Something to make you Smile! just because it's Friday!

Kid President cracks me up...thought you may need a smile for the day.." High 5" friends..and I agree we should all dance more..have a great weekend. 





AND.. of course.." Everything is AWESOME" when you're part of a team..you're welcome, I know you will be singing this today now.

Summer fun Tips that incorporates Learning too!!

Here are some great tips for summer fun activities, that keep the kids moving, learning & addressing some sensory needs. BONUS..always some great ideas on this site. 

SUMMER is here! Most families look forward to summer’s relaxation and lazy days. However, the lack of routine and structure can evoke great stress for families of children with special needs. School routines are predictable and provide consistency and the transition to summer may be a difficult one. In addition, the skills your child has gained in school should be carried over into the summer to stop any regression. No ideas? Feeling overwhelmed? Here are some fun ideas:

Try to keep a routine. Have a family meeting and look at the calendar together to make a routine. Include your child in choosing activities and even let him choose the color of pen or marker that you’ll write with on the calendar. Post a list of daily schedules and chores with check off boxes. Schedule new activities well ahead of time and be sure to prepare for them. Visit summer camp sites prior to camp, meet counselors before camp begins, and take pictures of camp locations. Make a memory booklet and encourage your child to write in a journal about his summer activities. If he’s not writing yet, ask him to draw pictures. This will be a great keepsake!

Schedule as many play dates as possible. Extended family and cousins may also be off of school and need to keep busy too. Play games together such as making up your own circus. Walk a taped line imitating a tightrope, learn to juggle, and pretend to walk like different animals in the circus. You can also pretend to make a zoo, jungle, or go on safari. Walking on all fours to imitate a bear, lion, tiger, dog, or any other animal is great for proprioceptive (heavy work) input.

Make a parade with homemade instruments. Visit Pinterest for ideas on how to make your own instruments out of paper plates, oat containers, and paper towel rolls. Marching to different rhythms is a fun way to work on proprioceptive input and body coordination.

Tape a line on the floor and ask him to jump in different ways over it. For example, hop with your right foot on the left side of the line. Jump three times on the right side of the line. Use the line as a pretend balance beam.

Evening activities at dusk are fun too. Go on a flashlight scavenger hunt with your child. Use a flashlight to draw different letters and numbers on the ground. Use glow sticks to write letters in the air. Add glow stick liquid to bubbles and have a bubble blowing competition.

Use sidewalk chalk on the concrete or on your trampoline. Ask your child to jump to the letter you call out.

Use SCOOTERS! Fun for all kids and work on coordination, strengthening or core, exercise fun!

Walk like a wheelbarrow in the grass. Hold your child’s ankles, knees, or thighs and ask him to “walk” on his hands. You can place different things such as bean bags or play tools onto his back to “transport” items like a real wheelbarrow does. This is an EXCELLENT activity to add into any sensory diet. It is filled with proprioceptive input/heavy work.

Hop scotch, jumping rope, and learning to ride a bicycle are always super summer activities.

Use a spray bottle to spray plants. Squirting each other on a hot day is a fun way to cool down while building hand strength!

Painting with different items such as leaves, sticks, or cotton balls is fun. Adding tweezers to any task builds fine motor coordination. Instead of picking up cotton balls with his fingers, use tweezers!

If your child has difficulty catching a hard ball such as a baseball, use a wiffleball or beach ball which will move slower and is easier to catch. Playing mini-golf with plastic golf balls is a fun way to build skills without the danger of a real golf ball flying through the yard.

Make a book. Cut old magazines and paste pictures on to a book made of construction paper and bound with yarn. Write stories about the pictures or make your own. Even punching the holes (through which to bind the book) with the hole puncher is a great fine motor activity.

 

Make puppets out of old socks and felt. Put on a puppet show for friends or family.

Give your child a treasure hunt list with items such as a butterfly, cloud shaped like a certain animal, or sound of a certain bird’s chirp. This should be a multi-sensory treasure hunt involving eyes, ears, touch, and smell.

Plan snacks that relate to different books. Examples include: Blue Berries for Sal, Stone Soup, and Bread and Jam for Frances.

Set up a store selling different summer items such as beach toys, summer fruits, and vegetables. Encourage your child to make signs for each item and practice making change when something is purchased.

Use old sheets and blankets to make tents. Go camping in your living room!

Finally, plant seeds and watch them grow. Move them from small pots or paper cups into a garden area. Chart their growth in a notebook. Encourage your child to help you with the responsibilities of watering her garden and re-potting when necessary. Caring for something such as a plant can empower a child.

