More Than A Toy

For a child to develop physically and emotionally, playing is of vital importance. After the first year during which the parents' main priority is learning motor functions like standing upright, social play based tasks become the main task in a child’s life.

At this foundational stage, kids learn through play and as such, most therapy approaches use play as a medium of impact.

Toys are tools we use in Therapy to facilitate therapeutic play.When children create a make-believe world through play; for example, using toys to build a tower of blocks or race a friend to the top of a hill, they acquire the social and intellectual abilities needed to be successful in school even up to adulthood.  Nearly all meaningful play includes toys.

 A single, engaging toy can transform a child’s play from simple to academic, from repetitive to inventive, from solitary to social. Toys can be activated by switches, voice, proximity, touch, mounts and splitting.

 

There are many do-it-yourself adaptations that can be made by therapists or parents.
Creativity is needed by adults and children alike.

Toys for gross motor development includes, trampoline, bicycle, scooter boards, matching band/drum set kits, exercise balls which are great popular toys to get those arms and legs moving in a fun way as their body grow stronger.

This promotes balance and, ideal for kids with special needs and group social play activities.

Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the body that enable such functions as writing, grasping small objects, and fastening clothing. It develops as the neurological system matures.

The level of development of fine motor control in children is used to determine the developmental age of the child.

Fine motor control requires awareness and planning to complete a task. It also requires muscle strength, coordination and normal sensation.

Tasks such as stacking blocks, cutting out shapes with scissors, drawing lines or circles, tearing paper, buttoning a button, and holding and writing with a pencil can occur only if the nervous system matures properly.

Your child’s fine motor development is a very important part of their physical skill set. He/she needs to learn to use their hands competently in order to manipulate toys and to acquire self-help skills such as feeding and dressing.

Play is a child's "work" and it is a very important part of their physical development. Babies and young children need to have ample opportunity to play. By the age of 6 years, a child's fine motor skills have developed sufficiently enough to complete writing, dressing, and feeding tasks adequately for the average child.

They will have enough bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination, and dexterity to complete cutting and writing tasks. Children will continue to develop and improve these skills, but the groundwork needs to be developed and established within the first six years.

This is why a child will need toys, games, and activities to perform and improve these skills during his early childhood. Fine motor skills are important in most school activities as well as in life in general.

Weaknesses in fine motor skills can affect a child's ability to eat, write legibly, use a computer, turn pages in a book, even to perform personal care tasks such as dressing and grooming.

Toys for improving fine motor include, crayons, lego bricks, beading and lacing sets, markers, plastacine sets, all pretend play sets (barbershop, make up set, playing Doc set, Kitchen, work tool bench) are great fine motor activities.

For more you could visit the Sensory care Therapy Shop.
The sensory care therapy shop


Image courtesy:  pinstopin.com, forthemommas.com, parentinghub.co.za, zmescience.com, picsant.com, alibaba.com, dailymail.co.uk, wonderbaby.org, reallookautism.com, sensationalkidsot.com.au, citytheorist.com, kidbility.com, themommytalks.com, cliparthut.com, tsxmsc.com, offset.com, creativegardenschools.com, learning-difficulties.blogspot.com, thespiritscience.net, popsugar.com. b57d13e35bad3848709750de2b297a349f54c3dcaf31c14044

Choosing a school for your special child

Impressive right? well, as we say in Nigeria, "No be by dat wan abeg..." There are a lot of things to consider when picking a school for your child.

In Nigeria, children with special needs can be enrolled in a main stream class with additional supports, in a support class in the school, in a special school or center affiliates. Parents need to explore each option and decide on what they feel is most appropriate.

Guide and Checklist for Choosing a School.

As more and more people are agitating for inclusive education for special needs kids. It is imperative for parents to look for mainstream schools with good special education programs.

There are a lot of schools that seem to be offering these services but are they effective?

A parent lamented on the fact that her son has really regressed after a term in a mainstream school in Nigeria. A therapist complained about the way the teachers and cleaning staff ignored the child and expected her to see to the child’s needs. The child, a 3 year old with budding cognitive abilities who just started gaining speech was placed in the toddlers unit. It was with reluctance, after several meetings that she was then moved to a higher class.

Parents should consider the following tips and checklists in choosing a school for their kids.
Plan as early as possible in developing checklists of what you expect of a school for your child.
Visit websites of schools and ask parents with Special needs their opinion on schools.
Visit each school’s open day and talk to the principal of the school.

 School Culture and Inclusion
• Does the school culture fit with your child?
• Did the principal and staff seem genuinely supportive?
• Does the school philosophy specifically acknowledge different abilities and learning styles?
• Do you feel that the school staff will understand your child’s needs?
• Are there signs of inclusion?
• What programs are in place to effectively deal with bullying
• How many children with disabilities (or receiving additional funding) does the school currently
• Is the parent community supportive and involved?

