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The Importance of a Summer Routine

Written by Kenny Schultz on . Posted in Occupational Therapy, Outdoors, Pediatrics, Preschoolers, school, School Aged Children, toddlers.

The Importance of a Summer Routine

When school ends your child’s daily routine doesn’t have to! Summer is the perfect time to remain consistent. For kids, having a routine in the summer is especially important. It helps provide stability, which is crucial for their development and well-being. Here are several ideas for a summer routine:

Encourage Healthy Habits: 

  • Continue establishing enough time for physical activity throughout your child’s day.
    • Play outside
    • Swim
    • Obstacle courses inside or out
    • Sports 
    • Bike Riding
  • Make sure your child is still going to bed at their regular time. 
    • Encourage your child to wake up and go to sleep around the same time each day

Encourage Creativity: 

  • Introduce new activities or hobbies to your child.
    • Gardening
    • Join a club or sports team
    • Play an instrument 
  • Allow time for your child to be bored during the summer. This allows your child to be creative and think of something new to do. 
  • Balance screen time and set limits for the amount of time your child spends on their iPad or watching television.

Educational Opportunities: 

  • Provide time for reading, STEM activities, visit museums, or engage in different art activities.

Make a Summer Bucket List:

  • This is the perfect idea for collecting ideas and putting them all together on one page. Have the whole family join to make it even more fun! 

By maintaining a routine, kids can enjoy their summer while staying healthy, active, and intellectually stimulated. This balance of structure and flexibility helps them make the most of their summer break. Our Occupational Therapy team can help you find the perfect modifications to your child’s routine to problem solve any tricky times during your day! Reach out to schedule a free screening for some tips! 

Written By: Kiersten Robertson, MOT, OTR/L

Prepare for Back-to-School with Occupational Therapy

Top 5 Tips to Prepare for Back-to-School from an Occupational Therapist

Written by Kenny Schultz on . Posted in Occupational Therapy, Pediatrics, Preschoolers, school, School Aged Children, Uncategorized.

Top 5 Tips to Prepare for Back-to-School from an Occupational Therapist

As the summer draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking about heading back to school. For students, this transition can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety. Setting students up for success by helping them prepare for the challenges that lie ahead can make the transition go smoothly. Some things to start working on ahead of time are establishing routines, organizing workspaces and supplies, fine motor skills, social skills, and sensory supports. All of this preparation can feel overwhelming, but the occupational therapy team at BDI Playhouse can help you in any of these areas that you find to be tricky for your child. You can schedule a free screening with an occupational therapist just to brainstorm some tips that can help you prepare for back-to-school or to discuss how occupational therapy services might benefit your family.  

1. Establish a Routine: One of the most important aspects when you prepare for back-to-school is establishing a consistent routine. Over the summer break, sleeping schedules often become more relaxed, and days tend to be less structured. However, returning to school requires a regular sleep pattern and structured daily routines. Gradually adjust bedtimes and wake-up times to align with the school schedule, allowing the body to adapt to the changes. Establishing routines for meals, homework, and extracurricular activities will also help create a sense of predictability and reduce stress. Occupational therapists can help you develop these routines and can also provide help to make it easier for your child to follow their routine without assistance with tasks or a million pesky reminders from caregivers.

2. Organize and Prepare: Getting organized is crucial for a successful school year. Help your child set up an organized workspace, whether it’s a dedicated desk or a specific area for homework. Ensure necessary school supplies, textbooks, and materials are readily accessible. Organize backpacks or bags by creating designated compartments for different items. Teach your child how to use a planner or calendar to keep track of assignments, due dates, and extracurricular activities. By promoting organization skills, you can reduce anxiety and increase productivity. Occupational therapists can help identify the best way in which to organize materials to promote independence, modify supplies to best fit your child’s needs, and provide tools to help your child keep themselves on track. 

