2019

How do I use it?

1. Identify no more than two students with social support needs.
2. Select two or three peers who are good at socialising, are helpful to others and able to follow adult direction well.
3. Identify no more than two goals for the group e.g. the student will learn turn-taking while interacting with peers in a fun activity
4. Select activities for the group e.g. construction or dramatic play activities that match the interests of the students
5. Collect the necessary materials for the activity
6. The play session should last no longer than 30 minutes.
7. Implement the play group at appropriate times e.g. during whole class free play or group activity times. The adult/teacher helps scaffold the play, offering advice or direction when needed.

Getting Started (Activity or Event)

What important events or activities tend to set up the behaviour?

When the individual experiences or is engaged in one of the following:

• Is in the community
  Out on an excursion with the school, out shopping, attending a club, playing or attending a sporting activity
• Has recently been disciplined
  Has been reprimanded for an action or behaviour, has had something important confiscated as a consequence of an action or behaviour.
• Is engaged in an activity or task they dislike
  Has been asked to complete a non-preferred task or activity.
• Is eating
• Is working in a group
  Small group Maths or English lesson, social skills group, unmonitored small group learning such as independent reading groups.
• Is working independently 
  Has been asked to complete a task on their own without assistance.
• Is in a regular class
  Is working with the rest of the class in the classroom in a standard lesson (e.g. Maths, English)
• Is playing 
  Is playing inside or outside during a scheduled break, is engaged in free time in class, this could be structured or unstructured, alone or with others.
• Is returning to school after a break
  Has returned after a holiday or a public holiday, after being sick, after a suspension.
• Has had a change in routine 
  Has a relative visiting, has a relief/ new teacher, doctor/ dentist appointment.
• Is attending a special event
  At school- Sports Day, Anzac Day Parade, and incursion. At home- a friend’s birthday, a sporting event.
• Is in a specialist lesson 
  Music, PE and Art
• Is transitioning between activities or settings
  Transitioning can refer to moving from one classroom to another, one classroom activity to another or from an activity to playtime or lunch. It can also refer to moving from the playground to lining up or getting out of the car to go into the classroom. Therefore a transition is any moment in time where the individual is required to move from one area or activity to another. It is important to recognise that some people may be more or less sensitive to the changes between activities, locations or people, so although you may feel that the change was minimal (e.g. moving from working on their desk in the class to working on a desk in the library), this may feel more significant to somebody else. Other examples include moving between classes, from class to lunch, home to school, home to job or starting a new class or school year.
• Is unwell or tired 
  This may be identified by the individual or others who know them.

What happens before

What happens to set off the problem behaviour? Often it’s when someone..

• Directs them to start or continue with a disliked task
  Directs individual to start or continue with a non-preferred task or something that the individual finds difficult or uncomfortable.
• Directs them to stop a liked task
  Asks them to stop an enjoyable activity or task.
• Does not respond to their approach 
  Individual does not respond to another person’s approach and continues with the behaviour or activity e.g. does not notice them trying to gain attention, does not stop talking to another person when approached.
• Does not respond to their request 
  Individual does not respond to another person’s request e.g. does not answer a question or join in with an activity
• Gives a physical prompt
  Individual is given a physical guide to complete a task or reengage with an activity e.g. touches person, or taps them on their arm or shoulder to gain their attention or guides their hand towards the task.
• Gives a verbal direction or request 
  Somebody says a direction or request to the individual. This may be directly to the individual or to a group of people.
• Gives verbal praise 
  Verbally praises the person for something, either about the person themselves or something they have said or done e.g. “good job” or “you did really well in that sport lesson”. This may be directly to the individual or to the whole class.
• Gives a verbal reminder 
  Somebody reminds the individual of something by saying it to them e.g. “it’s time to get in the car”, “go back to class”, “brush your teeth”, “don’t forget to pack your lunch”. This may be directly to the individual or to a group of people.
• Gives a verbal reprimand 
  Tells individual off, possibly for doing something or saying something .
• Makes an unexpected noise or sound 
  Person or people nearby make sudden noise or sound such as a hand clap or shouting .
• Moves away 
  Moves away from the person intentionally or unintentionally.
• Moves closer 
  Moves closer to the person intentionally or unintentionally
• Refuses a request 
  Refuses to do something or let the person do something

What happens after

What happens as a result of the individual engaging in this behaviour?
The individual is then:

