Starfish Therapies
Starfish Therapies Newsletter

Back to School!
 

September 2015
Volume 81
In This Issue
Starfish Updates
Motor Smart Kids

Developmental PlaygroupsWe are continuing to have our Developmental Playgroup for parents and their kids who are Pre-Walkers. Please don't hesitate to come on by! 
 
When:  Wednesdays 10am-11am    
 
1650 S. Amphlett Blvd
Suite 108
San Mateo, CA 94402
 
Cost:  Free    
 
Contact:  For more information please contact Starfish Therapies 650-638-9142 or by email at info@starfishtherapies.com  
 
We are also looking at adding other group ideas so if you have a suggestion please email us! 
 
Back to School Starfish

San Francisco Clinic Space

We currently are offering clinic based Physical Therapy on Monday afternoons in San Francisco.  If you are interested in finding out more about this please contact our office at 650-638-9142.

Job Openings

We are still looking to add to our team, if you know of someone who would be a great fit, please pass the information along!


We are excited to announce that The Speech Pathology Group has moved into our clinic location. Please check out their website if you are interested in inquiring about their services.
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Back To School Activities

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Welcome back! Happy Summer!  
Backpack Safety for Back to School

 
backpack
With school starting again, most kids will be asking for new backpacks to help carry their supplies to and from school.  Make sure you are aware of how to help them prevent injuries by understanding backpack safety.

Every year the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has a National School Backpack Awareness Day.  They have also published several handouts on proper backpack use and safety tips as well as several videos for both kids and adults to watch.

It's recommended that kids don't carry more than 10%-15% of their body weight in a backpack in order to prevent back aches and injuries.  This means if your child is 50 pounds they shouldn't be carrying a backpack that weighs more than 5-7 pounds.  With the increase in homework this may prove challenging.   There are some solutions out there that are presented in this ABC’s of backpack use.  Some of the practical ones suggest using backpacks with wheels, organize the backpack so that the heaviest items are the ones that are closest to the back, bigger isn't always better (its harder to overstuff a smaller backpack).

Because of the high number of injuries from backpack use its recommended that you talk to your children about telling you if their back hurts, they have numbness or tingling.  Also it helps for you to note if your child's posture changes when they are wearing their backpack.  Do they arch their back more or slump more?  All of these are signs that the backpack is too heavy or not fitting correctly.
What backpacks have you found fit well and are safe for your kids?

8 Components of Good Handwriting
Big Ball  
Memory refers the process of remembering and producing quick and automatic recall for letters and numbers.  Poor memory often affects production, speed and accuracy.  If you suspect problems with memory, play visual memory games with letters using flashcards or other hands-on materials to encourage letter and number discrimination.

Orientation refers to ensuring that all letters and numbers are facing the correct direction.  Errors in orientation can be distracting and often result in children frequently stopping to think about which way a letter faces.  Difficulty with letter orientation is linked to spelling errors and poor legibility.  If you suspect problems with orientation, teach your child that English is a top to bottom, left to right language.  Teach orientation for "B D E F P R N" by having your child write the big line on left edge of paper, encouraging them to start at the top.  The next component of each of the aforementioned letters will be on the right side.

Placement refers to placing letters and numbers on the baseline.  It helps with legibility.  If you suspect problems with placement, model how letters sit on lines.
Size refers to how big or how small a child writes.  Children learn to control movements in their wrist and fingers to ensure that the size of their writing is appropriate given their grade level.   If you suspect problems with size, make sure the child is using age-appropriate paper.  Provide paper that guides the size of letters until children naturally develop a sense of size.
Start refers to where each letter or number begins.  Good habits ensure that children learn to form letters in a top to bottom and left to right format.  Speed, size and spacing are often compromised with incorrect starting habits.  If you suspect problems with start, demonstrate the correct starting position and correct all bottom-up writing.

Sequence refers to the order and stroke direction of the letter and number components.  The ability to form the components of various letters and numbers is acquired through direct teaching and consistent practice.  Speed and neatness are often compromised if incorrect teaching methods are adapted.  If you suspect problems with sequence, demonstrate letter formation.  Teach letters that use a similar formation pattern in groups.  For example, letters o a d g q all begin with a c stroke then change into another letter.

Control refers to neatness and proportion of letters and numbers.  Problems with control do not always require direct remediation; rather they are almost always caused by the adaptation of poor habits and in turn will improve once better habits have been adopted.  One of the most common poor habits is an awkward and immature pencil grip.  Teach children how to hold their pencil correctly.

Spacing refers to the amount of space between letters in words, and between words in sentences.  Spacing is important to the legibility and uniformity of writing.  Avoid using poorly designed worksheets that do not give enough room, as this may lead to problems with spacing.  If you suspect problems with spacing, create and use worksheets that model good spacing.
Thank you for reading. Have a great month! 
Sincerely,
 
Your Friends at
Starfish Therapies