SPIRAL Foundation at OTA Watertown

If you're a parent, occupational therapist, or other caregiver residing in the United States, Shelley Mulligan PhD, OTR/L FAOTA is seeking assistance for a new developmental, occupational performance assessment for children. She is in need of individuals who are familiar with a child to complete the Children's Occupational Performance Questionnaire (COPQ) about that child. Additionally teens aged 16-19 can complete the COPQ as a self report. Feel free to forward the survey link to others who may find it of interest. Completion of the questionnaire will take about 20 minutes, and Shelley is looking for data on typically developing children and those with disabilities of special needs. For more details or to participate click this link https://buff.ly/3P9yRdp If you have any questions please email shelley.mulligan@unh.edu Posted on behalf of Dr. Shelley Mulligan, University of New Hampshire

Pillow Push! This partner-based activity is a great one to develop postural stability and easy to do at home! Prop yourself up on your elbows and place a couch cushion between yourself and your partner. Lift your legs into a "tabletop" position and push the cushion back and forth between you and your partner. Try counting how many times you can push it back and forth or try pushing it to the beat of your favorite song! Need some extra postural support? Place a couple of pillows behind your back to help stabilize your upper body. This video depicts two people in a semi-reclined position, using their legs to balance pushing a square cushion back and forth between them. #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #OTactivity #pediatricOTactivity #athomeOT

Weekly Article March 2nd: The Gestalt of functioning in autism revisited: First revision of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Sets. Per the abstract, strengths and challenges autistic people experience as well as facilitators and barriers of the environment contribute to how this population function and cope on an everyday basis. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was developed by the World Health Organization to aid in "research and practice to assess people’s situations and plan support measures." In 2019, the measure was adapted to autism to develop "Core Sets," which are currently undergoing their first revision since introduction with information based on research, developmental results, and community feedback. Contents related to sensory processing were added and it is suggested that these Core Sets continue to be reviewed and revised to best reflect and support the autistic community. Interested in a review of the full article? Click the link in our bio for FREE access! #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #autism #ICF #ASD

Bopper Battle! This activity is great to work on postural stability, bilateral coordination and visual vestibular integration (VVI)! Stabilize a yoga ball in a tire (pillows can work too), grab a soft bopper or bat, and swing at a target! Decrease the postural challenge by kneeling on a stable surface or decrease the VVI challenge by choosing a target that doesn’t swing. This game is also a fun peer activity, with both people on their high knees and hitting boppers to knock each other off. Make sure there are lots of pillows around for safety and have fun! This video depicts a person kneeling on a stabilized yoga ball and hitting a tether ball with a foam bat. #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #OTactivity #pediatricOTactivity #Posture #posturalcontrol #bilateralcoordination #VVI #visualvestibularintegration

Hammock Basketball! 🏀 🏀 🏀 This activity uses two canvas hammocks each suspended from one point. Hammocks should be at least 5 feet apart to ensure safety (the hammocks in our video are closer for demonstration purposes only!). Once each person is prone in the hammock, the players attempt to throw beanie babies or lightweight balls into the other person’s hammock. Each person should use their arms to move their hammock to retrieve the beanie babies or balls and aim for the other person's. Lying prone in the hammock is a great way to activate the extensor muscles against gravity while the hammock provides organizing deep touch pressure. This activity also requires grading of force when throwing each item. Modify this activity by throwing various types of items, beanie babies, light weight balls, or bean bags. This activity can also be modified by changing positions in the hammock or using a swing that provides more postural support. This video depicts two people lying on their stomachs in two separate suspended hammocks. They are attempting to throw beanie babies and lightweight balls into each other's hammocks. #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #OTactivity #pediatricOTactivity

Weekly Article February 24th: Alternative Approaches for the Management of Autism: A Narrative Review. Per the abstract, autism is identified as a neurodevelopmental condition that has become increasingly more recognized in recent history. Due to the prevalence of autism, it is now increasingly important to review and identify supportive and effective alternative approaches to management of the differences that autistic individuals often experience. This study reviewed 13 types of intervention that had an impact on the implications of autism, including play therapy, music therapy, social skills training, and sensory integration. It is reported that music and play therapy provided the "most beneficial effect in mitigating the symptoms to an extent." This review is important as it highlights sensory integration as an option for intervention, although further evidence is needed to support its efficacy. Interested in a full review of the article? Click the link in our bio for access options! #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #autism #ASD Sensoryintegrationtheory #sensoryintegrationtherapy #SIT

