Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Sisters Start Ride-On-Ranch to Provide Hippotherapy to Kids with Special Needs

scottie — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Autumn O’Hara and Charli Wacker founded Ride-On-Ranch to provide equine assisted therapies to kids with autism and other special needs.

Body:

Sisters Autumn O’Hara and Charli Wacker, both horseback riders, founded Ride-On-Ranch to provide equine assisted therapies to kids with autism and other special needs. O’Hara is an occupational therapist and certified therapeutic riding instructor, which enables the center to offer hippotherapy – riding is a therapy tool as opposed to just fun. O’Hara explained, “Equine assisted therapy is an emerging practice area in occupational therapy and the use of the horse has multiple facets that make it an amazing therapeutic tool. For example, the natural movement of the horse mimics human walking.”

Original Article:

Ride-On-Ranch Rides into Lovettsville

Organization Provides Recreational and Social Activities for Kids on the Autism Spectrum

scottie — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Autism Families CONNECTicut was started by parents looking for recreational and social activities for their youngsters with autism.

Body:

Autism Families CONNECTicut was started by parents looking for recreational and social activities for their youngsters with autism. They offer gymnastics, swimming, running, and Friday night teen programs. All activities are under supervision of an occupational therapist or other clinician. This means that kids learn motor skills and relation skills in addition to having a good time. In addition to youth activities, the organization provides a support network for parents, and activities for siblings. Jackie Procyk, one of the founders explained, “For me, I have a greater sense of community now and friendships and people I know I can call on.”

Original Article:

Autism Families CONNECTicut Gives Kids a Place to Play, Parents a Support Network

Parents Join Forces with Community to Bring Sensory Integration Facilities to School

scottie — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Palisades Elementary School, in CA, is now home to an activity lab designed for kids with autism who may also have sensory issues.

Body:

Palisades Elementary School, in CA, is now home to an activity lab designed for kids with autism who may also have sensory issues. Many of the students are in a structure autism classroom, but need a place to calm down when over stimulated. Principal Steve Scholl explained, “We look for any sensory contribution that will help that particular student calm down and really be ready to receive educational input.” Activities in the sensory lab, which looks like an occupational therapy center, include swinging, touching, sound, dim lighting, and/or jumping.

Original Article:

Playing Off Senses: Palisades Adds Sensory Lab for Students with Autism

School District Highlights Sensory Room for Elementary Students with Autism

scottie — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Students with sensory processing disorder (SPD) and other special needs have their own place to go in Romeoville’s Autism Sensory Room.

Body:

Students with sensory processing disorder (SPD) and other special needs have their own place to go in Romeoville’s Autism Sensory Room. The room, organized by OT Stephanie Raynor, is located at Kenneth L. Hermansen Elementary School. Raynor explains that as each child enters the room, either she or her assistant ask them how they are feeling. If non-verbal, the child can point to a picture on the wall to show if they are happy or sad. Other features of the sensory room are an obstacle course, trampoline, balance boards, therapy balls, and the opportunity to use yoga. Raynor explained, “As an Occupational Therapist working in a school district, some of the areas that I focus on are sensory integration, fine motor development and coordination, visual motor skills, and posture and balance.”

Original Article:

Valley View's Autism Room Explores Senses

LEEP Beyond is Extracurricular Center for Children on the Autism Spectrum

scottie — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Mikky Wright, and his son’s DIR/RDI therapist, Lorell Marin were trying to figure out a way to provide after-school and weekend activities for kids with autism.

Body:

Mikky Wright, and his son’s DIR/RDI therapist, Lorell Marin were trying to figure out a way to provide after-school and weekend activities for kids with autism. In this interview, Jonathan Messinger, talked to Wright about L.E.E.P. Beyond. This 4,000 square foot space just west of downtown Chicago will offer extracurricular social and athletic opportunities for kids with special needs. All L.E.E.P. Beyond staff are occupational therapists including the yoga instructor.

