Jumpstart Therapy, LLC

02/20/2023

Visual attention is a skill playing a role in learning, reading, writing, & many other functional tasks.

"First, it’s important to recognize where visual attention lies in the visual processing umbrella. Visual processing is an aspect that includes the cognitive components, once visual information is received through oculomotor skills and visual acuity.

Attention of visual information is an area of obtaining visual information and communicating that information with the brain. This collection of information requires several eye mobility skills including: voluntary eye movements, visual fixation, smooth pursuits (or visual tracking) and visual scanning.

Additionally, visual perceptual skills are included in the visual processing skill. These skills allow us to discriminate details and fill in “missing pieces” such as partially obscured portions of the form and to use the “mind’s eye” to visualize those aspects."

👀Info, activities: https://www.theottoolbox.com/what-is-visual-attention/

02/20/2023

Yes! Love this. Help build a child’s confidence and watch them bloom! 🙌🌞💕

Christine Derengowski, Writer

02/20/2023

Prior to the middle school years, occupational therapy in schools is pretty straight forward. In the younger grades, school based OT practitioners go into the school setting armed with playdough, scissors, pencils, crayons, glue, fidgets, and a few games/puzzles.

What about the middle school occupational therapy population?

https://www.theottoolbox.com/middle-school-occupational-therapy/

02/20/2023

It’s not just about calming them down to make that difficult moment go away. In all of those times you co-regulate, you are laying the very important foundations for healthy self-regulation in the future!

Want to learn more about how co-regulation really works?

This is a quote from “Co-Regulation: A Parent’s Guide to the Nervous System”
✨DM me “CO-REG” for more!

02/20/2023

Babies NEED tummy time! At 11 months old, this little cutie should have a nicely rounded head, developed S curves in his neck and low back, and flexible legs that move in and out of various sitting positions. But, largely due to lack of time on his tummy and OVERUSE of "baby containers" such as bouncy seats, swings, and car seat carriers that go from car to grocery store to restaurant, he has positional plagiocephaly (flat skull) a big ol' C curve in his spine preventing him from getting on hands and knees to crawl, and hips and legs so tight he can't even straighten his knees! And these are only the outwardly visible problems...too much pressure on baby's spine and vision centers of the brain from lying on their backs are detrimental to development! So....tummy time, tummy time, tummy time! Do it!
ADDITIONAL INSIGHT:
Tummy time IS absolutely important for development! It doesn't have to be on the floor, but can be on the caregiver's chest, supported over their lap or bent knees, or on a nursing pillow for younger babies. Many of the comments we've read are stating babies shouldn't be placed in "unnatural" positions or those they can get out of. As developmental therapists, we specialize in the timeline of babies moving from the flexion posture (fetal position) through anti-gravity extension. The ONLY "natural" position for a baby is flexion. If you lay an infant on their back, i.e. In extension their arms flail and they think they're falling (this is the Moro reflex) and is why we swaddle babies to keep their arms and legs tucked in close like they were in the womb. The flexion tummy time provides is in fact very safe and natural. We urge you to find a specialist in your area if your baby struggles with reflux and isn't tolerating tummy time that can help develop strategies that will promote being off of their backs. AGAIN, this post is directed to parents and caregivers of babies who are typically developing and not those with special needs or other medical diagnoses. The baby in the picture fits this description. It is not meant to be judgmental but informative on what CAN happen. We are so pleased that it has opened up conversation between parents and health care providers to help prevent these issues from occurring.

02/20/2023

A huge part of eye-hand coordination, dexterity, and handling objects like a toothbrush, pencil, or set of keys is motoric separation of the hand.

The term “motoric” refers to the motor actions, or the motor skills of the hand. This includes movements, grasp, precision of the fingers, intrinsic muscle strength needed to grasp and manipulate items.

Hand separation refers to the fine motor skill in which the two sides of the hand are separated into a “power side” and and “precision side”.

Refinement of fine motor skills like pencil grasp, manipulation of very small items, and managing zippers, shoe laces, and buttons with the precision half of the hand (the radial side) happens when the power half (the ulnar side) is stabilized.

You can imagine a line drawn from your wrist directly down the middle of your hand and between your ring finger and middle finger, separating the precision side of the hand (thumb, pointer finger, and middle finger) with the power side of your hand (pinkie finger and ring finger).

These two sides work together in skilled activities with precision and power grasp in functional activities. This motoric separation of the hands allows for in-hand manipulation skills.

Check out this updated post for more info and activities to support development of this motoric skill: https://www.theottoolbox.com/motoric-separation-of-the-hand-fine-motor-skills-toys/

02/20/2023

Poor midline crossing makes visual tracking difficult, interferes with reaching actions, reading, writing, sports, and functional tasks like bathing, dressing...everything!

https://www.theottoolbox.com/crossing-midline-march-gross-motor/

04/01/2019

Happy Occupational Therapy Month!!

02/07/2019