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Learn Faster and Work Smarter: Webinar Highlights

December 30, 2025Therapist Resources, Visual PerceptionTherapro

Therapro recently hosted the webinar Learn Faster and Work Smarter, an engaging professional development session led by Dr. Cathy Stern, OD, FOVDR, FCSO, FNORA. This webinar explored the critical role of visual processing in learning efficiency, attention, and overall performance across educational and therapeutic settings. The on-demand recording is now available for those who were unable to attend live or want to revisit the content.

Why Visual Processing Matters

A key takeaway from the webinar was the reminder that vision is more than visual acuity. Visual processing involves how the brain interprets and responds to what the eyes see, and it plays a central role in nearly every learning task. Dr. Stern emphasized that a significant portion of the brain is devoted to visual processing, making it foundational to reading, writing, attention, organization, and task completion.

When visual processing is inefficient, learners may appear inattentive, slow, or overwhelmed — even when cognitive ability is intact. Understanding this connection allows therapists and educators to identify hidden barriers to learning.

For clinicians and educators looking to deepen their skill set, our Visual Perception & Cognition category offers a curated selection of tools and resources designed to support development in these exact areas.

Key Concepts Covered in the Webinar

Dr. Stern provided a clear, clinician-friendly overview of how visual processing impacts performance, including:

How visual processing speed influences reading fluency, comprehension, and copying tasks
The relationship between visual efficiency, attention, and cognitive workload
Common signs of visual processing challenges that may be overlooked in traditional evaluations
Practical strategies to support visual processing in everyday learning and therapy activities

The session balanced theory with application, making the information immediately usable in school-based, clinic-based, and home settings.

Practical Strategies You Can Apply Right Away

One of the strengths of this webinar was its emphasis on functional application. Attendees walked away with strategies that can be incorporated into existing routines rather than added as separate interventions. These included:

Simple visual activities to support processing speed and accuracy
Environmental and task modifications that reduce visual demand
Ways to integrate visual skill-building into academic and functional tasks

These approaches support more efficient learning without increasing frustration or fatigue for the learner.

Who Will Benefit from This Webinar

The content is especially valuable for:

Occupational therapists and COTAs
Special education teachers and classroom educators
Related service providers supporting literacy and executive functioning
Parents and caregivers seeking a deeper understanding of learning challenges

Whether you work with children or adults, the strategies discussed offer insight into improving performance by addressing visual processing at its foundation.

Watch the Webinar On Demand

If you’re looking for practical, evidence-informed strategies to help learners work smarter — not harder, this webinar is well worth your time.
👉 Watch the on-demand recording by clicking here

And be sure to explore our Visual Perception & Cognition category for therapist-approved assessment tools and intervention resources that align with the webinar’s themes.

Stay connected with Therapro for more therapist-approved education, tools, and resources designed to support meaningful outcomes across learning and daily life.

Skill-Building Indoor Fun for Winter Break

December 11, 2025Motor & MovementTherapro

Winter break is just around the corner, and families everywhere are looking for winter break indoor activities that keep kids active, engaged, and learning—without braving the cold. As therapists know, thoughtful play is one of the most effective ways to maintain routines, support regulation, and build foundational motor, sensory, and cognitive skills. With a little planning, parents can turn downtime into productive, confidence-building fun.

Indoor activities that blend creativity, movement, and problem-solving help children stay regulated and connected during the long stretch at home. For example, hands-on manipulatives like the Wikki Stix® Activity Set provide an excellent platform for fine motor strengthening, visual-motor planning, and early prewriting skills. Kids can build shapes, letters, scenes, or their own winter-themed creations—perfect for keeping hands busy and minds calm.

children playing the Picnic Shaped Spinner Game

For families seeking collaborative play, the Picnic Shaped Spinner Game adds structure to indoor time while reinforcing sorting, shape recognition, and turn-taking. Games like this help maintain social skills and flexibility when daily school routines pause. Another great option is On Your Spark… Get Set: Category Game, which promotes speech-language development, vocabulary expansion, and cognitive agility. It’s an ideal group activity for siblings needing a shared task with clear rules and predictable boundaries.

If you’d like an activity that encourages creativity and sustained attention, the Learn to Draw Books by eeBoo offer step-by-step guidance that boosts confidence and reinforces sequencing, visual-spatial skills, and bilateral coordination. Pairing drawing time with movement breaks—such as sensory activities from the Sensational Fun Card Deck—helps kids regulate energy and stay engaged longer.

Parents can also explore hands-on building experiences like Lear n to Build: BIG, which strengthens motor planning, spatial reasoning, and cooperative play. These types of kits are especially helpful for children who need structure but still crave open-ended exploration.

As you plan for the upcoming break, consider mixing quiet tasks, creative projects, and sensory-rich activities to support regulation and skill development. For more winter-friendly ideas, visit Therapro’s blog or explore our therapro.com for therapist-approved solutions.

Winter break doesn’t have to mean lost routines—just new opportunities for growth, connection, and fun.

Fun Ways to Encourage Reluctant Writers to Practice Handwriting

November 28, 2025HandwritingTherapro

Getting reluctant writers to engage in handwriting can be a challenge, especially when fine motor skills, attention, or confidence are barriers. The key is to encourage handwriting practice in a way that feels playful, low-pressure, and meaningful. At Therapro, we offer a range of tools and activities that support handwriting development through creativity and movement—no worksheets required.

One creative approach is to integrate drawing as a bridge to writing. Drawing Books are a perfect example. These fun, simple guides help children create recognizable pictures using basic shapes—many of which overlap with letter strokes. Drawing circles, lines, diagonals, and curves to form animals or objects can boost visual-motor integration and build the foundational skills needed for handwriting, all without the pressure of “writing letters.” It’s a non-threatening entry point that builds confidence and enjoyment.

For students who need more movement and sensory input, Letter Treasure Hunt transforms handwriting practice into an exciting adventure. This game blends gross motor activity, visual scanning, and letter identification with a writing component, making it an ideal multisensory tool. It’s especially helpful for children who learn best through active engagement.

NOVENOP is an acronym created from the words NOun, VErb, NOun, and Phrase and is a board game for children of ages 6 and up

Another great option is NOVENOPS!—a zany sentence-building game that supports literacy, language, and handwriting. To add a handwriting twist, players can write out their silly sentences after each round, turning laughter into writing practice.

If storytelling is more your student’s style, try the Silly Starters Write-Abouts Flipbook. This flipbook sparks creativity with mix-and-match writing prompts that feel more like a game than an assignment. Ideal for classroom warm-ups or therapy sessions, it’s a low-pressure way to get pencils moving.

The goal is to make writing fun, not frustrating. These tools create engaging, multi-sensory pathways into writing that support skill-building without the resistance. Whether you’re a therapist, teacher, or parent, offering alternatives to traditional handwriting practice can make all the difference.

Explore more handwriting resources at Therapro to keep your reluctant writers motivated and on track.