FUNctional Therapy

Join me in a 3-Part Printing Workshop Series with Autism Ontario-East. This series is for those who would like to help teach a child how to print. Register today! Part 1, August 12th: https://bit.ly/3gMS8y0 Part 2, August 19th: https://bit.ly/3gNVBwd Part 3, August 26th: https://bit.ly/3afJBRP

If your child or client has MAFOs (foot braces) please know that there are adapted shoes out there made so that shoes are wayyyyy easier to put on! The best par...t is that these are available at every day retailers like Zappos.com, Nordstrom and direct from BILLY Footwear. These shoes don’t require custom ordering, they increase independence, child and adult sizes are available and they come in a variety of super hip styles!! We recently recommended these shoes to a family and the father said he used to spend 15 minutes trying to get shoes on his child. These take a minute! #adaptedclothing #finemotorbootcamp #slpeeps #ashaigers See more

Amazon is offering Free Children's Audible Books while schools are closed!! https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Have a library card? Check out what you can be accessing online for free .

I LOVE this program and use it often. They are offering some really special resources right now. Check it out!

REMINDER for parents using iDevices. You can structure screen time for your children! Guided access is an accessibility feature on iPad, iPhones and iTouch that will lock your child into a single app. It has a few awesome features including a time limit option. Once time is up it blocks the app from continuing until a passcode is entered. Check out full directions here: ... https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202612

A fellow therapist had shared the link to this amazing resource! Thank you Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Commonwealth University With all the uncertainty and school closures, the educational communities from across the country have come together to provide resources for teachers, students, and families. In an attempt to help organize some of the resources being shared the Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Commonwealth University (VDOE T/TAC at VCU) has compiled a document that can be found at http://bit.ly/2vrHVEV.

For my ADHD parents check this out! I am sure some of the strategies are worthwhile for any parent during this covid-19 school disruption. https://www.additudemag.com//coronavirus-homeschooling-p/

Virtual field trips

https://www.prnewswire.com//scholastic-creates-free-open-a

Teacher Hack: No more stamp or ink pad messes! Practice spelling and word work with kinetic sand for portable, compact, hands-on fun. Would you give this hack a try? [via @teachingwithmissle on Instagram]

Apps for Letter Formation When teaching children how to form letters it is important to teach them the correct way. We want to build good habits including:... -top to bottom formations -correct stroke sequences (ie. "F": the first stroke is the big line down; second stroke is the little line across the top; third stroke is the little line across the middle) Why is this important? As writing demands increase with grade levels, legibility decreases when letters are not formed correctly. At preschool and kindergarten age, be mindful that we are shaping future writing habits. What apps can help? Many apps will promote good habits in a fun, motivating way! I like ones that provide visual and auditory cues when mistakes are made. They force you to make them correctly! My 'go to' apps are "Letterschool" (phone and tablet capabilities) and "Wet Dry Try" (tablet only) What are your favourite letter formation apps? **please note that I am not affiliated with any of the above mentioned apps.**

All. Of. This. I couldn’t have said it any better. What I have been trying to provide awareness about and what I am truly passionate about. Kids need to be ready to print. Pre-printing skills are developmental milestones needed for the next steps. Would we expect our children to run when they haven’t even learned to walk? Kindergarten registration season is upon us. I will be offering the Kindergarten Readiness Parent workshops again in the near future. If you have little o...nes making the big step into school and would like to understand more about how to effectively prepare them to be successful printers than you should attend! Stay tuned or send me a message!

We have a dear friend who happens to have Aspergers. We love hearing her stories and perspectives and how she navigated through childhood and now the adult wo...rld. She once told us the hardest school transition was going to middle school and not because middle school is hard for most children but because she no longer had access to swings...what she NEEDED for self regulation. This is a great article on our vestibular sensory system! Movement during the day and throughout childhood is crucial. The importance here is monumental. Childhood is when children develop the vestibular sense and it's not happening while they sit still. Circle time, seat work, and computer lab sessions do not contribute to this type of sensory development. This is one reason why recess is so good for academics. Recess helps with brain development. It wakes the brain up so that the student is ready to learn more in the classroom setting. https://1000hoursoutside.com//the-incredible-importance-of See more

FUNctional gifts to think about this holiday season!

We’ve been asked to share the following information for anyone in our school community who may find it helpful or informative!

BREAK YOUR CRAYONS Broken crayons work..and may be better for your developing children!! Why?!... Using short broken pieces of crayons (1-2 inches) can help build an efficient pencil grasp! There is less space to grasp to allow for awkward grips It encourages use of your index, thumb and middle fingers Bonus: Crayons provide a natural resistance that strengthen your child’s hands while colouring. Remember: Small hands work better with small tools! You can try using other small tools too! Short pencils and pencil crayons (think golf sized pencils) Short markers (avoid putting lids on the ends while colouring, as this will only create a longer marker again!) Broken pieces of chalk #breakyourcrayons #smalltoolsforsmallhands

Those who know me know my love for Handwriting without Tears! Did you know when it comes to teaching printing, the type of lined paper you use with children can make a huge difference! If you would like to learn more about teaching how to print on lines you should check out this free webinar

I have been loving these free webinars. Check to see if the next one is of interest to you!

Free webinar this Tuesday *ADDitude offers so much information about ADHD/ADD for parents, teacher and professionals. Take a look on their website!

Self-reg workshop in our area .

Do you happen to know someone who would be interested in a Full Time Social Worker position? We are looking for someone to join our team. https://rccdsb.edu.on.ca//2019/07/Social-Worker-2019-20.pdf