All posts by Therapro

Assistive Technology in Schools: Enhancing Accessibility and Learning

Assistive Technology, School-Based Practice, , ,
Assistive Technology in Schools presenter Kristi Voelkerding, BS, COTA/L, ATP, ROH

Assistive Technology in Schools was presented by Kristi Voelkerding, BS, COTA/L, ATP, ROH on a brisk February morning at Therapro headquarters with 45 attentive, engaged, interactive, vocal attendees.

Kristi has forged a distinguished career path as an AT specialist who is in demand as a speaker. She has worked for Easter Seals primarily as a consultant mainly in school-based settings since 2000. Her breath of knowledge regarding assistive technology is extensive and current. In a field where technology changes constantly, she is a wonderful resource for therapists, teachers, and families. AOTA conferred upon Kristi a Roster of Honor award in 2007 to recognize her leadership in AOTA and her innovative practices in assistive technology.

Kristi’s seminar spurred audience interaction regarding apps recommended and apps used successfully with various age groups. She discussed using technology as a “bridge” that should be introduced early in school so that students can access learning in ways that are unique to them and their needs. She initiated her talk with discussion about the broad variety of keyboards available that can match a student’s needs. She advocated that the student must find what method of keyboarding is fastest for him/her, be it one finger, one hand, two hands, or even the nose or foot. She suggested creating word lists on the computer to practice learning the geographical area on the keyboard. Kristi cautioned that layering copying (motor task) with thinking about the content of the task (cognitive task) is difficult. She recommended that a speech recognition program be used if the student has difficulty holding the thought while trying to type it. Creating a first draft on the keyboard was recommended rather than writing, and then copying it onto the computer.

Kristi noted that more schools are moving toward using the chromebook because it is more cost effective than an iPad, especially if it’s damaged and needs to be replaced. In addition, work on the chromebook is not lost if the device is damaged. A negative of using the chromebook is that a user cannot be “locked in” to a particular site. User needs must be considered when deciding which device would be best.

Apps are available for all age groups. iTrace is an iPad app for teaching handwriting, spelling, and letter identification. It may be a great place to start with a preschool student. Kristi advocated for using a stylus vs. using a finger for handwriting work, and in this app the student uses a stylus. For students who are moving from high school to college, there is “transition technology” available that promotes the shift from using adult support to depending on technology instead. For older students, she discussed using the Livescribe, a smart pen that facilitates note taking by recording everything you hear, write, and draw. The smartpen records audio and links it to what the student writes. Another note taking app for use with an iPad is Nebo MyScript, which lets you write, draw, quickly edit and structure notes, and convert them into digital text, using a stylus.

Kristi provided a number of resources for PCWindows Programs, Chromebooks/Chrome apps/add-ons/extensions, and Websites/Web-based apps. The resources have grown exponentially in the past few years and continue to swell. We are grateful to Kristi for sharing her expertise and experience navigating this area of practice.

Take a look at some attendees’ positive responses to Kristi’s seminar:

“Kristi was informative & knowledgeable regarding the materials presented. Lots of material I can use on Monday at school.” – Alyson P., Occupational Therapist

“Very informative and interactive. Well presented.” – Jillian N., Occupational Therapist

“Lots of useful info.” – Marisol P., Teacher/Parent

“Very knowledgeable speaker. Very receptive to gearing her talk to audience needs. Lots of info presented.” – Anonymous, Occupational Therapist

“Learned abut some new, exciting, & cutting edge technology.” – Sharon T., Occupational Therapist

Thank you, Kristi!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L
February 23, 2018

