Tendon Glides Exercises
What are Tendon Gliding Exercises?
“The ultimate goal of both the surgeon and therapist is to minimize and modify peritendinous adhesions and promote optimal tendon glide. At the same time the tendon repair must be protected from excessive stress in order to avoid gapping or rupture. (Peck, 2014)
Basically; They're exercises to help heal after a tendon injury. This includes Carpal Tunnel, Tendonitis, DeQuervain's tenosynovitis, Trigger finger. It can be due to strain, overuse from repetitive movements, diabetes, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid issues or infection.
How do you find out?
If you find yourself experiencing hand pain, swelling, or funky popping in your hand/wrist; Consult your doctor. They may refer for an MRI, or X-ray depending on your symptoms. Once they can see a picture of what’s going on inside, they are able to refer to Occupational Therapists like me to address it. Depending on if there is a bone fracture, tendon injury, or where the pain/swelling is coming from; We tailor exercises for your specific injury and pain.
Are there more exercises?
Yes, in Occupational Therapy we manipulate different parts of your hand to reduce inflammation and promote healing. This might feel like a massage, but they are research based movements to help you get back to normal.
Here’s a little Visual Guide to Tendon Gliding Exercises. You can also refer to this video to help you.
Start with your fingers straight
Make each type of fist one at a time
Then curl your thumb down in your palm as much as possible
Stretch it back out as far as possible
We are always here to help you, please email us if you have any questions.
We Love Dad! Father's Day Crafts
We did it for Mother’s Day… so with Father’s Day coming up, we’re doing some more craft ideas! This holiday might be coming at a good time for families to wind down as the school year ends and summer approaches. Crafts are a great way to work on visuomotor and fine motor skills post school year, while keeping it play (fun) based.
Tin Can Pencil Holder
Use those recyclables to make a utensil holder! You can use some leftover acrylic paint, make sure there are no sharp edges on the can, a brush, a printed out picture of child, craft sponge and mod podge. Here’s a great tutorial https://buggyandbuddy.com/tin-can-pencil-holder/
Record Coasters
All you need is adhesive craft foam, acrylic paint, paintbrush, pen/pencil, 4 CD’s, and scissors. These adorable coasters make a great gift; Tutorial here https://www.craftprojectideas.com/fathers-day-upcycled-record-coasters/
Dad Rocks Paperweight
Gather rocks from the backyard, and repurpose them into paper weights! You can start with using patterned tape, cut into a tie, then add some faces and fun sayings with black permanent markers. Light colored rocks may work best for contrast. Get some ideas here https://www.hellowonderful.co/post/my-dad-rocks-father-s-day-paperweight/
Lollipop Prize Ribbons
It’s a personalized sweet treat! This one is a little more crafty, with a great tutorial from Lars https://thehousethatlarsbuilt.com/2018/06/fathers-day-lollipop-prize-ribbons.html/
Punny Card’s
You can do a “You’re my Hero” one here: https://www.berries.com/blog/diy-funny-fathers-day-cards-for-dad?r=sbaffiliate&irgwc=1&irclickid=VuC031Q7CxyLUAO07OwzdzZ-UkB1xJwfNwEAVY0&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=impactradius&utm_campaign=10078&utm_content=594771&utm_term=Skimbit%20Ltd.&afsrc=1
A Fruity One here: https://www.frugalmomeh.com/diy-fathers-day-watermelon-card-printable-template.html#_a5y_p=6358128
Would love to know if you have any other ideas!
Sensory Approach to Home
So we’ve talked about sensory processing in previous posts; But we wanted to add some tips for different situations parents may be experiencing!
This is applicable to:
Autism Spectrum Disorders
SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder)
ADHD, Down Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy
Developmental Delays
Motor Delays
Gifted and kids who are Twice Exceptional
Anxiety
Typical children
Just as an overview, kids should typically get a thorough evaluation, and/or neurology consult before being diagnosed. Many children who are SPD and are sensory seekers/cravers, or those with poor postural control may look like they have ADD/ADHD. The issue at times doesn’t stem from the attention. A lot of the times we think these kids are acting out, not listening, or not paying attention. We notice when they get sent to principal's office, trouble with virtual learning, or get labeled the “behavior kid.” But looking deeper into the underlying issue with the help of healthcare professionals will have a more thorough diagnosis.
In order to help children feel more balanced we can create a Sensory Lifestyle Previously termed a “Sensory Diet,” it’s how you incorporate the sensory tools that you have into every day life. Every child is different, so depending on the child’s sensory processing we advise activities and strategies, but its best to learn through trial and error what works best for the child you are working with.
How does Sleep affect your Child?