• Given a verbal redirection to stop the behaviour
  The individual is given a spoken instruction which has the aim of stopping the behaviour and directing them towards a more acceptable behaviour e.g. “Chairs are for sitting. No standing please” .
• Given more information or clarification of the direction or request 
  Clarify and simplify the expected task. Break it into one or two steps at a time. Make the directions explicit.
• Allowed to remain with preferred task or activity
  Is allowed to continue with the an activity or task they enjoy or would chose.
• Reminded of the rules and consequences
  Is reminded of house, school or workplace rules and the consequences that follow if the rules are broken.
• Asked the Responsible Thinking Questions
  Responsible thinking questions allow the individual to make choices about their actions. E.g. What are you doing? What are the expectations? What happens when you ignore these expectations? Is this your goal? What do you want to do now?
• Given a forced choice
  Instead of telling the individual what to do, options are presented as a choice e.g. “do you want to do your Maths or English homework?” or “If you don’t complete this activity now you are choosing to finish it at break time”
• Ignored 
  Others do not respond to the behaviour, either purposefully or not.
• Given attention by peers 
  Peers watch on, join in or encourage the behaviour (this may be positive or negative attention).
• Given 1:1 attention from adult 
  An adult directs their attention to the individual exhibiting the behaviour. This may be positive or negative attention, and would include things like speaking to the individual to tell them that their behaviour is wrong or sitting with the individual to encourage them to complete a task.
• Given reduced task demands
  Individual is given a section of the task to complete instead of all of the task.
• Redirected to a different task or activity
  Individual is directed to a different task.
• Isolated
  Individual is removed from the area where the behaviour has occurred or the people around the individual are removed from the area.
• Sent to another area
  Individual is directed away from the location they were when the behaviour occurred, this would include being sent out of the class or to a safe zone.

Problem Behaviour

What does the problem behaviour look like?
The individual:

• Is off task but remains seated in appropriate area 
  Is not participating in the requested task but is not moving around the room.
• Is off task and distracting other students
  Is not participating in the requested task and is disturbing others by moving around or being noisy
• Does not respond to direction or request
  Will not follow directions. Ignores requests.
• Leaves their seat without permission
  Gets up and moves around the room they are in when it may not be appropriate.
• Makes repetitive requests or sounds
  Repeats questions or sounds, may be distracting for those around.
• Verbally refuses or rejects directions or request 
  This may be with words (e.g. “no”, “go away” or other sounds in response to being asked to follow a direction.
• Becomes verbally abusive 
  This may be noises, single words or phrases e.g. shouting or swearing.
• Becomes physically aggressive 
  Becomes physically aggressive towards the person or people around them e.g. hits, bites, throws objects, moves furniture or physically attacks another person.
• Destroys property
  Breaks or damages property around them (this may include their own possessions or ripping up pieces of work).

Desired Behaviour

What do you want to see them doing instead?

• Follow the direction
  Individual follows the direction given and participates in the activity requested.
• Start task 
  Individual starts or attempts task after a suitable amount of take up time.
• Stop task 
  Individual stops the task.
• Acknowledge the reminder
  Verbally or non-verbally acknowledge that they have been given a reminder
• Acknowledges the praise
  Individual acknowledges the praise verbally or non-verbally.
• Work quietly
  Work quietly without distracting others individuals from their own work
• Tolerate light brief touch
  Individual is able to accept a light brief touch, which may be for a redirection, reminder or attention getter or may be due to somebody witting in the close vicinity.
• Ask person to move away or closer 
  Individual is able to verbally or non- verbally request that a person moves closer to them or away from them.
• Ask for help
  Individual is able to ask another person for assistance verbally or non-verbally.
• Ignores interruption or noise
  Individual continues to work without reacting to interruption or noise.
• Repeats request or question 
  Individual repeats the request or question for clarification.
• Accepts refusal 
  Individual accepts that their request cannot be fulfilled, e.g. not allowed access to an activity or object they have requested.

Consequence

What will happen when the individual displays the desired behaviour?

• Provide tailored adult attention
  Give the individual some specific adult attention e.g. some positive feedback.
• Given additional time of preferred activity 
  Individual is given some extra time on their preferred activity after the task is complete.
• Verbal acknowledgement of compliance or success
  Praise or positive feedback. This may need to be done without anyone around the individual hearing.
• Assign free time or choice of preferred activity 
  Give individual a designated amount of time later in the day to engage in a preferred activity.
• Offer choice of tasks or scheduling of tasks 
  Give the individual a limited amount of predesignated choices of activity, or allow them to choose when they have to complete the task

Acceptable Alternative

What behaviour would you accept as an alternative while teaching the desired behaviour?

• Ask for help 
  Lets someone know that they require help (verbally or non-verbally).
• Tell adult they are uncomfortable 
  Lets an adult know they are feeling uncomfortable (verbally or non-verbally).
• Politely decline
  Lets the other person know that they do not want to join in the new activity.
• Accepts the reminder 
  Individual accepts the reminder and moves to the task after a period of take up time.
• Go to pre-arranged safe space
  Moves to pre-arranged safe zone such as a tent or quiet corner in the classroom, support room or buddy class. At home, this may be their bedroom.
• Works on alternative task 
  Works on a task other than the one set, which may or may not be related to the initial task assigned. This may be one the individual has identified or may be one set by the adult.
• Waits quietly for assistance
  Waits without interrupting other individuals. Possibly engaged in pre-arranged quiet activity.

What is the function, or reason, for the behaviour?