Motor Interventions in Autism: Enhancing Participation and Function

Events & Conferences, Motor & Movement, Therapist Resources, ,
Dr. Jennifer Colebourn, MSPT, DPT and Dr. Julie Goff, MSPT, DPT presenters of The Role of Motor Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The 2019 Therapro Saturday Seminar Series was launched by school-based physical therapists, Dr. Jennifer Colebourn, MSPT, DPT and Dr. Julie Goff, MSPT, DPT with their presentation: The Role of Motor Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Jenn and Julie met at Northeastern University where they were pursuing their doctoral degrees. Jenn’s research focuses on motor interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Her most recent work has been published in the journal, Pediatric Physical Therapy: A. Colebourn, Jennifer & C. Golub-Victor, Ann & Paez, Arsenio. (2017). Developing Overhand Throwing Skills For a Child With Autism: A Collaborative Interdisciplinary Approach In School-Based Therapy. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 29. 262-269. Julie’s research on improving gross motor skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders received Northeastern’s RISE award in 2016. In their practice, both therapists focus on a collaborative team approach to improving motor performance in children with ASD.

Attendees were given a comprehensive review of Autism Spectrum Disorder, including the DSM-V (2013) diagnosis as a Neurodevelopmental disorder. We learned that ASD is no longer classified on a “spectrum” but with levels of severity. The term “Asperger” is no longer used, but individuals with the characteristics formerly attributed to Asperger are now considered to be “high functioning Autism.” An alarming statistic they revealed was that currently 1.5 billion children in the US have an autism diagnosis. Jenn and Julie cautioned that diagnosing ASD is complex and in the past 5 years, neuroimaging has provided startling information about the difference in the brain of the child with ASD from a typical child, i.e. “neuro over connectivity” that impacts function.

Jenn and Julie addressed the fact that motor function of children with ASD is affected, usually with simple motor tasks being intact, but with complex tasks and motor planning being impaired. Motor difficulties are now considered a “Core Deficit.” Screening for motor deficits is important for all children with the ASD diagnosis. The PT’s role includes recognizing if a motor impairment interferes with function. Julie and Jenn cited a number of studies that examined how core deficits affect a child’s participation in physical activity across many dimensions. What we might see is a child who prefers simple, sedentary activities and who doesn’t participate in complex social activities such as organized sports. In summary, motor deficits affect a child’s ability to participate in play.

When providing treatment for the child with ASD, Julie and Jenn advocate strongly for a team collaborative approach that includes the child’s family members. They noted that the ABA therapist would be a strong, valuable ally because they can provide behavioral support to motor intervention. They discussed ways to design the environment and treatment sessions in order to help ensure success and motor learning. A few examples they gave were: promote positive transitions, simplify choices, and have a predictable space and schedule. A few materials they recommended include: Body Awareness Fun Deck, Upper Body and Core Strength Fun Deck, Magicatch Set, Rainbow River Stones, Learn to Move, Move to Learn!, and ABC Yoga Cards for Kids.

We are grateful to Jenn and Julie for sharing their passion and expertise for improving motor performance of children who have an ASD diagnosis. With improved motor skills, it is likely that other areas of function will be affected in a positive way as well. With the high incidence of ASD worldwide, Autism will affect us all. The need for continued research is critical to help our understanding and ability to treat children with ASD effectively.

Here are just a few of the attendees’ positive reviews of this seminar:

“Incredibly informative and relevant! Felt so empowered from the seminar. Helped to give me better direction in my practice as well as increased confidence in my recommendations to families & school staff.” – Laine F., Physical Therapist

“The two presenters were so knowledgeable in their area – facts were most interesting.” – Rolene K., Teacher

“Great overview of school PT and best practice for collaboration with all members of the team.” – Micaela M., Physical Therapist

“Presenters were professional presenting evidence based practice to help improve functional skills for students with Autism.” – Alice T., Occupational Therapist

Thank you, Jenn and Julie!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L
January 12, 2018

2018 ASHA Conference

Events & Conferences

by Allyson Locke, MS, OTR/L

This year the 2018 ASHA conference was held in Therapro’s backyard in the beautiful city of Boston, Massachusetts! The ASHA Convention is the largest annual gathering of audiologists, speech-language pathologists, scientists in the field of speech, language, and hearing, as well as students. This year there were an incredible 18,143 people in attendance. Boston provided a stunning backdrop for this convention and we were all treated to an early snow storm Thursday night.

