All posts by Allyson Locke, M.S., OTR/L

A Look Back at 2021

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2021, What a year! Through it all Therapro remained committed to its mission of being The Therapy Resource for Families and Professionals.   Take a stroll down memory lane with us as we look back at some of our 2021 highlights and all of the ways we worked toward our commitment to this mission!

BlogsBlogs

The very first blog post hit Therapro’s website way back in 2012; in 2021 they continued to go strong! This year we covered a wide range of topics including evaluations, movement based interventions, assistive technology, and adapting games for therapeutic uses.  We had guest bloggers, Gail Kushnir, MA OT, B.Ed and Laurie Gombash PT, M.Ed, contribute posts and this year we also tried something new, collaborative blog posts! Check out the archives for posts you may have missed!

New ProductsNew Products

Therapro’s team of occupational therapists and speech language pathologists spent much time during 2021 researching and trying out new products to bring to Therapro’s shelves! This year we had the chance to collaborate with new partners to bring you products like LegilLiners and Evac Chairs.  New and updated evaluation tools like the Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW), SOSI M, and The Transition Planning Inventory – Third Edition (TPI-3) all made their way to Therapro’s website.  We greatly expanded the selection of wind ups and Fun Decks. The Sensory department saw updates with the addition of Sensory Paths, Fidget Boxes, The Sit to Stand Mobile Desk and Adjustable Wobble Chairs!  Therapro’s Assistive Technology department also saw some growth with additions like the Jelly Beamer, All-Turn-It Spinner, Switch Adapted Pluto, Switch Adapted Camera, and 9volt battery interrupter. Keep an eye on our New Products category for all of the new editions we have in store for 2022!

ConferencesConferences

Therapro continued with the virtual conference trend through 2021 but we were also excited to get out on the road again with two in person conferences. At the virtual 2021 Integrative Therapy Symposium, AOTA Inspire conference, and at the CAOT virtual conference we had the opportunity to meet attendees, show off our latest products, and give away some great prizes.  In August we stepped out to our first in person conference at the Ohio School Based Practitioners Summit and the response was tremendous.  ASHA 2021 was Therapro’s first large-scale conference of the year, and while it was scaled down from previous years, it was great to have the opportunity to engage with so many professionals in a face to face format again! We are looking forward to these continued opportunities in 2022!

Handy GuidesHandy Guides

Therapro’s very first Handy Guide made its debut in 2020; these guides have received such a positive response that we continued adding new Handy Guides in 2021.  With Therapro’s focus on assistive technology, over the last year, it made sense to add an Assistive Technology Handy Guide to the collection!.  We also added a quick reference guide for the Eazy Holds, to help users determine the size that was just right for them! Be sure to check the Handy Guides section of our website for new additions in 2022.

WebinarsWebinars

Therapro’s free webinars continued to go strong in 2021 with additional webinars and new speakers introduced into the already strong lineup. In 2021 Therapro hosted webinars on a wide range of topics including writing readiness, therapeutic activity ideas, visual skills, transition planning, evidenced based practice, and many sensory topics.  Our library of recorded webinars grew allowing families and professionals easy access to these resources.  Our 2022 lineup is already shaping up to be another great year full of new presenters!

Other highlights of 2021 included our very first video, new additions to the Therapro staff, and two new catalogs! Therapro is looking forward to welcoming in the New Year and continuing the commitment to our mission of being The Therapy Resource for Families and Professionals.

Happy New Year!

Preparing for Holiday Sensory Overload

Sensory

The holiday season is upon us and with that comes many associated sensory experiences. These can be pleasant, like the sound of bells ringing, the smell of cookies baking, or the sight of lights twinkling. They can also be a bit less pleasant like the push of crowds, the honking horns of inpatient drivers stuck in holiday traffic, or the burning smell of a holiday meal mishap (oops!).  For those with difficulty processing sensory stimuli these added sensory experiences can be overwhelming and take the pleasure out of the holiday experience. Read on for tips and tricks to help with holiday overstimulation!

Use A “Retreat Space”!

Total elimination of sensory stimuli is nearly impossible but offering a space with dampened sensory stimuli, to retreat to when needed, can help with overall regulation through the day.  These spaces can often be created with minimal equipment and little space.  For more information on retreat spaces be sure to read our post, How to Help the Over Responsive Sensory System. On the go, items like noise blocking headphones, sunglasses, and wide brimmed hats can help to limit some extraneous stimuli.  