Sleep can be very important, keeping consistent bedtime routines, comfortable bedding. You can add some calming music or lights, try to have them sleep in their own bed, tents over the bed can be calming, as well as body pillows.
What about Diet?
You are what you eat. If you have concerns about your child’s limited food repertoire or “picky eating” seek out a therapist who is trained by Dr. Kay Toomey SOS Approach to Feeding. It’s suggested that children need at least 10 sources of protein, 10 fruits or vegetables, 10 other/starches for a total of at least 30 different foods
Dinner time tips:
Family style dinner
Make Eating Fun!
Try different textures, colors, smells
Have something preferred for after the child touches or tastes a new food
Always present a protein source, fruit or vegetable, and starch at every meal/snack, plus one preferred food
Don’t allow your child to “food jag” eat the same foods over and over again
If they have chicken nuggets on Monday, they can’t have them again until Wednesday
OT’s Role:
Among the psychosocial conditions, anxiety disorder is the third prevalent mental disorder affecting children aged 3-17 years (CDC, 2019). OT’s are a great resource for therapy for implementing evidence-based mental health promotion, Emotional Regulation, Executive Functioning, Mindfulness, Yoga, etc.
Calming Strategies:
Taking Deep Breaths
Drinking through a straw
Sucking on hard candy
Taking a break
Lowering the lights
Calming music
Warm bath
Talking in soft voice
Slow linear swinging/rocking
Chewing gum
Deep pressure/hugs/weighted vests, blankets
Mindfulness is defined as a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. This is used as a therapeutic technique. This is all about living in the moment and taking every moment just as important as your last.
Want to know more? Email us!
References
Aguilar, Del; Esposito, Phil (2019) “Sensory Processing Disorder and Praxis Skills in Children With Learning Disabilities” The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 73, No. 4 2. Liotta-Kleinfeld, Lorry; Beros, Lynsey; Boyer, Andrea; Boggus, Taylor; Ruff, Madeleine; Little, Mary; Sollman, Rachael (2020) “Incidence of and Relationship Between Tactile Sensitivity and SelfRegulation in Six- to Eight-Year-Old Children” The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, August 2020, Vol. 74 3.
Lin, Mei-Ling PhD, OTR/L; Nasser, Alyse; Molina, Cayla; Smith, Emma; and Millar, Kristin (2020). “Mental-Health Benefits of a Mindfulness-Based Prevention Program on Elementary Schoolchildren” The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, August 2020, Vol. 74, Supplement 1 4.
Mulligan, Shelley; Schoen, Sarah A.; Miller, Lucy Jane; Valdez, Andrea; and Magalhaes, Deborah (2019) "The Sensory Processing 3-Dimensions Scale: Initial Studies of Reliability and Item Analyses," The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article 4. 5.
Orley Templeton, OTD, OTR/L1, Lori Charney, OTD, OTR/L1, Heather Bennett, MS2, Molly Betz, MS3, Kelly Byrne, MS, OTR4, Jame Duffy, MS2 (2019). “The Effect of Sensory-Based Strategies and Social-Skill Training on Social Skills Among Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder” The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 73, No. 4
What’s In A Breathe?
Breathing; It sounds so simple, but are we doing it right?
Common breath holding patterns (not good) include:
Chest Breathing
Reverse Breathing/Paradoxical Breathing
Collapsed Breathing
Hyperventilation
Dyspnea.
This could lead to:
Chronic tension in upper body, neck, shoulders, back, and jaw
Anxiety, increased stress response (heart disease, hypertension)
Lack of circulation in abdominal area leading to indigestion, heartburn and bloating
Greater difficulty learning movement because basic pattern of breathing (movement) can be upside down
Confused or disoriented state of mind
Learning breathing techniques can assist with energy throughout the day, a calmer state for focusing, managing pain, and easier movement for the body.
Nose Breathing Versus Mouth Breathing:
Through the Nose: air is warmed and humidified, cleaned of dust particles, and cleaned of bacteria
Through the Mouth: more air in during intense physical activity, when trying to inhale quickly, for techniques requiring the deepest exhalation possible, greater ability to vary air flow
What is Normal Respiratory Rate?
Neonatal 30-60
Early Childhood 20-40
Late Childhood 15-25
Adult 12-16
Hyperventilation:
we may not recognize we’re doing it unless it’s in the extreme form. It can be subtle and chronic, and usually happens with chest breathing. As a result, you lose too much CO2...which is necessary for maintaining the right mixture of acid and alkaline, an essential balance for proper cell metabolism (respiratory alkalosis). That can cause marked alterations in the rates of chemical reactions in cells.
