Level The Playing Field

Last weekend my children and I played pirates in the backyard.  We used the swing set as a pirate ship and the sandbox to bury the treasure.  We had foam swords and talked with accents using our best pirate language.  We all had a great time and then all took a nice nap. 

I used this opportunity to join in my children’s imaginary world and teach them how to interact with each other and play together safely.  It’s amazing what we can teach children through play and the skills they can gain just having fun.    

While at work, recently, I found myself playing a role as a construction worker. I wore a yellow construction hat and a vest that was quite small, all in an effort to play with a child.  We were focused on building a bridge with large foam blocks to transport a load of heavy items across a river.  This helped him increase his muscle strength, learn new ways to play in an environment, increase his tolerance of new clothing.  Despite his intolerance, he was willing to dress up because I did.

So often we interact with our children on an adult level, telling them what we want them to do or asking them to try something.  Sometimes that works, and we all like it when it’s that easy!  Other times, it’s a little more difficult and it takes more persuasion.  Here are some ways to make those times a little easier.

Many times all it takes is a little “show and tell” to get the job done. 

Show.  Show your child an example.  Perform your hand washing with the Sponge Bob soap at the bathroom sink and then let them join in.

Tell.    Tell them about the fun you’re having, how much you like it.

Other times you have to get down on their level.  This allows them to have improved eye contact with you and makes them feel like you are not only interested in what they have to say, but that you’re also now a part of their world.  You get to show them that things are fun, aren’t scary, or even how to play in certain situations.  Mirroring is a great technique your children already use to learn from you.  Just take full advantage of it with things you want them to do!

Change your position:

Squat down.

Sit in the little kid’s chair. (Be safe)

Go into the play house.

Climb on the playground equipment at the park.

Sit in the sandbox

Get on the swing beside them  or put them on your lap

Slide down the slide with them

Eat at the little table

Activities:

Arts and craft

Meal time

Bath time

Dressing activities

Outdoor play- playground, sports, games.

Cleaning

Sensory play

Bed time

You may have to play dress up or act a little silly.  But you and your child will be having fun and learning at the same time!  

Brandon Scott, COTA/L, LMBT

Letters of Love and Supplies to Haiti

miriam center

A new life and love for special-needs children.

An estimated 5 to 10 percent of babies in Haiti are born with a serious mental or physical handicap each year.

Many of them never get a chance at life.

Some are abandoned by parents who cannot or will not care for them.  Many others die as children from poor medical care.

Ralph was one of those children.  He was born with permanent brain damage and, despite his parents’ best efforts, Ralph died as a baby.

It was for children like Ralph that the Miriam center was conceived.  A generous donor couple, moved by the death of their own daughter to do something for special-needs children in Haiti, worked with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission in 2001 to build the orphanage that is today the Miriam Center.

The only orphanage of its kind in Northwest Haiti, the Miriam Center is a place where disabled children survive and thrive.

In honor of OT month, Touchstone Therapy began collecting donations for the Miriam Center.  The center relies on this assistance in order to continue to care for those children in need.  Donations can include new or gently used items. 

Specific needs include:

Everyday Items:

-          Crib Sheets                                                           

-          Twin Sheets

-          Pillow Cases

-          Clorox Wipes

-          Baby Powder

-          Baby Shampoo

-          Shampoo and Conditioner

-          Hand Soap

-          Bar Soap

-          Body Wash

-          Lotion

-          Combs

-          Washcloths

-          Spoons

-          Bowls

     Play Items:

-          Play dough

-          Bubbles

-          Water Toys

-          Shaving Cream

-          Balloons

-          Big Knob Puzzles

-          Shape Sorters

-          Pop-up Toys

-          Musical Toys

-          Pull Toys

-          Finger Paints

-          Water Colors

-          Sponges

-          Fat Paint Brushes

-          Fat Crayons

We will be collecting donations through the month of May.  If you would like to help us in our efforts, you may drop donations off at 561 N. Polk St. Pineville  You can also get your children involved by having him or her draw a picture or write a story about themselves to send with the supplies.  It can be a fun and creative learning opportunity that you both can enjoy!

