lol At 09:59 AM 1/25/2005, you wrote: >hey, beth, don't forget to add "don't baby these >kids." >lol. > >--- Elizabeth Thiers <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Hi Debra, > > I'm Beth an occupational therapist, I hang here for > > the good jokes. I don't > > have CP but, I've been working with people with > > disabilities (mostly > > children) for 10 years now, been an OT for 6 years. > > 1. Don't baby. > > 2. Create experiences for the child to do work as > > independently as > > possible. > > 3. Get them out of the wheelchairs and down near > > their peers. Children w/ > > CP should have a new position every 20 minutes to > > prevent contractures. > > They should be in gait trainers, mobile prones, > > standers, rifton chairs etc. > > Let the other kids play in the equipment when the > > child with cp isn't in it. > > Good experience, bonding happens. > > 4. Don't baby. Unless there are strict doctors > > orders to do so. > > 5. Adapt, adapt, adapt. Whether it's > > communications, books, activities > > whatever. > > 6. Assume the child knows more than what you think > > and start there. While > > old statistics state that the majority of children > > with CP are mentally > > retarded. Honestly, most of them have never have > > good learning experiences, > > the right set-ups or a chance. > > 7. Don't baby. > > 8. Do know that many children with CP have > > processing delays. It takes > > them awhile to respond. This can affect hearing, > > visual, touch, balance, > > etc. These kids should be screened for visual motor > > deficits, central > > auditory processing problems, etc. If gentle > > insisting won't get this > > testing done. Just assume it's a problem and adapt > > from there. > > 9. Adapting the curriculum is an on-going process. > > I've seen too many > > times that a child was evaluated, set-up accured and > > then that was it. What > > about putting worksheets on computers? The company > > the teachers got the > > worksheets from are required by law (ADA) to provide > > alternative methods of > > accessing there work. You have to know to ask. > > 10. Did I mention don't baby these kids. > > > > > > Beth t the OT > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List > > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of > > Dufour, Deb RQHR (by way > > of Deri James <[log in to unmask]>) > > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 9:09 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: School Inservice > > > > Hi there, > > I am an occupational therapist doing an inservice > > next week for school staff > > (teachers and assistants) on working with children > > with Cerebral Palsy. One > > of the discussion points will be myths or > > misconceptions about children with > > Cerebral Palsy. I have heard of a few from > > co-workers that school staff > > have had about children with CP (ie. they can't go > > outside because the cold > > air will make them more 'spastic'). > > > > I was wondering if you have ever experienced > > difficulties with school staff > > having misconceptions about your child (ren) with > > Cerebral Palsy? Could you > > share? I would love some more ideas to go with for > > the inservice, without > > having to pull teeth to get them to admit what they > > believe or think about > > the children I work with. > > > > Thanks for any and all information shared! > > DEb > > Debra Dufour > > Occupational Therapist > > WRC - Children's Program > > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >http://mail.yahoo.com