1. Stimulation or sensation: This could be escaping from a sensation that is unpleasant (such as a noisy hall or flickering light) or accessing something that is enjoyable. Remember, everybody has different sensory preferences, so what is normal or enjoyable for one person may be uncomfortable or distressing for another.
2. An item or activity: This could be escaping or avoiding an activity or task that is difficult or not enjoyable, or gaining access to a favourite or preferred item or activity (e.g. access to technology).
3. Social situation with child: This could be any behaviour to get or stop focused attention from siblings, peers, or other children that are around them. Remember, whilst some individuals find attention from other children positive, others will find it unpleasant and will therefore show behaviours to try and make it stop.
4. Social situation with adult: This could be any behaviour to get or stop focused attention from parents, teachers or other people that are around them. Remember, being disciplined and told-off might sometimes be a form of gaining engagement from adults.

With this information in mind, take some time to look through the diagram that you have completed and think about what changed as a result of the behavior. Remember, use the information in the diagram to inform you; sometimes the function of behaviors’ can surprise people!

How Does ABA Benefit Those with Autism?

A number of peer-reviewed studies have examined the potential benefits of combining multiple ABA techniques into comprehensive, individualized and intensive early intervention programs for children with autism. “Comprehensive” refers to interventions that address a full range of life skills, from communication and sociability to self-care and readiness for school. “Early intervention” refers to programs designed to begin before age 4. “Intensive” refers to programs that total 25 to 40 hours per week for 1 to 3 years.

These programs allow children to learn and practice skills in both structured and unstructured situations. The “intensity” of these programs may be particularly important to replicate the thousands of interactions that typical toddlers experience each day while interacting with their parents and peers.

Such studies have demonstrated that many children with autism experience significant improvements in learning, reasoning, communication and adaptability when they participate in high-quality ABA programs. Some preschoolers who participate in early intensive ABA for two or more years acquire sufficient skills to participate in regular classrooms with little or no additional support. Other children learn many important skills, but still need additional educational support to succeed in a classroom.

CBT: A POWERFUL APPROACH

ADAPTING CBT FOR ASD

In recent years, there have been a number of attempts to adapt CBT for children and teens on the autism spectrum. The focus has often been on those who also have anxiety because this is so common in individuals with ASD.

One challenge was to find out whether children with ASD have the skills necessary to succeed at CBT. Fortunately, it appears they do. A study published in 2012 evaluated the cognitive skills of children with ASD and compared them to those of typical children. The children with ASD had the skills required for CBT in almost every instance. They were able to distinguish thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and to work on altering their thoughts. Their only area of difficulty was in recognizing emotions.

In addition, traditional CBT tends to require strong linguistic and abstract thinking abilities, and these can be a challenge for individuals on the autism spectrum. Realizing this, researchers have worked to develop modifications to CBT that render it more ASD-friendly, such as making it more repetitive, as well as visual and concrete.

The advantage of family CBT is that it involves parents, educating them about their child’s challenges and teaching them to encourage use of CBT techniques when real life situations confront their child. This can make them feel more hopeful and confident in their ability to contribute to positive change in their child’s life.

However it recommended that CBT might be appropriate as a treatment for anxiety and depression in many adults on the autism spectrum, as this is in line with existing guidance for those disorders, provided those programmes are modified to meet their specific needs.

It also reported that there is insufficient evidence to determine if CBT is an effective treatment for other coexisting mental health disorders (such as depression) in children on the autism spectrum. However it recommended that CBT could be used for the treatment of those disorders in children on the autism spectrum, as this is in line with existing NICE guidance for those disorders.

Our Opinion

1. There is a reasonable amount of high quality research evidence to suggest that multi-component CBT programmes may help reduce the symptoms of anxiety in some primary school children and adolescents on the autism spectrum who have an IQ of 70 or more.
2. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether CBT programmes can help any child or adult on the autism spectrum with other issues, such as anger or depression.
3. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether CBT programmes can help people with the core features of autism.
4. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether CBT programmes can provide any benefit to adults on the autism spectrum.”
5. Carrying out a detailed assessment of the individual, including any key strengths and weakness.
6. Modifying the therapy to take account of the needs of that individual, including any strengths and weaknesses.
7. Use of a longer assessment phase and an increased number of treatment sessions to help the initial engagement with the therapist, to enhance emotional literacy, and to practice, consolidate and generalise the techniques learnt.
8. Using a range of appropriate measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy.

Goals of Child Counseling

Anxiety:
Children who attend counseling are encouraged to learn techniques to deal with emotional distress and anxiety on their own. Children can learn to prevent panic attacks or cope with anxiety in a variety of ways, which they will learn in their counseling sessions. Some strategies they will learn may include breathing exercises, changing negative self-talk, muscle relaxation, talking to a trusted adult about their feelings instead of keeping them inside, and asserting themselves by knowing when to remove themselves from a stressful situation. Teaching these techniques to children gives them a toolbox of coping mechanisms that they can use when they become anxious or experience a panic attack.