Keep Your ‘(Sensory) Tools’ Handy!

When looking to calm an over responsive sensory system the top tools to keep in your ‘sensory toolbox’ are ones that have weight or resistive qualities. These features are helpful for providing deep pressure input to organize and regulate an over-stimulated sensory system. Keeping a tight fighting hat, heavy quilt or a weighted lap pad in the car can help organize the sensory systems between holiday visits. Pack some gum or a water bottle; chewing and resistive sucking are great ways to provide organizing proprioceptive input.  A simple swap like using a straw or water bottle at the holiday table can be a game changer for the over responsive sensory system! Check out Therapro’s Free Tap Into Tools for the Body Handy Guide for more ideas!

Make A Schedule! 

Schedules give the opportunity to be proactive and to prepare for upcoming sensory experiences. This is especially useful for those with an over responsive sensory system because it allows for the needed time to access and utilize coping strategies (like packing those handy weighted lap pads!).  Schedules can also be helpful in identifying when too many over stimulated experiences are grouped together without needed “down time” in between.  Hand held electronic devices offer many ready to use scheduling options, for non screen options check out SchKIDules! 

Quiet spaces, sensory tools, and sticking to routines are useful strategies for helping an over responsive sensory system and may be the difference between a stressful and a stressless holiday! 

ASHA 2021 Conference Highlights

Conferences

ASHA 2021 marked Therapro’s first return to large scale conferences since the start of the COVID pandemic. There were some major differences between ASHA 2021 and conferences of the past but the one thing that remained the same was all of the great professionals who came to visit the Therapro booth! One question always asked is “what are the favorite products this year?”. In case you were not able to attend ASHA 2021 in person,  we summed up the top conference favorites for you! 

  • Big Feeling Pineapple.  This one sold out on day one! Conference goers compared Big Feeling Pineapple to “Mr. Potato Head” because the expressions were interchangeable similar to Mr. Potato head pieces.  Conference goers loved the smaller size and soft but firm feel.  They also loved that there were two sides allowing for endless uses like matching expressions, using it as a prop while reading stories, and as a jumping off point for discussing feelings.  
  • Balloon Car Racers: Another sell out! A comment often heard about Balloon Car Racers was that they were a great tool for working on oral motor strength.  Another highlight was that there were two to a pack allowing for peer interaction. 
  • Lion In My Way. This one is an oldie but still very much a goodie. Lion in my way is a conference staple and no matter how many we bring, we never have enough! Conference goers often remarked about the way Lion In My way approaches collaborative problem solving. It was also noted to be a great tool for tapping into imagination and flexible thinking.  
  • NOVENOPS. Another conference staple and another one that never fails to disappoint!  A huge draw of NOVENOPS has always been its compact size especially for professionals who travel from building to building or even room to room.  Conference goers appreciated the many opportunities for ‘WH’ questions that NOVENOPS offers. 
  • Choose your Chew Handy Guide: Our handy guide isn’t really a product but the many copies of our Choose Your Chew Handy Guide that we brought were gone before we knew it! Therapro is known for the many varieties of chews that we offer but selecting the right chew can be daunting. Conference goers appreciated the ease that our handy guide made in the selection process.  
  • Feeling Heads: Not only were these a hit but they also got a good laugh from many conference goers! They remarked that not only were they soft but also the perfect size for little hands.  Conference goers had so many great ideas for ways to use these heads including as props while reading stories, as a tool for discussing emotions, and as a communication aid when words are not available.
  • Smart Games:   The Snow White Game, Three Little Pigs Game, and Little Red Riding Hood Game all made their conference debut at ASHA 2021 and all were a big hit.  In the age of COVID, conference goers appreciated that the pieces were made of easy to clean plastic.  They also remarked that these games were a great way to target early executive function and language skills in a fun way.  
  • Wind-Ups.  No conference would be complete without some fun windups! As many conference goers noted, wind-ups are a big motivator and a great way to target language areas like asking for help and asking for more.  
  • Spark Cards. With so many options to choose from, Spark Cards were very popular.  Conference goers appreciated the wide variety from complex cards to simpler versions as well as options for larger cards that could be used on the floor.  Another big draw was that these cards are dry erase marker friendly, making it easy to emphasize key areas.  

It was great to meet  everyone at ASHA 2021, thank you all for sharing your great ideas. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at ASHA 2022!