Conditions that may be related to hyperventilation:
fatigue
exhaustion
heart palpitations
rapid pulse
dizziness
visual disturbances
numbness
tingling in the limbs
SOB
yawning
chest pain
stomach pain
muscle pain
cramps
stiffness
anxiety
insomnia
nightmares
impaired concentration and memory
Diaphragmatic Breathing, Restorative Yoga, and Meditation are great ways to incorporate good quality breathing. Want to know more? Email us!
Mothers Day Crafts
I think we can all agree that one day a year is not enough to celebrate moms. Whether you’re a mother yourself, or taking the time to celebrate the mothers in your life, there are plenty of fun ways to pay tribute. Here are some creative ideas for little ones!
Crayon Candles: It requires some help from an adult, but all you need is wax, wicks, old crayons and containers. It’s a great way to use up some of those broken crayon pieces at the bottom of your drawer, and choose colors that mom will like! Here’s the link: https://www.thepinningmama.com/diy-crayon-candles/
3D Tea Cup Cards: These are adorable to step-up the usual decorated card and make it 3D. Materials needed: 1 blank card, construction paper, 1 cut up egg carton, pipe cleaner, tea bag and glue.
Here’s the link: https://intheplayroom.co.uk/drink-it-all-in-with-twinings-and-tea-cup-cards/
Mason Jar Picture Frame: It adds a pop of color and personalization to flowers mom might be getting (or picked from the lawn). https://www.homestoriesatoz.com/crafts/mason-jar-picture-frame-vase.html?ref=pcrorganicgglunkwn&prid=pcseogglunkwn
Pop-up Cards: They have printable files to help you make a pop-up card, thanks to One Dog Wolf! https://www.1dogwoof.com/mom-love-pop-up-cards-free-silhouette-cut-files/?ref=pcrorganicgglunkwn&prid=pcseogglunkwn
Button Bookmarks: All you need are some popsicle sticks, buttons, foam and glue. If you want to add more color to the popsicle sticks, you can paint them. Once dry, cut the foam (thick paper) into petals, glue a button for the middle of the flower going at one end with petals surrounding. Then glue some buttons as decor along the popsicle stick.
Thumb Platter: Add a personalized touch to a platter dish with paint and carefully stamped thumbs. https://oldsaltfarm.com/heart-thumbprint-platter/?ref=pcrorganicgglunkwn&prid=pcseogglunkwn
A Different Take on your typical portrait; Silhouette Art! https://www.homemadeginger.com/gallery-wall-tutorial-diy-easy/?ref=pcrorganicgglunkwn&prid=pcseogglunkwn
What Parents Need to Know About School Based OT
First, what is OT?
American Occupational Therapy Association describes it as a health profession in which therapists and therapy assistants help individuals to do and engage in the specific activities that make up daily life. For children and youth in schools, occupational therapy works to ensure that a student can participate in the full breadth of school activities—from paying attention in class; concentrating on the task at hand; holding a pencil, musical instrument, or book in the easiest way; or just behaving appropriately in class.
How does it apply to school?
We work with kids of all abilities. Some diagnoses include ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, and in general; children having a hard time participating in the classroom. We can work with children inside the classroom (push-in) or outside the classroom (pull-out). Most kids that I provide OT to will already have had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that has been receiving services from a young age, and has a system in place that will support them to succeed in schools. Others may receive OT because they are having a specific problem in school. We also work in a team based profession to collaborate with interdisciplinary members, providing consultation to teachers about how classroom design affects attention, why particular children behave inappropriately at certain times, and where best to seat a child based on his or her learning style or other needs. A child might also be referred for OT for other reasons like motor skills, cognitive processing, visual or perceptual problems, mental health concerns, difficulties staying on task, disorganization, or inappropriate sensory responses.
Occupational Therapists tend to be the handwriting experts in school based settings because we specialize in fine motor and visual perceptual skills. OT looks at the child’s skills and other problems (including behavior), in addition to his or her visual, sensory, and physical capabilities. We also take into account the school, home, and classroom environments to find ways to improve the handwriting.
Students with disabilities have been able to benefit from occupational therapy at school since the 1975 passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and even more recently In 2004, the reauthorization of IDEA extended the availability of occupational therapy services to all students, not just those with disabilities, in order to fully participate in school (AOTA).
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
What is Pelvic Organ Prolapse?
“a departure from normal sensation, structure, or function, experienced by the woman in reference to the position of her pelvic organs”
-The International Urogynecology Association (IUGA) and the International Continence Society (ICS)
Descent or herniation of pelvic organs from normal attachment sites or normal position in the pelvis into the vagina or beyond.
Isolated or global
Muscular, ligament and fascia weaknesses
Stages:
“Prolapse stage ≥2 has been demonstrated among 37% of women presenting for annual gynecologic examinations. It seems to make little sense to define something as stage 1 or 2 of a disease process that is very common, benign, and not predictive of symptoms or progression.”