* http://www.nwhcm.org/our-programs/the-miriam-center*        

Dana Elliot, MS, OTR/L

                                                       

Be a Wise Insurance Consumer

As an office manager of a health care practice, every week I am giving families a refund for a health care expense that they had no idea they were due.   Know your policy and what you should be paying to health care providers.

Here are few tips:

·         Get online access to your policy so you will have real-time access to your EOB’s (explanation of benefits-a statement describing medical benefits and account activity, including explanation of why certain claims may or may not have been paid) and review each one to make sure you are paying the correct amount and that your medical benefits were processed correctly

·         Know your policy

o   what is covered in your policy and what is the co-pay (flat fee) and, or co-insurance (%) you are required to pay for different medical services?

o   what is the amount of your deductible?

o   what is the amount of your maximum out of pocket (this is the maximum you have to pay in your insurance year)?

·         If you have an HRA or HAS 1) know how much it is and, 2) know the process to obtain your expenditures back.

Good luck!  

Sandi Greene, Office Administrator

To Be a Kid Again!

Five kids and I were sitting around the dinner table last night.  On almost a daily basis, we do our highs and lows of the day while at the dinner table, so Sydney suggested it to her friends.  After three “what’s that?”s and a brief explanation, we had five hands raised wanting to go first.  I woke up smiling today thinking of my favorite high that was shared.  Across the table from me, with big blue eyes, a fifth grader shared with us that her high of the day was when she found her favorite mechanical pencil. 

Appreciate what is special to your child, big or small! Take time today to see the world through a child’s eyes!

Michelle Yoder, OTR/L

The Sky is the Limit!

Children love to learn and have fun while they are learning, and as therapists, parents, and teachers it is our job to make it fun.  I was working on vertical lines with a child just this week, and I kept showing the child the stroke over and over again, and saying “line down,” but the child continued to scribble on the board.  I then began to make it a game, and said “zip down!” And, just like that, the child repeated after me, and said “zip down!” and drew a vertical line.  This little moment, reminded me how important it is to make learning fun and engaging for children.  With just a little more effort, we all have fun and learning takes place.  Not only does the child more quickly acquire the skill, but it will stick too! So, the next time you are frustrated with homework, teaching your child a new skill, or the day to day routine, just stop and ask yourself, “How can I make this more fun for both us?”

It may be…

·         Writing spelling words in shaving cream, finger paint or pudding

·         Singing a song while cleaning up the toys

·         Involving the whole family in the activity

·         Allowing the child to be the teacher (to younger siblings or his/her stuffed animals)

·         Acting out stories

·         Using whole body movements when learning math problems (hop forward for addition  or backwards for subtraction)

·         Going on nature walks to talk about science

The sky is the limit, and so is the learning!                 

Amy Bumgarner, MS, OTR/L

Eye Opener

Boy, being on crutches has really opened my eyes to the world of the children and the families I work with.  I was on crutches for 3 months in high school, but I was so much younger and carefree then, it didn’t matter if I fell on my crutches and I certainly didn’t have two children to take care of.  Simple things can be so difficult, and they take so much more time! It’s just amazing how difficult it is to walk through those big heavy doors and the revolving ones are really tricky!  My Mom has been a huge help within the walls of my house, but as I’m feeling better and getting out some, it has been a huge eye opener, both good and bad!

On one hand, I have those individuals who make a point to open the door for me or help me carry something.  In Trader Joe’s I picked up a box of pretzels, stabilized it between my crutch and made my way to the check out line.  The friendly cashier said, “You need something to dip them in.  Have you tried the mustard?”  After I told her I had seen it, but couldn’t carry it, she immediately went to the shelf and picked up a jar for me. 

I’ve also encountered some not so helpful people. But, the most appalling experience for me was when I went back to the doctor to get my stitches out.  I was two weeks post-op, so by this point I was feeling comfortable and quite good on my crutches. I drove myself to the appointment (it’s my left knee and for those of you who know me I like my independence), pulled into the very full parking garage and parked on the opposite side of the deck.  Since the elevator was on the opposite end, it was closer to use the stairs.  I hobbled down the stairs, pulled open the big heavy door and hurried through it so it wouldn’t hit me on my back side, swung my leg over a chain and proceeded into the office.  Pondering this situation, I looked around the waiting room to find most everyone either in a wheelchair or on crutches.  How did they all manage, I thought?  Perhaps they have a handicap sticker (which would have only helped part of the problem) or they were dropped off at the front door as many of them did have someone by their side. 

