Family Matters Newsletter by Pediatric Therapies.
Family Matters Taking care of the ones who matter most.
Benefits Of Arts | Haircuts | Busy Bag Activities | National PT Month
BENEFITS OF ARTS TO KIDS
Children naturally love art – painting, drawing, making music, the theater. Unfortunately, when schools cut back on budgets, the arts are usually the first to go. It seems that schools do not appreciate the importance of art in building a kid’s brain. Physiologically, the human brain consists of 2 parts, the left and the right hemisphere. The left brain is used in logical thinking and analytical processes. This is typically what is trained in school work that consists of math, reading and science. The right brain is used in emotional perception, intuition and creativity. It is the right brain that is mainly used when a person is involved in creative endeavors such asmaking art. It is this part of the brain that typical school environment neglects to train. It is shown that when gifted kids solve problems in their areas of giftedness, there is an increased electrical activity in both hemispheres. It appears that for the brain to be efficient, the two hemispheres of the brainsmust work together. By stimulating and exercising the right hemisphere of the brain, the arts strengthen the connection between the hemispheres. Kids should be exposed to the arts
as their cognitive skills mature so that their right brain will be as developed as the left, and both hemispheres work in tandem, thus achieving the full potential of the mind.
Aside from the physiological effects, the NewYork Center for Arts Education also lists other benefits of exposing children to art: • Your kid learns to think creatively, with an open mind • Your kid learns to observe and describe, analyze and interpret • Your kid learns to express feelings, with or without words • Your kid practices problem-solving skills, critical-thinking skills, dance, music, theater and art-making skills, language and vocabulary of the arts • Your kid discovers that there is more than one right answer, multiple points of view • School can be fun – playing can be learning • Your kid learns to collaborate with other children andwith adults
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BENEFITS OF ARTS TO KIDS Continued • Celebrate your child’s artwork – hang their drawings on the wall or save it in a folder. That way, your child feels that her creation is important. • Read books – Ask the librarian at your school or public library to suggest books about artists and the arts. • Arts introduce children to cultures from around the world • Your kid can blossom and excel in the arts. Even with physical, emotional or learning challenges, can experience success in the arts.
• Arts build confidence. Because there is not just one right way tomake art, every child can feel pride in his or her original artistic creations. • Arts build community. Schools with a variety of differences can celebrate the arts as one community. According toKimberly Sheridan, Ed.D., coauthor of Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education, “It’s not as easy to test the skills that children learn from the arts, but that doesn’t make themany less important”. She noted though that participating in a school arts program increases a child’s ability to: • Observe the world carefully and discard preconceptions in order to envision something and then create it • Go beyond just learning a skill to express a personal voice • Problem-solve and persist despite frustration and setbacks • Reflect on the results and ask what could improve them Researchers from the Michigan State University have found a very strong correlation between childhood engagement in the creative arts and measurable success later in life. Children who were exposed to a wide variety of arts and crafts were more likely to create unique inventions that is worthy of patents, come up with ideas good enough to start a new company, or publish provocative papers on science and technology. The researchers suggest that children exposed to arts and crafts are able to think “out of the box” since a lot of working with hands involve figuring out how to solve problems creatively. After studying many scientists Co-authors Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein reached this conclusion: “The most eminent and innovative among them are significantly more likely to engage in arts and crafts avocations” than the average Joe. Arts education and appreciationwere also found to have benefits on young people’s brains. In a study by researchers fromUniversity of Kansas, students who were selected to visit amuseumshows stronger critical thinking skills, displayed higher levels of social tolerance, exhibited greater historical empathy and developed a taste for art museums and cultural institutions. Also, exposure to arts and the humanities is one important way to foster creativity in children. The following are tips to make the arts a part of your kid’s development: • Always make arts and crafts supply available and accessible to your kid – paper, pencil, crayons, etc.
• Notice the arts all around you – take your family tomuseums, concerts, or theater. Notice the art even in the parks, subways, and open spaces. Start a conversation about what you see. • Enjoy the arts at home – share your artistic skills and interests with your kid. Find out what your kids love about the art. If your kid shows great interest, enroll her in arts class.
Written by: Raise Smart Kids
Success Stories "Caroline worked with Colleen on her receptive and expressive processing. When we were worried about her friendship skills, Colleen did an excellent job introducing Caroline to Superflex. We have seen a noticeable difference in her recall and processing. We are so grateful for the love, patience, and strategies Colleen has taught Caroline!" -K.B. "Our time here has been so great! Not only have they been teaching my son how to be comfortable with new textures and foods, Brittany has given me so many tools to continue working with him at home. Between the informative hand outs and Brittany’s tips, tricks, and suggestions, Cohen has come so far with his aversion to textures. Working in sensory play in our day to day activities has helped him so much even just being comfortable with new non-preferred foods at meal time. Thank you so much, Ms. Brittany!" -L.P.