3. Fine-Tune Motor Skills: Fine motor skills play a significant role in various school activities, such as writing, using scissors, and manipulating small objects. They are also important for your child to be able to open their backpack, snack and lunch containers, and to complete other self care tasks during the school day without help from their teacher. Engage your child in activities that enhance fine motor skills, such as coloring, drawing, puzzles, and arts and crafts projects. Encourage hand strengthening exercises through play, such as squeezing stress balls or using play-doh or putty. These activities help improve dexterity, handwriting, and overall coordination, leading to better academic performance. During therapy sessions, occupational therapists help children to develop these skills through carefully selected and graded activities that provide a just-right-challenge for improving fine motor skills. An OT can also help you to identify some ways that you can modify activities in ways that either promote increased fine motor skills or that make a difficult task more accessible for your child. 

4. Foster Social Skills: Going back to school means interacting with peers, teachers, and other staff members. Social skills are crucial for building relationships and creating a positive school experience. Encourage your child to participate in social activities during the summer to help them practice communication, turn-taking, and problem-solving skills. Arrange playdates, join summer camps, or engage in team sports. Additionally, discuss and role-play social scenarios, teaching your child appropriate responses and behaviors. By fostering social skills, you can boost your child’s confidence and help them form meaningful connections at school. Occupational therapists commonly work with children to address these struggles and have so many great ideas for some strategies that you can try at home. 

5. Manage Sensory Needs: For children with sensory processing challenges, the school environment can be overwhelming. Take time to assess and manage your child’s sensory needs before the school year begins. Consult with an occupational therapist who can provide strategies and interventions to address specific sensory issues. Create a sensory toolkit containing items such as noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, and stress balls, which can help your child self-regulate and stay focused in the classroom. Collaborate with teachers to create a sensory-friendly learning environment that accommodates your child’s needs. Interpreting your child’s sensory needs and identifying the best ways to support them can be tricky, occupational therapists can work with you to help meet your child’s sensory needs, create activities and routines to regulate their sensory systems, and discuss ways in which you can advocate for your child as they return to the school environment. 

Preparing for back to school involves more than just buying school supplies and new clothes. Focusing on establishing routines, organizing and promoting independence, fine-tuning motor skills, fostering social skills, and supporting sensory needs will help your child be their very best as they go back to school this Fall. By implementing these five tips, you can set your child up for success, ease the transition, and create a positive and productive school experience. The back-to-school period is an opportunity for growth, learning, and building resilience, and with the right preparation, your child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally! Our team is ready to help you during any step of the way. You can schedule a free screening to discuss any road bumps you may have and we will be happy to talk about some specific strategies to try at home as you prepare for back-to-school!  

Written by: Kourtney Schultz, MOT, OTR/L

Visual Schedules

Written by J Keenan on . Posted in Preschoolers, school, School Aged Children, toddlers.

Importance of Schedules and Routines

Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. Consistent daily schedules and step-by-step routines give children a predictable, safe day. Schedules and routines help children:

  • Feel in control of their environment
  • Feel safe, secure, and comfortable
  • Know what is happening now and what comes next
  • Know how to do an activity or task

However, what happens when you have a change in schedule or routine?  Does your toddler or child melt down or show big behaviors?  An unexpected schedule change or a change in their routine can be upsetting and stressful. If your child is struggling when transitioning between tasks or with changes in schedule or routine, BDI Playhouse recommends you use simple visual schedules to make those transitions and changes smoother.

What is a visual schedule?

A visual schedule is an image-based tool that helps support children of all ages. It presents a sequence of events for what is going to happen during a specific task, during an activity, or throughout the day.  Visual schedules help individuals complete a sequence of tasks or activities, attend to tasks, transition from one task to another, or maintain emotional regulation in various settings.

A visual schedule may use a sequence of photographs, videos, illustrations, or other visual elements that help your child understand what they are expected to do.  The visual schedule can be virtual on your phone or printed on paper.

Benefits of Using Visuals

  • Provides clarity and predictability in routine which allows a feeling of control (reducing anxiety or confusion)
  • Provides concrete visual information for (can make something abstract feel concrete, such as the length of time before an activity will be over).
  • Reduces behaviors caused by frustration, confusion, anxiety.
  • Provides a critical avenue for visual learners to understand and retain information.
  • Serves as a virtual “contract” for completing expectations and delivering rewards.
  • Assists in building independent routines with better success (such as packing a backpack, washing hands, or cleaning up after snack).
  • Helps children know what to expect and/or what the expectation is so that they don’t have to fear what will happen or become impatient and frustrated.

