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The summer is quickly coming to an end, and soon
children all across the United States will start complaining about something
more painful than homework when they head back to school. According
to one study of American students ages 11 to 15 years, 64% reported complaints
of back pain related to heavy backpacks. In fact more than half of students
carry a backpack that is heavier than the recommended guideline of 10% of the
student’s total body weight and thousands of backpack-related injuries are treated
at hospital emergency rooms, doctor’s offices, and clinics each year.
Thankfully, a study published in 2002 on the effect of backpack education on
student behavior and health showed
nearly 8 out of 10 middle school students who changed how they loaded and wore
their backpacks reported less pain and strain in their backs, necks, and
shoulders. Hence, the American Occupational Therapy Association created the
annual School Backpack Awareness Day and will celebrate it on September 16th.
Here are some tips they provide for a pain-free back-to-school for your child.Warning signs of
a backpack that’s too heavy:· Difficulty
picking up or taking off the backpack· Tingling
or numbing of legs or arms· Pain
when wearing the backpack· Red
strap marks on the front of the shouldersWays to improve
backpack wearing:· Pack
heavier items in the back and center and lighter items in the front· Load
with no more than 10% of child’s weight to prevent spinal damage or falls· Carry
with both straps in use at all times and snug to the back· Put on
by bending and lifting using the knees instead of at the waist· Adjust
to keep it below the shoulders and up to the top of the hipbonesI hope you find these tips helpful. If your child has pain
or shows weakness from carrying his or her school load after making adjustments,
consider consulting with your pediatrician about the possible need of
occupational or physical therapy services. Have a playful day!Amy Baez, OTR/L, The Smart Play Curator
Amy Baez is a pediatric occupational therapist,
award-winning handwriting author, and founder of Playapy. For more information
about Playapy services and products, visit www.playapy.com
or email info@playapy.com. -
It’s summer, and it’s no big
surprise that tempers can rise just as easily as the temperature when children
are hot, tired, and exhausted from the heat. Parents can find themselves in
situations when they feel their blood boiling as well. So it helps to be
mentally prepared for those special moments when your child tests your tolerance.
As a therapist, I have worked with hundreds of children, and I have found that
5 main strategies are most effective when I need to turn a tantrum moment into
something more tolerable. Here are my suggestions:#1 Ignore it. It is
often best to not draw attention to negative behaviors. For example, if a child
throws a toy, continue the current task but also make sure that the child picks
up the toy later. If the child is abusive, you may need to restrain them for a
few seconds to prevent any harm, but resist lecturing in the moment.#2 Change the scene.
Sometimes, drawing attention to something else will distract a child enough to
create a shift in their emotional state. This can include changing locations,
suggesting another option, or introducing something novel like a new phone app
they haven’t seen. Keep in mind, using technology as a strategy is not advised for extended periods of time.#3 Keep calm. If you
raise your voice and heighten your stress level, the child’s behavior may
escalate to match yours. Remember to use a soft voice, breathe slowly, and if
possible offer your child a firm hug to give them a sense of security.#4 Find the source…and
remove it. Just like adults, children want to be understood. Try to get your
child to communicate what is causing them stress. Removing the person or object
temporarily can decrease the tension momentarily.#5 Provide incentives.
Call it bribery or creative strategizing or motivation, but children will do
amazing and challenging things for a “treat” they find valuable. The trick is
to determine if it’s a sticker, free play, food, rest, toys, money, quality
time, or something else. Figure out what motivates them, and follow through
with the delivery of it but only if its not what has caused the tantrum.
I hope you find these tips helpful. If your child consistently has tantrums you are unable to tame, consider consulting with your pediatrician about the possible need of occupational therapy services. Have a playful day!
Amy Baez, OTR/L, The Smart Play Curator
Amy Baez is a pediatric occupational therapist,
award-winning handwriting author, and founder of Playapy. For more information
about Playapy services and products, visit www.playapy.com
or email info@playapy.com. -
Summertime is a great opportunity for children to
explore and challenge their growing bodies to reach new heights, but it is also
a time when safety is of great importance. June is National Safety Month and the greatest concern parents have in the
summertime is heat exposure. There are numerous articles that discuss hot car
and water safety as well as the need for sunscreen and insect repellant when
temperatures rise. Many parents,
however, are not aware that high temperatures and humidity indirectly can lead
to accidents, the number one cause of childhood injury. According to a 2000
journal article in the American Academy of Pediatrics, “exercising
children do not adapt as effectively as adults when exposed to a high climatic
heat stress. This may affect their performance and well-being, as well as
increase the risk for heat-related illness.”With very hot weather and humidity, the body’s natural
cooling system can fail and lead to issues like muscle cramps, exhaustion, and
dehydration. Because children tend to ignore symptoms when they are having fun,
they need reminders from caretakers to prevent injuries and accidents that can
occur when their bodies are not functioning normally and are inclined to take
more risks.In addition, time spent with water play and on outdoor
equipment such as slides, swings, and obstacles courses can also affect the child’s
vestibular system. This is located in the inner ear and provides a sense of
balance and spatial orientation. With excessive movement or excessive water in
the ear canals, this system can cause dizziness, loss of balance, and
nausea.
