Blog - PediaStaff

OT Activity of the Week: Simple Origami Tulips Springtime Fine Motor/Following Directions Craftivity

April 10, 2013

12 April 2013, Fine Motor Skills, Following Directions, Newsletter, OT

[Source: Make and Takes.com] by Amy Anderson Every spring, I love seeing tulips pop up in my yard. It seems like I always forget about them – such a colorful surprise! We made a little ode-to-tulips art project with some super-simple origami…...

April 9, 2013

12 April 2013, Cerebral Palsy, News of the Week, Newsletter

[Source: Your Gazette-Virginian via Special Ed Post] by Tiffany Hudson With a contagious laugh and a personality that can light up any room, 4-year-old Oliver Webber continuously adjusts to his ever-changing life. And in more ways than one, he is his mother’s…...

App Review of the Week: Dexteria Jr.

April 9, 2013

12 April 2013, Fine Motor Skills, Handwriting, Newsletter, OT

[Source: Mama OT] by Christie Kiley Hot off the press! The same company who created the go-to fine motor app, Dexteria, is releasing a new app today that is designed for younger kids and tinier hands: Dexteria Jr.’ Dexteria Jr. was created…...

April 9, 2013

[Source: Science Daily.com] Exposure of the developing fetus to excessive levels of stress hormones in the womb can cause mood disorders in later life and now, for the first time, researchers have found a mechanism that may underpin this process, according to…...

April 9, 2013

12 April 2013, Newsletter, School Psych

[Source: Medical News Today] Pet therapy can help patients cope with the pain, stress, and emotional effects of a serious illness, but access to a companion animal is not always possible. Robotic animals may offer the same benefits, as explored in a…...

Worth Repeating: Toddler Talking Points

April 8, 2013

12 April 2013, Article, Language, Newsletter, SLP

[Source: ASHAsphere] by Sherry Artemenko Toddlers are some of my favorite people—they explore with abandon, imitate pirates and fairies, refuse with gusto, stack, dump and search, communicate with persistence, and give enthusiastic hugs with sloppy kisses. So why would we get in…...

Children With Autism Leave 'Silly' Out

April 8, 2013

12 April 2013, Autism, Newsletter

[Source: Science Daily.com] When a child with autism copies the actions of an adult, he or she is likely to omit anything “silly” about what they’ve just seen. In contrast, typically developing children will go out of their way to repeat each…...

April 8, 2013

12 April 2013, Language, Newsletter

[Source: Science Daily] The vocal lip-smacks that geladas use in friendly encounters have surprising similarities to human speech, according to a study reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on April 8th. The geladas, which live only in the remote mountains…...

April 8, 2013

12 April 2013, Game Review, Newsletter

Editor’s Note: This article continues PediaStaff’s review series on several Blue Orange Games for therapy. by Anne Zachry, PhD., OTR/L Pixy Cubes is a great game for children ages 6 and up that addresses a variety of skills. It includes 16 colorful…...

April 4, 2013

Developmental Neurorehabilitation published research on the long term effects of physical therapy on children with cerebral palsy. A retrospective review was performed on 56 children with cerebral palsy (GMFCS levels I-V) who were treated with physical therapy from 2008-2011. Their motor function…...