They need to remember how to sit at the table, how to hold their pencil, how to form letters and numbers.... Teachers and parents remind early writers about simple sentence writing rules such as the use of capital letters, punctuation and spaces between words. With so many things to remember beginner writers need help! "My hand is a sentence" shows children how to use their OWN hand to help them to remember how to write a sentence. A visual printable is also available to help prompt you and your child with the actions and words. I have shared this resource with teachers who have used it with their whole class. The prompt can be adapted to be for questions too but remember to let your kids know to end with a question mark. ACTION: Hold up right hand with fingers together. SAY: My hand is a sentence. My fingers are the words. ACTION: Move out and wiggle your thumb. SAY: I start with a capital letter. ACTION: Move out and wiggle your pinky finger. SAY: I end with a full stop. ACTION: Spread fingers open. SAY: I put spaces between the words. Check out my IG account for a video of this prompt in ACTION!
Get the visual prompt at the Your Kids OT shop
(FREE UNTIL OCT 31st, 2018)!
For older children, they may be able to use a writer's checklist to remember sentence writing conventions. Find the checklist over HERE!
How do you help kids to remember sentence writing rules? 
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 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. Ever scratched out a lottery ticket to check if you have won a prize? I've actually never bought a "scratchie" but I have made "scratchie" paper before! Check out my previous uses for "scratchie" paper - here and here. You will also find very simple instructions for making your very own "scratchie" paper. I have always thought it would be really neat to use "scratchie" paper with the OT kids I see! Everyone loves a surprise. It is now week 7 of school the school term in NSW and time has flown. The penpal program I introduced to some of my school age students is in full swing and we have had some correspondence back and forth between them. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to find creative ways for the students to interact with one another and still work on handwriting goals. OTs are always looking for novel ways to motivate the kids we see to work on goals which they struggle to achieve. Why did the banana go to the doctor? .... Because he was not peeling well. What did the ocean say to the boat?..... Nothing it just waved. What is brown and sticky? ..... A stick! What better way to hide the answer to a joke than to use "scratchie" paper! Kids love telling jokes!  One of the reasons I love "scratchie" paper is that it actually works on fine motor skills when the child uses a coin to scratch off the paint. Not surprisingly, some kids just didn't know what to do with the coin to get the paint off. How did they hold it? How did they rub off the paint? How much pressure did they need to place on the coin? For the younger kids I was seeing (who's handwriting is still quite large), it became a little difficult to hide their "joke" answers with scratchie paper so I had these kids draw a small picture which we hid for their pen pal to rub off. It doesn't matter what is hidden; kids love the element of surprise! All the kids loved creating and rubbing off the special paint! I decided to use the same concepts a few weeks later to hide the answer to a description. The kids wrote clues for "What am I?" and hid the answers with "scratchie paper". The novelty was still there and was motivating for all.  Remember, you can get your copies of my DIY envelopes and writing paper templates HERE. Have you got a novel way to motivate your kids with handwriting? Have you ever made "scratchie" paper? 
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 Pen pals. Did you have a pen pal as a child? Mine was a girl who lived in Wales whom I wrote to with my tales of primary school. I sent her pictures. I talked about my favourite TV shows and music. She sent me letters of her life in Wales which seemed so far away from me here in Sydney. The anticipation of waiting for a letter, checking the letter box and then receiving the letter.... was so exciting! This term in OT, I thought I would bring some of my childhood memories to life with my "OT kids". I visit a number of schools and see lots of children who work on similar goals. This term I have started a pen pal program with some of the children I see. I have matched children of similar age and I am hand delivering letters between students so I won't be sharing personal contact details. I am hoping that this will be a remote "peer support" system program where children will be motivated to write and write neatly! But it won't be just letter writing! Each OT session with me needs to target lots of goals simultaneously so I'll be including things we can make and give the other person. This may evolve over the term but I'm looking forward to sharing some of my ideas with you. To start our pen pal journey, I asked children to write an introductory letter and make their own envelope! For some children, this was the first letter they had even written! I have created a set of DIY envelope and writing paper templates with a variety of writing lines. The writing lines include an ordinary line, my "Earth Paper writing lines" (see here for more information about this), a "bookmark" version of the Earth Paper lines in the margin for those who just need a little prompt and a green "short letter line" for those who need this support. The template has numbered instructions to fold the paper (it reminds me of an aerogramme -have you ever written on an aerogramme or is this showing my age... ) and form the envelope. I have the children add a sticker to seal the envelope and write the recipient's name on the other side. I'm offering these templates FREE to subscribers because I know everyone loves a FREEBIE and it has been a while since my last FREE offer! (Note: Not all my printables and resources are freebies as I'm still trying to make a living and feed my kids!) Please make copies for yourself but direct others to my site to get their own copy. Don't worry if you are already a subscriber, you won't be added to the list twice! Remember to "shrink to printable area" when printing. I printed mine on coloured paper for some variety ! Not sure how to fold the writing paper into an envelope? Watch this video to see how! (Sometimes email subscribers have trouble seeing the video - try going back to the blog article online.) Did you have a pen pal as a child? Have you ever hosted a pen pal program between students? Let me know if you try out this paper! You can tag @yourkidsot on Instagram or Facebook.   You may also like:
Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details
What a treat! It was like Christmas for me!