Make sure to read a great book together (Don’t forget about reading and recommending The Pocket Occupational Therapist for families of children with special needs).

Most of all, HAVE FUN together! You never know when you are making a memory that your child will have for the rest of his life!

By- Cara Koscinski MOT, OTR/L

http://thepocketot.blogspot.ca/2015/05/summer-fun-shhhdont-tell-them-its.html

To the Stranger Who Saw My Daughter’s Wheelchair Fall Apart

What an touching tribute to a stranger who lent a helping hand & heart when it was needed. Kindness does matter. We as families will often find it, I think, at times when we least expect it, but need it most. 

Dear Deanna,

We met you on our first trip to the local YMCA to go swimming. I was on edge all morning, worrying about going to a new place — getting in and out, getting Lucy changed, hoping the relaxation of swimming would not make her poop in the pool… the usual. I practiced reclining her wheelchair several times in the hopes I could change her in and out of her swimming suit in her chair. I thought I had all bases covered. But then I pulled into a side street parking spot to realize I had no change for the meter.

I felt irrational panic, and then in the two minutes it took me to run into the Y and get change, a mean old meter maid gave me a ticket, even though she saw I was putting money into the meter. I nearly cried, but I pulled it together for Lucy and soldiered on.

Unfortunately, as I was reclining the wheelchair, just as I’d practiced, a crucial screw fell out, leaving the back of the wheelchair falling apart in my hands, as all 41 pounds of Lucy bore down on it. That instantly brought on the tears. I stood there for several minutes trying to get the screw back in while preventing Lu from falling backwards. Sweat was pouring down my face and sides. I just didn’t know what I was going to do. I couldn’t let go of the chair or Lucy would fall, but I couldn’t get her out of her chair to safety without letting go. I was in a full-on meltdown right there in public.

I like to try and always remember that each person we encounter has their own things they’re dealing with, whether they’re obvious or hidden deep down. Well, on this day, all of my stuff — my struggles and challenges — were on display for the whole world to see. However, the only other person around was you, Deanna.

When I was just about to crumple in defeat, I looked up, still bawling and sweating, and saw you washing you hands at the bathroom sink. When I called out to you for help, you just came running. You came running with your arms outstretched asking what you could do. After you helped me get Lucy out of the wheelchair, I couldn’t even believe my eyes. You lovingly cradled Lucy in your lap, sitting there in the floor of the locker room, as if you cuddled my daughter every day.

As I continued to try and fix the chair, you just calmly talked to me and Lu as if we’d been friends all of our lives. And when I couldn’t seem to get it fixed, to my further surprise, you helped me lay Lu down on a towel, since she can’t sit up well on her own, and proceeded to squat right down beside me to try and figure out how to get the screw back in. When we discovered it was bent, I couldn’t believe my ears when you told me to go get Lu in the pool and you would get it fixed for us. At this point I was so beside myself and just so grateful for your help. I listened to you.

As Lu and I sank into the warm pool, the anxiety and stress seemed to just melt away from us. We instantly began to smile again and even laugh. The pool was closing soon, so our swim was brief but wonderful. And then, toward the end you wheeled in Lu’s wheelchair, beautifully returned to the upright position. I asked your name and thanked you profusely, and you simply said I was welcome and you were gone.

I had never seen you before in my life, and months have passed and I still have never seen you again. You’d told me that usually you swam early in the morning, but that day you chose to swim after work, and even then, you almost just drove by the Y and went home.

I will never, ever forget how loving you were to my daughter. She is a child with so many needs that I often see intimidation and uncertainty in the eyes of people who see her just as a child with a disability. But you Deanna, you just saw her as a child. She was just a child whose momma was in need of help, and you swooped in with your loving arms and your huge heart and just helped us. I will never forget you or the day a stranger treated us like family.

thanks to contributor: Julie Shaffer
here's the link: http://themighty.com/2015/02/to-the-stranger-who-saw-my-daughters-wheelchair-fall-apart/

20 Confessions of an Autism Dad

These are 20 great 'confessions' from a Dad. Thanks for sharing, and I know it will bring a smile to your face. Whether or not your a Dad, Mom or someone who loves someone with Autism, we have all been at many of these points at some point...and if not..we will be. Enjoy. #17 cracked me up! 

We are tough. We are strong. We have it all together.

We are so full of it…

Here are my 20 confessions as an autism dad:

1. I have myself convinced that taking a big bite out of my son’s before-school donut before I give it to him is for his own health.

