Occupational Therapists at Lionsgate spend the majority of their time in individual and small group therapy sessions addressing the sensory and handwriting needs of our students. Occupational therapists also provide push-in occupational therapy services in the general education setting to address in-class sensory regulation needs, providing students with strategies to remain alert and engaged in classroom activities and instruction.
Here are some examples of goal areas that are individualized to the needs of each student:
- Sensory Awareness and Regulation
- Sensory integration therapy
- Creating Sensory Diets for individual students
- In class sensory regulation break strategies
- Handwriting/Fine Motor
- Hand strength
- Letter formation
- Overall handwriting improvement
- Assistive Technology
- Use of Alpha Smart
- Low tech handwriting aids such as weighted pencils, pencil grips, and slant boards
- Classroom Sensory Accommodations: tactile and cognitive fidgets, ball chairs, theraband, weighted lap blankets, etc.
Occupational Therapy Updates
- Sensory Activity Ideas for Summer Vacation (0) - June 2, 2011 - Shane RumseySchedule
- Avoid being in a rush
- Post or stick with a daily schedule to minimize meltdowns
- Minimize screen time (TV, video games, computers)
- Allow for a variety of movement activities in your schedule
- Provide choices whenever possible
Activities- Backyard trampoline with safety enclosures
- Large therapy ball: laying on stomach to play a card/board game on the floor or to do a puzzle on the floor
- Join gymnastics, karate, swimming or horseback riding
- Spend time outside going for hikes, bike riding, jump roping, etc.
- Provide heavy work chores when the student is escalating
- Handwriting Tip of the Week (0) - June 1, 2011 - admin
Do you have students who write too big or have troubles leaving space in between words? Try using graph paper for students instead of lined paper for assignments. Depending on the student’s ability level, he or she can print two letters in each square and leave one square open in between each word. I have found this to be very successful for students who need visual guidelines for their writing.
- Jigsaw Puzzles (0) - May 18, 2011 - Shane Rumsey
Jigsaw Puzzles are a great activity to increase your students’ visual perceptual, spatial, and fine motor skills. In turn, puzzle activities also help students improve their ability to copy notes off the board. Have an enrichment day in class where students work on putting puzzles together-individually or in groups!