How to create your own visual schedule

  1. Identify your Target/Routine for the schedule
  2. Choose the type of visual that will be most meaningful to the child: 
    • Photographs of the child/child’s environment
    • Real life images
    • Line drawings 
    • Clipart
    • Text writing only
  3. Keep language simple and direct
  4. Involve the child in preparation
  5. Involve other caregivers

Easy Resources for Visual Schedules

If you find that your child is still having difficulty when you have a change in schedule or routine or need help learning how to use a visual schedule, contact BDI Playhouse to set up a free screening with one of our pediatric occupational therapists or speech language pathologists.  We can help you help your child!

Winter Swimming

Winter Swimming

Written by J Keenan on . Posted in Preschoolers, school, School Aged Children, toddlers.

Shake Off Winter Blues in the Pool!

Consider your local pool or aquatic park this winter for all it’s amazing benefits! 

Welcome winter and all it’s fun activities like ice skating, sledding and SWIMMING! The joy of swimming doesn’t have to end when winter begins. Indoor pools are the ultimate good mood booster along with so many other benefits! Open swim, swim lessons, aqua therapy and aquatic parks are amazing ways to get some exercise and a splash of the summer feels during the cold winter months.  

Winter swimming has even more benefits than summer! Here are some cool pool perks!

  • Playing in the water makes us happy! Water is a natural anti-depressent. Prevent “SAD” (seasonal affective disorder), a common syndrome in the winter months. Water submersion stimulates our sensory system, exercise releases endorphins and decreases anxiety. 
  • Master those swim skills! Practicing safety and swimming skills in the winter months will improve skills over the summer.  Motor planning for treading water, breath control, floating and swimming takes practice. Those skills are lost during the winter months and need to be reintroduced for water safety and proficiency. 
  • Create joyful memories! The family that plays together stays together! Exercising with family is not only fun but promotes a healthy lifestyle for your children to follow as they grow older. Promote year long family fitness and a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
  • Water is magic! Water play improves mobility, flexibility, balance, coordination, strength, posture, spatial awareness, endurance, circulation, attention, sensory motor integration and confidence. It decreases pain, muscle spasms, abnormal tone, rigidity, joint compression and stress. 

Concerns of increased illness from winter swimming are common. Check out these pool facts that address common miconceptions of winter swimming. 

  • Only a virus can cause a cold or flu. Viruses are more common in winter months from school and being indoors. Any indoor activity during the winter months increases the chances of catching a virus.   
  • Risk of illness is greatly reduced from a properly maintained pool.
  • Illinois Department of Health enforces rules and regulations for water quality in public pools.
  • Several studies have shown that wet hair along with cold exposure has not been linked to increase illness.  
  • Indoor pool water temperatures must be kept at 77-84 degrees and warm water pools are between 86-92 degrees for safety all year long. 
  • Prevent chills or risk of hypothermia by drying off properly, wearing a hat, and dressing appropriately for the cold weather after a fun winter day at the pool! 

Aqua Therapy is a great way to get started with a life long love of the water in a safe and accepting environment. Ask your pediatric therapist how aqua therapy can benefit your child! https://bdiplayhouse.com/aquatic-therapy/ 

Written By: Dana Bukala, PTA 

 

Preschool: Top 5 Reasons Why Preschool is Important

Written by J Keenan on . Posted in Preschoolers, school, toddlers.

Questioning whether or not to send your child to preschool? From a therapist perspective, preschool is such an important piece to practicing skills required later down the road. It facilitates structure, independence, social-emotional learning, and the foundation for higher level skills. 

1.  PLAY AT PRESCHOOL

Play is how kids learn! They learn to use their imagination, be creative, socialize with others their age, share, and problem solve when an obstacle arises. It also provides various play experiences through structured and unstructured activities, all of which allow children to build confidence, a sense of self, and critical thinking skills.

