Starfish Therapies
Starfish Therapies Newsletter
February Fun!
February 2014
Volume 62
In This Issue
Updates
Just for Fun
Speech and Language
Feeding Fun!
I can do it, you can do it!
Starfish Updates
Valentine's Day

Magnets:  We are so excited about our company magnets!  They can be used on your car, your refrigerator or anywhere they will stick!  Let us know if you would like one or just pick some up when you are visiting the clinic.

Other Stuff... 
We have had a few staffing changes occur.  We are excited to welcome Kendra Becker to our Front Office and Rachel Meinel as our newest Occupational Therapist.  We'll have their bios up and running on our website soon!

Blogs:  Here are our most recent blog posts and some of our most popular this last month:
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Just For Fun


 
Scarves and Executive Function

With the Polar Vortex and cold weather throughout most of the country, I thought this was a great post.  It looks at ways to tie scarves and how it can improve executive function.  What a great way to make keeping warm and looking good educational!
Speech and Language

swinging  

A Great Resource

 

Playing With Words 365 published another great resource.  They looked at the importance of play in the development of Speech and Language skills.  Please take a moment to check it out.

 



Welcome back! Enjoy reading this month for some strategies to make meal time less stressful and much more!

Feeding Fun for Everyone!      

 

 

Whether it's someone who would rather eat macaroni and cheese 365 days a year than try something green, someone who's idea of an exotic meal is a PB&J with crunchy Jif or someone who just doesn't like the look of most foods, everyone knows at least one picky eater. Most finicky feeders are choosiest during childhood and grow out of their habits and into healthy, well-nourished adults over time. While it's comforting to know that there is likely light at the end of the tunnel, having a picky eater can be stressful for the entire family.

Mealtime, considered by many to be a relaxing highlight of the day, often becomes a time of strained patience and stubborn resolve on both sides of the spoon. Parents waver between keeping the peace around the table and ensuring that their child does not consist on chicken nuggets alone and children begin to dread dinnertime like a chemistry test. This scenario is not uncommon. Picky eaters are prevalent and more often than not are able to become more adventurous eaters as they get older. In the meantime, there are ways to make mealtimes a little more bearable for everyone involved. Food can indeed be fun.

 

Exposure is Everything:

Many choosy feeding habits are derived from some kind of fear. Whether it's a flavor, texture or smell issue, something about these 'no way' foods is scary to our picky eater. The best way to get over these fears is through many small, repeated interactions with these foods, no matter how low-key. Consistently serve picky eaters a very tiny portion of every 'family food' at meals whenever possible. Make it clear to the child that they do not need to eat the food, but they are expected to tolerate it on the plate. From here more challenging interactions with food can be encouraged (smelling, touching, kissing etc.)  

 

Play is Placating:

Playing with food is often the first step in eliminating fear. Create messy activities involving some less-favored foods that focus solely on getting the child to interact with what they normally do not eat. Put some food coloring in yogurt and finger paint, make shapes out of wet noodles, find ways to make the food about the activity and not about the eating. Should some spontaneous snacking occur, fantastic!  

 

Start Small:

Try to build bridges to new foods based on what your child already enjoys. If they enjoy raw apples, consider other crunchy sweet fruits like pears or melon. The leap from chicken nuggets to smoked salmon is probably too overwhelming, but fish sticks might be manageable. Remember that these changes, while humble to onlookers, are huge for kids.  

 

Variety Variety Variety:

One common side effect of picky eating is 'food jagging', tiring of and eliminating foods that are eaten too often. It happens to all of us, but it can be particularly dangerous for picky eaters who already have a limited diet. Encourage your child to help make their favorite foods a bit different every day. Maybe cut fruits up in a different way, add some food coloring, or sprinkle on a little cheese. These small changes can be the difference between keeping a food in the repertoire and kicking it to the curb.  

 

Patience and Practice: Growing into a more adventurous eater is a long process. The fears and aversions that children have developed have been ingrained for years, and breaking these habits will take time. Consistently making an effort to slowly challenge these fears will indeed pay off.

 

 

I Can Do It, You Can Do It! 
 

 

I can do it, you can do it! is a campaign developed by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition to encourage children and adults of all ability levels to lead healthy lifestyles. Physical activity and nutrition starting at a young age help establish healthy habits that carry over into adulthood; however, children and adults with disabilities don't have the same opportunities to be active. The President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition reports that individuals with disabilities are half as active as other individuals resulting in higher obesity rates in this population.

 

I can do it, you can do it! trains advocates or role models with in the community to provide children and adults with opportunities to improve their nutrition and physical activity. In order to do this, advocates in the community work with individuals participating in the program to set physical activity and nutrition goals specific to the child or adult they are working with. Goals are tailored the participants ability levels and interests. These goals can be created and worked on at home, at school, or during therapies. Individuals participating in the program earn award certificates signed by the president acknowledging their progress and achievements.

 

For more information on I can do it, you can do it! please visit the website

 

 

Thank you for reading, have a great month! See you back here soon! 
Sincerely,
 

Your Friends at
Starfish Therapies