2. Sometimes I’m secretly happy he gets cranky at parties so I have an excuse to leave, sit in the car and play Plants vs. Zombies on my iPhone.

3. Sometimes, for brownie points, I spray some Clorox on the kitchen counter right before my wife gets home from work so it smells like I was cleaning the house.

4. My wife bought me a robot to vacuum the pool because I never have time to vacuum it myself. I just spent a half-hour standing poolside and watching it work. Let that sink in a minute.

5. It’s becoming clear to me, for the rest of our lives, the bulk of the arguments I will have with my son will revolve around whether or not he has to poop.

6. I’m seriously craving Chuck E. Cheese pizza for lunch.

7. You realize you might’ve gone overboard pumping up the whole Tooth Fairy experience when you catch your kid standing in front of a mirror with a bloody tissue trying to yank one of the suckers out of his head.

8. I’ve actually bought myself a donut as a reward for successfully navigating a social interaction involving small talk.

9. Sometimes I sit down sideways on the edge of my chair in front of my laptop with the intention of just checking email really quickly. Then, 20 minutes later, the throbbing pain through my twisted spine reminds me of my complete lack of self-discipline.

10. None of us really know what the hell we’re doing. Once you figure that out, everything becomes so much easier.

11. I didn’t even entertain the thought of waking him up to brush his teeth when he fell asleep playing in his bed at 7:30 p.m. He ate an apple… that’s like nature’s dental floss, right?

12. “He forgot his octopus”: The only explanation I could muster in response to my neighbor’s befuddled expression as my kid went sprinting out to the pool naked and covered in bath bubbles.

13. I was just vacuuming the floors (because that’s how I roll) and had to pause to admire all the beautiful pictures of our family we’ve collected over the years. It took a while since they’re all stacked behind our couch in shattered and demolished picture frames.

14. My son got a little over-stimulated during a family party at our house and asked to go take a bath. I feigned disappointment and took the bullet… and enjoyed my beer quietly in the bathroom with my little soldier.

15. Whenever my wife makes me fold laundry, I always fold the towels first because they’re the easiest and make the pile go down the fastest. Then I get “distracted” and leave the small stuff for her.

16. Nothing tests your manhood better than your kid using perfect word structure to demand you belt out the Barney “I Love You” song on a crowded elevator.

17. I literally just spun three times in a circle in my living room trying to do eight different things at one time. My brain is oatmeal.

18. He just dozed off watching “Jay Jay the Jet Plane.” I’m currently battling the pleasure of an unexpected afternoon nap with the mind-numbing torture of listening to the “Jay Jay” theme song on a loop. But I dare not move.

19. I don’t even know what the stuff does, but sometimes I put my wife’s conditioner in my hair to prolong the peace and quiet of a shower.

20. I don’t pray enough. But when I do, it’s usually for the strength and discipline not to throw it all away and completely lose my mind if/when someone mistreats or disrespects my son.

Thanks to contributer: Jerry Turning, for sharing these.
Here's the link:
http://themighty.com/2015/05/20-confessions-of-an-autism-dad/

How to Make a Weighted Blanket

Great link that shows step by step how to do the blanket and I embedded the video that explains it as well. These blankets work really well, and deliver some wonderful sensory feedback. Try it out~


Weighted blankets are used to help comfort people and promote relaxation. For people who have autism, sensitivities to touch, Restless Leg Syndrome, or mood disorders, a weighted blanket provides deep pressure and relaxing sensory stimulation. Weighted blankets can also help relax hyperactive people or traumatized people in distress. This article explains how to make a weighted blanket.



http://m.wikihow.com/Make-a-Weighted-Blanket




Another great site that talks about the use of weighted blankets:

"Children or adults with sensory processing disorders, particularly with tactile or proprioceptive dysfunction, have a need for the deep pressure input weighted blankets provide.

Children with excessively high energy levels find these blankets or weighted lap pads soothing for bedtime or throughout the day. They can bring one to school for quiet times. They can wrap them around their shoulders or whole body, or place them on their lap during desk work and reading times for the extra calming deep pressure input their bodies crave.

Weighted blankets are a simple solution to what often appears to be complex attention, calming, or sleeping difficulties. Give your child the input he/she needs and watch "miracles" happen"

Click on the link and read the full article. 

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/weighted-blankets.html

Top 5 Sports for Kids with Autism

Found this interesting article on kids with Autism and sports that are successful for them. What do you think? have you experienced success with your son or daughter in these areas, or have you found other sports that they enjoy? I know that 4 of these have been very successful for my son, Josh,~ although not the gymnastics..that made me"Laugh out Loud".



