Back to School Series: BACKPACK AWARENESS

Summer is coming to a close and the kids are going back to school. This means a lot of things: a new routine, homework, and back packs. As a first part of our ‘Back to School Series’ we would like to help you strap up your kiddos back packs each day in the safest way possible. What we don’t like about going back to school? Heavy back packs. Here are some simple tips from the American Occupational Therapy Association to keep your kids safe and wearing back packs correctly.

• A child’s backpack should not weigh more than 10% of his or her weight. For example, a child who weighs 100 pounds should not carry a back pack heavier than 10 pounds.
• Load the heaviest items closest to the child’s back.
• Encourage your children to only bring home what is necessary for that day’s homework.
• If your child’s back pack is consistently too heavy, consider a back pack with wheels if your child’s school allows.
• Arrange items in the back pack so they do not slide around.



Do NOT wear on the arms



Do NOT let the back pack sag low






DO have your child wear his/her back pack like this!



DO Secure straps high enough so it does no hang low.

How to wear a back pack correctly…

• Wear both straps evenly on both shoulders.
• Ensure that both straps are well padded.
• Secure the straps to make sure the back pack does not hang on the lower back. This can cause increased strain on the back. The back pack should rest on the curve of the lower back, no more than 4 inches below your child’s waistline.
• Choose a back pack that is not too big for your child.

(American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2014)

Refer to the American Occupational Therapy Association website for further information! www.aota.org

Stay tuned for more on our ‘Back to School Series’! Next: ‘Back to School: Reestablishing Routine’

The 4th of July: Overcoming sensory challenges

The 4^th of July is upon us…which means fireworks and celebrations. To a lot of us this means managing loud noises, crowds of people, different foods, and different environments. Basically, this holiday presents itself with many sensory challenges for children with special needs. Here are a few tips and tricks as well as fun crafty ideas to make the most of this loud, colorful, and sensory-loaded holiday.

1. Talk about it! Discuss fireworks and what to expect for the entire weekend. 
2. Allow your child to bring a comfort item.
3. Bring headphones! This can help to deafen the sounds. OR watch from indoors or from the car. 
4. Limit foods that your child may not normally eat. 

GET CRAFTY!

Be festive and get crafty. Try one of these fun ideas that also address fine motor skills and sensory play!

• Finger painting: red, white, and blue (of course)!
• Rip up tissue paper and crumple to form a flag. 
• Sidewalk chalk! Have the kids decorate the driveway or sidewalk. 
• Bead festive necklaces or bracelets. Follow a pattern to make it more challenging. 
• Beat the heat and get out the water! 
• Make your own fireworks and with paint, glitter, crayons, and glue!

India: Behind the scenes with Beth

 From Beth's perspective: 

"As a volunteer field educator for The SPOON Foundation, I went to India to teach orphanage caregivers the most optimal feeding practices to use with special needs children.. I was in two cities Pune and Bangalore. I conducted 2-3 day seminars with practicums at 4 sites. In general the information was received well and the lead caregivers were extremely optimistic about training those in the “trenches” on the new techniques and philosophy. The most challenging feature of the project was undoing the feeding practices that had been used for years. Typically special needs children are feed on the floor in a supine position, with the caregiver positioned behind the child’s head. The spoon that is generally used is larger than a tablespoon, and the consistency of the food is pureed. This feeding technique has resulted in  decreased intake, choking, aspiration, frequent pneumonia and even death in children living without permanent homes. The rate of malnutrition of children in institutions in India is also very high. The caregivers who feed these children are typically very well intended, however, due to the number of children and the schedule of meals, they are very rushed and mechanical in the task. It is common for one caregiver to be responsible for feeding up to 5-8 children within the one designated meal hour. The resources including input from trained therapists or the availability  of appropriate adaptive equipment and seating is very limited. Subsequently children are fed in a very unsafe, unengaged manner. Observing these feeding practices was heartbreaking and truly very hard to observe. I gently guided the caregivers to adjust their positions, utilize what little seating they have and engage in responsive feeding practices.  Besides getting the proper nutrition, meal times are typically happy interactive times with family, friends or coworkers. I thoroughly enjoy a long protracted meal at the table with my family, connecting and catching up with one another. These children never have this type of experience. How incredibly sad."

                                                                      -- Beth Williamson, Clinical Director

Beth hopes to return to India by the end of the year. Stay tuned for more updates and adventures as they come.

Beat the Heat with Water!

Summer is officially here. The temperature is high and the sun is always up.

Here are a few good ways to get the kids outside while staying cool.





 
Water is fun!

Bring out the spray bottle, eye droppers, turkey baster, and squirt guns!

Set up a car wash with toy cars, or the real thing.

Draw all over the pavement with chalk, then wash it off with one of your favorite water toys.

Freeze washable paint and water together in ice cube trays to create ice cube paint. Use it to draw on paper or the pavement.
 
Find or make a water table for buckets of splashing fun!

