Sensory Boards and the Importance of Play by Sarah Koppenhoefer-Little, MS, OTR/L Kids Place Pediatric Occupational Therapist One of the main jobs or “occupations” of a child is to play. As they play, they learn about their environment, gain essential skills, and have a fantastic time doing it. The poet Diane Ackerman once said, “Play…
Considering a Service Dog to Assist Children with Disabilities by Cindy Ewert, OTR/L Kids Place Pediatric Occupational Therapist When you feel like you have exhausted every option, and are still looking for the one thing that could change your child’s life, a service dog therapy dog may be your answer! It is important to note…
The Value of Vision by Toriann Maddux, OTS Midwestern University Occupational Therapy Student Did you know that vision accounts for as much as 80% of an individual’s learning process? If there’s a vision problem it will impede learning and development. Vision is not fully mature at birth but continues to develop through a learned process…
Oral Health Made Fun! By Amanda Mazerall, OTR/L Kids Place Pediatric Occupational Therapist Kids often have a hard time tolerating tasks that deal with their teeth. Brushing teeth, going to the dentist, and removing loose teeth are just some of the challenges parents face while children grow. Fortunately, there are fun, preparatory activities to help…
Summer Activities for Children to Prevent Skills Lapse By Sarah Koppenhoefer-Little, OTR/L Kids Place West Pediatric Occupational Therapist With summer fast approaching, it is natural for parents to be concerned their child will lose hard-gained skills from the school year. To prevent this, here are fun, creative ideas to slow or stop the loss, but still not…
Activities to Assist Your Child with Buttoning by Sarah Koppenhoefer-Little, OTR/L Kids Place West Pediatric Occupational Therapist The ability to button and manipulate clothing fasteners is a significant self-care skill most parents want their child to learn. This is an important task children need to have independence with dressing. The typical child will learn to…
Which Hand Will My Child Use? by Kids Place Occupational Therapists Are you a righty or a lefty? 9 out of 10 of you will be right handed while one of you is either left handed or ambidextrous. Your dominant hand is determined in utero, but it takes several years of motor learning and experience…
Hand Strength: 5 Fun Activities for Children by Emma Clark, Student OT Childhood is a critical time for the development of intrinsic hand muscles. Without the proper development of these muscles, children will have delayed fine motor skills or fatigue during fine motor activities. Building hand strength in children leads to the development of skills like…
Could Your Child Have Tactile Defensiveness? By Jenn Gile, OTR/L Kids Place West Pediatric Occupational Therapist Our sense of touch: Our sense of touch is registered through various receptors in our skin making up the tactile system. The tactile system provides us with information about touch sensations: pressure, vibration, movement, temperature and pain. Within this…
Child Development of Self-Care Skills By Jessica Holyoke, OTR-L Kids Place Pediatric Occupational Therapist Activities of daily living (ADLs) are a necessary part of our day and include various tasks such as getting dressed, bathing, brushing our teeth or hair, and feeding ourselves. Most of us place very little thought or effort when carrying out…
