Latest From Blog
What is muscle tone and why is it important for movement?
DefinitionMuscle tone refers to the natural stress in the muscle when at rest. It is not the same as muscle strength.A child with a natural lower tone in his muscle will use his muscles with more effort than a child with normal muscle tone.Children with low muscle-tone therefore tire easily, or they move about the…
The facts about autism spectrum
It is believed that 1 in 68 children suffer from autism and the numbers are rising. Autism has increased more than all the other childhood diseases combined.Autism is 5 times more prevalent in boys than girls. Autism doesn’t discriminate between race or socio- economic status.The exact cause of autism is still unknown, but it is…
Getting little hands ready for writing
Which skills are important for writing? o Postural controlBeing able to keep my body upright in the chair and to sit still o VisionTo be able to see what I am writing o Eye musclesThe muscles of my eyes should be able to work together or my writing will blur o In-hand manipulation skillsTo be…
Tell me more about sensory integration…..
We all know what vision/hearing/tasting/smelling and touching is all about but what about the other 3 senses…….. THE MOVEMENT SENSE (Vestibular sense) • Balance • Gravity THE BODY SENSE (Proprioceptive system): INTEROCEPTION: • Senses the interal signals from our body So why is sensory integration important? It forms the basis of all learning….. Let’s look…
Why do some kids struggle with impulse control?
It is normal for kids to have impulse control issues as they have not yet learned how to control/inhibit their emotions and actions. The moment these impulse control issues are out of sync with the peer group or causes behaviour/discipline problems then it has to be addressed. This could also be called self-control issues. This…
What can I do to improve my child’s fine motor skills?
Has your child’s teacher complained that they can’t cut properly/that their writing is untidy/that they don’t like colouring? The reason could be your child’s fine motor skills. Tips to improve fine motor skills I focus on 3 areas when it comes to improving a child’s fine motor skills: 1. Strengthening the hand arches It is…
Why children should be able to function with structure and in a routine?
Unfortunately our kids are being ‘forced’ to follow a structured routine from a very young age as required by most schools and preschools. These days most homes are a dual income home and children are therefore placed in pre-school since a very young age. If structure and routine isn’t instilled at home these kids will …
Kids and behavioural problems
t is important to remember that kids cannot always name their emotions and tell us why they are feeling the way they do thus their emotions are expressed through their behaviour. Also remember that a child doesn’t always immediately react to stress but it may only exhibit in their behaviour days/weeks/months later. Types of behavioural…
When should a child be referred to an occupational therapist?
It is important to keep in mind that each child develops at his/her own pace. The moment a child’s performance is impaired/influenced/limited in a life sphere (school, play, social skills, self-care, communication) the child should be referred for an occupational therapy assessment. If a child shows impairment in one of the following areas and/or struggles…
Development in the first year of life
Babies are magical.So much development happens in die first years of life.The first 3000 days is the most important when looking at development. Let have a closer look at the first year of life. The most important things you as parents can do is physical touch, eye contact and loving your little one.Skin-to-skin contact is…
Hoe leer ek my kind om letters korrek te vorm?
(I am so sorry but I don’t have this available in English!!!) Kinders leer die beste deur assosiasie bv. ek is ‘n a want ek lyk soos ‘n appel…… Onthou hoe meer sintuie jy betrek hoe vinniger/beteronthou kinders en leer hulle nuwe takies aan. So i.p.v. die letters met ‘n potlood te skryf skryf dit met…
Is it ADHD or postural control issues?
Please click on the link to view the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/lYG5cuSOoe4 (Afrikaans video) and https://youtu.be/yLIWCUDQJOE (English video)
How to improve your child’s fine motor skills
Please click on the link to view the YouTube video’s: https://youtu.be/_1etfpYDV8k (Afrikaans video) and https://youtu.be/KT8FQQx7xRs (English video)
Is your child ready for Gr. 1?
Please click on the link to see the YouTube video’s: https://youtu.be/3g5CtrTx9Ug (English video) and https://youtu.be/mh3KlzoF9iI (Afrikaans video)
The dynamic tripod pencil grip for optimum pencil manipulation
Please see the link for the YouTube video: https://youtube.com/shorts/IYPUuUQMa-U
Why is problem-solving skills important for everyday functioning?
Kids make hundreds of decision every day based on the problems they encounter. Some problem are not even realized e.g. choosing which colored shirt to wear to school while other problems takes time and cognitive planning to solve. We get different levels of difficulty when talking about problem-solving? Simple concrete problem-solving – Do you…
Activity ideas for the holiday
Inside play Cut and paste activities/Cut clay/cut straws Play with clay Build puzzles Play board games e.g. Monopoly/Snakes and ladders/Jenga Do sand art Use noodles/macaroni and thread a necklace Use beads and thread bracelets Bake cookies Do dot-to-dot tasks/play Soduku/do crossword puzzles/mazes/chess Play card games e.g. Uno/Go Fish Read stories to your child/let them read…
Activity ideas for the holiday
Outside play – the most important part of the day Ball skills: kick a ball/catch a ball/bounce the ball/play hockey/play golf/throw a ball into a target/throw a ball against the wall and catch it Play on the jungle gym: crawl through the tunnel/climb up the slide/hang upside down/play on the monkey bars Play hide and…
Why children should be able to function with structure and in a routine?
Unfortunately our kids are being ‘forced’ to follow a structured routine from a very young age as required by most schools and preschools. These days most homes are a dual income home and children are therefore placed in pre-school since a very young age. If structure and routine isn’t instilled at home these kids will…
Divided attention and how this affects my child in the classroom
Most classrooms are accommodating up to 30 – 40 kids in the classroom thus making the classroom environment more noisy as well as visually disruptive. Children struggling with concentration/attention/focus thus finds it more and more difficult in the classroom. So what is divided attention? Divided attention is the ability to focus effectively on more than…
Need an Example of the Formats for Pre-School Report?