Meet Our NEW Occupational Therapist! Cindy Blackwell, OTD, OTR/L earned her doctorate in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she later practice and in early intervention, serving children from birth to age 21. Before moving to the South, Cindy worked for 3 years at an autism therapeutic school in Chicago. Her passion is working with children on the autism spectrum and children who have sensory processing and self-regulation issues. Cindy lives in Nashville with her husband and enjoys traveling, being outdoors, and watching football and hockey. taught as adjunct faculty. Cindy has worked primarily in school-based
Superstar Award Our Superstar Award this month goes to Lindsay
"Lindsay is making nice steady progress in speech and language therapy. She is using her iPad to request the toys and activities she wants as well as making choices between "more" and "all done." She also has begun to imitate the sign for "more" to request recurrence as well as vocalizing several consonant sounds. Lindsay has a wonderful support system from her family and her attendance in therapy is amazing!"
CONTACT US TODAY FOR A FREE PEDIATRIC CONSULTATION TO FURTHER ASSESS YOUR CHILD'S NEEDS (615) 377-1623 | info@pediatrictherapies.com
Do You Notice Your Child Struggling With... • Speech or language delays? • Gross or fine motor or other physical challenges? • Social skills, play and interaction? • Sensory or self regulation challenges? • Self care difficulties such as feeding or dressing?
Activities
COLOR MATCHING FINE MOTOR TURKEY
• Acrylic Paint • Cardboard or Cereal Box • Scissors • Glue • Googly Eyes
What you’ll need: • Construction Paper • Clothespins ( If you have colored ones you will not need to paint them)
What to do: 1. If you have colored clothespins on hand then you can use those. If you have regular clothespins, paint them to match the colors on the turkey. 2. While the paint is drying you can assemble the turkey together. You will need to cut a large circle out of a piece of cardboard or a cereal box. 3. Gather up your construction paper that you will need and cut out the shapes of the turkey. First the large brown circle for the body, a small brown circle for the head, a beak, and the small circles for the color matching. You can either use regular glue or a hot glue gun and glue together the turkey.
Source: http://www.iheartartsncrafts.com/color-matching-fine-motor-turkey-toddler-activity/
T IS FOR TURKEY: A TRUE THANKSGIVING STORY by Tanya Lee Stone Little ones will love learning about Thanksgiving in Tanya Lee Stone's newest shaped alphabet book. Join in as the elementary school puts on a play that tells the true story of the first Thanksgiving. Rhyming couplets that flow through the alphabet help kids celebrate everything from Harvest to Pilgrims to Turkey.
WIN A $30 GIFT CERTIFICATE! Families that have perfect attendance for the month of November will be entered into a drawing for a $30 gift certificate at the end of the month. If you attend multiple therapies, you will have multiple chances to win! Get more details from our front desk.
Tips To Help Kids Who Hate Haircuts
During the haircut: 1. Bring your own haircutting cape if needed. You can use a familiar towel from home and then secure it with a safety pin, clothespin, or chip clip. 2. Have your childwear a button-up or zip-up top if possible (with a shirt underneath), so it can be removed as soon as the haircut is over. We all know how those tiny hair remnants can fly off the shoulders of your shirt and make your neck itch like crazy…TORTURE for a sensory-sensitive kid! 3. Bring your child’s weighted blanket, lap pad, or shoulder pad for additional calming sensory input. It can be worn in the minutes leading up to as well as during the haircut. 4. Allow your child to sit in your lap if needed. It’s up to the hairdresser, but if the child is sitting in your lap and is facing you, it will give the hairdresser better access to the back of their head. 5. You or the hairdresser can provide deep pressure to the scalp and neck prior to the haircut, which can help “calm down” the sensitivity response on the skin. Examples could include a scalp/neck massage or even use of a vibrating hairbrush. 6. Help your child engage in their “calming sequence” if they have one, prior to the clippers actually touching their head. This may involve deep breathing, hand squeezes, playing with a fidget item, or reciting a calming phrase. 7. Use visuals during the haircut visit. If you know the basic sequence that will be performed, you can have that available so your child knows where they are at in the sequence and what steps still need to be completed before it’s finished. 8. If the noise of the scissors or clippers bothers your child, find a way to block out or muffle the noise. You can try usingwax earplugs (like the ones used for swimming) or earbuds with calming music. Or, if your child is comfortable with it, you can cover their ears for them with some nice deep pressure as part of it. 9. Have your child bring one or a few preferred items into the haircutting chair, such as a handheld toy, book, or video. 10. Bring a snack that will help keep your child still such as a fruit pouch, cup with a no-spill straw, Goldfish crackers, etc. You could even try to provide enough snack in order to last the whole haircut. Coordinate with the hairdresser so they know that when the snack or drink is gone, the haircut is over. Just be sure you give them enough time to actually get the job done! 11. If your child finds oral input to be comforting, provide themwith their preferred oral calming tool (e.g., pacifier, gum, chewable necklace, handheld chewy, sucker, Ring Pop, etc.). 12. Sometimes being able to see oneself in the mirror can help because you can see what’s going on around you. It can help it not feel like there is an unknown event occurring on or around your head. If themirror is a bad idea for your kiddo, you can try having themwatch a video or look at a favorite book throughout the haircut instead. 13. If you know or can plan how long the haircut will take, use a visual timer to help your child understand how long the haircut will last. You can also use amusic playlist or video of a certain duration (say 10 minutes), so once the video or playlist is done, the haircut is done. After the haircut: 1. Build consistency into the haircutting routine by visiting the same salon each time (and have the same stylist if possible). This will help build a greater level of predictability and familiarity. 2. Provide a tangible reward or fun/preferred activity directly after the haircut. This could be something edible, a new toy, or maybe a short trip to a special place (e.g., frozen yogurt, favorite park or playground, Grandma’s house, etc.).
