Class room
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…
Read MoreADHD and/or ADD
The following is taken from Kaplan and Saddock (the book that the doctors use for diagnosing children). Diagnostic criteria according to the DSMV Either (1) or (2): Inattention: six (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least six months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:…
Read MoreKids and bullying
Bullying happens in all schools although the schools attempt to eradicate this. We get different types of bullying: Physical bullying: Taking someone’s lunch money, pushing, hitting, etc / Threatening someone with physical violence Emotional bullying: The moment teasing becomes constant and hurtful then it is classified as bullying / Spreading rumours / By gossiping but…
Read MoreKids and behavioural problems
It 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…
Read MoreTips for kids who are left handed
It seems that more and more children are left-handed these days!!?? This is only partially true as we as parents and teacher are not ‘forcing’ kids to be right handed any more but giving them the opportunity to develop their dominance naturally. Unfortunately we live in a right-handed word as most people are right handed.…
Read MoreHow to improve a child’s concentration in the classroom and at home while doing homework?
There could be a variety of reasons why a child is struggling to focus/keep concentrating in the class and home environment e.g.: Tiredness Emotional distress ADD/ADHD Poor postural control Low muscle tone Finding the work too difficult for his/her level of functioning Hunger Incorrect sitting posture Not enough ventilation Too hold/cold in the environment Environmental…
Read MoreDyslexia vs Visual Perception
How does the child present in the classroom/at home: 1.Dyslexia Reverses letters/numbers Skips words/lines when reading Performs poorly in spellings tests Has anxiety when reading Guesses words when reading Reading and/or spelling below age level Knows the work when mom asked them at home but performs poorly in the exams Adds extra letters to words/omits…
Read MoreDo fidget toys work?
Do fidget toys have therapeutic value? We have seen fidget toys crazes come and go. From the cube to the Tri-fidget spinner but do they work? Fidget toys only work when they provide proprioceptive input in the form of resistance or deep pressure input. Proprioception modulates the nervous system. This means the nervous system can…
Read MoreAlternative seating for fidgety kids
Alternative seating for fidgety kids Why do some kids struggle to sit still? Some children have low muscle tone or poor postural control. This causes instability at the big joint and make these children crave vestibular (movement) input and/or proprioceptive (resistance/deep pressure) input. These kids will then fidget, change their posture often, get up, slouch…
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