RecyclingOT

I had no idea how smart Micky was! He is blind, developmentally disabled, on the autistic spectrum and only uses a handful of words. When he first entered the day program 4 years ago, Micky refused to touch any objects. His tactile defensiveness is so severe that he receives nutrition via a G-tube because he does not tolerate food inside his mouth. I designed activities that were simple to perform and tolerable to touch. Objects are plastic, wooden or rubber because he dislikes soft textures. I initially designed activities to require force so that Micky would 1) Strengthen his hands 2) Receive deep pressure (proprioceptive) sensory stimulation Micky typically has his fingers in his ears because he is also sensitive to auditory stimuli. Notice how flat his hands are. He has had little experience squeezing objects and strengthening his intrinsic hand muscles! Over time Micky became very good at pushing golf balls through a hole in a bucket and a few other similar tasks. He now tolerates touching materials made of fabric. Now the exciting part! I had a different client in mind when I brought over the hole puncher, but decided to give Micky a turn. He learned how to perform this complex multi-step task given hand over hand assistance and auditory cues. He followed all of my verbal directions so well that after 30 minutes of training, he was able to perform the following steps with only verbal cues: 1) Find a round shape and put it into the puncher 2) Reposition the shape as needed so that it is pushed into place 3) Left fingers stabilize the shape while right hand pushes the handle down 4) Right hand brings handle back up 5) Feel the plastic piece to make sure it has a hole in it 6) Repeat if the hole is missing 7) Place the shape into the container Work is cancelled next week due to the corona virus but I bet my friend, Micky will be independently performing this task after a few more trainings. He LOVES the intellectual challenge of sequencing complex steps and that this task is FUNCTIONAL. We will be using the plastic money shapes for stringing and on hook boards. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

Hiking down and up the Grand Canyon is not only thrilling, it’s a total sensory experience that any occupational therapist would want to share! The colorful scenery is visual candy! I spend much of my life reading books so having grandiose views is a therapeutic break for my eyes. I naturally moved my gaze back and forth between near vision (watching my feet so that I didn't trip) and far vision. This is great if you have challenges with binocular vision like I do. It was a living 3 D viewer! I love the smells, including mule dropping which are not nearly as bad as dog waste. Of course, the air also provides sensational olfactory stimulation, too! I love the taste of Arizona water. I filter the water I drink at home because I don’t like the taste, so I really appreciated my frequent gustatory hydration experiences on the trails. When not chatting with hubby and other trekkers, I loved the sounds of silence, occasionally interrupted by the auditory stimulation of running streams, the Colorado River and wildlife. Carrying a backpack provides that same proprioceptive stimulation to muscles and joints that therapists love to talk about. Fortunately, I only carried my clothing, snacks and water because the Phantom Ranch provided shelter and meals. I love not having to cook…..I had opportunities for tactile stimulation when I bonded with a resting mule and discovered how painful it is to accidentally touch a cactus! My vestibular system had a good work out with the ups and downs and turning around to take in the 360 degree views. Now let’s not forget about the interoception sensory system! It was very much on my mind as I thought about food, drinking, my aches and pains, respiration and needing an out house is. Learn about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.fromflappingtofunction.com

My client is a very sweet woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury and has limited hand function. She told me that she likes this activity because it develops her "eye-hand coordination". I adapted a magnetic wand by wrapping it in soft fabric so that it is comfortable while at the same time opening up her hand. The active movement and grasping shown in the video appears to decrease pain, stiffness and enables her to engage in functional movements. This adaptation may be helpful for patients with spasticity due to cerebral palsy or other conditions. Learn more about activity adaptations at http://www.RecyclingOT.com

I don't recommend getting this close to alligators but they were quite busy sunbathing. Actually, we weren't as close as it seems. I love the wildlife at Myakka River Park in Florida! http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com

This client is nonverbal but wants to communicate. He frequently pulls on the staff’s sleeves and places their hand on top of his head to indicate wanting it rubbed. He also likes cookies and music. The speech therapist taped the 3 pictures onto the table so that they are always available to use to communicate his desires. He is still learning to point to a picture rather than pull on someone’s sleeves but with consistency and practice, he is learning how to use a communication board. Over time, new pictures will be added. As the video shows, he clearly enjoys exercising his skills to ask for what he wants. Not shown: his smiling face! Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

