Monthly Archives: September 2014

Therapro’s Free Activity of the Month: Make Your Own Goop!

Activities

Therapro’s Sensational Fun activity cards feature over 100 creative and fun sensory activities. The cards were created to encourage safe sensory experiences.

If you are a parent, teacher or therapist who needs sensory activities for the whole family, these cards are perfect for you. Below is a sample of one of the Activities included in Sensational Fun.

Making Goop is a tactile, proprioceptive and kinesthetic feast!

The Goop is solid when squeezed, yet turns to liquid when the hand is opened. The goop is quick and easy to make and provides fascination and tactile stimulation for curious hands.

Materials:

  • 1 cup of cornstarch
  • 1 cup of water
  • Medium plastic bowl
  • Spoons

Directions:

  1. Place one cup of cornstarch into a bowl.
  2. Pour water into the bowl slowly and stir continuously until the cornstarch is fully saturated (you may need more or less water, so add a little water at a time).
  3. The mixture is ready to use once the cornstarch resembles a thick paste and becomes difficult to stir.

CAUTION: DO NOT EAT THE GOOP MIXTURE.

Activities:

  1. Give your child a scoop of goop. When he squeezes the goop tight and then opens his hands, it drips out in unexpected ways! Does it feel cool or warm?
  2. Play charades by making shapes or animals with the goop. Can your child guess what you’ve made? Give him hints: draw details in the goop!
  3. Fill a larger container with goop. Submerge your child’s feet in the goop. What does it feel like? Does it make a sound?
  4. Place the goop on a cookie sheet, have your child spell his name in the goop.
  5. Add food coloring and make colorful goop! Mix food coloring and guess what colors you can make.
  6. Make it an olfactory sensation as well- Add a sprinkle of your favorite Fruit Flavored drink mix (Kool-Aid®)

Have fun! Below are some pictures of our Cherry Scented Goop.

goop1
goop2

The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales Test

Assessments

The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales Test-Second Edition (PDMS-2) examines both gross motor and fine motor skills. This test is for children from birth through age 5. The evaluation assesses a child’s development, and also provides training and treatment to improve motor skills. The assessment generally lasts about 45-60 minutes, and provides an in-depth analysis. The Second Edition has been in use since 2000 and is a statistically reliable and valid norm-referenced assessment.

pdmsWhen you order the PDMS-2 COMPLETE Kit, you’ll receive an Examiner’s Manual, a Guide to Item Administration, a Picture Book, 25 Profile/Summary Forms, 25 Examiner Record Booklets, the Motor Activities Program Manual and a Peabody Motor Developmental Chart. The PDMS-2 is also offered without the Motor Activities Program Manual (PDMS-2 TEST Kit).

You will also receive the Object Kit and the Shape Cards Kit which both contain sets of test objects to help achieve a standardized administration of the test; the Object Kit includes a black shoelace, six square beads, a wooden pegboard, three wooden pegs, 12 one-inch cubes, a large button strip, a bottle with a cap, a formboard with shapes, a lacing card, a measuring tape, and a roll of masking tape. The Shape Cards Kit includes blackline masters and three shape cards.

The test scores consist of a Gross Motor Quotient, a Fine Motor Quotient, and a Total Quotient. The Gross Motor Quotient is made up of the Reflexes, Stationary, Locomotion, and Object Manipulation subtests. The Fine Motor Quotient includes the Grasping and Visual-Motor Integration subtests. Lastly, the Total Quotient combines both the Gross and Fine Motor subtests.

To reduce scoring and reporting time and errors, the new PDMS-2 Online Scoring and Reporting System has been developed and is purchased separately. It is web-based software that is PC, Mac and iPad compatible. Some of the software Scoring features include:

  • converting PDMS-2 item scores or subtest scores into standard scores, percentile ranks, and age equivalents
  • generating composite quotients
  • comparing PDMS-2 subtest and composite performance to identify significant intra-individual differences

The software Reporting features also include:

  • a printed report of the student’s identifying information and PDMS-2 performance including short-term and long-term treatment goals and objectives
  • score and print reports using as few as one subtest score or only Gross or only Fine Motor scores
  • save or print text or PDF file using two report options:
    • standard clinical report (2 page summary of test scores)
    • detailed clinical report (fully customized 6- to 8- page analysis indicating treatment goals and objectives

Additional features of this web-based software include:

  • pull-down menus to easily navigate among software functions
    fields for storing detailed examiner and testing information
    on-screen subtest and quotient comparisons

A first-time base subscription provides an entire year of unlimited online scoring and report access for up to five users.

Is Your Classroom Ready for Back To School?

Uncategorized

Author: Diana V. Mendez-Hohmann BA, COTA

Throughout the summer we ensure that our children have all the supplies they need. We worry about their transitions from one grade to another, but as therapists and educators are we prepared to start the school year? I have created a small list of products that every special educator and therapist should have in their arsenal of education. Most of these items are small and easy to transport from classroom to classroom or school to school.

Here is a list of 15 items you need to start the year off right.

Educational Needs – The products below are perfect for the learning needs of all!

  1. Highlighter Strips are great for visual learners. An ideal tool for those with reading and visual processing difficulties. Brightens any written word. The plastic strips can be placed over any written material and used over and over again.
  2. NOVENOPs! is a hilarious game that teaches sentence structure! A card game for children of ages 6 and up. This game helps develop the player’s ability to understand the basic elements of grammar.
  3. Letter Treasure Hunt is a Pirate adventure with a handwriting twist! A board game with a handwriting component and the pirate theme makes it tons of fun.
  4. Trunks is a game where players move their bodies, make sounds and perform actions from memory!

Handwriting – Slant Boards, Paper & Grips, Oh My! Everything you need for working on handwriting skills you will find here!

  1. Better Board Slant Boards are made for traveling (from home to school, class to class, etc.) and can easily be stacked and stored in a classroom.
  2. Raised Line Writing Paper is perfect for teaching line orientation, and cueing correct letter and word spacing. Graph spacing is also used for teaching numeracy and basic addition and subtraction.
  3. Pencil Grip Samplers let your students experiment and find their most comfortable writing tools.
  4. Highlighter Paper features a highlighted lower writing area and solid lines. Because the paper is visually simplified letters can be formed and spaced correctly.

Organization – An organized classroom helps with transitioning from class to class or task to task.

  1. Time Timers allow students to understand the passage of time so they can monitor their own activities. Better time awareness also relieves the stress and anxiety.
  2. Seat Sacks are a great way for students to quickly gather supplies on a moment’s notice.
  3. Talk Bar is a customizable, versatile communicator that helps students visually display and describe a sequence of events.

Sensory Needs – Don’t forget about your students’ sensory needs, make sure you have all these sensational supplies in your classroom.

  1. Sensory Stories Cards are visual reminders of the various strategies that children can employ to cope with unpleasant sensations in daily life.
  2. Fidget Kit includes a group of the most popular fidgets.
  3. Seating Cushions help promote “active sitting”. Perfect for strengthening the muscles that support the spine and to use when sensory input is needed.
  4. Sensational Fun Cards have over 100 activities for parents and teachers who are looking for some great sensory games using common objects found in the home and school.