Author Archives: chelseasclubhouse

Trick or Treat Tips

I am all for inclusion especially when it comes to children and allowing them to experience the joys of childhood. Halloween is one of those holidays where children can just be children despite their diagnosis, limits, and differences. Children can pretend to be someone or something else for a day. All of their troubles, anxieties, fears, and inabilities fade away. To allow for inclusion and understanding, I have complied some Halloween tips/tricks to make for a memorable holiday.

Let’s Talk…Scissor Skills

There are so many children on my case load, especially in pre-k and kindergarten that have never been exposed to scissor use. When I hand them a pair of scissors to use they just look at the tool like it’s foreign and they don’t even know how to hold them. The general consensus for limited exposure to scissor use is safety. Most caregivers express that they do not let their child use scissors at home for fear that they might cut their fingers, cut their hair, poke their eye out, etc. Trust me, I get it!

Check out these 6 ways to introduce scissor skills safely, responsible, and of course, enjoyably.

Slide Into Fun Digital Activity Cards

I love a good theme because first, themes make it easy to plan treatment activities and second, they are a fun way to engage kids. I especially love themes that allow the use of manipulatives for fine motor and sensory activities. I typically use a theme for an entire month to make planning easier. April is all about flowers, bugs, or gardens. September is perfect for apples. October is of course going to be about Halloween.

Keep reading to find a link to an awesome digital activity for teletherapy.

Let’s Talk…Goals

Goals are an important part of life especially for motivation and drive. I am very goal oriented and always setting personal goals. Goals are also an important component to therapy. Goals measure progress and are necessary to justify continued services to funding sources. Goal writing can be a daunting task since so much of therapy is centered around the goals.

D.I.Y. Spacing Tool

Writing can be a challenging and daunting task. Most kids prefer to text or type these days since everything is digital. Writing is still an essential part to education. I have created a DIY spacing tool to help make handwriting legible and to improve carryover of skills. Follow the simple directions to create your own and to make your student’s handwriting super!

Teletherapy Curriculum

Back when COVID-19 and quarantine first started, I needed a creative way to help caregivers with carryover at home, especially since there would be a lapse in service time. When our facility transitioned to teletherapy, I was worried that a lot of my families would be overwhelmed with all of the changes and would not know where to begin. I wanted to provide them with a tool that would allow them to complete simple activities throughout the week with their child to keep things as normal and as fun as possible. That is how my newsletter was created.

BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES

Let’s face it back to school time can be filled with stress and anxiety not only for the kids but for the teachers and caregivers as well. Going from lazy summer days to a rigid schedule can be overwhelming.

In this post, I share 5 simple tips to make this transition a success. Plus, I added 4 tips to make the virtual learning transition just as successful.