-Dietz & Mann 2014
Etiology:
POP can be acquired by Trauma, abdominal pressures, pregnancy. It can also be congenital secondary to connective tissue defect, or neurologic defect. It may also be a part of the aging process due to loss of hormones.
It is estimated that POP is associated with Stress Urinary Incontinence (leakage of urine) in 40% of the cases.
Risk Factors:
Obesity BMI > 25
Hysterectomy
Previous prolapse surgery
Defective connective tissue
Denervation
Myopathy leading to wide levator ani hiatus
Increasing age
Chronic cough (allergies/asthma/smoking)
Constipation and straining § Family history of POP
Signs of a connective tissue disorder (hemorrhoids, hernias)
Heavy occupational
Vaginal delivery (especially forceps delivery)
Treatment:
Pessaries- Prosthetic devices to help assist internal structure
Behavioral: Weight Loss, Smoking Cessation, Decrease straining with activity modification
Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation uses exercises and evidence based methods
Surgeries to restoration normal anatomy
To get treated by a professional that has advanced training in this field, ask if your healthcare professional (nurse, PA, MD, OT, PT, or NP) is BCIA Board Certified.
To ask us more questions, email us at smplytherapy@gmail.com
Helping Kids Regulate Behaviors
Long story short; Occupational Therapists help people recover and regulate. Among the psychosocial conditions, anxiety disorder is the third prevalent mental disorder affecting children aged 3-17 years (CDC, 2019). So our mindset is built around evaluating the situation and helping people adapt. Here are some tips to help those little ones (and even adults) regulate:
Sleep is Key
Keep a night routine to keep consistent
Comfortable bedding. This may include a weighted blanket at first, but we don’t recommend weighted blankets all night.
Calming Music/Lights
Having the child sleep in their own bed, a tent over the bed may make it more fun.
Body pillows can help with giving your child some comfort.
Nutrition
Eating healthy is important for function.
If you have major concerns about your child’s limited food repertoire or “picky eating” seek out a therapist who is trained.
Children are recommended to have 10 sources of protein, 10 fruits/veggies and 10 other/starches
Making a total of about 30 different foods
Helping Regulate You Child
It sounds simple; but watch their facial expressions and body language.
Try not to overwhelm with an activity, possibly ending up in a shutdown.
On the other hand, also try to pay attention to their arousal level. Limit an activity that’s getting them so wound up that it’s hard to get them back down.
If they’re at a meltdown, try calming activities that seem to work for them.
Where does OT Play a part?
OT’s are a great resource for therapy for implementing evidence-based mental health promotion for: Emotional Regulation, Executive Functioning, Mindfulness, Yoga and more!
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us at smplytherapy@gmail.com
Guest Post: Strategies for Forming a New Habit
Today, we really have a treat. We have a guest post by: Vincent Balestrieri from the Autism Movement Project
BJ Fogg is a Stanford professor who studies habit formation. People have difficulty developing new, healthy habits for a variety of reasons. One strategy that I've found particularly useful is to pair a new habit with a specific time and location. In the winter of 2019 I decided that I wanted to practice yoga and meditation daily as opposed to a few times a week which I had been doing for years prior. It's now been two years and I've been extremely consistent in my practice, missing only a few days each year. One strategy that helped me get into the habit and also remain consistent is pairing my practice with a specific time and location. I practice every night before bed (time) and my mat stays rolled out on the floor in my room (location). Keeping the mat rolled out also minimizes the effort required to engage in the behavior and is an environmental cue to practice. It's difficult to form a new habit when too much effort is required. It is also difficult to form new habits when a task is perceived as too difficult. For that reason, I shifted my daily practice to 30 minutes as opposed to the 90 minute classes I was taking 2-3 times weekly prior to that. I knew that 90 minutes daily was an unrealistic expectation and would likely lead to me giving up on daily practice. These concepts are not only simple, but they're also generalizable and applicable to many habits. Think about how you might employ some of these strategies to a new behavior or habit you'd like to engage in. In my experience, a well thought out strategy with an environment set up for success trumps motivation or determination.
What is Pediatric Teletherapy?
I still remember the first time I heard about Teletherapy (sessions via video); It was about 5 years ago and a coworker was talking about doing it part time for speech therapy. My first instinct was, how does that help kids?!
Many things that happened in 2020 seemed unimaginable to our 2015 selves, but here we are! There are many pros to teletherapy, I can’t say it’s for everyone but for many families it allowed for a closer educational relationship with the therapist. A huge part of Occupational Therapy focuses on training parents and families to assist their child progression, and doing teletherapy facilitated that.
So let’s go though some activities for great (middle school aged) teletherapy sessions!
