Tag Archives: therapist resources

Explore curated resources for therapists, including intervention tools, educational materials, assessment supports, and treatment strategies. Designed for therapists and educators, these resources help professionals plan effective sessions, support diverse client needs, and stay current with best practices in therapeutic and educational settings.

Praxis Disorders and Intervention Strategies: Seminar Recap

Events & Conferences, Motor & Movement, Sensory, , , ,

A new season of Therapro’s Saturday Seminar Series is off and running—and it started strong! On Saturday, August 23rd, Teresa May-Benson, ScD, OTR/L, an esteemed occupational therapist, educator, author, and researcher, presented an in-depth session titled “Praxis Disorders and Intervention.”

Dr. May-Benson currently serves as the Executive Director of the SPIRAL Foundation (Sensory Processing Institute for Research and Learning), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field of sensory integration and praxis. Her presentation offered attendees a compelling and informative overview of this complex area of practice. The seminar felt like a “fall tune-up,” preparing therapists and educators to reengage with the foundational concepts of praxis just as the academic year gets underway.

During the seminar, Dr. May-Benson clearly and succinctly reviewed the primary components of praxis, describing it as a multifaceted process involving a sequence of sub-processes—each engaging various parts of the brain. She explained how praxis dysfunction impacts ideation, motor planning, sequencing, and execution, and emphasized the importance of identifying these breakdowns in order to provide effective intervention.

In addition to outlining clinical signs and observable behaviors associated with praxis challenges, she presented a toolbox of intervention strategies designed to be immediately applicable across home, school, and clinical environments. A major emphasis was placed on child-directed activity, which she identified as a critical component of successful intervention. According to Dr. May-Benson, when children are not invested in the therapeutic activity, the session loses meaning—and with it, motivation and therapeutic effectiveness. Her approach reinforced the importance of aligning goals and activities with a child’s interests to promote engagement and motor planning success.

The seminar drew a diverse group of attendees, including occupational therapists, educators, parents, and even a grandparent. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants appreciated the balance of theory and practical strategies, as well as Dr. May-Benson’s ability to make such a nuanced topic accessible and actionable.

Therapro was proud to host this outstanding presentation and extends its sincere thanks to Dr. May-Benson for sharing her time and expertise. Her passion for the field of occupational therapy and deep understanding of praxis intervention left a lasting impression on all in attendance.

Check out  these reviews:

“Very informative. A lot of information presented in thoughtful manner.”

“Good information and gave me a better understanding of praxis disorders”

“Information was broken down in a very clear & helpful way.”

“Great information – helpful to get fuller picture of components of praxis & great ideas for interventions.”

Thank you, Teresa!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L

August 23, 2014

Bullying: Understanding the Basics

Events & Conferences, , ,

On May 17, 2014, Therapro concluded its Spring Saturday Seminar Series with a compelling presentation by Iris Leigh, CAGS, OTR/L, Assistant Clinical Professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Her seminar, titled “Bullying: Understanding the Basics,” offered valuable perspectives on identifying and addressing bullying behaviors in educational settings.​

Understanding the Basics: Defining Bullying and the Core Components

Iris Leigh began the session with an interactive anti-bullying quiz, sparking thoughtful discussion among attendees. She emphasized that bullying is a deliberate “power game” characterized by three key elements:​

  • Intent to Harm: The bully aims to cause physical or emotional distress.
  • Power Imbalance: The bully holds more power, whether physical, social, or psychological, over the victim.
  • Repetition: The harmful behavior occurs repeatedly over time.​

Such behaviors often manifest during unstructured school times, including lunch, recess, bathroom breaks, and bus rides.​

The Broader Impact of Bullying

A critical takeaway from the seminar was the recognition that bullying affects not only the direct victim but also bystanders and the overall school environment. Witnesses to bullying can experience feelings of fear, helplessness, and anxiety, highlighting the need for comprehensive prevention strategies.​

Strategies for Prevention and Support

Iris Leigh provided attendees with practical tools to support children who are targeted by or witness bullying behaviors. While understanding the basics of bullying is key, she stressed that preventing bullying is a collective responsibility, requiring active involvement from educators, therapists, professionals, and caregivers. Implementing clear policies, fostering open communication, and promoting inclusive activities are essential steps in creating a safe and supportive environment for all students.​

Attendees, including teachers and occupational therapists, praised the seminar for its practical strategies and insightful resources:​

“Very well put together – easy strategies.”

“Applies to work…and life.”

“Lots of good resource info – this lady knows her stuff!”​

For more information and resources related to this seminar, visit Therapro’s official website.

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L

May 17, 2014

Visual and Motor Cohesion: The Beery VMI

Assessments, Visual Perception,

The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test (more commonly known as the Beery VMI) detects difficulties in connecting visual perception and motor skills. The test is a Visual-Motor Integration Test (VMI) for ages two and up. It takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, and has two supplemental tests that last five minutes each, as needed.       Beery VMI

The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, 6th Edition (BEERY VMI)This VMI test examines how well an individual integrates visual and motor skills by having them look at 24 drawings. (There is a short form of this test that is often used with two to eight-year-olds, which only tests 15 drawings.) The drawings present simple geometric shapes from the most simple to the most complex. The examinee looks at the shape, then copies each drawing into the Test Booklet.

If the full or short form tests indicate a need for further testing, then the two supplemental tests are administered. These two supplemental tests are the VMI Visual Perception Test and the VMI Motor Coordination Test. They follow the same form as the main test, which ensures that the results are easy to compare.

The starter kit for the Beery VMI includes a manual, 10 full form tests, 10 short form tests, 10 Visual Perception supplemental forms, and 10 Motor Coordination supplemental forms.

Various teaching materials aid this test. These tools help improve visual, motor, and visual-motor function for children pre-elementary school. The booklet of Developmental Teaching Activities headlines the teaching materials. This booklet includes over 250 activities to help a child establish an understanding of art, pre-reading and pre-writing, and athletic skills. Each level has activities directed towards gross motor, fine motor, visual perception, and visual-motor development.

Next in the line of teaching activities is called My Book of Shapes. From the title, you can get a sense of its contents. This book contains 100 geometric exercises that children in preschool and kindergarten can use to improve their motor, visual, and motor-visual function. These activities give children a jump-start for recognizing letter and numeral shapes that the child will experience in school.

Beery VMI, cover of the book Developmental Teaching Activities for Visual Motor IntegrationThe Beery VMI Stepping Stones Parent Checklist provides an easily accessible list of key developmental “stepping stones.” This list helps parents to track a child’s development from pre-kindergarten through early elementary. While many schools provide developmental feedback, this home checklist helps you observe your child’s development outside of a school setting.

For parents and professionals, the Developmental Wall Chart for Visual-Motor Integration is a colorful chart of gross motor, fine motor, and visual-motor stepping stones. This chart marks development from birth to age six. Many parents and professionals find it useful to have this clear chart on hand for easy reference.

The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test is currently in its 6th edition. This edition was standardized based on a national sample of 1,737 children aged 2 to 18, and the adult norms derive from a sample of 1,021 individuals aged 18 to 100. The Manual for this test includes about 600 norms from birth through age 6 to track and understand visual and motor development.

The Beery VMI Test finds any weaknesses in a child’s development, but also effectively assesses adults of all ages. The Teaching Materials improve any underdeveloped areas, both proactively and reactively, to provide successful integration of visual perception and motor skills.