What can you do to help?
Step 1. Identify
Symptoms. These can include: irritability, headaches, increased thirst or
sweating, weakness, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, frequent falls, or cool/clammy
skin.Step 2. Provide Reminders. These can include: rest, removal
of excess clothing, drinking water or sports drinks, and seeking cooler areas
in shady or indoor, air-conditioned areas.
Remember to consult with your child’s physician if
symptoms appear to last for long periods of time. You can also see an
occupational therapist if symptoms of an abnormal vestibular system appear
regularly. I hope you find these tips helpful. Have a playful day!Amy Baez, OTR/L, The Smart Play Curator
Amy Baez is a pediatric occupational therapist,
award-winning handwriting author, and founder of Playapy. For more information
about Playapy’s publications, visit www.playapy.com
or email info@playapy.com. -
Learning to write
is a milestone in the childhood experience of almost all typically developing
children. Still, it is achieved with great effort and struggle for many. Countless
products sold in stores often complicate the task for parents by combining
uppercase and lowercase letters and encouraging the printing of 112 letters in
an alphabetical yet developmentally arbitrary fashion. This can be overwhelming
for a small child, decrease their confidence, and create poor habits. Hence,
specialists often teach uppercase letters prior to introducing lowercase. It
may seem counter-intuitive to learn capitals first when mostly lowercase
letters are used in writing. There, however, are several important reasons why
this particular method is beneficial to a child in terms of ease and
comprehension.
Here are 5 helpful reasons why learning to write capital letters first is the key to success:
1. All uppercase letters start at the top.
Lowercase letters vary and have different starting points.2. All uppercase letters are the same height.
Lowercase letters vary and have different heights with some tall and some
short.3. All uppercase letters use the same space.
Lowercase letters vary with some letters ascending to the top line and some descending
below the base line.4. Uppercase letters are easier to recognize.
Children have more exposure to capital letters in their environments on street
signs, billboards, buildings, etc.5. Uppercase letters encourage top to bottom
and left to right eye and hand coordination fundamental for reading in addition
to writing.
It is also important to note it is not necessary to learn to write letters in alphabetical order. Many handwriting programs are available with instructions to teach letters in groups according to how they are formed or in developmental stages. This helps a child to practice similar letters together and quickly become more successful. Remember to consider if a child has the foundational skills of copying and connecting simple lines to form basic shapes before teaching letters. If your child is struggling with handwriting, consult with your doctor about seeing an occupational therapist for an evaluation or consultation.
I hope you find this tip helpful. Have a playful day!
Amy Baez, OTR/L, The Smart Play Curator
Amy Baez is a pediatric occupational therapist,
award-winning handwriting author, and founder of Playapy. For more information
about Playapy’s publications, visit www.playapy.com
or email info@playapy.com. -
April
is the time of year when occupational therapists (OT’s) gets their time to
shine in the national spotlight… and it is needed. The average person is not
familiar with OT’s unless he/she or a family member has had a personal experience.
It is even more unlikely that there is a true understanding of what an
occupational therapist (OT) does when disability or disease it not involved. Below is a common scenario
of what happens an OT is brought to light and introduced to a family with a
young child.
Johnny’s preschool teacher tells mom that
she thinks he is having trouble holding a crayon and maybe needs to see a
specialist. Mom does some research, learns about OT’s, and gets a doctor
prescription. The OT completes an evaluation, which includes observing Johnny’s
skills and conducting tests to see how he compares to children his age. The
report written includes the results noting a delay, recommends therapy once a
week for 30 minutes, and lists treatment strategies and measurable goals.
Johnny sees the OT and participates in what looks like playtime. He completes
exercises to build his strength in his hands as well as his large body muscles
like walking around “like a bear.” He plays with toys that require him to push,
pull, snap, or build using his hands differently or more efficiently. He colors
with a special pencil grip to keep his fingers in place and decrease stress on
the tiny joints of his young fingers. His OT creates a program for his parents
to help him at home and measures his progress and creates more challenging
activities for him until he is able to perform skills appropriate for his age
level. Johnny’s becomes more independent at school and his confidence improves.
OT’s
can focus on many skill areas including dressing and feeding skills. Often a
child that has trouble holding a crayon properly often also has difficulty
holding other utensils and may require additional assistance with tasks like
buttoning a shirt or tying shoelaces. An OT can assist with these life skills
as well. If your child is struggling with daily activities common for his or
her age, consult with your pediatrician about seeing an occupational therapist
for an evaluation. I hope you find this tip helpful. Have a playful day!Amy Baez, OTR/L, The Smart Play
CuratorAmy Baez is a pediatric
occupational therapist, award-winning handwriting author, and founder of
Playapy. For more information, visit www.playapy.com or email info@playapy.com.
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