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Every day each child intakes, processes and outputs all their sensory experiences. These include every sight, sound, taste, smell, tactile sensation, head and body movement their bodies encounter throughout the day. Sometimes a child doesn't process all their sensory experiences in a coordinated and integrated behavior. There are rarely any simple solutions.
The following areas are some of the most common challenges children with sensory issues display. Click through each challenge to view resource articles and home prescriptions we recommend to our families to assist with teaching the child how to become the boss of their own body.
W-Sitting
When is allowing W-sitting ever a good idea? Pretty much never. Why? It limits the growth of the child’s neural functioning (limits the transfer/flow of the 2 sides of the child’s body/brain), limits the development of their baseline awareness/use of their core muscles and it has a chance to be harmful for the development of the child’s hip socket and knee joint. Children with altered muscular tone are more prone to W-sit. It is a symptom of atypical development and muscle we
1 min read
The Sorry Card
Many children have difficulty knowing how to apologize. At Murray Therapy, we have created a simple apology card which helps teach how to say you're sorry, and mean it. The next time your little one does something that warrants an apology, print off the attached sheet and cut in half. Ask your child to fill out the names, and you can help with what they're apologizing for. Then have your child deliver this note to the person s/he wronged. It shouldn't take more than a few tim
1 min read
The Real Reason Children Fidget
Here is a short video extolling the benefits of movement for children that have issues with attention and learning. This can aid any parents when advocating for your child in public or home school.
1 min read
Spin Game
Recommended for Kids who: Have limited/intermittent eye contact Do not sit still, “on the go” Clumsy, bumps into things Are not certain if they are left-handed or right-handed (over age of 4) Have poor posture, low muscle tone Have poor eye-hand coordination Struggle with reading/focus point Avoid/struggle with ball sports Are anxious in classroom, home, daycare, PE gym, Wal-Mart, etc… Directions Purchase 2 hula hoops, ask child to pick one, place hoop on floor, have child s
3 min read
Infinity Walk
Recommended for Kids who: Have difficulty sitting for meals/circle time Are said to be a “space invader” Are described as “Busy” or “Hyper” Struggle with endurance or is a ”slow mover” Have decreased motor skills, balance, and/or poor attitude Struggle with reading, writing or spelling Desire to enhance their sport skills How to set it up? You need 2 chairs/objects placed roughly 3-4 feet apart and the space to move around them or you can purchase a Neuromat: Directions The
2 min read
ZOOM Game to Improve Handwriting
The Zoom Game developed by John Murray, OTR/L, is an effective 52 second warm-up activity to be used before starting homework, classwork, tests, or writing in general. The Zoom game can be used for ALL children, at home, at school, or virtually anywhere! The Zoom Game not only engages children’s sensory systems (tactile, proprioceptive, etc.), but also engages muscles of the upper extremities, including fine motor muscles in the hand. See the handout below for a list of all t
2 min read
The Sensory Smart Classroom
Excerpt from the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation Winter 2011 Newsletter by Christina Sparker, MOT, MOTR/L and Tiffany Sparks-Keeney, MOT, OTR/L Today's savvy teachers are aware of the importance of meeting students' sensory needs in the classroom and even know various strategies to address these needs. At the same time, these teachers can often have difficulty incorporating these strategies into their every day classroom routine. In actuality, it can be very easy to in
1 min read
Why Chewing Gum HELPS!
Gum is a wonderful proprioceptive tool - I like to refer to it as the trampoline for the mouth. I encourage parents and teachers to have their children chew gum while doing homework/written work and to use gum as a tool to help with transitions especially when leaving the house. Over the years, we have found chewing gum helps: Meet oral sensory needs (i.e. licking objects, fingers/hair in the mouth) Flow of written output Ease in transitions Speed up dressing time in the morn
2 min read
Should I Stay or Go? When to Start Kindergarten
I would like to weigh in on a few feelings about a question I am often asked. “Should I send them onto kindergarten?” My first and foremost thought is… when in doubt keep them out. You (the parent) know your child best. My present rule of thumb is, if your son/daughter is born after May 1st, don’t send them to kindergarten. It is better that they not be the youngest in the class for the rest of their 12 years of public education. My opinion is driven from 2 factors. The
1 min read
Handwriting Stress and Its Ill Effects on Classroom Behavior
I find it ironic that the tool that is used to measure school success (for tests, quizzes, reports/compositions, math computation, etc…) gets little attention in the early years of school and less later on. The tool I am referring to is the “pencil”. Using a pencil well and executing the movements necessary to write with minimal effort are not the mark of most of today’s students. There are a number of reasons; I believe that the biggest culprit is that when we ask the averag
2 min read
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