Trauma:
Unfortunately, some children experience traumatic events and are exposed to disturbing situations that they should not have to witness or be part of. After a trauma, a child may experience shock, disbelief, detachment or emotional numbness, fear, and may develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms of PTSD include strong desire to avoid the people or places where trauma was involved, vivid and distressing memories or flashbacks, nightmares or insomnia or fear of going to sleep, and being easily angered or agitated. Child counseling aims to help children talk about the trauma that they faced, rather than keeping their experiences and emotions inside. Many children who experience trauma develop trust issues and may have a difficulty finding the words to express their feelings and may blame themselves for what happened.

Child counseling teaches children that it’s okay to talk about their experiences and that they can use a variety of coping mechanisms. When a child has a flashback to their trauma, child counselors teach them tools such as deep breathing, seeking out an adult to talk to, relaxing their muscles, and correcting the misinterpretation of traumatic events.

Divorce:
When a marriage dissolves, it can be very challenging for children in the family to cope with. Many children blame themselves for their parents splitting up or have feelings that they are unloved. With divorce often comes changes in custody, and in some cases, there are tense custody battles between parents. Children can feel guilty about choosing which parent they want to live with and feel distress if their choices or feelings don’t align with their siblings. Child counseling teaches children to deal with feelings of sadness, fear, and guilt by giving them techniques to use such as deep breathing, journaling or art therapy, practicing positive self-talk, and talking about their feelings with their parents or another trusted adult.

Grief:
A death of a loved one, whether it’s a family member, peer, or friend of the family is distressing for anyone; however, children often cannot cope with death in the same way that adults can. For children, it may be difficult to understand their feelings of loss, despair, sadness, and missing the person who died. Often, children may have irrational thoughts such as the fear that they will also die, thinking that the death was their fault, or believing that they could have prevented it. Child counseling helps children understand the grieving process and teaches them that it’s okay to experience the emotions that arise after losing a loved one. Coping strategies may include being able to talk about their feelings, channeling grief through creative pursuits like journaling or art, and allowing themselves to speak or think about their loved one through sharing personal memories. Teaching children the stages of grief is another technique that helps them understand that how they feel is normal and natural.

Significant Change:
For many children, events, like moving to a new city or changing schools, can be stressful. Many adults can accept these changes as part of life, so you may not realize the impact it has on your child. Children who have difficulty dealing with change can experience feelings of insecurity, anxiety or worry, or anger towards their parents. While these are normal reactions to significant change, many children have a hard time moving past these feelings on their own. Child counseling teaches children to cope with change through learning to focus on the positive and stable aspects of their life, positive self-talk, deep breathing exercises when anxiety arises, and understanding that change is natural, understanding that their feelings are temporary and will fade when they adjust to the situation.

Self-Esteem and Confidence
Many children struggle with poor self-esteem and low confidence which can lead to depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, or thoughts of self-harm. When a child has poor self-esteem, they may feel unloved, worthless, and their friends and family would be better off without them. Child counseling can help children improve their self-esteem in a variety of ways, including digging deeper into underlying issues that may have caused these beliefs, recognizing negative self-talk and turning it into positive thoughts, using affirmations to gain confidence and self-acceptance, and talking to a trusted adult when troubling feelings arise. If a child’s low self-esteem has developed into something more serious, like an eating disorder, child counselors are equipped to help children overcome those issues.

Types of Child Counseling

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT):
CBT focuses on helping children change negative styles of thinking and behaving by correcting or re-purposing the thought process toward a more positive response. CBT challenges the automatic internal beliefs a child has about themselves and teaches them to view themselves and their situation through a more realistic and positive lens. CBT provides children with practical tools for coping with difficult or stressful situations that they can learn to use on their own.

Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT):
TF-CBT is designed to help children overcome the effects of trauma. As with traditional CBT, children are taught to see events more realistically without blaming themselves. TF-CBT teaches children strategies that they can use when they experience a flashback so they can work through the memories from a place of control and understanding, and gives them the ability to use these tools on their own.

Alternative Therapies:
Children respond well to alternative types of therapies like art therapy, music therapy, movement therapy, equine therapy, mindfulness, or aquatic therapy.

What to Look for in a Child Counselor?

What is Child Therapy/Child Counseling?

How an Emotional Child Can Benefit from Kids Therapy

An overly emotional child (or one that struggles with inappropriate emotional expression or emotional dysregulation) may suffer from one or more of a variety of issues, including ADHD, mental illness, anxiety, or even an autism spectrum disorder. Whatever the issue they are facing, child therapy can help them deal with it.

Cognitive therapy is a good choice for emotional children, as it involves reducing anxiety and learning new ideas and new ways to channel the child’s feelings and energy. It will also help him or her to identify their inner thoughts, and try to replace the bad ones with more positive, helpful ones. Applied behavior analysis can help the child learn how to respond to situations in better, more effective ways, and will teach them about rewards and punishments for their behavior. Play therapy is a good choice for younger children with emotional issues since they can act them out through toys or dolls.