Meme writing: You can share a funny picture to start. They can work on typing or writing, and it also works on executive functioning.
Online Games:
Bamboozle.com
https://jeopardylabs.com/
Escape Room: You can share a google doc, powerpoint or a word document. Some activities can be solving trivia, gross motor activities, fine motor activities, locating items.
Fantasy Sports Team: This is great for kids that are into sports, they can choose players. Names and stats can be listed on a shared word document. They can also add mascot, colors, uniforms, stadium name if they like.
Virtual Field Trip: The student can choose country, landmark or venue to tour. They can add pictures and videos to a google slide or power point and present to Field Trip Participants (OT, teacher, family members).
Newsletter: On a shared document, the student can research a topic (ex: sports trivia, gaming tips, recipes) and write a report.
If you need more ideas or you would like to schedule a consult, please email us at smplytherapy@gmail.com.
OT for Newborns
Believe it or not… Occupational Therapy can start the day that a child is born! In hospital settings, many children that are born prematurely end up receiving services due to their early start out of the womb. There are NICU OT’s that work in hospitals to help parents with NICU babies connect and care for their little ones, and we also provide services once their home.
SMPLY OT doesn’t have NICU services just yet, but we do often see little ones that are younger than three. As with most of the age category of children 0-3, this age group treatment comes with a “parent training” model. This just means that a lot of our treatment will include education with the parents, teaching different techniques and exercises to get their child’s development accelerated!
The sooner the better.
With Occupational Therapy; The sooner you seek treatment, the better. It may be a minor delay in physical development that the pediatrician refers to OT for. But as time goes on, our little ones get bigger, with a larger spectrum of developmental milestones to reach. So that little 4 mo old may only need to work on tummy time and adaptive positions to be taught by the OT to reach their developmental level; But once they turn one and they are having trouble standing or taking side-steps, it may be more hurdles to meet to get up to speed.
Tummy Time ASAP!
One of the first exercises your child experiences. And you can start the day you bring your baby home from the hospital. Neck muscles that are addressed during tummy time are necessary for your baby to sit upright for play, and eventually start crawling, standing and walking. Once they can hold their head up, the other pieces of development start falling into place.
Some Great Toys for Tummy Time:
Mirrors - It can be a little one from the toy department, or it can be a long mirror you already have at home to help motivate that little one to hold their head up.
Rattle - It’s a classic and is great for newborns, the auditory and colorful stimuli really gets babies engaged.
Colorful ball - You can use this for your baby to watch go from one side to another. This may be good for babies who are able to lift up their chest a little and are almost starting to reach.
If you need more ideas, you can always reach out to us at smplytherapy@gmail.com!
What is Out-of-Network Benefits?
Insurance is confusing. I don’t think I really understood insurance plans until I started my own practice and was forced to learn it for the families I was treating; Here’s my form of Insurance 101:
Every plan is different.
The most proactive thing you can do before going to your doctors, is call your insurance company and inquire about your benefits. Caring and thoughtful practitioners will be able to help you as well, but even practitioners like me will call your insurance company to get the details about your plan. In bigger group practices, they might divide the responsibility among other staff members (aside from the practitioner you are seeing), which can get a little tricky. So inquiring and learning about your plan is important if you don’t like surprise bills.
Out-of-Network VS In-Network providers
Typically you can scan through your In-network providers on the insurance company site. These are the practitioners that became part of the insurance community to assist those in need. The co-pay might be listed on the card, and you pay at your visit. Out-of-Network is another part of the plan that has its own list of benefits. Some insurances do not provide Out-of-Network benefits; so this is something you have to check with your insurance company. With Out-of-Network benefits, you might have a deductibles or a different co-pay, but it may help with some specialty (and small businesses like myself) services to assist you better.
If you have any questions about your benefits or how In vs Out-of-Network benefits work, please contact us and schedule a consultation; we’re happy to help.
Clothing Preference for Sensory Sensitivity
Last week we spoke about how sensory processing may affect clothing choices; we want to go a little more in depth about it this week. As with many things, there is a spectrum of choices when it comes to the clothing we wear. Some like clothing fitted, others like them loose. Let’s go more in depth about those that enjoy clothing that are on the light side.
What do you mean by spectrum?
In terms of preferences for sensory processing; there is sensory seeking and sensory avoidant. In other words, there are some people that like clothing to feel like they're really present with extra pressure, and those that don't want to feel any pressure on their skin. Those are the two extremes, and most people fall within the spectrum that lies between the two.
Tactile Defensiveness
Have you ever had a child that cannot handle shirt tags? They find it itchy, and always feel like the tag is there, this is the sensitive end of the spectrum for sensory processing when it comes to clothing. They might also have difficulty with hair cuts, ticking may be overwhelming, they might be picky about certain textures, and they might like to keep their hands clean. Tactile defensiveness is basically an over-sensitivity to touch.
