Parents of Children Labeled as Disruptive in School Find Help at STAR Center

School can be a challenging time for children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). STAR Center helps parents uncover underlying neurological issues for their children struggling with behavior problems and poor social skills at school. 

 Denver, Colo. (PRWEB) November 15, 2012 

by Janice Roetenberg 

303-726-3232

Listen Up: Abnormality In Auditory Processing Underlies Dyslexia

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239620.php

Listen Up: Abnormality In Auditory Processing Underlies Dyslexia

     Cell Press. (2012, January 2). "Listen Up: Abnormality In Auditory Processing Underlies Dyslexia." Medical News Today.

People with dyslexia often struggle with the ability to accurately decode and identify what they read. Although disrupted processing of speech sounds has been implicated in the underlying pathology of dyslexia, the basis of this disruption and how it interferes with reading comprehension has not been fully explained. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the December 22 issue of the journal Neuron finds that a specific abnormality in the processing of auditory signals accounts for the main symptoms of dyslexia.

"It is widely agreed that for a majority of dyslexic children, the main cause is related to a deficit in the processing of speech sounds," explains senior study author, Dr. Anne-Lise Giraud and Franck Ramus from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. "It is also well established that there are three main symptoms of this deficit: difficulty paying attention to individual speech sounds, a limited ability to repeat a list of pseudowords or numbers, and a slow performance when asked to name a series of pictures, colors, or numbers as quickly as possible. However, the underlying basis of these symptoms has not been elucidated."

Dr. Giraud and colleagues examined whether an abnormality in the early steps of auditory processing in the brain, called "sampling," is linked with dyslexia by focusing on the idea that an anomaly in the initial processing of phonemes, the smallest units of sound that can be used to make a word, might have a direct impact on the processing of speech.

The researchers found that typical brain processing of auditory rhythms associated with phonemes was disrupted in the left auditory cortex of dyslexics and that this deficit correlated with measures of speech sound processing. Further, dyslexics exhibited an enhanced response to high-frequency rhythms that indirectly interfered with verbal memory. It is possible that this "oversampling" might result in a distortion of the representation of speech sounds.

"Our results suggest that the left auditory cortex of dyslexic people may be less responsive to modulations at very specific frequencies that are optimal for analysis of speech sounds and overly responsive to higher frequencies, which is potentially detrimental to their verbal short-term memory abilities," concludes Dr. Giraud. "Taken together, our data suggest that the auditory cortex of dyslexic individuals is less fine-tuned to the specific needs of speech processing."


Kasting Connections' Perspective:

This brief article states what I've known to be true for a while.  What it doesn't state is that there are some ways to improve auditory processing.

In the clinic setting, I have been successful in using a three prong approach:

1)  Occupational Therapy -Sensory Integration Approach:

     Find an occupational therapist that has been trained in Sensory Integration, maybe through The STAR Center in Denver, Colorado via a mentor ship given by the top O.T. in the field, Dr. Lucy Jane Miller or maybe through S.I.P.T training. The O.T. should have sought out extra training that what was given in school. Ask about their experience, look at their sensory gym space. It should have at least 6 to 8 ceiling hooks that equipment can hang from and rotate 360 degrees. Their gym should have many options available for fine motor, gross motor, auditory processing, visual processing, etc. Ask if they are trained in astronaut training through Dr. Sheila Frick (Vital Links) which uses a spinning protocol to help the vestibular system improve along with the connection to eye movement needed for reading!

2)  Use of Listening Therapy:

      The use of Listening Therapy retrains the brain how to take in sensory information through all the senses and teaches the brain how to efficiently process the sensory information.  We have had great success with students of all ages.  There are several listening therapies out there; I would recommend the use of 3:  Vital Links,  Samonas, and Integrated Listening Systems.

3)  Direct Academic intervention:

     I have used Phonological Awareness Kit from Lingui Systems as a step to help students with auditory discrimination issues.  In conjunction with that curriculum, I have used Earobics Software for all ages to give students an engaging way to work on auditory processing skills. If that software is too expensive for you, a reasonable alternative is Hear Builder: Phonological Awareness through Super Duper Publications.

Good Luck and let me know how your interventions are working!

10 Signs A Child Needs Occupational Therapy

http://nspt4kids.com/therapy/10-signs-in-the-classroom-suggesting-a-student-may-benefit-from-occupational-therapy/

Signs Classroom Teachers Should Look For


by ANNE SCHMIDT on MAY 21, 2012

A teacher’s job can become very hectic when trying to help each child with their own specific challenges. An occupational therapist (ot) can be an excellent resource and adjunct to helping students overcome challenges and excel in the classroom. Here are a few tips to help a teacher identify if a child could benefit from an occupational therapy evaluation and treatment. (This is by no means a complete list of behaviors or challenges in the classroom that an OT can help with.)

