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OT Time: What is a Sensorimotor Group?
OT Time is a sensorimotor activity group designed for toddler and preschool aged children. The program focuses on the development of sensory processing and motor skills, vital for growth, development, attention, and learning. This program is facilitated by a Pediatric Village Therapist (occupational or physical therapist). Children will learn how to process input from their senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, balance, and proprioception) and work on motor skills such as balance, posture, muscle strength, bilateral coordination, gross motor, fine motor, oral motor, visual tracking, rhythm and timing. This is an interactive program enabling children to learn about their own body and environment.
What will my child work on?
Sensory processing skills – helping your child learn how to process input from senses, regulate emotions, behavior and coping strategies
Fine motor skills – movement and coordination in the small muscles of the hand and fingers, usually requiring a high degree of control and precision
Gross motor skills – movement and coordination of the arms, legs, and other large body parts
Rhythm and timing – improving rhythm and timing movement sequences and systems
Bilateral coordination – coordination of both sides of the body
Vestibular balance and posture – upright posture, balance, how and where the body is moving in space
Social skills – helping your child make friends, greet others, develop sharing and turn-taking skills
Who can join?
EVERYONE! It is important for all children to develop the foundational skills of processing sensory information for motor skill acquisition and academic achievement. These skills have been harder to obtain for various reason over the past several years. One being positioning babies on their backs for sleep (which is recommended and important to reduce the risks of SIDS), however babies are not getting the tummy time needed to develop the muscle strength required for higher level motor skills and handwriting/fine motor development which are imperative for early education! Young children are like sponges, their experiences shape the way their brains functions and how they relate and view the world. OT Time will introduce your child to novel experiences through different ways to explore play, language, motor skills, and socialization using new sensory experiences.
OT Time at Montessori in the Pines
This group of kids are working hard and having fun while developing imperative foundational skills for learning and movement
How Does Your Engine Run?
The Alert Program for self regulation uses the analogy of an automobile engine to introduce its concepts of self regulation. "If your body is like a car engine sometimes it runs on high, sometimes it runs on low, and sometimes it runs just right. The Alert Program will give your child the tools to be able to identify their engine speed, know which activities are best to change their engine speed, and be able to complete this independently with visuals. This service is designed to be completed in the home environment but is able to be applied in the home or school environment. This program is designed for kids 8 and up to be independently successful however works well with the younger populations when parents and teachers are able to assist. To be successful in this program 5-8 sessions is usually needed to learn the principles and get the child, parents, and teachers set up to implement the program independently. The children will be given an engine picture board to help them identify their speed and a list of activities unique to their nervous system to help them self regulate. This content can be taught in the home, at school, or in a group setting.
Does your child need help with handwriting and other fine motor skills? Look no further we offer in home handwriting services using the Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum. You want to get a jump start on your child’s handwriting abilities or are needing strategies and interventions for improvement, we are here to assist you. Please call to inquire about specialized handwriting services.
Coming Soon: Get Set for Kindergarten Handwriting program