Some Tricks
This might make your child’s dressing routine difficult, and they might be repeating one item that is hanging on by a thread because it gets used so much.
One trick is to layer with the favorite fabric on the closest layer to their skin.
Depending on their preference, those with clothing sensitivities will like the light and soft type of fabric that makes it feel like it’s not on your skin.
You can also desensitize the specific areas that bother the child with deep touch, massage, or gently pressing around the area with a hand held vibrator.
Try second hand clothing that’s a little more worn in.
Moisturizing the skin may help, making the skin a little more sensitive.
Buying sensory friendly clothing with brands that understand clothing sensitivities
As always, we are here to help you with any questions. If this is a topic that you would like to explore more, email smplytherapy@gmail.com to speak to us!
Sensory Processing Relating to Clothing
We’re talking about something that everyone deals with to some degree, but may have not taken much notice… sensory processing as it relates to clothing! Just like picky eating relates to how we process our environment- the texture, flavor, or color choices in food; children may be picky about the clothes they wear.
If we’re being honest, most of us choose clothing differently whether it’s based on texture or how it makes you feel, and may be able to think back to their childhood when it was a little more “picky.” But for some kids, it may go to the extreme due to sensory processing difficulties.
Prevalence
Sensory processing disorder affects about 8.3% of 8 year olds internationally (Jussila et al., 2020), and 1 in 20 to 1 in 6.25 in the US (Ahn et al., 2004; Ben-Sasson et al., 2009), some experts say as much as 10% of kids. For children with ADHD; it’s as much as 40-60%, so children on the Autism spectrum and those with ADHD may be at higher chance of having difficulty with sensory processing.
Many children may not get a diagnosis, or have issues with sensory processing that affects their ability to perform daily activities. It may just be a quirk that allows them to function in society without too much difficulty, but clothing can still be something that assists feeling more balanced. Some children prefer tighter clothing, others want clothing to feel very light. With this; parents may find a pattern with their clothing shopping if their sensory processing takes priority over different styles and trends.
If your child is having trouble with tolerating clothing, and it’s affecting their participation in school or daily activities; We’re happy to help you understand and talk to you about it. Please feel free to email us at smplytherapy@gmail.com
References
Jussila K., Junttila M., Kielinen M., Ebeling H., Joskitt L., Moilanen I., et al. . (2020). Sensory abnormality and quantitative autism traits in children with and without autism spectrum disorder in an epidemiological population. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 50, 180–188. 10.1007/s10803-019-04237-0 [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Ahn R. R., Miller L. J., Milberger S., McIntosh D. N. (2004). Prevalence of parents’ perceptions of sensory processing disorders among kindergarten children. Am. J. Occup. Ther. 58, 287–293. 10.5014/ajot.58.3.287 [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year Activities
Even if you’re not the most spirited person to celebrate; these activities are just another way to get creative with your little one! We have a couple holidays this week- Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day. Two very different celebrations but we figured we’d give you some ideas to have fun this week.
For Valentine’s Day Celebrations
Celery Heart Stamps: Use the ends of the celery stick as a stamp to dip into red or pink paint for a heart felt painting.
Ribbon Valentine: Something about Valentine’s always makes me flash back to Billy Madison getting one from Principal Anderson. Since kids are less likely to be able to pass it along to classmates, make ones at home for family members! You can use pieces of already used ribbon from Christmas to paste onto a heart, for a striped design.
Valentine Name Puzzle: This is a double task; they can make the valentine with their name displayed across it. Then if you draw jagged lines across or even in squares, they can put it back together like a puzzle!
Paper Heart Mobile: Use different colored construction paper to cut outlines of hearts, then attach them upright onto a string hanging from the ceiling.
Valentine Collages: if you have colored tissue paper, and a paper plate- make a collage! Add your own design by cutting the tissue paper into pieces that you can glue onto the paper plate. Then cut out a hearth to display on the window sill.
For the Lunar New Year Celebrations
Red Envelopes: This might be for the older kids, or adult assistance. https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/chinese-red-envelope.html
Paper Fans: You’ll need 3 5X8 inch pieces of paper, two craft sticks and an tiny hairband. Here are some instructions with pictures: https://www.littlepassports.com/craft-diy/chinese-new-year-craft/
Paper Lanterns: This is another activity that will require some adult assistance if for the younger kids. Here is a great how-to site https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-lantern.html.
Printable Chinese Zodiac Animals: Here’s a Free Printable! https://funcraftskids.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12-Chinese-Zodiac-Coloring-Pages.pdf
For more fun ideas, you can always email us at smplytherapy@gmail.com!