The type of therapy and techniques that will work best for the child may also depend on which stage of development they are in; Erik Erikson’s groundbreaking theory on the eight stages of psychosocial development is a commonly recognized and accepted theory and can help differentiate between normal, age-appropriate issues and more troublesome symptoms.

The eight stages are:

1. 1. Infancy:Trust vs Mistrust. In this stage, infants require a great deal of attention and comfort from their parents, leading them to develop their first sense of trust.
   2. Early Childhood:Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. Toddlers and very young children are beginning to assert their independence and develop their unique personality, making tantrums and defiance common.
   3. Preschool Years Initiative vs. Guilt. Children at this stage begin learning about social roles and norms; their imagination will take off at this point, and the defiance and tantrums of the previous stage will likely continue. The way trusted adults interact with the child will encourage him or her to act independently or to develop a sense of guilt about any inappropriate actions.
   4. School Age: Industry (Competence) vs. Inferiority. At this stage, the child is building important relationships with peers and is likely beginning to feel the pressure of academic performance; mental health issues may begin at this stage, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other problems.
   5. Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion. The adolescent is reaching new heights of independence and is beginning to experiment and put together his or her identity. Problems with communication and sudden emotional and physical changes are common at this stage.

The final three stages are not relevant for the purposes of discussing child therapy, but they are listed here if you’re curious:

1. Young Adulthood: Love – Intimacy vs. Isolation
2. Middle Adulthood: Care – Generativity vs. Stagnation
3. Late Adulthood: Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Based on these life stages, we know that it is common for children in early childhood to throw tantrums when they don’t get their way; tantrums alone aren’t reason enough to seek a therapist! However, if someone of school age is still throwing tantrums, it may be time to explore therapy and counseling options.

 16-Eagle Pose:

(Stand tall in mountain Pose, wrap one leg around the other, bring your bent arms out in front of you, wrap your arms together the opposite way, and slightly bend your knees. Perch on a tree like eagle.)

 17-Easy Pose:

(Sit comfortably cross-legged, and rest your hands on your knees.)

  18-Extended Child’s Pose:

(Sit on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest in front of your knees, place the palm of your hands flat out in front of you, and take a few deep breaths.)

 19-Extended Cat Pose:

(Come to all fours, extend one leg out behind you, and look forward.)

 20-Extended Mountain Pose:

(Stand tall in Mountain Pose, Look up, and reach your arms up to the sky.)

 21-Extended side Angle Pose:

(From triangle Pose, bend your front leg, rest your front elbow on your thigh, and reach your other arm straight up high to sky. look up. Repeat on the other side.)

22-Flower Pose:

(Come to sit on your buttocks with a tall spine, lift up your legs, balance on your sitting bones, touch the soles of your feet together, and weave your arms under your legs.)

23-Gyan Mudra Pose:

(Sit on your heels, with both hands in A-okay sign over eyes to look like the badger’s eyes.)

24-Half Shoulder stand:

(Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms resting alongside your body, and chin tucked in. on an exhale, push your palms down and lift your legs straight up, making an L shape with your body. Stay in this position or squeeze your belly and raise your hips. Then, bend your elbows and place your palms on your lower back for a half shoulder stand. Pretend your feet are the flickering flames and your legs are the candlesticks.)

25-Happy Baby Pose:

(Lie on your back with your chin tucked in, hug your knees into your chest, then grab the outer part of your feet with both of your hands, and rock like a happy baby.)

26-Hero Pose:

(Come back to rest upright on your heels, and twist your upper body like an owl. Turn your upper body one way and then the other.)

27-Horse Stance:

(Stand with your legs apart, feet facing slightly outwards, bend your knees, and stand firm like a horse.)

28-Kneeling:

(Stand on your knees, open your chest, look up-, and reach up to the moon like a fox)

29-Knees to chest:

(Lie on your back, with your arms flat alongside your body. Bend your knees and hug them close to your chest. Then circle your legs as if you are riding a bicycle upside-down.)

30-Legs up the wall:

(lie flat on your back then slowly raise your legs up straight towards the sky, making an L shape with your body. Flex your feet, keep your legs together, spread your arms out to either side, and keep your neck in a neutral position. You could rest your legs on wall instead.)

A List of Yoga for Kids (31-45)

31-Locust Pose:

(Lie on your tummy, lift your chest and shoulders up, look up, clasp your hands back behind you, and glide through the water like a shark.)

32-Lotus Mudra Pose:

(Sit on your heels, stretch fingers out in front of you, and place heels of palms together in mudra to represent spines of hedgehog.)

33-Lotus Pose:

(sit with a tall spine, cross your legs, and rest the palms of your hands on your knees. Relax and breathe.)

(From downward-Facing dog pose, step your right foot forward to rest on the inside of your right hand. Keep a flat back, and open your chest. Switch sides.)

(Stand tall with legs hip-width apart, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body.)

