All posts by Guest Blogger

Oppenheim Award Winning Games

May 14, 2024Activitieseducational games, games, learning games, Occupational Therapy, OT, speech and languageGuest Blogger

Therapro offers select Oppenheim Award-Winning games that target preschool children but can be easily adapted to engage older children and families. The Oppenheim Awards are prestigious accolades given to outstanding toys, games, and books that promote learning and creativity in children. Each product undergoes rigorous evaluation based on criteria such as its educational value, engagement level (active vs. passive play), safety, developmental appropriateness, and avoidance of stereotypes. The awards prioritize products that are entertaining but also enriching, encouraging meaningful learning experiences for children. They represent the most innovative, engaging new products of the year and are judged by child development experts, including educators and therapists, making them highly respected within the industry. In addition, parents and children from across the US are recruited to help choose the best toys of the year. Earning an award seal on a product signifies that the toy was carefully selected.

Therapro features three spinner games designed by eeBoo that are Oppenheim Award winners. They will bring hours of fun and learning to the table!

Cupcake Shaped Spinner Game: This game appeals to young children with its engaging cupcake theme. It encourages turn-taking, fine motor skills (such as spinning the spinner), and color recognition. Therapists can use this game to work on social skills, imaginative play, sequencing, following directions, and more. Children choose ingredients for making their cupcakes and win the game by completing their cupcakes.

Picnic Shaped Spinner Game: All the fun items involved in having a picnic are included in this game, including the ants! The first player to collect an item from each category wins the game. The game can be used to enhance language development by discussing picnic items and actions (e.g. “Let’s have a picnic with sandwiches and watermelon.”). Players learn to categorize, build new vocabulary, and participate in cooperative play.

Build a Robot Game: This game involves assembling parts to create different robot combinations. It employs the player in using fine motor coordination and problem-solving skills to build a robot. This game can be used to target specific goals like visual perception, sequencing, number recognition and understanding, and planning.

Teachers and parents can integrate these games into learning activities at home or in the classroom. The therapeutic value of these games for children with various developmental needs, such as those working on sensory integration, social skills, or cognitive abilities is undeniable. Creative adaptations for an individual child’s needs are possible due to the versatility of these games in addressing various developmental needs.

Discover the transformative power of play with these Oppenheim Award-winning games from eeBoo, available at Therapro. Each game is meticulously designed to foster essential skills like executive function, language development, fine motor coordination, visual perception, and problem-solving. Whether you’re a therapist, teacher, or parent, these versatile games offer endless opportunities for learning, development, and fun! Explore these games today and witness the positive impact they can have on children of all ages and abilities.

Guest Blogger: Filomena Connor, MSOT – Retired

Therapro is Celebrating National Speech-Language-Hearing Month!

May 7, 2024Feeding Therapy, SpeechGuest Blogger

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, a special month dedicated to raising awareness about speech, language, and hearing disorders. National Speech-Language-Hearing Month is an opportunity to recognize the challenges faced by individuals with communication difficulties and to honor the devoted professionals who support them on their journey to improved communication skills. The purpose of this month-long observance is to raise awareness, promote understanding, and encourage intervention for those who have communication challenges.

Specialists who make a difference in the lives of individuals with communication challenges include Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and Audiologists. SLPs identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Audiologists prevent and assess hearing and balance disorders, and provide audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Their expertise, compassion, and commitment contribute to improved communication outcomes and enhanced quality of life for their clients of all ages.

At Therapro, we truly value our colleagues in the fields of speech, language, feeding/swallowing, and hearing. The Therapro website is full of resources dedicated to these areas!

Therapro has an entire catalog dedicated to Speech and Language targeted areas including assessments, articulation and phonology, functional language and literacy, social-emotional language, and more. This catalog is free, and available at therarpro.com!

Therapro is also the go-to resource for therapy professionals. We have a library of FREE relevant webinars such as; Elevating Articulation Therapy: Using Kokolingo for Effective Speech Therapy Sessions, Reframing Our Thinking as SLPs: The Language-Literacy-Dyslexia Connection, and A + B + C: AAC, Behaviors & Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

Therapro is also a proud supporter of our fellow therapists who are writers and creators. Our most recent publication is Social Language Rules & Tools: A Preschool Curriculum, authored by Deborah Fortin, MSPA, CCC-Speech. We proudly feature the Sensory Spoon, designed by two Therapro occupational therapists and Mary Schiavoni, MS, CCC-SLP, creator and owner of Chewy Tubes. Another resource for feeding therapy is the publication Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment. This comprehensive anthology is edited by Kelly VanDahm, MS, CCC-SLP, and holds chapter contributions from a roster of esteemed clinicians.

