It’s that time of year where everywhere you look you see pumpkins! Not only do they get in the fall spirit but did you know that there are several activities you can do with a pumpkin that can help nurture your child’s development! Below are four ways that you and your child can have endless fun with just a pumpkin.
Your child’s Visual perceptual skills are an important set of skills that help them understand the world around them. So, what are visual perceptual skills? Visual perceptual skills are the ability to visually take in information and interpret that information to give it a meaning. There are seven different skills that make up visual perceptual skills. They are the the following:
Visual discrimination
Determining differences/ similarities between
objects such as size, shape, color, etc.
Visual sequential memory
The ability to recall visual sequences/
patterns
Form constancy
Identifying that an object is the same object regardless of its orientation, size, color, etc.
Visual closure
Identifying an object or person even if you can’t see the entire picture.
Visual memory
The ability to recognize visual traits of an object.
Visual spatial relations
Determining the relationships between the objects in your environment.
Visual figure ground
The ability to locate an object in a
visually busy environment.
Questions or concerns?
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s visual perceptual skills, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.
Urooba Khaleelullah, MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
What is toe walking?
Toe walking can be described as walking on the toes or the balls of our feet without heel contact on the ground. It commonly can be described as your child always on their “tiptoes”. Some children with diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or autism may be seen walking on their toes. If a child is toe walking for an unknown cause, it can be described as idiopathic toe walking. Idiopathic toe walking is characterized by toe walking that is not occurring because of an underlying anatomical or neuromuscular cause. Factors that may play into idiopathic toe walking include;
Spooky season is among us. For some children, this time of the year brings warm cozy feelings, excitement about costumes and candy, and eagerness about decorating your house full of ghouls and ghosts. For others, this season may bring up fear and anxiety about the festive yet scary decorations they see around the neighborhood. If your child has been expressing more anxiety surrounding the topic of Halloween, you can create a plan to help them feel more in control and calm when it comes to seeing these unexpected decorations. Below are some tips and tricks (unfortunately not treats!) to use while making a “Halloween Plan” or “Scary Decoration Plan.”