Pawprint, August 2014

NEW!
Improved and Easier to Use Interface!

Southpaw CMS allows you to manage your clinics' scheduling, therapists, client information, sessions, notes, records, and much more from any computer with an internet connection, anytime, anywhere. Your therapists will benefit from being able to design templates to make session notes a breeze. And, clients will also benefit by utilizing the personalized Client Portal, allowing them to request sessions and complete paperwork from home.

For Administrators

Manage all aspects of your clinic from the web, anytime, anyplace. Schedule appointments, set schedules for therapists, handle client information, run operations,and more. Have all of your information easily accessible in one place available to you anytime you need it.

For Therapists

Therapists can view their schedule and set appointments from anywhere. They can create session note templates to cut down on the time it takes doing paperwork after each appointment. All information is securely stored with each clients' record.

For Clients

Allow your clients to fill out new patient paperwork from the comfort of their home prior to their first visit using the personalized Client Portal. They also have the ability to request a session from their home computer and to receive reminders via email. We also added the ability to have multiple clients associated with one login so parents with multiple children can use the same login for all of their children.

Therapist's Corner

Homework Buddies

Deanna Macioce, MS, OTR/L

With school starting again, we are back to having to help our children muddle through the task of homework. Although this can be unpleasant for many students, this becomes extremely difficult to tackle for a lot of children who suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, and other conditions. These are the children that work so hard to "keep it together" all day at school, that when they come home, sitting down to do homework is the last thing they want to do. It is common to see these children, who sat and struggled to attend at school, come home with poor behavior, be anti-social, and resort to "down time" on their own. Whatever it is, parents fight this constant battle and want to get it done and out of the way "as soon as possible! If not, then more fatigue and lack of focus sets in making it worse. For some parents, this battle causes them to already start counting down the days until winter break!

Our bodies are made to move and children spend so much time sitting throughout the day at school, not allowing their brains and bodies to connect. Many children are kinesthetic learners, so coming home from a day at school to sit down at the table once again to focus on schoolwork won't work. We are going to take a look at a few strategies that may help to lessen the homework battle. Although, they will not all work for your child, here's to hoping that a few will help ease the pain.

1. Break away from the "you don't do anything until your homework is done" mode of thinking. Allow your child 20-30 minutes of outside playtime to ride their bike, shoot baskets, or even go to a playground. When this isn't possible, work on some indoor ideas, such as a mini trampoline, doing some exercising, or running a few errands that encourage some walking.

2. When choosing after school snacks, try to make sure they are "feeding" your child properly for focus on attention. It has been found sometimes that chewing gum, having crunchy or chewy snacks, or having a sucker help maintain attention when doing work. Allow children these supports at home where it is easier to carry out than in the school environment.

3. Have a space that works for your child. Based on your child's needs, does it matter after sitting at school all day whether or not they are at a table or desk? Allow them to work in prone or a small tent, whatever fits their needs. However, make it a space that is free from a lot of distractions and more importantly, make sure they have a caddy with all supplies they are going to need. Breaking their focus and attention to get up to obtain supplies makes it more difficult to keep them on task once you get them there. Use tools such as weighted lap pads, ball chairs or seat discs as needed.

4. Work with the school and teachers to try and "adapt" some of the homework. Kids need to fit a mold when at school to complete work because they are part of a class. Find out if your child's teacher will allow you to work on spelling or math facts by playing games, utilizing ball activities, etc. but then allow you to complete the worksheet if your child mastered the skills.. This is more difficult and time consuming on your end, but if you can provide evidence and get the school team on board, it will enhance your child's learning in the long run. In addition, be on top of the game. For longer projects, upcoming tests or things that need a lot of attention, ask for extended deadlines, but not after the fact. As a team, we all want our children to learn, so it is not always important when the assignment gets done or that it got done, but whether or not the child learned.

5. Giving your child work breaks is crucial. Their attention spans of true focus only last about 20 minutes on average. So, break work up into chunks. Allow them some time to get up and move, but reel them back in after about 10-15 minutes max until all the assignments are done. Find what your child needs to re-group and provide it.

6. Visual prompts are very helpful for many children. Using a small dry erase board to list what needs to be done, showing them the breaks help them maintain focus once they get started. Also, using a visual timer when they are doing independent work helps keep them on track.

7. Get creative on setting goals/motivation. Earning video game time, a treat, or even to the point that each day they get so many pieces to a puzzle, Lego set, etc. working hard to complete the toy.