2. STRUCTURE

Preschool is where children start to participate in more structured routines like stations, lining up, singing a morning song, or learning the days of the week. Consistent routines are important for understanding expectations, predictability, and at the same time adapt to any changes that may arise. 

3. FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS

Preschool helps you develop: 

      • Fine motor skills (pre-writing strokes, grasp, stringing beads, scissor skills)
      • Visual motor skills (building block structures, coloring)
      • Gross motor skills (catching, jumping, playing on the playground)
      • Communication skills (having conversations with others, identifying colors, asking questions)

4. INDEPENDENCE 

Preschool instills independence and provides an opportunity for children to develop self advocacy skills and personal interests. Within preschool, children start learning how to take responsibility for their actions and provide numerous occasions to complete simple tasks on their own. 

5. SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

The preschool environment gives children the chance to engage with others, navigate conflict, understand their own emotions, and learn about empathy. Building on these skills at a young age provides children opportunities to grow and reach their full potential and beyond. 

If you find that your child may have trouble in one or more of these areas, reach out to the BDI Playhouse office to schedule a free OT, ST, or PT screen. 

 

Written By: Kiersten Robertson, MOT, OTR/L

 

Reflex

Primitive Reflexes

Written by J Keenan on . Posted in Infants, school, School Aged Children.

Primative Reflexes- The Good, The Bad, The Better!

Have you ever tripped and simultaneously reached out your hands to stop the fall? That is your primitive reflexes at work! They are essential as the first line of defense to protect ourselves but they can also be detrimental to our development.

What are primitive reflexes? 

Primitive reflexes are involuntary motor responses present at infancy that facilitate survival. Pediatricians check these reflexes at wellness visits to ensure the nervous system is working properly. It is important that these reflexes are present but it is just as important that these reflexes mature or integrate in early childhood. 

The Good: 

REFLEX

GOOD

Moro Reflex

The startle reflex

A fear response to sudden movements or noise
Hands PullingHead control reflex and the ability to contract our muscles to sit up
Hands SupportingOur falling reflex. Ability to reach out and catch yourself.
Tonic Labyrinthine (TLR)Develops balance and spatial awareness
STNRHead, limbs and balance system connection
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR):  Differentiates our left and right side.
Spinal GalantConnects the trunk and lower body
AmphibianActivates nerves between both hemispheres of the brain
Babinski:Supports mature walking and balance
BabkinTongue and mouth coordination for eating and speaking
PlantarProtective response to provide stability
PalmarAdvances fine motor movements of fingers.
Landau Promotes ability to control head in tummy time

Why do reflexes need to integrate?

We unconsciously use these reflexes everyday, but what happens when we are unable to consciously control them? That’s what happens when reflexes don’t integrate. It’s like being in a self driving car and not being able to take control of the wheel, which can be very scary. Sometimes our reflexes do not mature because of abnormal movement patterns in utero or infancy, neurological deficits, or just unknown reasons. These primitive neuro connections are powerful and can inhibit our ability to voluntarily control our body and mind if they are retained.

How do reflexes affect development?

A retained reflex can present in strange ways causing possible behavioral, emotional, sensory and physical deficts. Not all reflexes present the same way in every person but they do have common patterns. The infant’s movements work together in sequence during development. If one reflex does not integrate it can cause others to also be retained. It is not uncommon to see two, three, or almost all the reflexes present during a primitive reflex evaluation. The following are common traits you might see if reflexes are retained.   