HOW TO HELP KIDS WHO HATE HAIRCUTS Occupational therapy practitioners can assist families in implementing both preventative strategies as well as interventions for activities such as haircutting. Here is a list of strategies to help kids who are very sensitive to and/or avoidant of getting haircuts! It includes a combination of sensory-based and cognitive-based suggestions. Not every single suggestion will apply to your child. But, based on the knowledge you (and your child’s OT, if applicable) have of your child, hopefully this list will help open your eyes to some new options tomake haircuts a little lessmiserable! Before the haircut: 1. Role play haircuts with your child. Much like pretending to give amedical checkup with a toy stethoscope, you can give pretend haircuts to each other or even with stuffed animals. Try using your hands as pretend scissors. 2. Be intentional about the words you use. The word “cut” may invoke additional undue fear leading up to the big day. Consider using other phrases such as they are going to “get a trim”, “get handsome hair”, “get pretty hair”, or “get a handsome/ pretty hairdo”! 3. Use social stories to help your child become more familiar with what will occur during a haircut. And you can learn more about a social story app that covers the topic of haircuts called “Model Me Going Places” at YourKidsOT.com. 4. Read books about getting haircuts. Here is one example, written by a pediatric OT! It’s Haircut Time! How One Little Boy Overcame His Fear of Haircut Day. 5. Have your child watch videos of kids getting their haircut (such as a friend, sibling, or even videos on YouTube). This can help take out some of the mystery and fear, plus they can re-watch as many times as they need. 6. Look into specially designed hair clipping products, such as The Calming Clipper. I’ve heard mixed reviews from parents of kids with autism or sensory sensitivities, but it’s at least something to know about! 7. Bring your childwith you to observe you or a familymember getting their haircut. 8. Stop by the haircut site a day or more prior to the haircut so your child knows what the facility looks like. If you know of a child-friendly salon in your area, check it out for yourself to see what you and your kiddo think about it. 9. See if your child can meet the hairdresser prior to the haircut if possible. It’s so helpful for the hairdresser to have a basic understanding of your child’s sensory sensitivities! 10. Try to schedule the haircut appointment at a time of day your child is most happy and calm, and/or when the hair salon is least busy. This may differ for each child (morning vs. after naptime) and each salon (weekday or weekend morning vs. evening). 11. Consider having a friend do the haircut at your house (if they’re any good!). This can help eliminate the anxiety or fear that comes with visiting a new place or transitioning out of the house. It helps if your friend is a familiar person your child is comfortable with. 12. If your child has a specific sensory diet their OT has recommended to help with calming (such as a deep pressure brushing programor certain types of heavy work), be sure to complete that prior to the haircut. We want to do everything we can to help place him or her in an optimal state of arousal prior to this experience. 13. Use visuals or a visual schedule if needed so your child can see what will be occurring before, during, and after the haircut. 14. Consider whether a buzz cut will be easier than one that involves sharp and snippy scissors. 15. For girls, simpler is better. Consider whether there is a certain basic hairstyle or haircut that is least (or most) noxious for your child. Short hair and short bangs can be good for some, but long hair can also be good because it can be pulled back.
Written by: Julia Garstecki
1880 General George Patton Dr. Suite 202B Franklin, TN 37067 Fax: (615) 377-1625
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HELPFUL WAYS TO PREPARE MY CHILD FOR A HAIRCUT
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