Snow Day Fun!
This blizzard has its pro’s and con’s; adults got their workouts in with all the shoveling, even if they were also target practice for little ones making snowballs. As we’re getting our buried cars out of the driveway, we might want to spend the rest of our times indoors. But when it comes to kids, it can be their favorite part of winter! Snow brings a new set of activities and creativity that doesn’t come so often in the tri-state area. It’s also a plus when kids can make a mess outside and keep it outside for a little while.
Here’s a list to get you started:
Snowman with sticks and stones- You can always go traditional with an old hat and carrot, or you can make it a part of the challenge to find things in the backyard as additions. Finding stones and branches to make eyes, limbs and hair.
Backyard Ice Sculptures- All you need is a water bottle, ice cube trays, water and food coloring. Mix the water and food coloring in a bottle and let them freeze. Once frozen, you can gather the colored ice gems to make sculptures in the yard.
Maple Syrup Snow Candy- This requires some cleaner snow beds; but if you boil maple syrup and pour it onto a bed of snow, it’ll turn to taffy! Use wooden popsicle sticks to keep the maple syrup on and eat.
Snow Sensory Bin- Gather some of your child’s favorite toys and place them in a bin of snow to keep track of them.
Paint the snow- Exactly what you think, use paintbrushes and the lawn is their landscape! You can even adapt with food dye drops and do a more abstract colors scheme.
Homemade Bird Feeders- Use some orange peel halves, fill with snow and put some bird feeder at the top!
I hope these help you get creative! As always, we’re here for your questions, please email smplytherapy@gmail.com.
Causes of Neck Pain
Many of us are experiencing neck pain because we’re all hunched over our device to accommodate a small laptop on the couch, or the physical demands of your personal workspace. This also goes for all of our essential workers making sure our packages are delivered, and those stocking shelves; repetitive movement and awkward postures can do more damage than you think.
So how do we address it?
It would be nice if there was a quick fix; maybe a massage or a medication that takes away the pain. But then you’re still left with the underlying condition that was never fixed at the root (from the inside out). When patients come to Occupational Therapy, the first part of every session is an explanation of their diagnosis and an evaluation of daily habits/tasks to see where it might be stemming from. That, or understanding the traumatic event that caused the injury. I find that the more a person understands their condition, the more they are willing to do what’s necessary to rehabilitate. So the first step is, education.
A little anatomy…
At the core, our neck consists of vertebrae (bone), nerve roots, and discs that are stacked up. The nerves that start out in the spine (neck) go out to your arms and hands. So many people with neck issues or injuries may have tingling, numbness, or pain in their upper extremities. Neck pain has also been linked with imbalance of scapular (shoulder) stabilizing muscles.
So in order to fix the pain, we have to fix our positioning during the day, and even at night. Most of the time, those awkward postures are because of weakness or imbalance in certain muscles and its exacerbated with adjusting to your repetitive activity during the day.
Occupational Therapy provides manual techniques to assist healing, and exercises to improve posture; but it also comes with homework if you want to see results that last. We advise on sleeping positions, ergonomic evaluation for your workspace, and patient specific activity modifications to help heal.
If you want to learn more, please feel free to reach out to us at smplytherapy@gmail.com
Let’s Talk About Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
This isn’t just for tennis players. But if you’ve ever swung a tennis racket, you’ll understand the motion that limits people with this condition. It’s that back-swinging motion when your elbow straightens and the arm extends; aka a backhand
Usually it stems from overuse due to repetitive motion, and other trauma to the upper extremity; typically from the work setting. Ergonomics and physical demands of your workspace is highlighted on this topic because many of our injuries that are more insidious, are probably from micro-injuries over time.
It’s one thing if you got into a bike accident and have pain from a traumatic event; that would be pretty clear on how/when you got injured. But many people have pain that come and go, with conditions that worsen over time and unsure exactly when it started. Lateral Epicondylitis is typically more like the latter set of symptoms. Hence, the nickname… tennis players have a very similar swing that repeats when playing, and the repetitive movement over time causes the appearance of the injury.
However, not all those that play tennis get tennis elbow, and not all that have tennis elbow play tennis. For anyone like me who has never picked up a tennis racket, it probably stems from an activity that you spend a lot of time doing with repetitive motions, like working at a desk.
If a person is experiencing pain in their elbow, they can contact their doctor who will then refer out to an Occupational Therapist. We do a series of assessments to evaluate how you’re affected by this condition functionally, strength, and pain severity. For treatment we will be giving a home program of exercises, provision of protective equipment or orthotics to facilitate healing, and clinic exercises/modalities.