Ball Sweep! This simple activity is great for working on a number of skills, such as midline crossing and projected actions! Just grab a broom and some balls and you're ready to play! Have a partner roll balls towards the "sweeper" and the sweeper has to move the broom across their body (not forwards) to hit the oncoming balls. Decrease the challenge by using larger balls, such as beach balls, and move at a slower pace. Increase the challenge by using different sized ball and having them roll at rapid fire! Add in themes to make it even more fun! Are you a hockey player scoring goals? Is your home being invaded by slime that you have to knock away? Have fun! This video depicts a person standing and using a broom to sweep in a lateral fashion to "sweep" the balls being rolled towards them away. #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #OTactivity #pediatricOTactivity #athomeOT

Yoga Ball Bump! Rhythmic, linear swinging is highly regulating for the nervous system. Adding in a yoga ball to push off against to propel the swing back and forth adds in additional proprioceptive input, which is typically organizing, too! Set up any type of swing (here we are using a glider swing!) and wedge a yoga ball between heavy pieces of equipment to stabilize it or have a second person holding it steady. Push against the yoga ball with your feet to propel the swing. Don’t be fooled! Figuring out the motor plan to create this rhythmic movement is not easy. Grade the activity by having the therapist hold the ball and move/add pressure against the client’s feet as needed! This video depicts a person sitting sideways on a swing and using their feet to push off of a large, stablized yoga ball to propel the sing back and forth. #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #OTactivity #pediatricOTactivity

📣 📣 FREE Continuing Education Opportunity!! 📣 📣 Please join our colleagues at Cicero Therapies for their next clinical roundtable event on Tuesday, February 27th, at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST for a lecture and discussion with Carol Westby, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, on Using Ethnographic Interviewing to Promote Cultural Responsiveness. Dr. Carol Westby is a consultant for Bilingual Multicultural Services in Albuquerque, NM and holds an affiliated appointment in Communication Disorders at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. She is a fellow of the American-SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association (ASHA), has received the Honors of ASHA was awarded the Kleffner Lifetime Clinical Achievement Award, and holds Board Certification in Child Language and Language Disorders. Dr. Westby has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Geneva College as well as the University of Iowa's Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology and the ASHA Award for Contributions to Multicultural Affairs. She has published and presented nationally and internationally on theory of mind, narrative/expository development and facilitation, adverse childhood experiences/trauma, qualitative methodologies, assessment and facilitation of written language, metacognition/executive function/ADHD, and issues in assessment and intervention with culturally/linguistically diverse populations. Dr. Westby has a B.A. in English from Geneva College and an M.A. and P.h.D. in Speech Pathology from the University of Iowa. Course Objectives: 🔸Describe biological and cultural differences in child development and child rearing practices 🔸Give examples of descriptive and structural questions 🔸Describe principles of good question-asking 🔸Explain the function of “third space” This discussion is approved for 1.5 hours of AOTA and ASHA continuing education credits. Link in our bio to join live via Zoom! #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #speechtherapy #SLP #Continuingdeducation #OTContinuingeducation #SLPContinuingeducation

Weekly Article February 17th: Studying the Specificity of Research Reporting for Ayres Sensory Integration® Interventions in the Published Literature: A Scoping Review. Per the abstract, there is an identified gap between research research publications and clinical implementation due to the lack of specificity of reported findings. The goal of this scoping review was to “determine which elements of specificity are most often present and omitted from research using Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI),” to support further research publications in reporting information in ways that make replication of the “mechanism of agent-” the reason behind the action or decision, more accessible. It was found that the mechanism of agent was often omitted, while the “ingredients” of the studies, such as the actions of the therapist, are typically included. Interested in a full article review? Check out access options via AJOT at the link on our bio! #spiralfoundation #sensoryprocessing #sensoryprocessingdifferences #spd #sensoryhealth #sensoryprocessingresearch #occupationaltherapy #OT #Ayressensoryintegration #AyresSI #ASI