I love a good stationery shop! There is something about office supplies and equipment to help keep me organised that is so exciting! OK before you think... what a sad woman... hear me out! Together with my children, I recently attended Officework's Sydney launch of their new "Learn and Grow" range and it is more than you would expect in terms of office supplies and equipment! What an exciting range of products on offer at Officeworks for children to help them to Learn and Grow. There are over 4000 products in the range and include puzzles, games, chore charts, stickers, posters as well as arts and craft supplies. The Learn and Grow range includes trusted brands such as Ravensburger puzzles, Playdoh, Orchard games, Melissa and Doug, Crayola and more! It also includes a range of Officeworks home brand supplies. One of the best things is the affordability of the products. 
We received an awesome "goodie box" from Officeworks to introduce us to the Learn and Grow range. It is wonderful to see children dive straight into their creative ideas when they get their hands on supplies. At the launch Mr 7 made a "bow", lots of "feathered arrows" and a holster to hold those arrows (see the photos above as he began crafting the "bow"). Miss 11 years was keen to get crafting as soon as we got home with our "goodie box". Her choice picks were the large pad of paper, textas fluoro dough and modelling clay.
The only problem with the "goodie box" was keeping some of the supplies for myself and my OT kids! Here is one way that we put some of the Officework's supplies into action. Using spice jars, I added some googly eyes, a foam nose and foam mouth (one is actually the letter "G" on the side). My little OT friend helped to unscrew the lid and add "feathers" as hair by poking them into the holes. Whilst a fun colourful activity, there were lots of therapeutic benefits that we were addressing too! We worked on crossing the midline and bilateral coordination (read more about this here), fine motor skills and a pincer grasp. 
This vibrant number peg puzzle (by Melissa and Doug) was another way we worked on a pincer grasp. Hiding under the numbers were pictures to help with number identification and counting. We used pom poms to continue working on a pincer grasp and crossing the midline too.
Later I added an extra level of difficulty by asking this child to hold onto a pom pom with his third/fourth and fifth fingers whilst using his thumb and index finger to pick up the pom poms. This skill is called the separation (or disassociation) of the two sides of the hand is an important fine motor skill for handwriting, scissors, buttoning and other functional tasks (read more about this here). 
Playdoh and any other "dough" materials are such a wonderful sensory tool for hands on learning. It is so versatile and can be used for forming into shapes, letters and in pretend play. You can use playdough to encourage hand strength, fine motor skill development, sensory exploration, finger isolation, bilateral coordination and more! Find more ways to use "play dough" here.
I was truly impressed with the range of products available in the Officeworks Learn and Grow range. I've been a long time fan of the Officework's "smelly" stickers and my OT kids expect these each time I see them (unfortunately none of these in my goodie box). The scent is really strong and brings back memories of "scratch and sniff" stickers that I remember receiving as a child. Find the "Learn and Grow" range in stores or online atOfficeworks (delivery within Australia only). There are so many opportunities for "hands on learning" waiting for your kids. What is your child's favourite way to learn? Am I the only one who likes browsing an office supply store? 
Disclosure: I was gifted products from the Officeworks Learn and Grow range for the purposes of a review. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand.
