Starfish Therapies
Starfish Therapies Newsletter
Happy May!May 2012
Volume 42
In This Issue
Updates
Out and About
Just For Fun
Family Role in Therapy
If the Shoe Fits
Starfish Updates
starfish
Blog: Check out our most recent blog posts!  This month we wrote about the fun you can have with Pop Tubes, benefits of Prone Swings, playing with Water Balloons, benefits of Squatting and Ideas to encourage squatting, how to maximize learning Movement, playing with Suction Cup Balls, using Environment to affect movement, Bilibo and head control, playing with Bubbles, Kinesthetic learning, kids Influence on us,and Multi-tasking

Our video series looked at:
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Out and About
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Summer - With summer rapidly approaching I thought I would look for some lists of things to do with kids over the summer.  Here are a few I found:
Just For Fun
 
 
Duck Duck Moose has a new app out - Trucks!  This new app offers kids several different activities featuring cars such as a tow truck, a car wash, garbage and recycling, a car parade, and a bull dozer and dump truck.
Greetings!

Welome back! Check out what is new with Starfish Therapies and get some good tips for summer shoes! Enjoy!
What Role Does the Family Play in Therapy?  

At Starfish Therapies we strive to include families in all aspects of a child's time in therapy from incorporating goal areas to help them improve their safety and ability to participate in tasks at home, to providing tips and exercises to perform at home to help reinforce ideas and areas that are being worked on during therapy sessions. We love working with the families of our kiddos and see you as an active member of the treatment team!

 

mom and baby

Parents and families have the primary role in their child's development. The pediatric PT and OT collaborate with the family to promote development and implement an individualized intervention program for the child. Families are supported through coordination of services, advocacy, and assistance to enhance the development of their child. This can include:

 

* Positioning during daily routines and activities

* Adapting toys for play

* Expanding mobility options

* Using equipment effectively

* Facilitating safety for the home and community

* Providing information on the child's physical and health care needs

* Smoothing transitions from early childhood to school and into adult life

 

Taken from The ABCs of Pediatric Physical Therapy-Section on Pediatrics, APTA 2009

 

 

 


If the Shoe Fits...  

 

walker

Summer is around the corner which means kiddos will be out and about running and playing and their feet will need to be supported and protected! 

 

Children's shoes should provide good cushioning, protection, and support for all of the activities they engage in throughout the day. Shoes should be wide enough to fit the child's foot and have enough room in the toe-box to reduce crowding and curling which can lead to pain and skin breakdown. Be sure to check the heel for minimal up and down slippage to prevent blisters and the likelihood that the shoe will fly off! The arch of the shoe should be moderately rigid with increased flexibility across the ball of the foot to allow for the emerging heel-toe gait pattern in toddlers. A shoe with too rigid of a sole may lead to increased foot drag and clumsiness. A high-top sneaker may be beneficial for kiddos who have trouble keeping their shoes on! 

 

It is better to shop for children's shoes later in the day since our feet expand throughout the day and this will ensure a proper fit. Be sure to talk to your child's physical therapist about any other questions you may have about choosing shoes!


 

 

Thank you for reading this month.  See you in June!
 
Sincerely,
 

Your Friends at
Starfish Therapies