Building Blocks for Learning Occupational Therapy Approaches

Jill Jenkinson, Senior Children's Occupational Therapist, Developmental Paediatrics, DorchesterTessa Hyde, Senior Children's Occupational Therapist, Developmental Paediatrics, BathSaffia Ahmad, Senior Children's Occupational Therapist, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Trowbridge

• Foreword ixAcknowledgements xiIntroduction xiiiOnline resources xviiFoundation Skills 1Introduction to foundation skills 1FS 1 Introduction to sensory processing 5FS 1A Vestibular processing (movement and balance sense) 11FS 1B Tactile sense and tactile processing 15FS 1C Proprioceptive processing/sense 19FS 1D Auditory processing 23FS 1E Visual processing 27FS 2 Introduction to gross motor coordination 31FS 2A Motor planning 35FS 2B Postural stability and balance 39FS 2C Spatial and body awareness 43FS 2D Bilateral integration 47FS 2E Midline crossing and laterality 51FS 3 Introduction to fine motor control 55FS 3A Visual motor integration 59FS 3B Vision and ocular motor control 63FS 3C Manual dexterity 69FS 4 Introduction to perception 73FS 4A Visual discrimination 77FS 4B Visual spatial relationships 81FS 4C Visual form constancy 85FS 4D Visual figure ground discrimination 89FS 4E Visual closure 93FS 4F Visual memory 97FS 5 Introduction to language 101FS 5A Attention and listening 103FS 5B Receptive language 105FS 5C Expressive language 107FS 5D Auditory memory 109FS 6 Organisation 111FS 7 Social and emotional aspects 113Subject Areas 119Introduction to subject areas 119SA 1 General behaviour 122SA 2 Literacy 126SA 3 Numeracy 130SA 4 Science 134SA 5 Art and Design 138SA 6 Information Communication Technology 144SA 7 Physical Education 146Subject areas teacher observation summary chart 150Personalised profile for child 151Medical Conditions 153Introduction to medical conditions 153MC 1 Attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 155MC 2 Autistic spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s syndrome 175MC 3 Cerebral palsy 197MC 4 Developmental coordination disorder including dyspraxia 221MC 5 Physical disabilities 243Occupational Therapy Approaches 247Introduction to occupational therapy approaches 247OTA 1 Building firm foundations for spatial and body awareness 249OTA 2 Building firm foundations for left/right awareness 253General activities 253Activities to help with left/right discrimination on oneself 254Activities to help with left/right orientation on others 255Activities to help with left/right discrimination of objects 255Activities to help with left/right orientation and tracking when writing 256OTA 3 Building firm foundations for fine motor control 259Warm up for the upper limb 259Handwriting warm up 261Hand gym 263Ideas for using therapeutic putty 265Pencil aerobics 267Doodle games 268Hand/finger relaxation strategies 269OTA 4 Building firm foundations for handwriting 271Handwriting 271Development of pencil grasp 273Efficient and inefficient grasps 274Improving pencil grasp 276Three easy stages for teaching pencil grip 277Equipment to help develop pencil grasp and fluency 278Commercially available equipment 279Hand development for handwriting 280Ergonomics 281Table surface 282Texture of writing paper or surface 283Paper position 284Position in class 284Development of pencil skills 285Pre-writing skills, based around using your senses 286Multi-sensory handwriting approach 288Establishing correct pressure 292Consolidation for efficient handwriting 293Rules for writing tasks 294Activities to encourage self-evaluation of handwriting 296Copying from the board 297Specific advice for left-handed children 298OTA 5 Building firm foundations for alternative methods of recording 305Complexity of handwriting 305Low-tech alternatives 306Interactive whiteboards 306Digital cameras 307Word processing as an alternative 308ICT resources 310Suggested equipment 310Software 310Adaptations/strategies to try 311Further resources 312OTA 6 Building firm foundations for dressing skills 315OTA 7 Building firm foundations for scissor development 319The 14 steps in scissor skill development 319Activities to develop pre-scissor skills 320Activities to help with scissor skills 320Equipment to help with scissor control 321OTA 8 Sensory strategies 323OTA 9 Self-organisation approaches 327OTA 10 Consolidating foundation skills through group activities 333Establishing groups 334Non-themed activity groups 336Themed activity groups 336OTA 10A Gross motor activities for pirate groups 340OTA 10B Fine motor activities for pirate groups 344OTA 11 Consolidating foundation skills for transition from primary to secondary school 349Appendices 359A 1 Ages and stages of development 361A 2 Alphabet ABC sentences 369A 3 Fine motor circuit score sheet 371A 4 Handwriting self-evaluation checklist 373A 5 Handwriting programmes and fine motor resources 375A 6 Information communication technology checklist 379A 7 Movement programmes and gross motor resources 381A 8 Individual child profile 387A 9 Resources for developing social, emotional and behavioural skills 389A 10 Teachers’ checklist for visual signs 395A 11 Thinking skills 397A 12 Twelve rules of legibility 401A 13 Visual perception resources 403A 14 Work system 405Equipment Resources 407Suppliers’ Addresses 413Useful Addresses 417Further Reading 421Glossary 423Index 427