Someone gave me an old yoga mat. My clients scrubbed it clean! It is perfect to cut up for fine-motor activities because it has a fun texture and is easy to bend and manipulate while at the same time not flimsy. I cut notches in the green mat panels to either insert or remove the large popsicle sticks that happen to have phrases printed on them. Several of my clients enjoy reading them and the phrase topics may be used to initiate a discussion. Clients of different abilities can be involved in the same group when some clients read the phrases and others insert them into containers. There are many ways to individualize these activities. For example: 1) Some clients will only remove the sticks, which is easier than inserting 2) Use a container with a large opening or a small slot in the lid for inserting 3) Use smaller or larger sticks or similar objects 4) Cut larger slits in the yoga mat to make insertions easier 5) Provide a bag to hold materials located across the room to incorporate movement as the client walks to reach it. 6) Place materials in a box on the floor to involve high/low movements as clients transfer and insert the sticks 7) Adapt to involve color matching of sticks to yoga mat panel pieces 8) Use flimsier materials to make more challenging 9) Instead of using yoga mat, use different textured panels for tactile stimulation 10) Color code or number to match sticks and panel pieces 11) Set up a work station with different jobs so that clients work together to read the sticks, insert, place in a bag…. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

Many of my clients enjoy pushing golf balls into a small opening in a bucket lid. This takes force and provides sensory stimulation. I built onto that activity so that they work with a partner as one person inserts balls into the tube and the other person retrieves it and then pushes it into the hole. The individuals in the video range from young adult to elderly and non-ambulatory to very active. This activity promotes bilateral hand skills, sequencing and social skills. Learn more about activity adaptations at http://www.RecyclingOT.com

Many children and adults with Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) find weighted vests, blankets, collars and lap pads to be calming. This video demonstrates one of my clients enjoying the sensation of wearing a backpack filled with bottles of sand. I also stuffed a dog toy inside so that she can enjoy deep pressure fun when pressing against a wall to make it squeak. She is often flapping her arms around so I added the socks to pull or hold onto for additional movement and deep pressure sensory stimulation Learn more about activity adaptations on my website: http://www.RecyclingOT.com

It is fun to string these washers because they look and feel great! Washers are perfect for children or adults with coordination challenges because they are easy to grasp and won't roll away when dropped. I use thick fabric instead of flimsy string to further promote success. My clients need to use force to push the washers all the way down the fabric strip. Use of force provides sensory stimulation to the muscles and joints in the hands helping children with sensory processing disorders be more aware of their hands and how to use them. The washers get heavy after a while and weight also provides sensory stimulation. Please note that I attached the stringing fabric to cord tied around the table so that the materials cannot be thrown. Washer stringing is repetitive and often calming and as you see in the video some people love the teamwork! Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://.www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com

Its always a thrill to come across deer at Myakka River State Park. Please visit my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com

Here's a fun fine-motor activity that's great for all ages. I attached wiffle balls to a plastic bottle and provided lots of tie wraps to insert through. They look like spider legs to me and my clients loved the idea of making "spiders". I punched holes all over the bottle to insert the removed tie wraps and cut an opening on the bottom of the bottle to make removing them easy. My client shown in the video chose to insert the tie wraps into the top of the bottle. You may choose to keep the cover on if you want the greater challenge of inserting them through holes. Make smaller holes for greater challenge! Options: 1) attach more balls to make the activity last longer 2) Children or clients may choose to make the "spider legs" all the same color. 3) Insert a motorized toothbrush inside the bottle to make the spider shake. 4) Use a larger bottle or attach the wiffle balls to a wall so that materials are at eye level. This will promote visual attention and upright posture. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

The pigs near the rest rooms on the southern Grand Canyon rim didn't seem to mind the tourists. I think the look on the pig's face is funny as he listens to an Asian language. Any ideas on what she is saying? It seems like using selfie sticks and taking photos of young girls sitting precariously on a ledge above the canyon were common in certain cultures! Learn about occupational therapy and activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