Original Article:

L.E.E.P. Beyond Offers Classes for Kids on the Autism Spectrum

Sensory Gym Opens for Kids with Special Needs

scottie — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Angels at Play is an occupational therapy (OT) sensory gym that opened in South Carolina for kids with autism and other sensory issues.

Body:

Angels at Play is an occupational therapy (OT) sensory gym that opened in South Carolina for kids with autism and other sensory issues. Gina Hutto and Lisa Robinson wanted to offer occupational therapy in a fun environment. In addition to all sorts of physical equipment such as zip lines, swings, and toys for fine motor skills, the center offers handwriting and coordination assistance. The OTs also work with parents to develop home programs. Hutto and Robinson explained that they started Angels at Play because, “We were finding that … our children at school were not being provided, in our community, with a sensory gym to help with these (sensory) issues that they're having.”

Original Article:

Sensory Gym Aims to Help Kids Develop Life, Motor Skills

New Book to Help Teachers Understand Sensory Processing Disorder

scottie — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Many kids with autism also suffer from sensory processing disorder (SPD).

Body:

Many kids with autism also suffer from sensory processing disorder (SPD). One of our favorite authors, Carol Kranowitz, recently interviewed an occupational therapist, Stacey Szklut on how to teach kids with SPD. The result was "A Teacher’s Guide to Sensory Processing Disorder", a book and audio CD. Topics of interest to teachers included, understanding how sensory issues affected learning, how to identify SPD in the classroom, creating teaching methods that can be used both at school and at home, and materials useful to teachers of kids of all ages.

Original Article:

A Teacher's Guide to Sensory Processing Disorder

Online Education as a Choice for Kids with Autism

scottie — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:24:31 +0000

Teaser:

David Harms, a teen with autism, was not doing well in a school environment; his mom decided to try virtual learning.

Body:

David Harms, a teen with autism, was not doing well in a school environment; his mom decided to try virtual learning. David is now a student at Utah Virtual Academy K-12 program. Susan Harms, his mom, explained that he was overloaded with sensory input and had behavioral issues in the traditional school environment. Although the virtual academy was not created specifically for special needs students, many seem to do well because they can work at home at their own pace. The school provides instructors who use Blackboard as the interaction tool. They also provide art supplies and science supplies. In addition, the school coordinates David's IEP with the Harms as well as speech and occupational therapy.

Original Article:

Online Learning Works for Utah Student with Autism

Is Your Child with Autism a Picky Eater?

scottie — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Pamela Ray, a mommy-blogger, explained how she got her son with sensory processing disorder (SPD) to eat meals.

Body:

Pamela Ray, a mommy-blogger, explained how she got her son with sensory processing disorder (SPD) to eat meals. The occupational therapist (OT) the family worked with said the process could be tried with picky eaters on the autism spectrum. The plan focuses on smell, texture, and taste. First, Ray served her son what the rest of the family was eating; she said she had always done this. But rather than force or cajole, they asked him to smell his food. After than, they asked him to kiss his food – a way to feel the texture – plus it was a fun thing to do. Next, they have him lick his food. Ray said that “90% of the time we get a “Mama! I like it!” which is used to prompt the final step of taking a bite of the food.

Original Article:

Beyond the Picky Eater!

Indiana to Get New Autism Center

scottie — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

The Foundation arm of Parkview Huntington Hospital in Northeast Indiana will open the area’s first autism center in 2013.

Body:

The Foundation arm of Parkview Huntington Hospital in Northeast Indiana will open the area’s first autism center in 2013. The center will eventually provide applied behavior analysis (ABA), physical and occupational therapies, and cognitive and behavioral therapies to up to 40 children ages 2 through 18. Each child will have an individualized program to maximize social and communication skills. Darlene Garrett, chief operating officer of the hospital, explained, “This is a very exciting step in the treatment of autism in this area. Our center will be of tremendous help to local families.”

Original Article:

NE Indiana Hospital to Open Autism Center in 2013