According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 68 children in the U.S. has autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disability affecting social and communication skills. Utah ranks higher than the national average, with one in 54 kids having ASD. 

Julia Connelly, Ph.D., a psychologist and the clinical director at University of Utah Health Care’s Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic, explains the common symptoms of ASD:

• Difficulty in social situations
• Preoccupation with certain topics or subjects
• Sensory sensitivities, such as noise, light, clothing or food
• Communication difficulties, such as problems developing speech or understanding social language, difficulties with eye contact or use of gestures 

“While it’s important for kids to get 60 minutes of daily exercise, some team sports are challenging for those who have autism,” says Connelly. Here are five of the best sports for kids with autism to try: 

Here's the link:

http://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2015/04/042825_infographic-autism-sports.php

Sensory Break Idea's for Kids~ awesome ideas!

We often talk about sensory breaks, and the importance of adding them into the day for our kids best success. Here is some information on what a sensory break is, and why it's important. Click on the link, to see 40 great ideas!! Have fun!

What is a sensory break?

A sensory break or “brain break” is a fancy word for just taking a regular old break from seated learning activities or sedentary activities. For children with sensory needs, this is often referred to as a sensory diet or sensory break. It is a time for them to gain the sensory input they need in their bodies to stay alert, on task, and focused.

Each of us has our own way in which we modulate or control our sensory systems. A person who is able to modulate well is someone who notices the sensory stimuli coming in, filters out unimportant information and their emotions and behaviors reflect appropriate responses to the situation or environment.

For children or adults with modulation disorders such as ADD/ADHD, Sensory processing disorder, or Autism etc. they have difficulty regulating the sensory input they are receiving. Which is why sensory breaks are SO important for them.

Why are sensory breaks important?

Sensory breaks are a way for any child, whether they have sensory needs or not, to reset, decompress, and get the blood flowing back into their brains. We all know that children learn best through movement and exploring with their hands. Giving them breaks throughout their day lets their brains take a rest and reset, but they are also still learning vital life skills in these sensory breaks.

How often should you do a sensory break?

It has been suggested that children ages 3-9 need a break every 15 minutes. Also children younger than 3 can really not be expected to focus for much longer than 5-10 minutes, and some much less than that. Children in fourth grade and above it is suggested to have a break every 45 minutes.

Realistically this may not always be the case. So if you can at least get a break in every 1-2 hours, that is ideal. Breaks can last anywhere from 10-15 minutes.

And adults, don’t forget to add yourself in here as well. You also need to give yourself a sensory break throughout the day. I was recently at a continuing education course and I absolutely loved that the Occupational Therapist giving the presentation gave us 15-20 minute breaks every hour to hour and a half. It was great for me to be able to focus and soak in all the information we were learning about.

Click on the link to see the whole article and 40 great ideas for sensory breaks! Thanks to :Heather Greutman is a homeschool graduate turned homeschool mom blogger. She worked as an Occupational Therapy Assistant in the public school system before becoming a stay a home mom to her daughter and soon to be born son. 

http://lemonlimeadventures.com/sensory-break-ideas-for-kids/

How a child with special needs affects your marriage

This is a great article about how having a child with exceptional needs affects your relationship with our partners. Anchel has shared some heartfelt thoughts about the struggles in keeping up with the challenges we are all trying to balance. We need to remember to take the time to connect with each other as a couple as well. I know it's not easy. Hope this article reminds you to take some time today. It can be as simple as opening your arms, for a hug. 

http://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/special-needs-parenting/how-a-child-with-special-needs-affects-your-marriage/

When Dilip and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary, I booked an impromptu getaway to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. We went to our favourite restaurant, a couples spa and spent the majority of our time doing whatever it was we wanted. I remember on our drive home telling Dilip that we should attempt a quick getaway every year for our anniversary. Clearly, that was some sort of romanticized expectation, as we never celebrated in that way since!

In fact, this year we celebrated our anniversary in an appropriately ironic way: Our four-year-old daughter Syona hascerebral palsy and we met with her school team (occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech language pathologist, teacher, principal and vice principal), plus Syona’s service co-ordinator, vision therapist and vision consultant. It was a full house and we know we’re so lucky to be this well supported. While I look forward to these big meetings because it allows us all to confirm we’re working towards the same goals, the thought of these meetings can be daunting.