The Bad- Unintegrated Primative Reflexes

REFLEX

GOOD

BAD

Moro Reflex

The startle reflex

A fear response to sudden movements or noise
  • Anxiety
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Insecure
  • Sensitive to light
  • Sound and/or touch
  • Emotional
  • Common in toe walkers 
Hands PullingHead control reflex and the ability to contract our muscles to sit up
  • Poor muscle tone
  • Poor hand, eye, and mouth coordination
  • Delayed gross and fine motor movements 
Hands SupportingOur falling reflex. Ability to reach out and catch yourself.
  • Clumsy
  • Poor personal boundaries
  • Aggressive
  • Avoids interactions
  • Difficulty processing information
Tonic Labyrinthine (TLR)Develops balance and spatial awareness
  • Motion sickness
  • Poor sense of time and organizational skills
  • Coordination difficulty
  • Spatial and balance problem
STNRHead, limbs and balance system connection
  • Crawling difficulty
  • Low muscle tone
  • Slumps while seated
  • Difficulty copying tasks
  • Poor attention
  • W sits 
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR):  Differentiates our left and right side.
  • Challenged with crossing midline
  • Difficulty catching
  • Focus and memory difficulty
  • Auditory challenges
  • Dyslexia
Spinal GalantConnects the trunk and lower body
  • Postural deficits
  • Hip rotation effecting gait
  • Hyperactive
  • Fatigues with cognitive functions
  • Bed wetting
AmphibianActivates nerves between both hemispheres of the brain
  • Rigid movements
  • Limited stride length
  • Poor coordination
  • No rotational movement
  • No hand dominance
Babinski:Supports mature walking and balance
  • Tripping
  • Stabilizes with tongue
  • Oral motor and articulation deficits
  • Flat feet
  • Walks on toes or sides of feet 
BabkinTongue and mouth coordination for eating and speaking
  • Open mouth posture
  • Poor mouth coordination
  • Lacks facial expression
  • Speech delay
  • Sensory chewer 
PlantarProtective response to provide stability
  • Grasping hands
  • Poor running/jumping
  • One sided crawl
  • Standing delay
  • Fight/flight response to loss of balance.
PalmarAdvances fine motor movements of fingers. 
Landau Promotes ability to control head in tummy time
  • Poor posture
  • Clumsy
  • High tone in legs
  • Visual challenges
  • Depression and fears
  • Poor focus and balance

 

The Better: 

It is extremely common to have one or more reflexes present and you might even identify some of these traits in yourself. That does not mean it needs to be treated unless the reflex is so dominant that it interferes with the ability to learn, be safe and thrive. Reflex therapy helps to identify and create an individualized reflex exercise program to promote integration. The brain responds by taking the wheel and improves control over it’s own mind and body. Now that’s better!

 

If you think your child may have primitive reflexes present we can help! Free primitive reflex screenings are available via Zoom or in person at our Orland Park or Naperville/Aurora locations. 

Back to School

Back to School Transition Strategies

Written by J Keenan on . Posted in Preschoolers, school, School Aged Children, Uncategorized.

Back to School Emotions

August means back to school is right around the corner!  Back to school means transitioning to new schools, new teachers, new peers, new expectations and new routines! Many kids are excited about the anticipation of a new school year, but for many kiddos “new” can be scary and worrisome. 

Children can communicate their emotions through a variety of behaviors. It’s important as parents and caregivers to be aware of these behaviors to help our kiddos manage their emotions and provide opportunity for a successful transition back to school!

The best way to help our kiddos with new tasks is by creating predictability and maintaining consistency in their routines.  This will help ease their worry and fear while building their confidence for success.

 Simple Strategies to Help Back to School Transition: 

Waking and Bedtime Schedule

We all fall into the summer slump of less structure and organization in the routine of our days. Beginning at least a month prior to the first day of school, begin  implementing a waking and bedtime schedule that will mirror your child’s school time routine.

Visual calendar count down

Time is a vague concept for young kids, so counting the “number of sleeps” until school starts is a meaningful way to incorporate how many days until the first day of school.

Social Stories

Read social stories and talk about expectations for the new school year.  Don’t forget to highlight important details that you know they are looking forward to (including a favorite teacher, familiar classmates, exciting activities they are looking forward to that year), but also recognize and discuss novel tasks that may cause stress (such as attending at a new building, bus rides, lunchtime, whatever it may be).

New Peer Playdates

Reach out to local parent/community groups to set-up park meet-ups/ playdates to become familiar with new peers.