My client has difficulty unscrewing tight bottle caps since his right side is weak. I made this jig by cutting the side of a cube shaped container so that the side lays flat on the table. He is able to place his right arm on top of this to stabilize the jig. He needs to push the bottle into the hole using a lot of force and he is really strong since he uses that left side all the time. The bottle does NOT wiggle as he unscrews the cap. He has the option of 1) placing a straw into the bottle and drinking with it inside the jig or 2) removing the bottle after screwing the cap back on loosely. This really is a great way for him to practice using his right arm to assist and maybe it will eventually get stronger. Learn more about activity adaptations at http://www.RecyclingOT.com

Here is a fun way to teach how to tie or untie a knot. I inserted plastic bags of sand inside socks, sleeves or other fabric and tied the pink, fleece fabric strips to them. The fleece is thick and easier to manipulate than thin string. I adapted the activity to require matching the colors or fabric designs on the bags. Carrying heavy bags and all the pulling provides sensory stimulation. The client in the video is quite good at tying and untying the knots. Another client enjoyed most of the steps to this task. However, he has poor motor planning skills and required hand-over-hand assistance to grasp and pull apart the fabric ends to tighten the loose knot that I made. Teaching the last step of a task first is a technique called “backward chaining”. My client experiences success as he completes the easiest and final step in the sequence to knot tying. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://.www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com

Manipulating springs makes a fun sound and feels good. I have incorporated them into insertion and ring stack activities. In the video my clients stack rings onto a cat toy made out of a spring and mouse. I can position it to the client’s side, behind or use while the client is kneeling or standing on a dynamic surface such as a platform swing or horse. The door spring is fun to push also and can be attached to a container to stabilize while "boinking" it or placing rings on top. It takes a lot of force to push and thus, lots of sensory stimulation. Notice that I use small rings when I want to work on using hands together to push and larger rings when working on postural control. I love the versatility of these simple materials! Learn more about activity adaptations at: http://www.RecyclingOT.com

Using vertical surfaces has always been a popular occupational therapy strategy used in school systems and pediatric clinics. I work with adults with developmental disabilities who continue to benefit from vertical plane activities. I notice that in many of the program rooms these fantastic therapeutic materials (AKA white boards) are filled with schedules, photographs and organized to be attractive as well as functional. However I believe that whiteboards can be functional, therapeutic and as well as beautiful! This video demonstrates just one of many simple therapeutic activities that uses 3 common materials: Magnetic white boards, dry erase markers and magnets. Benefits of this activity for young children and/or adults with developmental disabilities include: 1) Visual attention is easier when materials are right in front of the face 2) Standing, reaching high/low and moving back and forth between magnet container and white board is more aerobic than sitting and movement provides sensory stimulation. Unfortunately, many of my clients who are obese and sedentary may find this activity an endurance challenge. 3)Students or clients developing social skills as they work together to perform one of the 3 main steps (i.e. drawing circles, placing or removing magnets and cleaning the board) 4) Learning to clean the board helps them to improve similar motor and daily living skills such as wiping tables or drying trays. 5)This activity encourages using both side of the body at the same time. My client in the wheelchair who had a brain injury avoids using hands together and crossing midline. This activity was fun and fairly simple so he was willing to use one hand to control the wheelchair and the other hand to do the task. 6) This activity can be easily adapted to work on cognitive skills such as color matching, picture identification or counting. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com