It is in known that for many utilizing these strategies come with a lot of constraints, siblings, work, and other activities. Therefore, they cannot be done all the time, but when possible setting up a routine that works will offer your child success and take stress off of you. Think about what can be done "on the go", such as when you are driving in the car or when you are waiting at a sibling's practice. Carry along the visual and oral supports. And work to integrate homework into the hectic after school schedule. In the end the battle will lessen, and keep the stress lowered for you.

Southpaw Products

Bolster Swings
If a therapist has to select just one piece of hanging equipment, the Southpaw Bolster Swing is the best choice. From lying on top of the bolster to hanging underneath, it can be used for a variety of progressive flexion activities. Comes complete with built-in rotational device and five safety snaps.

The Deluxe bolster has all the features of the standard bolster, plus a detachable carpet that adds to the bolster diameter, and provides tactile input and a bit more stability. A good option for kids with greater postural challenges.

Details

Marvelous Marble Panel
Cool glass, sparkling light, gentle noise! You get it all with this Marvelous Marble Panel. Mount it low on a wall and see how entranced your clients and students are with this new interactive sensory panel. More than 1,000 iridescent marbles fit into a steel grid on the panel that is illuminated by diffused lighting. As your clients turn the marbles they receive visual, tactile and aural sensory input, and experience a calming sensation.

Details

Bounce Pad

Use our triangular bounce pad as clever alternative to a trampoline to provide your client with otolithic stimulation. Push-off's and landings require balance, timing, and motor planning. The heavy duty springs are covered to prevent pinched fingers. Has a working load of 200 pounds, and its dimensions are 22" triangle x 5" high.
An optional carpet is available to attach to the Bounce Pad with Velcro.

Details

Southpaw Rovers

Our Rovers contain a complete sensory environment that can offer calming input or sensory stimulation to clients anywhere in your facility. They are ideal for school sensory rooms, children's hospitals, burn units, trauma centers, residential facilities, and group homes. They may also be used in nursing homes and assisted living facilities for persons who have dementia.

Each Rover has:

4-Foot Bubble Tube with LED Lights and Simple Drain System
Fiber Optic Spray
NEW! Solar 250 LED Projector
Wheel Rotator, Liquid Wheel, Tropical Fish Wheel
CD Player with MP3 input and external speakers
Mirror that reflects Bubble Tube image
Aroma Diffuser and Calming Oils Set
Calming Music CD
Sensory Tactile Set
A cabinet with locking doors offers storage for the cart components
A hospital-grade surge protector that requires only one electrical outlet to power the entire unit

In Your Home

4 Oral Motor Items to Change Your Arousal Level
Alex Lopiccolo, COTA/L, CPT, NC and Elizabeth M Tenace MS, OTR/L

1. Theraband exercise tubing:

Designed to help increase muscle strength and endurance, therapy tubing can also be used for oral motor input. A 6 inch length can be used to chew on for calming input. A longer length can be used as a straw for drinking. It can also be used to blow bubbles! Put an inch of water and dish soap into a bowl, or the sink, or the bathtub and blow through the tubing to create a bubble mountain!

2. Gum:

Gum provides excellent calming input. Working your jaw can help increase your focus. For extra input try chewing 2 or 3 pieces. For a real jaw work out, try letting your gum get stale. With gum you need to consider the person who will be using it carefully. Make sure it is not a choking hazard to them. Also, make sure they know to be responsible with their gum. If there is a danger that the gum will end up in hair, clothing or furniture; use one of the other suggestions.

3. Whistles/Blow Toys:

Whistles and other mouth toys are a fun way to regulate arousal level. You can use "noisy whistles" outside for musical fun. "Quiet Whistles" such as pin wheels and bubbles, can be used just about anywhere.

4. The D & Z Vibe

The D & Z Vibe is a massager for the mouth. It can be used to provide
stimulation to the lips, tongue, cheek ,jaw, and gums both on the outside and the inside of the mouth. A variety of interchangeable tips can vary how the sensory input is provided. It can facilitate speech, decrease drooling, promote lip closure, increase muscle tone and decrease sensitivity to help with tooth brushing, shaving, and increase food exploration for picky eaters.

SensoryDigest.com produced the following video for both parents and professionals demonstrating uses for a Southpaw Scooter Board and a bungee cord.

Scooter Board Bungee Interventions Presentation

EMBRACING THE WORLD OF SENSORY THERAPIES