Trial Run

Do a trial run before school starts. Drive by your child’s school to create familiarity.  Is there a park accessible to play at? Go play to create positive experiences associated with the school. This will help to see where you might have some bumps getting on the road and need to tweek parts of your morning routine.

Label feelings

Validate their feelings. Use visuals when you can. Provide your child with a ‘toolbox” of calming strategies to attain/maintain a feeling of calmness throughout their day.

Model Confidence

Model your confidence to make them feel confident (even if you have to fake it); kids feed off of our emotions. This includes talk enthusiastically about what a positive experience this will be, avoid lingering at drop-offs and encourage participation in new activities.

Back to School Mantra

Create a mantra to repeat out loud.  “I am safe” is one of my favorites!

List of Resources

Below are a list of resourceful links to provide more information about typical/atypical behaviors, countdown calendars, addressing feelings and visuals for calming strategies:

  1. Managing Behavior Strategies
  2. Social Story
  3. Journals
  4. Emotions for Kids
  5. Back to School Countdown

Don’t forget, what may seem like a minor problem to us as adults, feels like a BIG problem to our kiddos, especially when they are learning to recognize and handle their big emotions.  Make the experience easier for them by  remaining calm if things do not go as planned, or their reactions don’t meet our expectations. Don’t forget to model flexibility to bumps in routines.  Also,  remember that changes don’t happen overnight and give your child time to settle into their new routines! If things don’t get easier and you would like some additional strategies, please schedule a screening with one of our therapists to help find individualized strategies for you and your child.

Written by Jamie Blough

Halloween

Halloween Activity

Written by J Keenan on . Posted in Preschoolers, school, School Aged Children, toddlers.

Happy Halloween month! At BDI, the therapists have been incorporating Halloween vocabulary throughout their sessions!  This simple activity of stickers and real image vocabulary card can be used to target all different areas of communication, fine motor skills, and visual processing.  Targeting holiday specific vocabulary can help your child communicate in their community.  Why?  Because our kiddos are seeing Halloween items everywhere (i.e pumpkins on walks in their neighborhood to spooky spider displays at the grocery store)!   The following are examples of ways to achieve different developmental goals by using the same activity.

Halloween Bingo

Matching

Starting out, simply matching the animated sticker to the real image is a perfect way to help teach reality vs. fantasy and to make sure the child isn’t just memorizing one specific image!

Imitation

The child imitates the vocabulary word and receives the sticker to mark as “complete”.

Independent labeling

The child labels the Halloween card or sticker independently

Receptive identification

If your child is a great talker but needs to work on his/her listening skills, you can ask your child questions!  For example, you can ask your child “where is the cat?” or “which one is round and orange?”.  Columns or rows can be covered to reduce the amount of items he or she is scanning.

Image description

After basic labeling is mastered, you can have your child be more descriptive with their request.  The child can request the “black cat” sticker, “scary spider”, “two bats”, “silly pumpkin” etc.

Simple requesting

“I want + vocabulary word” or “Can I have + vocabulary word”

Complex requesting

“I want the purple hat”; “I want the scary ghost”

Articulation

Try finding all the final /t/ sounds in these fun Halloween words!

Are you looking for more ideas on how to make every day activities a little more festive?  Join our Talk and Groove class to learn about more ways to help your child develop their language and fine motor skills at home!

School set up

Successful Classroom Set-up

Written by J Keenan on . Posted in Preschoolers, school, School Aged Children.

Classroom setup is more important than ever. A properly set-up room can increase focus, increase a student’s ability to sit still, and even decrease problem behaviors.

1. Less is best

The first step to a successful classroom is embracing “less is best”.  A crowded classroom can cause over stimulation. This can cause challenges with attention or following directions. When too many visuals are placed on the walls of a classroom, students can become easily distracted. Start by simplifying the classroom. Use uniform colors.  Place limited posters on the wall. If educational posters are a must, it is important to keep those areas defined by placing similar visuals together towards the back of the room.

