Certified OT

A new online toolkit from an interdisciplinary team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides resources for families and caregivers supporting individuals with autism during the COVID-19 epidemic.

UNC team creates online toolkit for those supporting individuals with autism during COVID-19 epidemic - UNC School of Education A new online toolkit from an interdisciplinary team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will help families and caregivers supporting individuals with autism during the COVID-19 epidemic. The toolkit — “Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times” — provides user...

Lindsey Biel, author of "Sensory Smart Child," recommends simple tweaks in the home to create sanctuaries for those with sensory issues, such as installing light dimmers and replacing harsh fluorescent lights with warmer LED light bulbs. And for children who need movement, a rocking chair, hammock or a pod swing can help.

Creating home sanctuaries for those with sensory issues Many of us have a special spot at home that helps us hit the reset button. It might be a favorite chair, a quiet nook, or simply under the covers, in bed.

Clare Koezly helps children ages 3 to 14, who have trouble regulating their sensory input, through physical activities.
“So they might get overwhelmed at certain things,” Koezly said, “or they might need help with social skills — it just kind of depends on the kid. So usually I’ll recommend what we call ‘heavy work activities’ — the climbing, running, jumping, sports — stuff like that.”

Benefits of physical exercise outweigh alternatives While some people may think doing a few physical activities is sufficient for their health needs, health experts say, diversifying activities is better.

Some sports trainers live by the adage "no pain, no gain." Dismiss that slogan, says Carole Dodge, who works with many patients with arthritis. If you feel pain while practicing yoga, stop, Dodge advises.

7 Tips for Practicing Yoga With Arthritis Gentle yoga can help alleviate pain and stiffness for people with arthritis.

Michele Floria, OTR, said that since the [sensory] room opened, she has noticed increased interaction among students, and they are more focused in the classroom. “For a lot of children, sensory information can be very frightening,” she said. “This room allows them to explore sensory processing in a safe environment.

‘Sensory room’ is up and running at Maurice W. Downing Primary School Students with special needs at Malverne’s Maurice W. Downing Primary School have a new way to develop their learning skills. The school, which houses students from kindergarten to second grade, …

from the University of New Hampshire helped individuals with brain injuries bake, prep, mold, and build gingerbread houses at the Krempels Center.
“Building a gingerbread house is so much more than just building a gingerbread house,” says Krempels Center’s program director, Barb Kresge, OTR. Kresge explains, “A project like this involves lots of different skills: fine and gross motor, sequencing, problem solving, and executive functions. Many individuals living with brain injury find being involved in creative endeavors post-injury helps them reinvent their identity and express themselves.”

Great Minds: Krempels Center takes part in community Gingerbread Contest Harry Reed doesn’t do anything small; in fact, he is known for going above and beyond in all that he does as a volunteer at Krempels Center. For

Play is how children learn, according to Rebecca Hernandez, OTR. She said around the holidays, she tells her patients to focus less about how much they buy and more about what they give their kids.
"It's really better for kids to have fewer toys than gobs and gobs of toys," Hernandez said. "From a developmental perspective, when kids have fewer toys around them, but toys they can do multiple things with, we really see them dive so much deeper into play."

Experts urging parents to focus on quality over quantity while holiday shopping Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the busiest shopping days of the year. Many flock to stores or visit them online to purchase the bulk of their holiday lists. While many parents dream up a scene from a movie, with presents and toys flowing out from under their Christmas tree, research shows...

This week is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, a week that aims to promote understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensure older adults remain active in the community—shopping, working or volunteering—with the confidence that transportation will not be the barrier to strand them at home. Thank you to the OTRs and COTAs who evaluate a person's overall ability to operate a vehicle safely and provide rehabilitation.

Following a complete hip replacement after a car accident, Lloyd Bier is receiving treatment from at UPMC Pinnacle. Lloyd is concentrating on how to regain full mobility, but also how to stand in one spot so he can get back to his career as a barber.

Plainfield-area barber cuts his way through therapy to get home for Thanksgiving If anyone asks Esther Bier what she’s thankful for on Thanksgiving Day, she’ll look down the table and point to her husband, Lloyd.