These “lollipop” rings are versatile while working on many different motor, cognitive, language and other skills. I have previously shared videos of activities that involve weaving in and out on various boards/shapes or long strands of plastic or fabric textures with slits or holes cut out of them for inserting, stringing or lacing. I share videos below that demonstrate how to make and use these types of activities. This video demonstrates how I simplified the task so that success would be easier. The client simply needs to use his or her hands to stabilize the board or strand and remove the inserted “lollipop”. The lollipop shapes may have small holes so that they can be attached to a pegboard or a larger hole that enables it to be pushed down a ring stack. Perhaps your child or client would like to string them on cord or laced on a board. Adjust the size of the holes according to the client’s or your child’s fine motor control and abilities. I adapted the activity shown in the video to require one client to ask a peer to take the lollipop rings from him and stack them on a tall ring stack. The seated client has cerebral palsy and was working on using his hands together. He was able to slow down his requests to take the pieces and say “please” (not shown in video) as we worked with his friend to take each lollipop ring from him. This activity works on skills to improve 1) Visual attention 2) Following directions/sequencing 3) eye-hand coordination 4) using the weaker hand to stabilize materials 5) balance (when performed standing) 6) reaching/shoulder strengthening (when performed reaching to shoulder height or higher. 7) Vestibular sensory stimulation when moving high/low or across the room to place objects in containers. 8) Proprioception/body awareness to judge how much force to use to push the rings down the tall ring stack 9) Social skills to work with a peer 10) Communication skills to get the peer’s attention in an appropriate manner The following videos demonstrate making and using similar activities: https://rumble.com/v8a017-spiral-lacing-for-individuals-with-developmental-disabilities.html https://rumble.com/v890qy-yoga-mat-manipulation-activity-for-people-with-developmental-disabilities.html https://rumble.com/v4de91-simple-weaving-shapes-for-children-with-autism.html https://rumble.com/v3r4nj-make-your-own-apple-toys-for-preschoolers.html https://rumble.com/v3ih1r-weavable-toys-develop-fine-motor-skills.html Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

A blind client with very good dexterity enjoys attaching the small rings to the crazy straws. She is a pro! This is a great activity for developing motor planning skills and refining dexterity. Some individuals will enjoy color matching. I purchased the straws in a set of 6 different colors. Your child or client may enjoy matching all six colors. Cut the rings out of the vibrant plastic bottles that remain after using detergent or dishwasher soap. These rings can also be used for stringing. I love when materials can be used in more than one way and your child will, too. These rings are very small, so it’s best to use with individuals who do not put objects in their mouths.... Adapt the activity according to your child or client’s needs by 1) Use only 1 color or several if the person wants to color match 2) Position the straws on raised surfaces to promote reaching and upright posture. 3) Bury the rings in a container filled with marbles, pom-poms, beads and other small sensory objects. This will encourage visual and/or tactile exploration as the person finds the rings to stack. 4) Make clay or putty balls. Stick them on the table and push a straw into each. Now the straws are in position to use. Some children or clients will love integrating sensory clay or putty into the activity. Let their imaginations go wild! 5) Try burying the rings inside the clay or putty. This is a great way to strengthen and wake up fingers before performing the crazy ring stack activities. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

My client loves the fan! He is nonverbal, developmentally delayed and has cerebral palsy. I noticed that he has a picture of a fan on his communication board but since it was not summer, there wasn't a fan in the room. I set-up a large button switch that activates a small (safe) fan so that he can turn it on anytime he chooses. He is also able to point to the "fan" picture on his communication board to indicate that he wants the fan and switch set up. Enabling the client to communication what they want and be in control of sensory stimulation such as a fan or music may decrease agitation and increase happiness! Learn more about activity adaptations at: http://www.RecyclingOT.com

A large detergent bottle has a "Sensory Pop Tube" attached to one opening to push/pull rings down. Use shower rings or cut plastic bottles into donut shapes. These are not only free, but also vibrant and won’t break easily. Curly strips are inserted into the other opening. This video demonstrates how to make them: Https://rumble.com/v6l3fv-curly-insertions-develop-motor-planning-skills.html Cut a secret opening on the bottom of the bottle to remove the curly strips. This activity develops the visual perceptual skills to choose whether the plastic pieces either need to be pushed down the tube or inserted into the opening. While developing eye hand coordination, the child or adult with autism or other types of developmental delays will enjoy using force on these materials and the sound of the rings going down the pop tube. Using force stimulates the muscles, joints and tendons helping individuals with sensory processing disorders develop body awareness and motor coordination. Increase the motor planning challenge by twisting the pop tube to bend in different directions! Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com

My clients helped me to make this activity out of my contact lens holders, a plastic container and stickers. I cut lots of slits on all sides of the container. Children or adults with developmental disabilities can enjoy this pull and push activity that works on: 1) stabilizing with one hand 2) strengthening the fingers 3) eye -hand coordination Pulling and pushing using force provides sensory stimulation that many individuals find calming. Optional adaptation: Sorting the colors so that each side of the container has a different color. Learn more about activity adaptations at http://www.RecyclingOT.com

