Blog Archive
Exploration is the basis for discovery learning Discovery learning results from children exploring and manipulating objects or experiences in their environment. To explore means to experience firsthand. Discovery learning results from children exploring and manipulating objects or experiences in their environment. Every time parents teach children something, they keep them...
INITIATION:BEGINNING ACTIVITIES ON THEIR OWN RATHER THAN FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION OF ADULTS Children who are initiators make their own choices and decisions about the nature and direction of their activities. They initiate across a variety of situations, such as having conversations with others, starting new games, changing activities with the...
Up to this point, we have learned strategies to promote social play and how we help develop our children’s ability to think, reason, solve problems, and learn new information by playing with them. But it’s not always easy to join in and play with a child who is reluctant to...
PROMOTING SOCIAL PLAY So, in our previous issue (September 2021), we’ve learned that social play is a pivotal behavior necessary for developing our children’s cognition. And we all want to help develop our children’s ability to think, reason, solve problems, and learn new information. So how do we play with...
Insights and Developments in Therapeutic Treatment Approaches for Pediatric Conditions COGNITION: WHAT IS IT? Cognition refers to children’s ability to think, reason, solve problems, and learn new information about their world and relationships. Children develop these skills through play and by learning to make judgments in their everyday interactions and...
This summer we will hold 2 sessions of our Handwriting Group. The group consists of 8 classes held over 4 weeks and meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11am. It is for kids between the ages of 5-10. The goal of the group is to lay the foundation for efficient...
Torticollis is an asymmetrical posturing of the neck due to muscle tightness on one side. The SCM or sternocleidomastoid muscle is the major mover in this condition. In right torticollis, the right SCM acts to both sidebend the head to the right shoulder while rotating the face up to the...
Bilateral integration is the ability to use information from both sides of the body to coordinate efficient movement. By efficient we mean it doesn't require more effort than is necessary and is effective. Bilateral coordination involves the ability to use both hands for simultaneous and alternating movement. By working on...
Shoulder stability is very important for correct and efficient handwriting and keyboarding. A child with shoulder instability may: Hunch their shoulders, creating tension. Hold their arms close to the body when writing. Hold pencils too tight, limiting the fine movements of the hand. This variation on bow pose is one...
Did you know that postural control is important for handwriting and keyboarding? Postural control allows us to: Sit at a desk with an upright posture with our hands free for manipulative activities Stand steadily to draw on a chalkboard Hold head at an optimal position for eye contact with others...
The Developing Child Insights and Developments in Therapeutic Treatment Approaches for Pediatric Conditions July 2020 | Issue 5 ATNR & STNR : The Learning reflexes ATNR & STNR are two reflexes that are critical for a child's learning and development. Non-integration of these reflexes can lead to difficulties concentrating, difficulties...
Reflexes are automatic movements that happen without conscious thought. Reflexes help us to survive, search for food (rooting and sucking reflex), protection (moro), avoid danger (grasping from falling), to walk (stepping reflex). Primitive reflexes are the neurological building blocks of learned skills and motor development, coordination skills, cognitive skills and...
Three Best has ranked us as one of the top 3 occupational therapists in Houston
The Developing Child Newsletter: Issue 3 Insights and Developments in Therapeutic Treatment Approaches for Pediatric Conditions Sleep is a huge topic in parenting literature. There are so many views on how to do it best. We like to look at it from the viewpoint of how it affects the brain...
THE DEVELOPING CHILD NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 2 INSIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT APPROACHES FOR PEDIATRIC CONDITIONS Vision is more than seeing clearly. Seeing clearly is visual acuity and this is what is tested in a standard eye exam. Vision is the ability to perceive our environment, decode the information in...
An app called Access Houston Airports has been launched by the Houston Airport System. It was designed in collaboration with the Arc of Greater Houston to help kids with disabilities prepare for airport travel.
HOW COREGULATION CAN HELP TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM. Excerpts from article by Lori Desautels and published on Edutopia on October 15, 2019 We need to understand that traditional discipline works best with the children who need it the least, and works least with the children who need it the most....
In this insightful interview, Dr Stephen Porges explains how the Safe And Sound Protocol promotes calming and social engagement and provides a summary of his Polyvagal Theory . Dr Porges provides key tips for parents whose children are doing the SSP protocol about being aware of the extra demands that will result...
THE DEVELOPING CHILD NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 1 INSIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT APPROACHES FOR PEDIATRIC CONDITIONS Welcome to the first edition of our bimonthly newsletter, The Developing Child. The vast amount of research into ADHD and brain function has resulted in ever greater insight into the intricacies and complexities of...