What I appreciate about the Occupational Therapy profession is that we treat the patient as a whole, and want to incorporate good habits to speed up your healing. We don’t just look at your strength and give rote exercise, and send you on your way. We will educate you on what is happening in your body, give suggestions for sleep positions, body mechanics for work to reduce strain on your body. We can also recommend pain management techniques without medication treatment.
If you have questions, or may need Occupational Therapy Intervention contact us at (201) 777-0856 or book a free consult with us.
Science Behind Repeating Yourself While Wearing a Mask
How many times do you have to ask someone to repeat themselves with a mask on? And how many times have you seen someone pull their mask down to speak in public, instilling fear in the person next to them? It’s a unique time for everyone. Anyone that’s had to order food at a counter, with plexi-glass between staff and customers, and sizzling food/music coming from (Cava’s) speakers understands… our auditory system and attention really gets tested in public now.
When we have our masks on; the audibility and clarity of speech is impacted, and being 6 feet away from others doesn’t help. But there’s obviously a reason behind why we wear them;
“Let's consider a little primer on virology and the policies necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The unique characteristic of this virus is the route of transmission via small droplets ejected from the mouth. The droplets are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Interestingly, speaking actually produces more droplets than does coughing (Chao et al., 2009), and louder speech creates a relatively larger quantity of droplets than does softer speech (Anfinrud, Bax, Stadnytski, & Bax, 2020). When a person speaks, he or she releases nearly 200 viral particles per minute! Thus, it would take five minutes of speaking face to face to receive the dose of particles to readily infect a conversation partner.” (Dr. Barbara Weinstein, PhD)
Now with Applied Speech Acoustics: For every doubling of the distance from the sound source in a free field situation, the sound intensity will diminish by 6 decibels.
“Smply” put: sound diminishes by approximately 6 dB for each doubling of distance.
For example: if you are 2' away from someone who is speaking and move to 4' away, the person's voice will be reduced by 6 dB.
So, health care providers' communication with patients, restaurant staff, daycare staff... will be negatively impacted because of both the social distancing and masking requirements.
The other factor is that the mask reduces airflow. Typically, when we can’t hear someone, we compensate; as I typically do… we read lips. Impossible to do with the masks. Also, low-frequency vowel sounds are easiest to hear because they are higher in intensity. Consonant sounds are higher in frequency and lower in intensity, and so they are more difficult to identify. So, the consonant sounds which are both weak in intensity and high in frequency are difficult to hear (e.g. /p/), especially without the visual cue of lip reading.
Basically; there’s a science to why we can’t hear each other with our masks on, we’re all just adapting to the times. There’s also this available; The Communicator TM Surgical Mask with a Clear Window (Model FM86000) manufactured by Safe N’Clear is a patented FDA registered device that meets ASTM F2100 Level 1 protection surgical mask standards. https://safenclear.com/product/the-communicator-surgical-mask-with-a-clear-window/
Tips for Families and those working with children:
https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/back-to-school/Tips-for-Families.pdf
https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/back-to-school/Masks-and-Facial-Coverings.pdf
For more information, schedule a free consult with our team!
What is Sensory Diet?
A sensory diet is a set of activities that make up a sensory strategy and are appropriate for an individual’s needs. These are specific and individualized activities that are scheduled into a child’s day and are used to assist with regulation of activity levels, attention, and adaptive responses. It has nothing to do with food!
Why use a sensory diet?
It can be very motivating for a child and help them participate in activities. It's a means to adjust sensory input in relation to an individual’s needs. Based on the the child, we will prescribe some activities to incorporate into your routine. As we evaluate what activities are meaningful and motivating for your child, we will curate a child centered approach that is unique to your child.
Just as a healthy diet consists of a spectrum of foods, a sensory diet is a balanced set of sensory information that allows an individual to function. A person cannot survive on broccoli alone. Similarly, a child cannot thrive with only one type of sensory activity.
This goes for adults and children alike; we all need different types of input in order to feel balanced; part of the reason quarantine restrictions are not great for most individuals. Our bodies and minds instinctively know that varying sensory input allows us to function appropriately. However; children may have a harder time regulating and identifying what their bodies need. That's when OT's come in.
Studies support the use of active participation in multi-sensory activities for at least 90 minutes per week to improve occupational performance (Fazlioglu &Baran, 2008; Thompson, 2011; Woo & Leon, 2013; Wuang, Wang, Huang, & Su2010).
GOALS OF A SENSORY DIET ARE TO:
Provide the child with predictable sensory information which helps organize the central nervous system. Support social engagement, self-regulation, behavior organization, perceived competence, self-esteem, and self-confidence. Inhibit and/or improve modulation of sensation within daily routines and environments. Assist the child in processing a more organized response to sensory stimuli.
If you want to learn more, schedule a free consult with us here