(From Downward-Facing Dog pose, bring right knee to rest behind right hand, placing right foot slightly inwards, and perch like a bird.)

(Step back to balance on your palms and on your bent toes, keeping your arms straight and your back long and flat. Pretend to be an alligator floating in the water.)

(From all-fours, take your hands out in front of you while lowering your chest towards the ground. Keep your arms straight, with your elbows raised off the ground, but rest your forehead between your extended arms. Let your spine curve naturally.)

(From lying on your back, bend your legs and bring the soles of your feet together. Take your arms out to rest at your sides. Let your whole body melt into the ground and take a few deep breaths.)

(Lie on your back with your arms and legs stretched out. Breathe and rest.)

(Come to sitting with your palms flat behind you and the soles of your feet flat in front of you, Lift your buttocks to create a table, then walk like a crab.)

(Come to sitting on your buttocks, with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your torso forward while keeping your spine Straight. Dangle your arms in front of you like the tentacles of an octopus)

(Start in staff Pose with your body in an shape. Bend your right knee and place your right foot over the other side of your left knee. Check that your spine is straight and your right foot is flat on the ground. Twist your upper body to the right. Take your left elbow to your right knee and your right hand back behind you.)

(Lay flat on your tummy, lift up your shoulders, and clasp your arms behind your back)

( Sit with a tall spine with your legs straight out in front of you. Use your hands to mimic the wheels of the train going around and around.)

A List of Yoga for Kids (46-58)

(From Mountain Pose, bend your upper Body, reach for your toes, and sway your arms like a jelly fish.)

(Come down to a squat, and waddle like a duck.)

(Come to an all-four position with your fingers spread out and palms flat on the ground. Ensure that your back and neck are in a straight but neutral position. Your shoulders should be over your wrists and your hips should be over your knees. The tops of your feet are flat on the ground.)

(Step back to hands and feet, like an upside-down “V” and gently lift one leg up at a time.)

(Sit on your buttocks with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then take your feet out wide and be you are sitting with a tall, straight spine. Slide your arms under your knees and place your hands flat on the floor outside your legs. Being forward, keeping your back and neck straight.)

(Stand on one leg, bend your knee, place the sole of your foot on your inner thigh, and balance. Sway like a tree.)

(From a standing position, step one foot back, placing the foot facing slightly outwards, take your arms up parallel to the ground, bend at your waist, tilt your upper body, reach your front hand to gently rest on your shin, and reach your other arm straight up.)

(From Mountain Pose, take your right foot back, keeping your ankle bent at a 30 degree angle. Place your hands on your hips, ensuring that your back is flat and that you are looking straight ahead. Then slowly bend forward as if your hips are a hinge, keeping a flat back and a long neck. Lastly, bring your hands to your hands to your shins, ankles, or the ground, depending on what feels comfortable, all the while checking that your spine straight.)

(Lay on your belly. Place the palms of your hands next to your shoulders and look up. Then straighten your arms and expand your chest.)

(Come to standing in Mountain Pose. Step one foot back, slightly angling it outwards, bend your front knee, and bring your arms straight up towards the sky, and look up.)

(From standing position, step one foot back, placing the foot so that it is facing slightly outwards. Take your arms up in parallel to the ground, bend your front knee, and look forward.)

(Stand on one leg. Extend the other leg behind you. Bend your torso forward and take your arms out in front of you to pretend that you are gliding through the water like a submarine.)

(From Mountain Pose, step your feet out wide, bend your upper body, clasp your hands together, and pretend that your arms are the trunk of an elephant.)

These finger exercises for kids are designed to increase the dexterity and skill of the tripod fingers, with the hope of ultimately improving your child’s pencil control and handwriting.

In order to control a pencil and develop good handwriting skills, a child’s hand muscles need to work well together.

In particular, as you can see from the picture above, three fingers: the thumb, index and middle fingers work together to control the pencil in what is called a dynamic tripod pencil grasp.

I refer to these 3 fingers as the tripod fingers.

Once your child has the hang of getting the tripod fingers to work together, the fingers should be able to move freely and easily in order to control a pencil for flowing handwriting.

Please note:

These OT finger exercises are designed for kids who have already had practice with using just their tripod fingers.

They can be used as exercises to improve handwriting.

• If your child is very young, or still tends to use 4 or 5 fingers on a pencil, first work on isolating the tripod fingers.
• If your child’s hand muscles are very weak, first work on some hand strengthening exercise.

Then head back for these finger exercises and activities to help improve pencil control and handwriting.

Keep the tripod fingers isolated

Finger ball walk

Play dough finger exercises

Mini paper crumpling

The Tripod Fingers

In all these finger exercises, your child needs to have the tripod fingers isolated.

I usually ask the child to hold a small piece of paper under the ring and little fingers.

This arch is important as it gives stability to the joints and muscles of the hands while the tripod fingers are moving and thus reduces fatigue during handwriting.

Try writing with your ring and little fingers sticking out a bit, and you can immediately feel the strain on your hand!