Being an OT, I shared my concerns with all of the other patients in mind.  Evidently, this premier Orthopedic office of the Carolinas (can I get any more specific?) is aware of this problem as they are currently sharing the parking garage with a nearby hospital.  The strange thing is that they don’t have a solution.  Why not offer valet for those individuals who can’t participate in the Crutches Olympics?!

As Ellen says, “Be Kind to One Another!” and open that door for someone today! (Yes, I've watched a lot of T.V.)

Michelle Yoder, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

S/P Knee Surgery and now on the other side of therapeutic intervention

Making Mountains out of Mole Hills with Picky Eaters

Having a child who is picky eater often means daily frustrations for moms and dads as they become overwhelmed with being a short-order cook, having their day revolve around what their child will eat and when, or struggling to have their child tolerate and eat “normal” foods.  It’s also hard to know whether your child’s pickiness is part of typical development, as toddlers often do display some finicky eating, or if there are some underlying sensory integration difficulties. For a child with sensory integration difficulties, there may also be other areas of sensitivity and aversions and it may be best to follow-up with your occupational therapist for additional insights and treatment ideas.

Below are some ideas of strategies to try at mealtime to assist your picky eater in increasing his interest and independence with feeding:

·        Allow your picky eater to explore with and play with his food.  Eating is a whole-body experience in which we need to first become comfortable with the sight, smell, and feel of foods.  By engaging in food play (painting with applesauce, washing plastic cars with pudding, having a tea party and feeding small farm animals), you are providing an experience that is “safer” to explore textures and providing the opportunity to taste new foods without the pressure that can arise at mealtime.  Getting messy is okay!

·        Encourage your child to get more involved with food preparation.  A child is more likely to try things he has helped make.

·        Introduce new and different foods with foods of interest and in a sequential non-threatening way! Using divided plates can be your friend and encourage your child to initially just tolerate the new food on his plate. After a few days, work on touching the food.  Once he is comfortable to touch it, I would ask him to bring it to his lips and pretend to kiss it. Once he is successful with that, you may work towards licking the food and eventually taking a small bite.  Keep in mind that research shows that children can take up to 15 times of trying a food before they swallow it and or truly determine if they like it or not.  Don’t give up the first few times!

·        Once you find a particularly successful food, try introducing similar foods. Some things to be aware of are the texture, color, temperature, and taste of foods.  Try slightly changing one of these items (i.e. moving from Goldfish crackers to cheddar bunnies; moving from chocolate pudding to chocolate and vanilla mixed pudding; trying  level II baby food to level II baby food with mashed cheerios).

·        Learn to love condiments! Dipping foods is a wonderful way to work on expanding on tastes as you can try such condiments as ketchup, salad dressing, mustard, barbecue sauce, gravy, spaghetti sauce,  whip cream, chocolate, cottage cheese, yogurt, creamy soups.  You can then work on introducing a variety of things to dip including crackers, fruits, vegetables, chicken nuggets, and fries.

·        Count on inconsistency. For young children, what they will eat and how much they are willing to eat may (and probably will!) vary daily.

·        Engage your child in oral motor play.  Whistles, bubbles, vibrating toothbrush, blow toys, chewy tubes, sucking through a straw…all of these provide opportunities for your child to engage in mouth play in order to build up his muscles (for chewing and swallowing) and to decrease the sensitivities he may have around his mouth.

·        Provide consistent praise and positive reinforcement.  If he played with it, smelled it, licked it, tasted it, chewed it and/or actually swallowed it…praise him for what he did!  Don’t punish what he didn’t do.

Finally, don’t forget the importance of setting a good example yourself!  Eat together as a family, eat in front of your child, and provide opportunities for him to try something on your plate if he would like.  Keep in mind that it may take your child a long time to feel comfortable with trying new or different foods and I say make mountains out of mole-hills when it comes to feeding!  Small successes are huge and both you and your child deserve to celebrate small break-throughs.  Continue to consult with your occupational therapist for additional mealtime strategies and/or a nutritionist if necessary.

Keira Gathers, MOT

Occupational Therapist