 

2. Dynamic seating

Noticing students having challenges with sitting still? Alternative seating options provide an opportunity to increase self-regulation, attention, and productivity within the classroom. Offering flexible seating choices, allows teachers to enhance their learning environment while providing control and comfort for students.  Here are a few dynamic seating options:

Besides utilizing dynamic seating options, it is important to make sure their current desk and chair fit. Make sure both feet can touch the ground.  The desk height needs to allow their arms and hands to rest on top. 

 

3. Organization

Another tip is maximizing organization.  Organization is key within a classroom learning environment. Messy desks or a cluttered space  causes difficulty focusing or turning work in on time. Desks should hold limited supplies and should be cleaned out regularly. Color coded folders for certain assignments or subjects can be utilized as a visual to increase task engagement, participation, and attention. Organizing the room in a way where students know where items are, by utilizing labels is a great way to assist with independence in the classroom.

 

4. Lighting

The next step to consider is utilizing natural lighting.  Natural lighting has benefits for attention and task engagement. Bright fluorescent lights can cause distractibility, discomfort, and decreased regulation. If natural lighting is not an option, utilize a cozy shade or fluorescent light filters during classroom set up is a great way to enhance regulation within the learning environment.

 

5. Visual boundaries

Finally, the last recommendation is using visual boundaries within the classroom. Doing so can provide order and success within the learning environment.  They are helpful for students who have difficulty with spatial awareness, eloping, or other difficult behaviors.  Utilizing painters tape on the floor to set the boundaries for a play area or a reading space is a great way to help with task engagement and to decrease roaming around the room during center time. 

If you notice a student or child who still has challenges with attention, self-regulation, or organization within the classroom even after implementing these strategies, BDI Playhouse offers free screenings and can help improve executive functioning skills, task engagement, and participation.

 

 

 Written By: Kiersten Robertson, MOT, OTR/L

 

Gait Clinic

Written by lemontree on . Posted in Preschoolers, school, toddlers.

BDI Gait Clinic

  • Gait Clinic 2

  • Feet

  • Gait Clinic 5

  • Foot

Have any questions about gait clinic?

Give us a call anytime at (708)478-1820 or sign up below!

Attend a Gait Clinic Session

What is Gait Clinic?

BDI Playhouse Children’s Therapy is excited to offer a monthly gait clinic using a team based approach to optimize a child’s gait.

  • Designed for parents, therapists, and orthopedic specialists to discuss and determine appropriate orthotics based on each child’s needs.
  • Includes on site modification, video analysis and clinical assessment to aid in appropriate orthotic and/or shoe recommendations.
  • Follow up visits will occur based on orthotist and physical therapist guidance to monitor progress and adapt as needed.

Orthoses and/or shoe modifications can optimize gait mechanics by:

  • Equalizing leg lengths Improving foot arch support
  • Dynamically stretching tight muscles
  • Activating appropriate muscles
  • Enhancing energy conservation
  • Increasing mobility and range of motion

Who is Gait Clinic for?

  • Parents looking for input on your child’s orthotic intervention?
  • Therapists looking to confirm or collaborate with your orthoses recommendations?

Who runs gait clinic?

Physical Therapists and Orthotists at the Gait Clinic:

  • Offer experience in gait analysis and orthotic prescription
  • Have extensive education in proper pediatric gait mechanics, gait analysis, orthotic recommendations, and shoe modifications
  • Utilize the most current research based techniques

What do I need to bring to Gait Clinic?

  • Athletic shorts and a T-shirt
  • Shoes your child wears frequently
  • Current orthotics and/or shoe modifications
  • Insurance card
  • Your questions and ideas!

Interested in Our Monthly Gait Clinic?

Give us a call anytime at (708)478-1820 or sign up for a gait clinic session below.

Attend a Gait Clinic Session

Download a Gait Clinic Flyer for Families here

Download Information for Professionals referring to Gait Clinic Here

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Learn More

Locations

Orland Park

11411 W 183rd St.
Suite B
Orland Park, IL 60467
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Naperville - Aurora

600 N Commons Dr
Suite 102 
Aurora, IL 60504
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Contact Us

Give us a call, email or message us if you have any questions!

(708) 478-1820 • info@bdiplayhouse.com

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