Pre writing skills in kids under 5 years of age

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Pre writing skills in kids under 5 years of age

In this week’s TOPS Tips video, OT’s Lola and Christine talk about the grasping techniques that kids use at different age milestones, fun activities you can do with your child to increase finger and grasp strength and the different shapes that your child should make before writing. While many kids will start to show a preference for a dominant hand as they grow, they generally don’t declare their dominant hand until around age 6. Enjoy!

TOPS Tips video on pre writing skills in kids under 5 years of age can be found here

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Word Loop Lists

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Word Loop Lists

In this video, speech therapists Eva and Heidi talk about word loop lists, how they are used in therapy and how they can be used at home. Have you been assigned some speech homework by a TOPS Therapist? Here's an example of how you can easily integrate the homework into everyday tasks and get a passing grade from your child's therapist!

Click here to watch our TOPS Tips video on Word Loop Lists

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Did you know that a preschool-aged kid needs to hear a word 500 times before they will begin to use it? Whoa, that's, like, a lot of times. So, how can we help our kiddo's learn all of these words? In this video, speech therapists Kaitlin and Eva demonstrate a couple of techniques called modeling and recast & expand. They will show you how you can use these techniques at home.

TOPS Tips Video on How Kids Learn New Word

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Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas for Your Home

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Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas for Your Home

With the weather changing, you and your kids may find yourselves indoors just a bit more than usual. And that can mean that kiddo energy is all bottled-up and concentrated in your home. Thankfully our OT Team is here to help with some ideas on how to turn that living space of yours into an area to get that energy out. Oh, and as a side benefit, it will help your kiddo's work on frustration tolerance, get some heavy lifting and some regulation too. These ideas can use anything you have in your house from chairs to blankets to cushions. Please take a look!

Here is the link to the video with the indoor obstacle course ideas!

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Managing Emotions

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Managing Emotions

In this video, Occupational Therapists Christine and Lola talk about the process of helping your kiddos manage emotions. This starts by first discussing what emotions are and teaching them what they mean. This can be done through pictures, videos clips or even acting them out once you and your child are calm. It's only when there is a base understanding of what emotions are that you can then move forward on learning how to manage them. The second part of the video covers the tips and suggestions for helping you and your family manage emotions. Remember, you may need to take these ideas and tweak them until you find what works for your family. And feel free to share those ideas with us as well!

TOPS Tips Video on Managing Emotions

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Stuttering in Kids Aged 3-5

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Did you know it is very common for kids aged 3-5 to stutter. At these ages, it generally means that the brain is thinking faster than the mouth can speak (and that's ok). So, how can we help our child if they are stuttering? Speech Therapists Heidi and Rachel talk about some strategies you can use with your child who is stuttering and what the whole family can do to help.

TOPS Tips Video on Stuttering in Kids Ages 3-5

Why Kids’ Shows Like ‘Cocomelon’ Hamper Critical Brain Development

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Why Kids’ Shows Like ‘Cocomelon’ Hamper Critical Brain Development

In May of 2024 a psychologist by the name of Mark Travers wrote an article for Forbes titled “Why Kids’ Shows Like ‘Cocomelon’ Hamper Critical Brain Development”. Please click here for the full article. We highly encourage you to check it out, it’s about a 5-minute read. In the article Travers talks about the surface-level impact on our children that they experience when they are watching these shows and then the deeper impact that some shows can have on children, including affecting their brain’s development and size.

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Back to School Transitions

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Back to School Transitions

Transitioning back to school in the fall can be exciting and stressful for our kids. The uncertainty of a new teacher, classroom and meeting new peers can bring on high emotions and cause our kids to increase their arousal more easily for longer periods of time. Having to exit a familiar environment, stop a preferred or familiar task, and leave that consistency can feel frightening. Movement can provide a healthy outlet for the body, calm, the body, change the pace of the day and provide a brain boost. Take a few minutes to explore a few of these movements!

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May 16th is Mental Health Action Day

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May 16th is Mental Health Action Day

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and May 16th is Mental Health Action Day. We’re highlighting the continuation to emphasize the importance of prioritizing mental health and finding ways to break the stigma that ‘it’s okay to not be okay.’ The more we can converse together, the more normalized these conversations become surrounding mental health issues and ultimately empowering people to seek the help they need.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is mental Health awareness Month and a time to bring about increased awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma. In a study from Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics of Norh America (January 2022), 21.8 percent of U.S. children ages 3 to 17 years old have one or more of the common mental, emotional, and behavioral health conditions assessed.

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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month

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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month so let's take some time to empower those who have been impacted by a brain injury. Brain injuries can be atraumatic or traumatic which can range from mild concussions to life threatening situations. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, about 5.3 million people in America have suffered from a brain injury. The leading cause of brain injuries is falls which puts young children and elderly at an increased risk for brain injury. One way you can show your support is to wear blue to honor all brain injuries and wear green to honor traumatic brain injuries!

Expected Behaviors for 5 to 8 YO

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Expected Behaviors for 5 to 8 YO

You see your child acting out a questionable behavior and you think to yourself, is this typical or is this a learning opportunity? If this ever happens to you, you are not alone. The line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors is a very blurry one so we asked occupational therapists Jenna and Meagan to talk a bit about this topic. Your kiddo tired, irritated, imitation and copying of peers, trying to be more independent, having big feelings of the unknown or even attempting to take someone else's perspective? Come find out what is expected at this age and what isn't!

TOPS Tips Video on Typical Behaviors in 5 to 8 YO

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W-Sitting with Anna and Hailey

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W-Sitting with Anna and Hailey

Do you have a kiddo likes to sit on their bottom with their knees on the ground and their legs out to the side? Ever think to yourself that looks like only hockey goalies and acrobats should be doing that? Well, unless you have the future netminder of the Wild playing on your floors, chances are they shouldn’t be sitting like that. To find out why you should be correcting your child out of the W-sitting position and offer alternative positions to sit in, check out the video below.

TOPS Tips on How to Address W-sitting in Kiddos

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Preparing for the Holidays - Part 3

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Preparing for the Holidays - Part 3

So you got your kiddo the COOLEST paw patrol toy that you have been waiting to give them. They open it, you are expecting their eyes to go wide, mouth to drop open. Instead, they look at it, shove it to the side and keep opening presents. Or they are with great grandpa and open their hand knitted sweater with a cute cat on it, in response “I hate cats” and asks what’s next? Sometimes the social pressure of opening gifts mixed with expectations and a new/busy environment can cause tantrums or unexpected behaviors when opening gifts. You are now mortified. Here are some tips to help a kiddo express themselves in a…different…way.

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Preparing for the Holidays - Part 2

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Preparing for the Holidays - Part 2

Okay, the time is here! We have prepared our child as much as we can for the upcoming events for the holidays. But, now that we are here, what can we do if it is not going as planned?! Don’t stress, we are here to help with these tips! And remember, kiddos can feel and read how we are feeling. The calmer we remain in these situations, the calmer they will be!

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Preparing for the Holidays - Part 1

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Preparing for the Holidays - Part 1

The holidays, magical they say. A time to relax and enjoy time with family, decorate the home, play with cousins, open gifts. Oh…and also, tolerate lights everywhere, new people/crowds, busy environments, changes in routines, food changes, changes in sleep schedules. While holidays can be a very exciting time, for many families, holidays also come with challenges. Here are some tips to help!

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