Ask The Therapist – What is Visual Motor Integration? by Amanda Mazerall, OTR/L Kids Place Central Pediatric Occupational Therapist Visual Motor Integration, or ‘VMI,’ is a form of coordination that allows us to accurately control our hand movements based off of vision. Poor VMI skills may impact a child’s ability to write their name, catch…
What is Plantar Fasciitis? by Blake McDonald, DPT AZOPT Buckeye Physical Therapist Plantar fasciitis is a dysfunction of the support structure along the bottom of your foot, resulting in abnormal thickening and thinning of various parts of the tissue. This is often due to overuse of the plantar fascia stemming from poor foot mechanics and/or…
What is Occupational Therapy? Celebrating OT Month By Jessica Tallent, OTR/L Kids Place Pediatric Occupational Therapist Since 1980, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has recognized April as occupational therapy month. But what exactly do occupational therapists, specifically pediatric occupational therapists, do? The World Federation of Occupational Therapy (OT) defines occupational therapy as a “client-centered…
How to Keep Your Wandering Child Safe by Jennifer Gile, OTR/L Kids Place West Pediatric Occupational Therapist Wandering is common in children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Approximately half of children with ASD will wander from a safe environment. While this is more common in children with ASD, it can affect other children as…
A Guide to Understanding Pediatric Occupational Therapy Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) This is the primary focus of occupational therapists. We aim to help our clients become as independent as possible in areas of self-care including playing, dressing, bathing, grooming, eating, brushing teeth and cooking, to name a few. With children, we are often teaching…
Oodles of Fun with Pool Noodles by Bobbi Michels, PT Kids Place West Pediatric Physical Therapist Did you know you can enjoy your pool noodle year-round using it to get some exercise on land until it is time to enjoy it in the pool? Pool noodles are so much fun to use on land. I…
Cupping and It’s Benefits By Meghann La Marca, DPT AZOPT Buckeye Physical Therapist Cupping, also known as Myofascial Decompression, is a type of alternative therapy that originated in China in 241 AD. However, it became more mainstream following the 2016 Summer Olympics. You may remember seeing circular marks all over Michael Phelps’ back. This gave…
Container Baby Syndrome & Tummy Time by Kids Place Pediatric Physical Therapists The first year of life is critical for your baby to acquire gross motor skills such as gaining head control, ability to roll, crawl, sit, stand, and walk in order to efficiently explore her environment. Primitive reflexes like asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR),…
Spring Break Activities That Challenge Your Children By Brittany Ricciardi PT, DPT, PCS Kids Place Central Clinic Manager and Pediatric Physical Therapist Spring break is just around the corner! Are you nervous? Many parents are often challenged with ideas and activities to keep their children busy. Here are a couple that are not only fun…
Breathe Better for Better Health By Jim Mulroy, PT, MPT AZOPT Glendale Physical Therapist The average person breathes 21,000 times a day, 12-20 times per minute, and ventilates 6-10 liters of air per minute. The primary breathing muscle in our body is the diaphragm. Good diaphragmatic breathing uses less secondary breathing muscles which lessen the…