The kids whose hands are pictured below have not yet developed this stable arch, and all of them tire easily during handwriting tasks!

When fine motor skills are weak, it may take a child a while to get the hang of moving the tripod fingers on their own.

If your child struggles to keep the ring and little fingers down on a piece of paper, have your child hold down the fingers as shown below.

Finger Ball Walk

Introduce your child to this activity without using the tripod fingers, until they get the hang of walking the ball up and down their legs. (Or up one leg, across the tummy, and down the other leg!)

Look out for kids making grabbing movements with their hands instead of getting a WALKING movement with their fingers.

Once they have got the hang of walking their fingers, then isolate the tripod fingers as explained above.

You can also vary the size and type of ball used.

Walking DOWN the leg takes more control than walking up!

If your child has a “lazy thumb”, try using just the thumb and index fingers to walk the ball.

Play dough Finger Exercise

Use the tripod fingers to roll out small balls with a rolling movement of the fingers and small sausages with a back and forth movement of the fingers. Sausages can be easier than balls at first.

Mini Paper Crumpling

This is one of my favorite activities as it is so easy to have a box of different color papers on hand to add a 3D aspect to any picture.

• Cut small squares of crepe or tissue paper ahead of time (crepe holds its shape better) .
• Give your child one piece of paper at a time to squish a bit as shown above, using the tripod fingers of both
• Then ask your child to use just the tripod fingers of the dominant hand to one-handed ROLL the crumpled paper into a smaller, tighter ball.
• Use the balls to decorate a picture.

Here’s a quick tutorial on cutting those little squares quickly and easily…

1) Crepe paper usually comes folded up. Cut a strip about 3cm wide, right across the folds.

2) Cut the strip in half, and then snip the ends off so the folds are removed.

3) After both ends are snipped off, fan out the layers of crepe paper to separate them.

4) I like to keep a container of various colors of paper on hand, ready to use.

These finger exercises, and just about all my fine motor information and activities.

These finger exercises for kids are designed to increase the dexterity and skill of the tripod fingers, with the hope of ultimately improving your child’s pencil control and handwriting.

In order to control a pencil and develop good handwriting skills, a child’s hand muscles need to work well together.

In particular, as you can see from the picture above, three fingers: the thumb, index and middle fingers work together to control the pencil in what is called a dynamic tripod pencil grasp.

I refer to these 3 fingers as the tripod fingers.

Once your child has the hang of getting the tripod fingers to work together, the fingers should be able to move freely and easily in order to control a pencil for flowing handwriting.

Please note:

These OT finger exercises are designed for kids who have already had practice with using just their tripod fingers.

They can be used as exercises to improve handwriting.

• If your child is very young, or still tends to use 4 or 5 fingers on a pencil, first work on isolating the tripod fingers.
• If your child’s hand muscles are very weak, first work on some hand strengthening exercise.

Then head back for these finger exercises and activities to help improve pencil control and handwriting.

Keep the tripod fingers isolated

Finger ball walk

Play dough finger exercises

Mini paper crumpling

The Tripod Fingers

In all these finger exercises, your child needs to have the tripod fingers isolated.

I usually ask the child to hold a small piece of paper under the ring and little fingers.

This arch is important as it gives stability to the joints and muscles of the hands while the tripod fingers are moving and thus reduces fatigue during handwriting.

Try writing with your ring and little fingers sticking out a bit, and you can immediately feel the strain on your hand!

The kids whose hands are pictured below have not yet developed this stable arch, and all of them tire easily during handwriting tasks!

When fine motor skills are weak, it may take a child a while to get the hang of moving the tripod fingers on their own.

If your child struggles to keep the ring and little fingers down on a piece of paper, have your child hold down the fingers as shown below.

Finger Ball Walk

Introduce your child to this activity without using the tripod fingers, until they get the hang of walking the ball up and down their legs. (Or up one leg, across the tummy, and down the other leg!)

Look out for kids making grabbing movements with their hands instead of getting a WALKING movement with their fingers.

Once they have got the hang of walking their fingers, then isolate the tripod fingers as explained above.

You can also vary the size and type of ball used.

Walking DOWN the leg takes more control than walking up!

If your child has a “lazy thumb”, try using just the thumb and index fingers to walk the ball.

Play dough Finger Exercise

Use the tripod fingers to roll out small balls with a rolling movement of the fingers and small sausages with a back and forth movement of the fingers. Sausages can be easier than balls at first.

Mini Paper Crumpling

This is one of my favorite activities as it is so easy to have a box of different color papers on hand to add a 3D aspect to any picture.

• Cut small squares of crepe or tissue paper ahead of time (crepe holds its shape better) .
• Give your child one piece of paper at a time to squish a bit as shown above, using the tripod fingers of both
• Then ask your child to use just the tripod fingers of the dominant hand to one-handed ROLL the crumpled paper into a smaller, tighter ball.
• Use the balls to decorate a picture.