I joked with Dilip that it was such a romantic way to celebrate our anniversary. As the meeting went on we had some great discussions. We collaborated and shared updates, came up with strategies and tactics to help Syona work towards her goals and shared some laughs. As we were driving home afterward, Dilip and I discussed that it was actually the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary because we got to hear how much progress Syona has made in the past year. Sure, this progress might not be visible to some, but it is to us. The fact that she is striking up conversations with other kids, able to initiate conversations and tell us what she wants are huge wins for all of us. The meeting also highlighted the progress Dilip and I have made as a couple. Though we may not get to go on annual getaways, we know how important it is to stay connected.

Marriage is hard work. It takes effort, dedication and attention. When you have a child, especially a child with special needs, parenting can overshadow the marriage. For us, marriage is the foundation of our family. It’s not about choosing my child over my husband, or vice versa. It’s about paying appropriate attention to all the building blocks that make up our whole family. But I don’t always do a good job of it. The early years were especially tough as the focus was on Syona, and my role as wife took a backseat. While I’m not perfect, I’m learning how to balance those blocks better. Often, it means letting go of my Type A tendencies and realizing that being stuck in traffic during rush hour can lead to as great a conversation with my husband as a dinner date. We actually focus on laughing together as often as we can. And sometimes taking time for myself or doing something fun with all three of us makes our marriage stronger.

What I do know for sure is that Dilip is my partner and marriage is never perfect. It’s a constant work in progress… but we’re both working towards the same goals, and that’s why I’m looking forward to the coming years.

How do you keep your marriage strong?

Follow along as Anchel Krishna shares her experiences as mother to Syona, an extraordinary toddler with cerebral palsy. Read all of Anchel’s Special-needs parenting posts and follow her on Twitter @AnchelK.

How Teaching Kindness in Schools Reduces Bullying

There are valuable lessons to be taught in the classroom and at home. Teaching empathy and kindness is vital to our children's development. We can help to instill a more caring, inclusive, supportive environment for ALL and to ALL, by being kind. There are some wonderful ideas in this post. Thanks to Lisa Currie. Our words and actions matter. This is not specifically addressing special needs, but it does address our characters as a whole- these tips can help our kids to understand kindness matters. 

Kindness Is Best Learned By Feeling It

Phrases like "random acts of kindness" and "pay it forward" have become popular terms in modern society. Perhaps this could be best explained by those who have identified a deficiency in their lives that can only be fulfilled by altruism.

It seems that we just can't get enough of those addictive, feel-good emotions -- and with good reason. Scientific studies prove that kindness has many physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. And children need a healthy dose of the warm-and-fuzzies to thrive as healthy, happy, well-rounded individuals.

Patty O'Grady, PhD, an expert in neuroscience, emotional learning, and positive psychology, specializes in education. She reports:

Kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it.

A great number of benefits have been reported to support teaching kindness in schools, best summed up by the following.

Happy, Caring Children

The good feelings that we experience when being kind are produced by endorphins. They activate areas of the brain that are associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust. These feelings of joyfulness are proven to be contagious and encourage more kind behavior (or altruism) by the giver and recipient.

Increased Peer Acceptance

Research on the subject has determined that kindness increases our ability to form meaningful connections with others. Kind, happy children enjoy greater peer acceptance because they are well liked. Better-than-average mental health is reported in classrooms that practice more inclusive behavior due to an even distribution of popularity.

Greater Sense of Belonging and Improved Self-Esteem

Studies show that people experience a "helper's high" when they do a good deed. This rush of endorphins creates a lasting sense of pride, well being, and an enriched sense of belonging. It's reported that even small acts of kindness heighten our sense of well being, increase energy, and give a wonderful feeling of optimism and self worth.

Increased Feelings of Gratitude

When children are part of projects that help others less fortunate than themselves, it provides them with a real sense of perspective. Helping someone else makes them appreciate the good things in their own lives.

Improved Health and Less Stress

Being kind can trigger a release of the hormone oxytocin, which has a number of physical and mental health benefits. Oxytocin can significantly increase a person's level of happiness and reduce stress levels. It also protects the heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing free radicals and inflammation, which incidentally speed up the aging process.

Better Concentration and Improved Results

Kindness is a key ingredient that helps children feel good about themselves as itincreases levels of serotonin. This important chemical affects learning, memory, mood, sleep, health, and digestion. Having a positive outlook enables greater attention spans and more creative thinking to produce better results at school.