October can be a difficult time for kids. Halloween is on the horizon, which can cause a mixture of emotions, the demands of school are increasing, and there can be a late year bout of environmental allergies to further add to any frustration and feelings of discomfort. Although most kids...
Most of us never consider the skills required to write legibly, or how poor handwriting performance can effect learning. This blog post by OT Loren Shlaes is a great primer on this. Read more at Minds in Bloom. Pretty much the entire point of an academic education is to enable a...
Registration is now open for our next Handwriting Group. It will run from September 18 to October 23. The group meets each Wednesday from 5pm to 6pm. This group is ideal for kids ages 5-10 who need to work on improving writing legibility, letter reversals, correct pencil group, and correct...
Article via Psychology Today. Looking for help with handwriting? Our after school group starts March 27. Have you ever tried to read your physician’s prescriptions? Children increasingly print their writing because they don’t know cursive or theirs is simply unreadable. I have a middle-school grandson who has trouble reading his own cursive....
The American Academy of Pediatrics has put out a great position paper advising on the place of toys in a child’s life and what types of toys are best. This point is great: Recognize that one of the most important purposes of play with toys, especially in infancy, is not educational but...
An article in the Washington Post has highlighted a new theory into some diagnoses of ADHD – they may actually be an undiagnosed sleep disorder instead. Growing evidence suggests that a segment of children with ADHD are misdiagnosed and actually suffer from insufficient sleep, insomnia, obstructed breathing or another known sleep disorder....
A small study on child development looked at the role music and movement has between babies and adults. To anyone that has rocked a baby and sung a lullably, you probably know already the soothing affect it can have. The question this study asked was: What makes young children behave in...
Play is so fundamental to our work here. It’s the natural way for children to learn about their world. But play is equally important for adults. The importance of play for children is well documented. Now researchers are turning their attention to its possible benefits for adults. What they’re finding...
TODAY WE ARE SUPPORTING #JEANS4GENES IN HONOR OF OUR SWEET FRIEND, JACKSON! HERE IS HIS MOM’S STORY: Hello! My name is Natalie Palin, and our four-year-old son Jackson was born with Trisomy 21, more commonly known as Down syndrome. We have been so lucky to receive therapy at Solaris now...
We will be holding our Handwriting & Yoga Summer Camp the week of June 11th. This camp is ideal for kids between the ages of 5 and 10 who need to improve their writing legibility, have issues with letter reversals, spacing, and correct letter formation. Led by an occupational therapist,...
Efficient handwriting is more than neat handwriting. Proper body mechanics to hold pencil and write Amount of effort (both physical and mental) to complete the activity Exerting too much physical and mental effort on the writing activity reduces the ability & willingness to learn. The Complexity of Handwriting: Self regulation...
Do you have a picky eater? It’s something we see commonly at Solaris. One of our mom’s wrote about her perspective of a feeding therapy session with our speech therapist, Lauren. You can read it on her website, WestUniversityMoms. If you have a picky eater and would like more information on...
We are open and looking forward to seeing all of our kiddos and families!
We will be hosting the Yoga for the Special Child Basic Part 1 course again this fall. The dates are October 15-21, 2017. The course is taught by Kathy Randolph and the cost is $985. To register, please complete the form below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZEmGAOJvf1gHtpReYi_-uGpm23VhZujNShdhSYoycYKgA8w/viewform
REORGANIZATION: WHAT IT IS, WHEN IT OCCURS, AND THE BEST WAY TO RESPOND Here is an article from ILS on reorganization, the differences between reorganization and adverse reactions, and steps to support your child through both states
Registration Form: Solaris Handwriting & Yoga Summer Camp 2017
Brain gym is a series of fun and energizing exercises designed to prepare the brain and body for a more efficient pattern of movement, learning and communication promoting whole brain processing and balance in a stress-free environment. Learning Objectives: Summarize whole brain integration through whole body movement Describe the role...
Next year, from March 3rd to March 10th, we will be hosting the Basic Part 2 Certification Program for Yoga for the Special Child. This course is taught by Sonia Sumar. The course cost is $1050. Completion of Basic Part 1 is a prerequisite. To register click here.
From November 3rd to December 15th, we are offering free adult yoga sessions on Thursdays at noon. The class will be 40 minutes long. This is a great opportunity to try integral yoga. Please email or give us a call if you are interested.
Join us on July 30th for our QRI Workshop to learn the amazing benefits of the QRI cold laser on the integration of primitive reflexes. You will also have the opportunity to buy your own laser at a discounted price. QRI is a program of low level laser therapy on specific...