The sensory spoon — Pediatric Feeding Disorders

Numerous resources are available for those seeking assistance with speech, language, or hearing issues. Online support groups, educational materials, and information about local clinics and specialists can help individuals and families navigate the journey toward improved communication. National Speech-Language-Hearing Month serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking early intervention and accessing the support needed to overcome communication challenges.

As we celebrate National Speech-Language-Hearing Month in May, Therapro honors the dedicated professionals and advocates in the field, extends our gratitude, and applauds their wholehearted efforts in improving the lives of those with communication challenges.

Guest Blogger:
Filomena Connor, MSOT – Retired

Discover Therapro’s Handy Guides

April 16, 2024Assessments, Fine Motor, Handwriting, Handy Guides, Occupational Therapy, Sensoryassistive technology, educational games, executive functioning, fine motor, hand skills, Handwriting, Occupational Therapy, OT, Therapy tools, Tools for TherapistsGuest Blogger

Searching for the perfect tools, games, or evaluations for your clients can be time-consuming and overwhelming, Therapro’s Handy Guides can help streamline the selection process. The Guides help with making informed decisions. At a glance, you can see color representations of products. These guides are user-friendly, concise, and best of all, they’re absolutely FREE! The Handy Guides cover 5 key categories:

Handy Guides for Fine Motor:

Therapro's Which Writing Tool or Accessory Handy Guide

Which Writing Tool or Accessory: This Guide helps you choose the right tool for your client’s needs, whether it’s for comfort, positioning, or sensory input. For example, a Squiggle Writer Pen may be the right choice if your client would benefit from added sensory input with vibration when writing to alert and focus on the task.

Get a Grip on Grips: Explore a variety of writing utensil grips designed for comfort, finger positioning, and sensory needs. To facilitate a tripod grasp, the Start Right Pencil Grip may fit the needs of your client.

Handy Guides for Sensory:

Find Your Fidget: Discover fidgets for calming & organizing or alerting, including popular choices like Squeezies and Theraputty that offer resistance to help with focus and attention.

Choose Your Chew: Select the perfect chew for your client’s needs, categorized by age and chew strength. Chews are organized into Chews for Babies and Toddlers; and Chews in 3 chew levels (Light for mild sensory seekers, Medium for chewers who need more sensory input, and Firm for those who are strong chewers who need maximal sensory input). The benefits of selecting the appropriate chew is essential. Selecting a Firm Chew that a client can bite and chew safely is easy with choices such as the Krypto-Bite pencil topper or a Tube Zillas on a Tether.

Therapro's Free Choose Your Chew Handy Guide

Tools for the Body Handy Guide with link to download

Tap into Tools for the Body: Explore tools designed to provide calming and organizing sensory input that have resistive features to increase proprioception and sensory input. Bouncy Bands for Chairs provide foot resistance when a student is seated in a classroom chair. Selecting tools to enhance attention and focus include materials with a vibratory component such as Senseez Touchable Vibrating Pillows or tools that challenge balance such as the CanDo Wobble Ball.

Handy Guides for Adaptations:

What Can You Adapt: Learn how to enhance upper extremity activities with the versatile EazyHold universal cuff. This Guide demonstrates its versatility for use in many home, school, and community scenarios. It can be used in a variety of activities including brushing teeth, holding utensils, and using art materials.

Assistive Technology: Find the best assistive technology solutions to support classroom participation and daily living activities. Take a look at positioning materials such as Slant Boards, tools for increasing active participation in games and crafts, and tools for enhancing learning in academic areas. Self-help and activities of daily living aides are addressed as well. Switches and switch-activated toys are also included. A myriad of tools are explored to help make a student’s school day and daily life skills at home and in the community successful.

A Handy Guide for Games:

Gear Up for Games: Select from a variety of games to build executive function, visual perception, academic, and language skills. Along with each game, the guide identifies the target audience, age range, and adaptations and modifications to enhance participation and learning. Favorite games: Novenops; Lion in My Way; and Letter Treasure Hunt are included.

A Handy Guide for Evaluations:

Handy Evaluation Chart: A helpful reference for deciding how best to assess your client’s needs. This Guide organizes evaluations offered by Therapro into comprehensive subcategories with age-appropriate designations.

These Handy Guides are designed to simplify your decision-making process and enhance the quality of care you provide. Each Handy Guide is packed with valuable information and practical recommendations to support your work as a therapist.

Explore them today and discover how Therapro can support you in your journey!

Guest Blogger: Filomena Connor, MSOT-Retired