Therapro set up shop at booth 637; we were so excited to be among the many exhibitors in attendance this year! The Therapro crew consisted of Karen, Linda, and myself, along with our special guest Deborah Fortin MSPA, CCC-SLP. Over the three days that the Therapro booth was up and running, we had the opportunity to meet so many of you. It was heartwarming to hear comments like “we order from Therapro all of the time”, “We have so many of your products”, and “I love Therapro”. At the Therapro booth, ASHA attendees had the opportunity to play games, check out many of Therapro favorite products, and get a sneak peek of upcoming products!

ASHA attendees, who visited the Therapro booth, had the opportunity to get an early preview of Rules and Tools and speak to the author of this program, Deborah Fortin MSPA, CCC-SLP. Rules and Tools is a program of sixty-eight rules for teaching children to use social language in the context of play, conversation, and learning. This unique program targets generalized rules, uses multisensory teaching strategies, and is taught through interactive role-play in a group setting. This new program was published by Therapro and will be available soon!

Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment, a popular product at the 2018 ASHA Conference

This year an entire area of the Therapro booth was dedicated to feeding resources. The new book Pediatric Feeding Disorders: Evaluation and Treatment was on full display and well received among attendees who specialize in the area of pediatric feeding. The Sensory Spoon was hugely popular and sold out quickly! Therapro occupational therapists Karen Conrad Weihrauch and Filomena Connor were involved in the design of this spoon with Chewy Tubes. Attendees loved that the spoon was specially designed to encourage self-feeding for infants as young as seven months; they also enjoyed the sensory aspects of the spoon. Milton was as popular as ever; attendees loved his cute appearance and his ability to be used for a variety of purposes, including with picky eaters, to model chewing skills, and to demonstrate toothbrushing. Other feeding products that were well received included the book Just Take a Bite, Flexi Cups, Mr. Juice Bear, and the Lollacup.

Assortment of Chewy Tubes, popular at the 2018 ASHA Conference

Therapro’s designed-to-chew products were very popular. The Chewy Tube’s line of products was well recognized; we heard many comments like “Oh look Chewy Tubes!” and “I love the Ps and Qs”. Other popular chewables were the Chew Lolli, the Jane Junior Chewable Necklace, and the Bud Chews.

The game a Fist Fill of Coins

Our “Game Station” was a huge hit! Attendees had fun playing games like Novenops, Obstacles, Trunks, and Letter Treasure Hunt. The very portable Novenops was sold out by the end of the conference and had many of you asking for it to be shipped! In case you missed the demo at the conference, here is a great video on how to play!  Obstacles wins the award for being the fastest game to sell out! Popular features include its visually appealing pictures, its ability to be used for creative problem solving, and the cooperative nature of the game.

Hopping Smiley face wind ups

ASHA attendees also loved our ‘toys’! Windup toys were a favorite by far; our tables were often overrun by spinning ladybugs, walking firemen, hopping smiley faces, and swimming fish.  Tangles were also so much fun to play with; attendees loved the small size of the Tangle Jr.! We had a variety of Thumball Language Activities Balls on display; designed to spark communication, these balls had attendees talking about all the great ways they can be used in practice! Our fidget kits, and whistle and blow toy kits were great for attendees who wanted a little bit of everything. Boinks, therapy putty, fidget pencils, and the Echo Microphone were also popular!

We had so many other great products on display for ASHA attendees:

This year ASHA wasn’t all work for the Therapro team! We were honored to join Mary Schiavoni, the inventor of Chewy Tubes, in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Chewy Tubes. It was a great night, spent with an amazing group of dedicated professionals!

Thank you ASHA-Boston, we had a great time and are looking forward to Orlando 2019!

Allyson Locke, MS, OTR/L
Allyson LockeAllyson is an occupational therapist with a diverse background in both sensory integration and school based practice. She currently works in a school for children and young adults who have significant medical, mental health, and cognitive needs.