Researchers have found that taking notes by hand help students retain information longer and learn better. “Note-taking is a pretty dynamic process,” said cognitive psychologist Michael Friedman at Harvard University who studies note-taking systems. “You are transforming what you hear in your mind.” Our Handwriting & Yoga summer camp will...
For Houston Compassion Week we are running free adult Yoga classes for parents of kids with special needs. Our classes will run on April 16th. The morning class will be led by Annette Raj at her Yoga Bhavana studio and the afternoon class will be led by Yulene Broussard at Solaris Pediatric Therapy. If...
Our Handwriting and Yoga Camps are ideal for kids between the ages of 5-10 who need improvement in writing legibility, are having issues with letter reversals and need to work on developing cursive skills. We will be using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum which was developed by occupational therapists. To lay the foundation...
New research and clinical work is showing that yoga is an effective treatment for chronic pain and those suffering from trauma. Read the original article here. Researchers found that 52 percent of the yoga participants no longer met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis after treatment, compared with 29 percent of the...
Learn the benefits of weighted blankets and how to use them for special needs children with a variety of diagnoses/symptoms: • Autism • Sensory Processing Disorder • ADD/ADHD • anxiety • sleep difficulties Make a weighted blanket to take home! • small size: 30” x 20” • large size: 50”...
We are having a fundraiser yard sale this Saturday, February 6th from 8am-4pm. This fundraiser raises money for a special needs child to take Yoga for the Special Child lessons. Like us on facebook and share the love.
Don’t forget to register! See our flyer for course information and how to register.
Come learn the unique benefits of Yoga for the Special Child! Until the end of 2015, we are offering 2 free Yoga for the Special Child sessions to new clients. Yoga for the Special Child is gentle and therapeutic for babies and children with a range of diagnoses: Down Syndrome, Cerebral...
Blood tests before and after the trial showed that, after three months of yoga practice, all three markers for inflammation were lower by 10 to 15 percent. That part of the study offered some rare biological evidence of the benefits of yoga in a large trial that went beyond people’s...
In this Goop Q&A, Stanford professor Kelly McGonigal explains why stress may actually be good for us sometimes, and that there is more than one type of stress. The body has a whole repertoire of stress responses. Sometimes when we experience stress we’re experiencing a state that is healthy, that makes...
The importance of play for children before the age of 7 should not be underestimated. Outdoor, unstructured play is particularly important for children to develop the social-emotional tools they need to navigate life successfully. In a blog post by pediatric occupational therapist Angela Hanscom, she recounts an interview she conducted with a highly...
A meditation study led by Harvard affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital shows that meditation can change the parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. “Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also...
New research has come out showing the great importance of the vagus nerve on health. The vagus nerve starts in the brain stem and travels down the sides of the neck to the rest of the body. ‘Vagus’ is Latin for wandering, and this nerve, which is made of thousands and...
Read original article here. In a stunning discovery that overturns decades of textbook teaching, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have determined that the brain is directly connected to the immune system by vessels previously thought not to exist. That such vessels could have escaped detection when the lymphatic system...
Too much technology and not enough social interaction is a pitfall for developing young minds. Read the full article published on the New York Times website here. Excessive use of computer games among young people in China appears to be taking an alarming turn and may have particular relevance for American parents...
This article by Sheila Wayman for The Irish Times, published June 2, 2015, explains very well how movement and learning are linked. At Solaris, we work with children to help them integrate reflexes and build a strong physical ‘base’ to support learning and social interactions. Link to original. ‘GREY-AREA’ CHILDREN, WHO...
It’s too easy to get caught up in the trap of busyness and lose track of what is important. We really like this slow parenting movement which calls for families to simplify their life and be present with each other. John Duffy, a clinical psychologist and author of “The Available Parent”,...
Movement is functional rather than purposeless We have added this article from Huffington Post to our parent resources page: ‘Have we taken the wrong approach to treating kids with ADHD?’ It resonates very much with our work here at Solaris! Here is the research report if you are interested in reading...
The Yoga for the Special Child® Basic Part 1 Course will be held at Solaris Pediatric Therapy in Houston, TX from November 1-7, 2015. Kathy Randolph is leading the course and Solaris’s Yulene Broussard is the program coordinator. This comprehensive training course delves into the theory and practice of Yoga therapy for babies and children with...
Please welcome our new yoga instructor, Annette Raj! Annette has practiced and taught Iyengar yoga for the past 15 years and recently completed the Basic Yoga for the Special Child certification, a long-time goal of hers. Before dedicating her life to Yoga, Annette was a school psychologist. We are so...