10 SIGNS A CHILD NEEDS OT:

1. The child is a bystander or observer on the playground and rarely tries out the equipment independently.
2. The child has poor posture while sitting in a chair at the table and during situations of unsupported sitting, for example, during circle time the child is observed to roll or move around a lot on the floor.
3. The child has a difficult time walking in line or being close to other children. The child appears to be irritated by touch from other people but frequently touches things themselves.
4. The child frequently chooses the same familiar game or activity and avoids learning new motor activities or games.
5. The child avoids fine motor activities. They have difficulty manipulating small objects, using scissors, demonstrate an abnormal pencil grip, or their hand tires easily during fine motor tasks. The child may press too hard or too light on the paper when writing.
6. The child seems to have more difficulty than peers putting on their coat, putting on and tying shoes, and buttoning.
7. The child has trouble putting together puzzles or finding a specific object in the classroom.
8. The child frequently runs into things in the classroom, falls to the floor, or purposely crashes into things or people.
9. The child has more trouble than their peers writing in their assignment notebook, keeping their desk and folders organized, and turning in assignments on time.
10. The child takes excessive risks and frequently demonstrates decreased safety awareness.

If you see any of these behaviors or characteristics in the kids you know, every-day life may be more difficult to get through for them than for other children, and is going to affect their success in school. Help these kids by seeking out an occupational therapist for techniques and strategies to improve their academic success and overall daily performance. Also, it is important to note that many children will exhibit the above behaviors and may or may not require Occupational Therapy (OT) intervention therefore it is important to consult with an OT first.

Why It's So Hard for Children to Sit Still...

...and What You Can Do About It!

Add caption

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 from Minds In Bloom Blog

Minds in Bloom is so very honored to welcome guest blogger Loren Shlaes, a registered pediatric occupational therapist and regular contributor to the special needs blog at Pediastaff. This is the first in a series of post from Loren about how to help students who may be challenged with attention, sensory, or other issues be successful in the classroom. Most likely, you have at least a few students with these challenges every year, but even if you don't, the information in these posts are relevant to all teachers.

This first post focuses on something that most teachers struggle with around this time of the year...helping students to pay attention! I learned a great deal from this article, and I am sure you will too!

If You Want Children to Sit Still, You Have to Let Them Move

Children need to move their bodies in order to be able to stay focused and to learn. A good thing to remember is that a nerve in the inner ear, called the vestibular nerve, serves to tell the body how upright, aroused, and present to be in direct response to movement. The only way to activate the vestibular nerve so that it can do its job is to move.

Normally, a small amount of movement, like a quick stretch and turn of the head, will make the nerve fire and talk to the muscles. When children are fidgeting and finding it difficult to stay still, they are unconsciously attempting to activate that nerve in the inner ear to improve their ability to sit up and focus.

Are Your Students in the Just Right State or in a Sensory Needs State?

When we are forced to sit still for long periods, we are either in one of two states: the just right state, meaning that our bodies can support our ability to stay present by remaining effortlessly aroused and upright, or in a sensory needs state, which means that we cannot attend because our bodies need something to help our brains stay alert and ready to learn. The just right state doesn't last long when we are forced to sit without moving, unless what is happening in the room is highly interesting and engages our full attention. Attention spans in young children are quite short. Most of the time, they require constant movement and novelty to stay engaged.

Some children don’t have responsive vestibular nerves. If a child has had a series of ear infections, for example, and has had tubes placed in his ears, his vestibular nerve may not fire with just a little bit of movement. His vestibular system requires a great deal more intensity before it will respond and tell his muscles to sit up. This child will have an especially hard time sitting for long periods without being allowed to get up.

 

How Can I Keep My Classroom Alert and Focused?

Think of movement as quick bursts of brain fuel, and try to top off your students’ tanks frequently. Transitions should always be accompanied by some sort of structured movement activity as a class. Perhaps a quick “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with the accompanying gestures, or put on some rhythmic music and lead the class in a round of old fashioned calisthenics, like pushups, toe touches, or jumping jacks. Accompany this with a drink of water and the children will be able to stay much more alert and in the right physical state for learning. You’ll feel pretty good, yourself!

If you teach the children to recognize when their attention is flagging and they need to do something for themselves in order to stay present, they will have the tools to recognize when they drifting out of the just right state and into the sensory needs zone. They can then employ a discreet sensory tool to get themselves back.