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 Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. We live in a world full of sensory information and some kids have difficulty coping with the sensory information they receive in their daily lives (visual, auditory, vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, taste, etc). Some kids can seek sensory information and others will avoid it. This can change for a child depending on their environment or time of day. Navigating what is best for your child can be really difficult. If you have concerns with your child's ability to process sensory information, then seek professional advice from an occupational therapist. A sensory lifestyle is a look at how to meet the sensory needs of your child through their every day life so that they can reach their potential. We all want our children to be the best versions of themselves, to learn and grow. We want them to be happy and we want them to be safe. We don't want our child's sensory needs to interfere with their ability to "do life well". A "sensory diet" is a planned and scheduled activity program designed to meet a child's individual sensory needs (Wilbarger, and Wilbarger, 1991). It is related to activities that a child performs through their day to help them to "modulate" their bodies. The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook by Colleen Beck (from the OT Toolbox) is a new strategy guide for sensory processing needs. This book provides valuable insight into the sensory system and the whole child. It details how sensory diets can be incorporated into a child's lifestyle to meet the sensory needs of each individual child. The tips and tools in the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook uses child-led interests and daily life interactions so that kids WANT to participate in sensory diet activities their bodies need... because it is part of play! To celebrate the release of the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook, there are bonus items that address needs like self-regulation and self-reflection, school screening tools, sensory diet cards, sensory planning calendars, play-based sensory activities and so much more! These bonus items are sent with the purchase of the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook! The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook is available as a digital e-book for $16 US or you can also order a soft cover printed book for $26US! This introductory price with bonus items are available until April 16th 2018!  Don't forget to download these amazing freebie offers that were created to also support your child's sensory needs! 1. The Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards and Sensory Challenge Cards encourages sensory diet strategies in the outdoors. The printable packet includes 90 outdoor sensory diet activities, 60 outdoor recess sensory diet activities, 30 blank sensory diet cards and 6 sensory challenge cards. Get your copy of the Outdoor Sensory Diet Cards and Sensory Challenge Cards HERE. 2. The Classroom Sensory Strategy Toolkit contains these amazing resources:
3. The Attention and Sensory Connection Workbook is a one-stop spot for information on the basics of how attention is related to sensory processing. It provides tips to boost attention through the senses so that kids can learn, focus and pay attention when they need to. The workbook covers information about how impaired sensory processing relates to attention issues in a variety of ways and provides movement and sensory-motor activities that can help boost attention. There are specific activity ideas and tactics to address attentiveness. You'll also find workbook pages that can be used to identify underlying sensory-related areas that impact attention and tools for addressing those needs. Get your copy of the Attention and Sensory Connection Workbook HERE.
SPECIAL BONUS FOR YOUR KIDS OT READERS! I only endorse products that I recommend without hesitation! Colleen Beck is a respected occupational therapist whom I have had the privileged to collaborate with in the past. Read more about Colleen and the OT Toolbox HERE and read an article she wrote for Your Kids OT HERE. The Sensory Lifestyle Handbook is a unique resource that will help you navigate "sensory diets". Whether you are an occupational therapist, parent or teacher; this resource is user-friendly and very practical! Take the opportunity to purchase this book at the introductory price and receive the bonus items (because they are also awesome)! The free resources listed above are truly brilliant (and could very easily been paid products) and you should grab them now! For YOUR KIDS OT readers; thank you for your ongoing support! When you purchase the Sensory Lifestyle Handbook during the promotional week, email me at cindy@yourkidsot.com with a copy of your receipt and I will give you a 50% BONUS discount to the Your Kids OT shop! (note: you will need proof of purchase that you used one of my links for this bonus discount) What are you favourite resources supporting your child's sensory needs? These new resources are sure to make this list once you get your copy!   Cindy is a registered Occupational Therapist practising in Sydney Australia. She has two young children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning. Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. You may also like:
Reference:
Wilbarger, P. & wilbarger, J. (1991) Sensory Defensiveness in Children Aged 2-12:An Intervention Guide for Parents and Other Caretakers. Stillwater:PDP Press.  I love puppets! Kids love puppets! They provide such a great way to engage kids; capturing both their attention and their imagination. Even when kids eventually realize there is a person behind (or under or holding) a puppet, the intrigue and affection is still there. Today I'm introducing guest blogger Abby Glassenberg, puppet designer extraordinaire, and blogger from While She Naps! Can you see from the title how awesome her puppets are?! Abby has some great ideas (and therapeutic reasons) for using puppets in play and for therapy sessions. She also has some awesome ideas for making your own puppets! I'm looking forward to trying out her pattern to make my own. I would love to see your puppet if you make one! Thank you Abby for contributing today! Puppets can play a special role in a therapy session, a classroom, or at home with your family. When we slide our hand inside a puppet and begin to make it talk we can suddenly be anyone we want. Through a puppet we can express thoughts that would be too difficult to say out loud otherwise. A puppet can be angry, or sad, or frustrated about a situation and express those emotions fully without worrying about the consequences. When we play with puppets we give ourselves permission to talk about complicated situations and to be silly too. If you don't already have puppets in your toy box of toolbox it's worth buying a few at a toy store or making your own. As a teacher and mother of three girls, one of whom has special needs, I love having puppets available in my arsenal. I also like to make toys for my children to use. As a sewing designer, I realized that there was a need for an open-mouthed, expressive puppet that was easy for moms and therapists to sew themselves. This realization led me to create the Chit Chat Puppet Pattern for people just like me who want to create a special puppet to use with the children in their lives. It's a simple-to-sew pattern that allows you to easily make custom puppets that fit your particular needs. The wonderful thing about puppets is that they are a representation of a living being so puppets can get away with things that people can't. Puppets allow us to experience a fantasy and that's such a valuable thing for a child.  