Reduced Depression

Dr. Wayne Dyer, internationally renowned author and speaker, says research has discovered that an act of kindness increases levels of serotonin (a natural chemical responsible for improving mood) in the brain. It’s also found that serotonin levels are increased in both the giver and receiver of an act of kindness, as well as anyone who witnesses that kindness, making kindness a powerful, natural antidepressant.

Less Bullying

Shanetia Clark and Barbara Marinak are Penn State Harrisburg faculty researchers. They say, "Unlike previous generations, today's adolescents are victimizing each other at alarming rates." They argue that adolescent bullying and violence can be confronted with in-school programs that integrate "kindness -- the antithesis of victimization."

Many traditional anti-bullying programs focus on the negative actions that cause anxiety in children. When kindness and compassion are taught instead, it fosters the positive behavior that's expected. Promoting its psychological opposite is key in reducing bullying to create warm and inclusive school environments.

Maurice Elias, Professor at Rutgers University Psychology Department, is also an advocate for kindness. He says:

As a citizen, grandparent, father, and professional, it is clear to me that the mission of schools must include teaching kindness. Without it, communities, families, schools, and classrooms become places of incivility where lasting learning is unlikely to take place. We need to be prepared to teach kindness, because it can be delayed due to maltreatment early in life. It can be smothered under the weight of poverty, and it can be derailed by victimization later in life. Kindness can be taught, and it is a defining aspect of civilized human life. It belongs in every home, school, neighborhood, and society.

It's become quite clear that modern education must encompass more than just academics, and that matters of the heart must be taken seriously and nurtured as a matter of priority.

Author: Lisa Currie, Ripple Kindness Project 
Lisa is the founder of Ripple Kindness Project, a community program and school curriculum that aims to improve social, emotional and mental health, and reduce bullying by teaching and inspiring kindness. The ongoing, whole school primary curriculum, teaches children about their emotions and the impact their words and actions have on others. It provides opportunities for children to be part of kindness activities, allowing them to experience the feel good emotions kindness produces. 

6 Tips for Helping Young Kids Learn to Write-great tips!

Holding a pencil and forming letters can be tough for kids with writing issues, who may struggle with fine motor skills. Here are some tips to help your child learn these skills. Here are some great tips from www.understood.org . Writing on a slanted surface also helps a great deal, try using chalkboards, putting paper on a large binder ( so you create a 'wedge') etc..

Use golf pencils.

To help your child get a better grasp when he starts learning to write, consider buying some golf pencils. These are the small pencils you see at mini-golf courses and bowling alleys. Their size makes them easier for little hands to hold onto and balance correctly. If you can’t find golf pencils, that’s OK. A broken crayon, half a piece of chalk or even the short leftover piece of a well-used pencil could work, too.

Get (or make) a pencil grip.

A pencil grip can help your child learn to hold a pencil properly. A great grip is the kind that looks like a squishy blob with fingerprints in it. But you can also make your own. Roll a piece of clay into a ball about an inch across. Poke the tip of a pencil through the middle and push the clay up an inch. Then, hold the pencil as if you’re writing and push your fingers and thumb into the clay to make the indents.

Choose the “write” time to play with food.

Your child can practice writing letters in mashed potatoes, sugar, flour or even shaving cream. Spread whatever substance you use on a table, in a shoebox lid or on a plate. Have your child use his pointer finger to draw letters and even write small words. Help him remember to move from top to bottom and left to right. Writing this way will help him learn how it feels to make the letters without having to worry about how to hold his pencil or crayon.

Use raised lines and textured surfaces.

Sometimes kids can’t feel themselves making letters when they write. Using raised line paper and textured surfaces can help. To get a textured surface, have your child put his paper on top of something bumpy, like sandpaper or a rough plastic placemat. If he needs to feel the lines with his pencil, ask his teacher for some lined paper or use wide-ruled notebook paper. Then trace the lines with fabric paint or school glue and let them dry. Your child’s pencil will “bump” the lines when he writes.

Darken or highlight lines.

If your child has trouble staying within the lines when making tall letters (like “T”) and letters with tails (like “y”), it may help to make the lines easier to see. Use three different colored markers or highlighters to trace the top, middle and bottom lines on lined paper. This can help your child remember that tall letters start at the red line (for instance), small letters stay between blue and yellow and letters with a tail dip below the yellow.

Use a “spaceman.”

If your child has trouble with leaving too much or too little space between words, try a “spaceman.” Give your child a clean Popsicle stick. Have him put it down on the table pointing straight up and down. Ask him to draw a face on the top so it looks like a person. This is his “spaceman.” When he writes, have him put his spaceman down at the end of a word. The next word starts on the other side of the stick.