Individuals with sensory processing disorders (SPD) often have decreased hand strength, avoid using their hands together and have poor coordination. This describes many children and adults on the autism spectrum or who have another type of disability. This simple activity encourages using hands together because it is really difficult to perform with one hand! Many people with SPD avoid touching different types of materials but don’t mind plastic. It takes a lot of force to pull these plastic rings off the cord and pulling with force stimulates muscles and joints while strengthening muscles. Adapt for your child or individual: 1) Use rings with larger or smaller holes in the center depending so that they are successful. You can always use rings with smaller holes later as they get stronger. 2) Some of my clients prefer to stand and pace while performing this (See in the video how I tied the cord around my waist while the client pulled the rings off). Other clients prefer sitting at a table or in a chair away from the table. 3) Pulling the rings off takes less motor planning skill and coordination than stringing them on. But some children or clients may be able to or prefer to string. 4) Ring shapes are easier to grasp and manipulate than beads and they don’t roll away. But you may certainly progress onto using large and then smaller beads. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://.www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com

My client has pretty good fine-motor skills! She loves to cut with scissors and name pictures. She is on the autism spectrum and has many sensory processing challenges that result in • frequent rocking and other movement • jumping out of her seat to touch others • easily distracted • difficulty performing complex fine motor tasks such as cutting on lines While it is great that she provides the vestibular (movement) sensory stimulation that her body craves through rocking and bouncing on her cushion, it is not safe or effective to do so while using scissors. In the video you will see the following sensory strategies: • she uses a seat cushion all day to receive extra movement stimulation • I provide deep pressure to her right hand to help her stabilize the straight edge • I press down on her shoulders to decrease rocking movements while using scissors. • She has the option of performing other tasks (not cutting) while seated or standing. I am an occupational therapist and In my book From Flapping to Function: A Parent’s Guide to Hand Skills I explain that flapping and other repetitive movements are fine since they help the person to self-regulate. However, we also want her to learn functional hand skills. Read my book to learn lots of strategies that help children or adults on the autism spectrum to develop hand skills. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.fromflappingtofunction.com

Some children and individuals with disabilities are easily overwhelmed when there are a large number of materials around. The task seems endless! I find that it helps to set up materials so that it’s obvious that the activity won’t last too long and the end is in sight….. Filling up sections in a pill box or other sectioned container is a great for individuals with short attention spans. The pill box shown in the video has 17 sections, but you can find one with less to makes success easier. You may find a different type of container with larger sections that are easier to use. I found the little cylindrical objects in a closet at work. They were just the right size to fill the pill box sections. I directed clients to place color stickers on each object and matching stickers in the container sections. In addition, they attached Velcro to each object. Now my materials were ready and I spent very little money! Some children or clients may not have the cognitive skills to match colors. But when they do, they love using these skills. In the video you will see an individual who enjoys matching the objects to the same color section in the container. However, the activity can also be used with people who do not color match or individuals who prefer to attach the objects to a long, suspended strip of Velcro. Reaching for the Velcro incorporates movement/exercise into the activity. Many of my clients are quite sedentary, so I try to set up materials to involve either moving high/low, across the room or both. If the individual is unable to stand, try setting up with the Velcro strip raised or suspended within reach or on top of the table. Simply ripping objects off Velcro promotes using hands together because its difficult to do with only one hand. Many people enjoy the sensory experience of ripping or pulling apart objects using force. Another adaptation is to use number or alphabet stickers instead of colors. Then individuals can show off their cognitive abilities. Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com

Children and adults with autism and/or other types of developmental disabilities will be motivated to pull these home-made “spring rings” as they stretch them over a ring stack or pull them off objects (i.e. ring stacks or suspended cord) to insert into container openings. Pulling on these springy spirals is fun to watch and stimulates the skin, joints and muscles in the process. Manipulating these rings promotes using hands together and motor planning skills. Children with or without disabilities will enjoy all this sensory stimulation and children who avoid touching objects may find them irresistible! Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog: http://www.RecyclingOT.com http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com