Here’s a quick tutorial on cutting those little squares quickly and easily…

1) Crepe paper usually comes folded up. Cut a strip about 3cm wide, right across the folds.

2) Cut the strip in half, and then snip the ends off so the folds are removed.

3) After both ends are snipped off, fan out the layers of crepe paper to separate them.

4) I like to keep a container of various colors of paper on hand, ready to use.

These finger exercises, and just about all my fine motor information and activities.

Types

Dyslexia can be broken down into different subtypes, but there is no official list of dyslexia types because they can be classified in different ways.
However, the following categories are sometimes used:

Phonological dyslexia:

The person has difficulty breaking down words into smaller units, making it hard to match sounds with their written form. This is also known as dysphonetic dyslexia or auditory dyslexia.

Surface dyslexia:

The person cannot recognize a word by sight, making words hard to remember and learn. This is sometimes called dyseidectic dyslexia or visual dyslexia.

Rapid naming deficit:

The person cannot quickly name a letter or number when they see it.

Double deficit dyslexia:

The person finds it hard to isolate sounds also to name letters and numbers.

Visual dyslexia:

The person has an unusual visual experience when looking at words, although this can overlap with surface dyslexia. Sometimes people refer to “directional dyslexia,” meaning it is difficult to tell left from right. This is a common feature of dyslexia, but it is not a type.
If a person has difficulty with math learning, the correct term for this is dyscalculia. It is not dyslexia.

Types of Reading Disabilities

Phonological Deficit:
Difficulty decording or assembling words based on their sounds. Note that phonemic awareness is not a reading deficit per se since it involves only sounds and not letters.

Speed Naming Deficit:
Slow reading: poor use of sight. A sight word is a word that is instantly recognized by the reader: is not sounded out, and requires almost no effort to understand.

Comprehension Deficit
Poor understanding of what was just read.

Subtypes of Dyslexia

By Sensory System

Auditory Dyslexia
Auditory Dyslexia involves difficulty processing sounds of letters or groups of letters. Multiple sounds may be fused as a singular sound. For Examples the word ‘back’ will be heard as asingle sound rather than something made up of the sounds /b/ – /aa/ – /ck/. Single syllable words are especially prone to this problem

Visual Dyslexia
Visual dyslexia is defined as reading difficulty resulting from vision related problems. Though the term is a misnormer, visual problems can definitely lead to reading and learning problems.

Attentional Dyslexia
Attentional Dyslexia in which children identify letters correctly, but the letters jump between words on the page. “kind wing” would be read as “wind king”. The substitutions are not caused by an inability letters or convert them to sounds, but instead result from the migration of letters between words-the first letters of one word switches place with the first letter of another word.

By Deficit

Phonological Dyslexia
Phonological dyslexia is extreme difficulty reading that is a result of phonological impairment, meaning the ability to manipulate the basic sounds of language. The individual sounds of language become ‘sticky’, unable to be broken apart and manipulated easily.

Surface Dyslexia
A type of dyslexia characterised by difficulty with whole word recognition and spelling, especially when the words have irregular spelling sound correspondences”.

Deep Dyslexia
Deep dyslexia is an acquired form of dyslexia, meaning it does not typically result from genetic, hereditary (developmental) cause. It represents a loss of existing capacity to read, often because of head trauma or stroke that affects the left side of the brain. It is distinguished by two things:semantic errors and difficulty reading non-words.

By Time of Onset:

Developmental Dyslexia
Developmental dyslexia is not so much a type of dyslexia, it is dyslexia. In fact our definition of it would be the same as our definition of dyslexia generly: Extreme difficulty reading caused by a hereditary, brain based, Phonologic disability. So why do people use the term instead of just saying dyslexia? The simple answer is they are trying to be more specific, distinguishing ‘regular’ dyslexia from the other types of dyslexia. In particular, distinguishuing it from acquired forms of dyslexia that result from stroke or head trauma for example, which often present very differently. For more on developmental dyslexia.

Acquired Dyslexia
This type results from trauma or injury to that part of the brain that controls reading and writing. Late in life this can be the result of a tumor or stroke.

Other Dyslexia Types:

Directional Dyslexia
Directional dyslexia is distinguished by left-right confusion and tendency to become disoriented or lost. The term is also occasionally used to mean confusion with letters such as P and b or d and b, where there is confusion over the ‘direction’ of the letter. Generally, problems with direction are a symptom of dyslexia more than a sub type. Not all dyslexics have this problem.

Math Dyslexia (Dyscalculia)
Math dyslexia or dyscalculia is not, in fact, a type of dyslexia, but we included it here because the term is frequently used. According to the U.S National Center for Learning Disabilities, math dyslexia, or dyscalculia, refers to wide range of lifelong learning disabilities involving math, varies from person to person and affects people differently at different stages of life.
As with reading, when basic math skills are not mastered early, more advanced math becomes extremely difficult. Approximately half of people with dyslexia also have dyscalculia, though far less research has been conducted regarding testing, assessment and remediation.