Blog - PediaStaff

OT Corner: 30 Christmas Sensory Stocking Stuffers / Hanukkah Gifts for Special Needs Kids

December 2, 2014

5 December 2014, OT, SPD, Tip or Resource

[Source: The Sensory Spectrum] In my parent Facebook Group, Voices of SPD, several parents were asking for recommendations for Christmas stocking stuffers. The problem is, there are hundreds of great sensory stocking stuffers out there! But I know how tough it can be to whittle down the list…...

December 1, 2014

[Source: Love that Max] This year’s selection of gifts and toys for kids with special needs is based on recommendations from therapists. The toys, crafts and games encourage fine-motor and gross-motor skills, communication, coordination and brain power. But above all, they encourage…...

December 1, 2014

Fine Motor Skills, Newsletter, OT, Tip or Resource

Editor’s Note: Thank you to our dear friend (and former PediaStaff contractor!) Gretchen Rau for recommending this activity idea! This would be cute in festive colors for the holidays, too! [Source: Happy Hooligans] Make a simple button snake to help your child strengthen his…...

More Preschool Could Benefit Young Kids

December 1, 2014

5 December 2014, Early Intervention, News of the Week, Newsletter, OT, SLP

[Source: Time] New research suggests that young kids could benefit from more time around their peers in a classroom setting. A new study released Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children are better prepared for learning and social interaction in full-time…...

December 1, 2014

5 December 2014, News of the Week, Newsletter, SLP

[Source: Medical News Today] Brain scans of Harry Potter readers yield computational model of reading Some people say that reading “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” taught them the importance of friends, or that easy decisions are seldom right. Carnegie Mellon University…...

November 28, 2014

29 July 2016, Article, Bilingualism, Newsletter, Q&A, SLP

Responses from the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association’s Task Force on Cultural and Linguistic Diversity By: Ellen Kester, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Alejandro Brice, PhD, CCC-SLP and the CLD Task Force of the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association. I have a few questions regarding language proficiency…...

November 20, 2014

21 November 2014, News, Newsletter, School Psych

[Source: Science Daily.com] Researchers at the Cognition and Brain Plasticity group of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the University of Barcelona have been tracking the traces of implicit and explicit memories of fear in human. The study has been published…...

November 20, 2014

21 November 2014, News of the Week, OT, SLP

[Source: Medical News Today] Given the rise in childhood obesity and known cultural shifts away from cooking, a review of cooking programs targeting elementary school children was conducted to understand program design and outcomes and to inform research gaps. This review assesses the evidence…...

November 20, 2014

21 November 2014, Autism, Newsletter, SLP

[Source: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry via Special Ed Post] by Mandy Oaklander Parents can learn how to give effective therapy to their children with autism, a new study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry finds. Researchers at Stanford University looked at a type…...

November 19, 2014

21 Novemeber 2014, News, Newsletter, School Psych, SLP

[Source: Psych Central] New research may lead to a smartphone app that analyzes your speech to monitor your mental health. It’s based on research from the University of Maryland that shows that certain vocal features change as feelings of depression worsen. Researchers envision the…...