 Class Size and Teaching strategies
 Are your child’s capabilities, strengths and challenges understood?

• Is there one staff member who has overall responsibility for the children with special needs        (e.g. Learning Support Teacher) and do they allow for parents to hire a shadow special education therapist to be with the child?

• Does the school have access to therapists (e.g. occupational therapist, speech therapist etc)?
• Do staff members undertake professional development in disability?
• What is the student to teacher ratio for all classes?


Is there a quiet place for one on one therapy follow-up session with his personal therapist or to calm the child down if he/she experiences sensory overload or melt downs?

Is there a general consensus by the parents and the child’s educational team to use the IEP
  [an individualized plan] for the child?

Do you think the IEP addresses the child’s challenges and will bring a positive outcome?
Are there Therapy materials in carrying out the IEP of the child?

What type of Assessment is being done?
Is it too structured or is it flexible enough to take into cognizance, the child’s challenges and progress attained?

Additional Services

Does the school have an introductory program to assist children transitioning into the school or an organized transition program for children moving from primary to secondary?
• How structured (prescriptive or open-ended) is the curriculum? Is there enough flexibility? How does the school support those students needing additional support in transport etc?
• What does the curriculum offer beyond the statutory subjects? Co-curricular activities?

• Does the school offer clubs, interest groups, etc?
• Do all students have access to specialist facilities (e.g. library, art rooms, science and technology laboratories, etc)?

 


What are the strategies in narrowing it down to the child so that learning takes place?

Social Skills and Inclusion.
Are the school grounds safe and secure?
What other signs of inclusion do you see?
Are there structured activities at lunch time and break time to encourage social skills and inclusion?

.........No comment.........

Image courtesy: logbaby.com, techloy.com, www.adeadegbiteschools.com, www.nairaland.com, meadowhallschool.org, www.coface-eu.org, helenogradydramaacademy-lagosislands.blogspot.com, www.stlouissisters.org, e4pr.blogspot.com, www.vanguardngr.com, woodlandschoolsng.com, www.thethresholdschools.com, www.loyolajesuit.org, www.ondostate.gov.ng

Teen Carries Brother With Cerebral Palsy.

A terrific story of Family support, power of love and sibling bond

Posted on May 14, 2014

Image courtesy of Google Images and The Huffington Post

Braden Gandee is a 7 year old boy who has trouble walking on his own, but his older brother is there 

 to carry him --- and to fight for his future. Hunter Gandee who is 14 years old, actually carries his 

younger brother Braden who has cerebral palsy. Braden usually walks with the assistance of a walker. If you are not familiar with cerebral palsy, it is a neurological disorder that affects body movements and muscle coordination.
In their hometown, Hunter took it upon himself to educate the people about Braden's condition. On June 7th and 8th, he will carry his brother 40 miles to demonstrate "the physical and mental challenges faced everyday by those affected by cerebral palsy" reported The Huffington Post.

The walk will be difficult, but Hunter and Braden will have their parents drive along the route with them for support. Hunter, who is a wrestler for his high school is fairly strong and has had plenty of practice over the years carrying his brother. "I wrestle, I know what it is to work hard, but it's nowhere near how hard he has to work everyday" Hunter told The Huffington Post about his brother.

Hunter is not just doing the walk for his brother, but to help raise money for the Cerebral Palsy Research Fund. By doing this, Hunter hopes to improve the quality of life for everyone with cerebral palsy.

 Nigerian Parents with special needs kids should know that nurturing and taking care of the marriage is very important. A broken family would hurt a special needs child even further. All family members should pitch in to help give the parents some time to spend alone even if it is only a few hours for a special dinner,outings from time to time.

 Moreover, a typical healthy sibling needs a lot of support as well in the family of a special needs child. I often refer to these kids as “silent victims”, needing a lots of reassurance. Parents need to make sure that each have some alone time with the typical sibling, to discuss issues, watch a movie or just play a game with them so they know they are important too and so they don’t resent their sibling and offer support to him.

Culled from abcnews.go.com

God only gives Special Kids to Special families.

Autism.

What Is Autism?

Autism is a complex neurobehavioral disorder that includes impairments in social interaction and developmental language and communication skills and rigid, repetitive behaviors. The disorder covers a large spectrum of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment. It ranges in severity from a handicap that limits an otherwise normal life to a devastating disability that may require institutional care. Some of the different types of autism spectrum disorders include:

• Autistic disorder. This is what most people think of when they hear the word "autism." It refers to problems with social interactions, communication, and imaginative play in children younger than 3 years.
• Asperger's syndrome. These children don't have a problem with language -- in fact, they tend to score in the average or above-average range on intelligence tests. But they have the same social problems and limited scope of interests as children with autistic disorder.
• Pervasive developmental disorder or PDD -- also known as atypical autism. This is a kind of catch-all category for children who have some autistic behaviors but who don't fit into other categories.
• Rett syndrome. Known to occur mainly in girls, children with Rett syndrome start developing normally but begin to lose their communication and social skills. Beginning at the age of 1 to 4 years, repetitive hand movements replace purposeful use of the hands.
• Childhood disintegrative disorder: These children develop normally for at least two years and then lose some or most of their communication and social skills. This is an extremely rare disorder and its existence as a separate condition is a matter of debate among many mental health professionals.