One approach to playing with puppets is to use a visually neutral puppet that's neither a boy nor a girl and doesn't have many identifying characteristics. This means that the puppet doesn't resemble anyone and can be anyone. A child can project whatever they want onto the puppet, rather than feeling constrained by the puppet's features. Another approach is to buy or create a variety of puppet characters, including a predator puppet and a friendly puppet. Distinct characters allow you and the child to act out scenarios together, and you can even switch roles to try out different resolutions to the stories you're acting out together. One way to begin puppet play is to by presenting a puppet that has a problem that's an exaggerated version of one the child is actually facing. For example, of the child is struggling with accepting a new baby into the family, the puppet can wish that the new baby would disappear and it could be the only child once again. In this scenario the puppet is just like the child, only more so. This experience give the child an opportunity to unburden themselves of thoughts they were previously afraid to openly express such as wishing a baby would disappear.  You can also present a situation similar to the one that the child needs help resolving and use the puppet to model new behavior patterns and rehears coping strategies. Possible situations that are suited for this kind of play would be winning and losing at games, turn taking, greeting people and active listening. To encourage the child to problem solve and to create a bond with the puppet, suggest that they be the puppet's helper. Can the child help the puppet accept that it's lost at a board game? or teach the puppet to greet a friend appropriately? Of course playing with puppets doesn't always have to have a serious aim. Putting on a silly show with a puppet is a fun way to spend time together enjoying an open ended, creative activity. It's definitely okay to just have fun with your puppet! There are lots of puppets that are simple to make together with children. Try a paper bag puppet, a clothespin puppet or a sock puppet to get started. And of course, there are many commercially available puppets you can buy at the store. if you'd like to create a unique puppet to use with your child or with your students. however. I encourage you to try my Chit Chat Puppet pattern. It's intended for people with all levels of sewing experience and will allow you to create an array of unique, high quality puppets you can use for years to come.
Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. You may also like:
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Should kids do homework?
A great debate in our schools and our society. Some believe strongly in the need to develop habits for studying and working at home. Some believe strongly that school is for academic learning and home is for "being a kid". Some schools have introduced an "opt in/opt out" option. What is your opinion about homework? As an occupational therapist, I understand the need to practice skills. When I see a child once a week for a short period of time, I know that my effectiveness is in the carryover of what we are working on together .... in their every day lives. A frustration is when parents rely on me to "fix" their kids (although they might not use that word). Ideally, I see myself as a coach who may provide an insight into why a child is doing something the way they are, offer some tips and tricks to help with the problem, help show the child and others ways to improve (compensate or modify activities) but then rely on the rest of the team (parents, teachers and child) to practice or also come up with new ways to help address the same goals. On the other hand, I also understand the frustration of parents who find "homework" challenging to complete. Life is busy and kids with special needs seem to have a lot of extra work that needs to be done (in addition to regular school work). This year, I've introduced my version of an opt in/opt out homework grid for my occupational therapy kids. The grid outlines five common areas most of my OT school age kids are working towards achieving. These are core muscle strength, bilateral coordination, hand strength, pincer grasp and letter formation. The examples of homework should be easy for families to incorporate into their daily lives and require little to no set up or extra equipment. I include an introductory letter to parents explaining the grid and the target areas. I recently shared this homework grid with my IG followers. I ran a poll asking if I should share my OT homework grid here! The result was a resounding "YES" that people wanted to get a copy of this homework grid! Thanks for everyone who participated in the poll. 
So true to my word, here it is!
I've taken off my signature from the "parent letter" so that you can add your name to it but I ask that you keep my "Your Kids OT" name on it before making copies. To get your copy of the OT HOMEWORK GRID, just subscribe below. You will also be the first to know about other resources I create. (Current subscribers will only be on the list once)... Subscribe to the Your Kids OT Newsletter!Receive your FREE PRINTABLE as a thank you! This form collects information we will use to send you our newsletter with our latest posts, products and special offers.
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If you do use this homework grid, I would love to hear your feedback! Why not give me that feedback/review on the Your Kids OT Facebook page?! I always love to hear from my readers!
What is your opinion about homework? 
The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here.  
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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
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About me
AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. 
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