All of these activities incorporate fine motor strengthening and coordination, and visual motor integration components. 

Play alone or bring a friend, these fun activities can encourage cooperative social play skills. 


ALWAYS remember to stay safe with....

• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Hat to cover the head and face
• Lots and lots of water for hydration

Beth goes to India!

We are proud to announce that our very own Clinical Director and occupational therapist, Beth Williamson, has officially embarked on her journey to India to assist the SPOON Foundation. If you recall, one of our speech language pathologists and co-founders of SPOON Foundation, Michelle Rudzinski, shared a blog (http://fiestapediatrictherapy.blogspot.com/2014/03/fiesta-shares-feeding-knowledge-overseas.html) about the purpose of SPOON in collaboration with Fiesta overseas.

 So far, Beth has been hard at work presenting lectures to caregivers in orphanages on nutrition, feeding, and positioning. The focus of her time in India is to provide training, equipment, care, and advocacy for children in the orphanages who have special needs.

She has just completed a week in Pune, India and will be moving on to an orphanage in Bangalore, India today. Stay tuned for more pictures and stories about Beth's time in India.

Better Speech and Hearing Month!

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) work everyday to help improve the lives of individuals with disabilities through better communication. Every May we take an extra moment from our busy days to help educate the public about better speech and hearing. Here is some information from The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) about recognizing the early warning signs of speech and language disorders in children and adults.

Identify the Signs of Communication Disorders During
Better Hearing and Speech Month

8%–9% of Children Suffer From Speech Disorders,
Many Parents Wait Too Long to Seek Treatment

(Phoenix, AZ) May 1, 2014—With 8%–9% of young children suffering from speech disorders, May’s Better Hearing and Speech Month is the perfect time for parents to learn how to recognize the early signs of these disorders. (Phoenix)-based speech-language pathologists from Fiesta Pediatric Therapy, Inc. are encouraging parents to educate themselves through the Identify the Signs campaign, a national effort of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The campaign is designed to combat an overall lack of awareness about communication disorders—a major barrier to treatment for the more than 40 million total Americans who suffer.

Speech, language, and hearing disorders are among the most common disabilities in the United States. However, unlike many other disabilities, these disorders often are reversible and even preventable with early intervention. Unfortunately, many parents do not recognize the first signs of these disorders. In young children, early treatment can help prevent them from falling behind academically, socially, and in other key areas at a critical time in their development.

“As an ASHA member and certified speech-language pathologist, I see the benefits of early intervention every day. Unfortunately, I also see the consequences of parents’ and others’ waiting too long to seek treatment—which is why the Identify the Signs campaign is so important,” said (Fiesta Pediatric Therapy, Inc. therapists).

“While it is certainly never too late to seek help, treatment is most successful, less expensive, and takes the shortest amount of time when a parent or loved one is able to pick up on the earliest signs of these disorders. As May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, I suggest all parents familiarize themselves with these signs at IdentifytheSigns.org and seek an assessment from a certified speech-language pathologist if they have any questions. One should not assume a child will ‘outgrow’ speech or language difficulties. There is never harm in seeking an assessment, whether it results in putting a parent’s mind at ease or identifying a potential issue in a child that can be treated.”

In children, parents should watch for the following signs of speech and language disorders:

• Does not interact socially (infancy and older)
• Does not follow or understand what you say (starting at 1 year)
• Says only a few sounds or words or makes only a few gestures (18 months to 2 years)
• Says words that are not easily understood (18 months to 2 years)
• Does not combine words (starting at 2 years)
• Struggles to say sounds or words (3 to 4 years)

In adults, signs of speech and language disorders include:

• Struggles to say sounds or words (stuttering)
• Repeats words or parts of words (stuttering)
• Says words in the wrong order (expressive aphasia)
• Struggles with using words and understanding others (global aphasia)
• Has difficulty imitating speech sounds (apraxia)
• Speaks at a slow rate (apraxia)
• Produces slurred speech (dysarthria)

If you are concerned about your child’s speech development, please speak with your pediatrician for a referral to a speech pathologist.

For more information regarding typical language development and other communication topics, please visit ASHA’s website at www.asha.org.

Welcome Home, Basket!

 Welcome Home, Basket!

He’s here! Sixty-five days later, Basket has officially completed his therapy dog training and is back  and working at Fiesta!

What he learned

Basket has been trained to participate in therapy with all kids and can respond to a variety of commands including:

• ‘Place’: to stay and lay where he is

• 

  ‘Heel’: to walk to the left of the person giving commands

• ‘Treadmill’: walk on the treadmill

• ‘Ok’: release him from any prior command

• ‘Say ‘hi’’: say hi to friend or sit to be pet

• ‘Up, Up’: jump up onto surface

• ‘Here’: come to person giving commands

 


What he does now

This working dog can be found working out with friends on the treadmill and maneuvering through obstacle courses. Basket participates in and helps therapists with therapy sessions.

 

Next time you’re at Fiesta, look for Basket and his therapy dog vest!