TamboRhythms

""I use Legi-Guide paper with my kiddos who struggle with horizontal alignment, spacing, and letter size consistency in handwriting. The paper is super easy to use--- no distracting visuals or confusion about where to place the letters. And the choice of rule (wide, medium, or narrow) lets me tailor the paper to the child's grade level and fine motor coordination ability. The best tool I've had in my handwriting intervention bag in a long while, both with general ed. and special ed. students. Thanks!"    - Debra Groves, OT/L (Occupational Therapist)

LegiGuide handwriting paper: Targets letter formation, sizing, spacing, and placement of letters on the line. 3 sizes available: Wide (Kinder), Medium (1st grade), Narrow (2nd grade +).  

Available through 7 Senses Therapy and  eSpecialNeeds

Recommended in the book, "The Special Needs School Survival Guide: Handbook For Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD,  Learning Disabilities, & More!", by  Cara Koscinski, MOT, OTR/L ( "The Pocket Occupational Therapist").

_________________________________________________   Fine motor fun in the shower with Crayola dry-erase crayons. Erases easily with water and cloth (more difficult without). You can address pre-writing shapes, writing, free drawing, etc. Activity works on getting wrist into extension and with shoulder strengthening/stabilization (if working at or above eye level).  Have child erase own work for added shoulder work. Teachers and therapists may consider giving this as “homework”, in addition to dry erase board work at school. May be used on windows. Air dry crayons if they get wet.

_________________________________________________                   Matching colors/working on pincer grasp with colored toothpicks and modeling clay (I mixed the clay). Call out the color and child has to match toothpick with correct clay segment. Consider using play doh if you want the younger kids to work on strengthening (clay is difficult to work with).

_________________________________________________               Imitation is developmentally easier than copying.

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The Clatter-Pillar for proprioceptive and bilateral hand skills.

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Mini Fidget Balls | Sensory Toys for Autism & ADHD from Fun and Function

___________________________________________________    Paint with cut pen cap/cotton swab for grasp (tripod) development. Have extra cut cotton swabs for different colors.  I used a Bic pen cap. 

_________________________________________________ Aloha Feet: The Fidget For Your Feet

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Memory Ties

THE AMAZING SECRET WEAPON TO LEARNING HOW TO TIE SHOES

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__________________________________________________     Teaching prepositions (inside, outside, between, above, below, aside/next to) along with pincer grasp (pads of thumb and index finger to pick up).

__________________________________________________  Use piece of cardboard to increase hand strength and to increase hand awareness (proprioception) with scissors. If child has difficulty cutting on the line, have them cut between 2 lines. The greater the distance between the lines, the easier it is cut within boundaries.

______________________________________________________  Use blank sheets of paper when tracing. Lined paper may cause visual distraction/confusion.

_________________________________________________        Activity for alphabet matching, finger strengthening, motor control, and learning prepositions (inside, outside, beside, between). Grasp erasers with clothespin and place into container.

__________________________________________________ An open web space (area between thumb and index finger) gives increased  mobility and control of fingers. Turn the  Kushy grip inside out. Push the pencil through the Kushy side. Place  fingers on the pencil under the grip. This will open the web space. Idea adapted from Jan McCleskey, MA, OTR.

____________________________________________________    Simple Sensory Sticks : Do-it-yourself sensory exploration, matching, and finger strengthening activity. Provides proprioceptive (joint awareness) input to fingers from the resistance of the clothespins.

Items used : sponge, rice, rubber band pieces, foil, pink Himalayan rock salt, flexible straw, medical/athletic tape, white Gorilla Glue, Gorilla Super Glue.

____________________________________________________     Tactile number match, finger strengthening, and development of pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) with clothespins. Raised dots purchased at Dollar Tree and reinforced with super glue.

____________________________________________________     Work on 1) pincer (pad of thumb and index finger) and/or tripod (thumb, index, and middle finger) grasp 2) regulation of pressure and 3) motor control during snack time with Cheerios and pretzel sticks. Note: stick does not entirely fit through hole, but will pick the Cheerio up with enough pressure into the opening. I used the same stick to pick up and eat them all

__________________________________________________  Work against a vertical surface to increase strength/stability to the shoulder which is needed for fine motor control.

_________________________________________________    Pom pom activity for matching, counting, and fine motor skill development (pincer grasp): Use thumb and index finger to push pom pom into shake straw. Can also use a hole puncher to make holes in straw and push different colored pom poms for multi-colored creativity.

_________________________________________________         This activity addresses motor planning and proprioception (awareness of finger positioning) which are needed for finger dexterity/fine motor skills. Place stickers on each finger and call out the color that the child has to touch with their thumb.  Make it more challenging by calling out a sequential order of colors that they need to touch.  I believe I originally got the idea from the Dexteria - Fine Motor Skill Development app.