Here are some suggestions for things that students can do at their seats to help them pay attention:

• play with a fidget toy
• suck a hard candy
• stretch
• squeeze and relax all of your muscles
• rub your hands on your legs
• give yourself a big hug
• quietly blow out all of your breath and hold it, then let the next breath come rushing in.
• For a child who needs to chew to stay grounded, a few inches of clear plastic fish tank tubing on the end of his pencil is easy and discreet. This can be easily and inexpensively purchased in a pet store or hardware store. If the child doesn't like the flavor, you can soak it in vanilla extract for a day or two.

Here is an easy way to make a great fidget toy: take a good, thick balloon, and, using a funnel, put some cornstarch and a big squirt of glue inside. Knot it up and massage it until the cornstarch and glue are mixed.

If the child requires more intensity than what he can get from sitting in his seat, he can get up and get a drink of water, or do an errand for the teacher (Carrying a box of books to the principal’s office is great exercise).

Disc-O-Sit cushions are another very nice way for a child to be able to sit still at his desk and wiggle around at the same time. Making a few cushions available for anyone who wants them will allow the children who really need them to gravitate towards them without feeling singled out.

Advice from the OT will appear on Minds in Bloom each Wednesday for the next six weeks. Next week's post will be about helping your students to attend during circle time.

Loren Shlaes is a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration, handwriting remediation and school related issues. She is also a manual therapist and a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. Her site won the "favorite resource for therapists" poll conducted by yourtherapysource.com. Her writing has been featured on Parents.com, and she is a regular contributor to the special needs blog at Pediastaff. She is in private practice in Manhattan.

The Motor Story Blog: A Great Calming and Organizing Activity!

http://www.themotorstory.com/The_Motor_Story/Blog/Entries/2012/1/23_Blanket_Roll-Ups.html

Blanket Roll Ups!

By Jill Mills, O.T

 

I work with children of all shapes, sizes and areas of difficulty. “Blanket Roll-Ups” is an activity all children love! It is simple and requires nothing more than a favorite blanket, a carpeted floor (or mat) and a caregiver’s strong arms.

This activity taps into all sensory areas so it is a hugely integrating activity.

Here’s why:

1.  The chosen blanket should provide comfortable tactile (or touch) input. It is important that the child helps choose the blanket for just this reason!

2.  As the child rolls up, the muscles and joints have to work, especially if the child is able to roll up independently. This stimulates proprioceptor and kinesthetic nerves, which in turn activate organizing parts of the brain.

3.  Unrolling the child, especially if done quickly, stimulates the vestibular system; another organizing system for the brain.

4.  Adding “Get Ready, Get Set, Go!” activates the auditory (hearing) and language centers.

5.  With the head peeking through, the eyes see a whirl of input flashing by as the child rolls out of the blanket.

This is how you do it:

 

1.Have the child choose a favorite blanket-this is important because you want the touch input to be soothing and comfortable for the child.

2.Spread the blanket out over a rug or mat. Be sure any potential obstacles are out of the way.

3.Ask the child to lie down parallel to the end of the blanket-perpendicular to the length.

4.If the child can roll independently, help the child roll up while holding onto the blanket so it wraps around the child’s body. Make sure the head is peeking through at the end of the blanket.

5.Once the child is rolled up like a hot dog, say “Get ready, Get set, Go!” At “Go” pull on the end of the blanket so the child rolls out.

Special Considerations and Extensions to the Activity:

1.If the child is unable to roll yet, provide help, gently rolling the child up. This is a good time to add a little extra tactile input such as deep rubbing as you roll.

2.Explain how the child should position himself on the blanket then watch how the child approaches this. There is a motor planning and spatial demand to positioning the body correctly. If the child cannot do this independently (and many children can not), then give additional verbal cues as to where the head and feet should be. The last resort is to actually place the child’s body correctly if s/he cannot figure this out independently.

3.If the child is tentative about movement, then initially unroll the child slowly and gently. As the child becomes accustom to the movement you can speed it up.

4.As a language exercise, have the child say “Go!” or the whole “Get ready...”

 

“Blanket Roll-Ups” is great to do anytime. The rolling up is a “heavy work activity,” which helps to calm and organize the child. The unrolling can “wake up” the body, especially if it is done quickly. Along with providing great sensory input, the action requires work from the core muscles, so it’s great for physical fitness as well.

With the winter weather (finally) upon us, whether it’s rain or snow, this activity works well when the kids need a little exercise. It’s a great activity to incorporate into the bedtime routine as well, right before the bath and story time. Don’t do it immediately before “lights out” as the child might still be a little too energized by the activity.

You can transfer this to summer time outside fun as the weather improves. Beach blankets on the sand and picnic blankets on soft grass work well. There’s hope! Summer is only 5 months away!