What are some of the symptoms of ASD?

There is no single symptom that would lead to a diagnosis of autism. But someone who shows a number of the following characteristics and behaviours would likely be diagnosed with an ASD:

Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development — social interaction, language and behavior. But because autism symptoms and severity vary greatly, two children with the same diagnosis may act quite differently and have strikingly different skills. In most cases, though, children with severe autism have marked impairments or a complete inability to communicate or interact with other people.

Some children show signs of autism in early infancy. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life, but then suddenly become withdrawn or aggressive or lose language skills they've already acquired.

Though each child with autism is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior, these are some common autism symptoms:

Social skills

 Fails to respond to his or her name

 Has poor eye contact

    Appears not to hear you at times

    Resists cuddling and holding

    Appears unaware of others' feelings                        

    Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her own world

    Doesn't ask for help or request things              

Language

Doesn't speak or has delayed speech

Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences

Doesn't make eye contact when making requests

Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech

Can't start a conversation or keep one going

May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them

Doesn't appear to understand simple questions or directions

Behavior

Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping

    Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change

    Moves constantly or extremely passive

    May be fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, but doesn't understand the "big picture" of the subject

    May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch, and yet oblivious to pain

    Does not engage in imitative or make-believe play

    May have odd food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or craving items that are not food, such as chalk or dirt

    May perform activities that could cause self-harm, such as headbanging

Young children with autism also have a hard time sharing experiences with others. When read to, for example, they're unlikely to point at pictures in the book. This early-developing social skill is crucial to later language and social development.

As they mature, some children with autism become more engaged with others and show fewer disturbances in behavior. Some, usually those with the least severe problems, eventually may lead normal or near-normal lives. Others, however, continue to have difficulty with language or social skills, and the teen years can bring worse behavioral problems.

Most children with autism are slow to gain new knowledge or skills, and some have signs of lower than normal intelligence. Other children with autism have normal to high intelligence. These children learn quickly, yet have trouble communicating, applying what they know in everyday life and adjusting in social situations. A small number of children with autism are savants — they have exceptional skills in a specific area, such as art, math or music

When to see a doctor/Healthcare Practitioner (medical Therapists).

Babies develop at their own pace, and many don't follow exact timelines found in some parenting books. But children with autism usually show some signs of delayed development within the first year. If you suspect that your child may have autism, discuss your concerns with your doctor. The symptoms associated with autism can also be associated with other developmental disorders.The earlier that treatment begins, the more effective it will be.

Your doctor may recommend more developmental tests if your child:

 Doesn't respond with a smile or happy expression by 6 months

    Doesn't mimic sounds or facial expressions by 9 months

    Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months

    Doesn't gesture — such as point or wave — by 12 months

    Doesn't say single words by 16 months

    Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months

    Loses previously acquired language or social skills at any age

          How is ASD diagnosed?

There is no single test that will confirm that someone has an ASD. A diagnosis is based on the number and pattern of typical characteristics and on the observation of specific behaviours and disabilities.

Someone with a mild case could go undiagnosed for years, and it might only be detected when the person goes through a crisis that brings contact with professionals who are able to recognize the disorder.

What causes ASD?

Nobody's certain. It's generally accepted that autism is a neurological disorder. Research is focusing on genetics, differences in brain function, environmental factors, viral infections and immune responses and deficiencies and still ongoing.

How is autism treated?

There are different treatment options for Autism.It may include combining one or more treatment approaches.Some of the treatment approaches includes

Dieting:Depends on child.But from experience and parents testimonies,most hyperactive kids really benefit from being placed on Casein and gluten free diet.

Sensory Integration-which tends to treat the root cause of Sensory Processing Disorder,the main foundational effect of Autism of which other symptoms results from. This important treatment approach will later be expantiated on later.

Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI), Sonrise programs are designed to actively engage children with communication, socialization, learning and behavioural problems.

I shall be taking treatment approaches one by one on this blog.

I really would love for parents to network on this blog, share ideas and opinions concerning therapies, therapists, diet recipes and other issues concerning kids with special needs.

Your feedback would be really appreciated.

To read more: Autismspeaks.org,  ont-autism.uoguelph.ca, nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/autism

Images courtesy of  askepupdate.blogspot.com, childswork.com, effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov,  autism.am,  specialeducationadvisor.com, bbc.co.uk