More Occupational Therapy @ Home

I'm always looking for ways to foster skills Goldie is working on, yet are FUN for her and her siblings. Goldie has fine motor delays caused by her low muscle tone and her low vision. The hypotonia and nystagmus are always collaborating on ways to trash her eye hand coordination. It's our job to help Goldie get one up on them.

In the March/April 2010 edition of Mothering magazine I read Shannon M. Medisky's fabulous article, "Your Indoor Playground" about creating indoor playspaces. Namely, vertical ones to save space. One, in particular, caught my eye. It was a standing lacing board.

I pitched the idea to my husband thinking he would be annoyed by the addition of one more thing to his honey-do list. Nah. He said it would be no big deal. He picked up the supplies for $6.42 and had it put together in about 20 minutes. It's nice and big so 2 or more kids can play at one time.

Goldie's OT has suggested using pipe cleaner with lacing activities instead of the typical laces. Goldie isn't sold on this idea. She sees her sisters using the string and that's what she wants. I play a game with her by standing on the opposite side of the board. We take turn pushing and pulling the large thread through the holes. For my older kids, they can use longer ribbon to make designs. (if their mother would dig it out of the craft cupboard for them)

I know not everyone wants something like this taking space in their living quarters. We've decided its part of the trade-off because we aren't sending Goldie to preschool. That means its our resposibility to provide educational and engaging activities for her.

If you'd like to read the article send me an email, then I can send you a digital copy of it!

And if you're looking for more OT @ home try here.