We often share handouts on various topics with parents who bring their children to Child Find. Some of these handouts have been developed by Child Find staff members and some are from other sources. We hope you will find the information helpful.

Use the table of contents on the left to navigate through the different handouts.

Did you know that child safety seats may actually be unsafe if they are installed improperly? Your car's manual may show the correct way to install a car seat in that particular model. For further information about safety seat installation and product recalls, contact these organizations:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 800-424-9393, 888-327-4236 (also toll-free), www.nhtsa.dot.gov
The National SAFE KIDS Campaign, 800-441-1888, 202-662-0632,www.safekids.org
SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., 800-745-SAFE, 800-747-SANO (Spanish), www.carseat.org

by Harriett Hoeprich, Speech/Language Specialist y

Be understanding.
Learning to speak is a complex task. Believe me, your child is not just lazy! Certain patterns do develop in normal child articulation development as a result of the concept of simplification. When children continue to simplify their speech beyond developmental expectations, they are not doing so purposefully. Usually, this is a result of motor issues, hearing issues, or processing issues that are not under the child's voluntary control.

Be a practice partner.
Ask your child's speech/language therapist to let you know when it would be helpful for you to practice at home. Then practice your child's successful words, using word cards or objects, at home. Use games and other fun activities, and make your sessions short and frequent. (5-15 minutes a day)

Don't directly correct sounds that your child has not worked on yet.
Direct correction has been shown to be largely ineffective and disruptive. This is especially true when the child has not had the opportunity to have the new skill presented in a more isolated way than connected speech. At some point, your therapist will let you know if your child is at the stage where gentle reminders may be effective during connected speech for the targeted sound. This is usually after mastery has been achieved at the single word level, however.

Use revision every day to address the articulation needs as a whole.
Parents don't realize how powerful this can be, particularly if the revision is used consistently and simply. Revision is the technique where you repeat what the child has said, but use the correct pronunciation. You may want to give the sound a little extra emphasis. (Example--Child: Look at bu! Adult: Look at that bug! Go, bug, go!)

Don't directly imitate your child's errors. Model good speech.
Some of the cute things our children say are very precious to us. But don't inadvertently reinforce the incorrect productions by laughing or drawing attention. Certainly don't imitate the incorrect production. Repeat the utterance using the correct pronunciation. And make a tape or video recording to save your memories of some of the adorable things your child says at this age! Model good speech.

Address health issues that may contribute to the problem.
Fight ear infections. Address other physical difficulties that may contribute, such as mouth breathing or voice difficulties.

Read to your child.
It's amazing how much this accomplishes. Use reading as a way to surround your child with the targeted sound. (See "Ideas for Books to Enhance Articulation Skills".)

Play with your child.
Spend time talking with your child in play, while you model the correct productions very simply, using revision.

Talk to your child.
Talk to your child as you go through your daily routine. This is a chance to model many correct productions, use revision, and stimulate language development, too.

Below are some fun ideas of games and activities you can use to practice your child's sounds. Many of these games involve the use of simple picture cards which can be made out of index cards and catalogs.

Use the picture cards to play Concentration (Memory) or Go Fish.
Play a board game like Candyland, but have your child say a word before he takes a turn each time. Don't forget to take a word yourself! Then it's one more model your child gets to hear. When your child is ready for this step, let your child "catch" you making the sound "the old way" and let him show you how it should be said with the "new sound".
If your child isn't quite ready to enjoy traditional board games like Candyland, use something like Hi-Ho Cherrio, which is a simpler type of game. Use the picture cards in the same manner, however.
Play more active types of games, such as Nerf Golf, Bean Bag Toss, Ring Toss, and Bowling by simplifying the game to include less movement. This works really well with the minimal pairs. Put out two bowling pins with a picture card of the pair against each one (pin-bin, for example). Then try several approaches: Have your child tell you which one he knocked over, or which one he will knock over. Then gently tell him: "You said you were going to knock over the picture of 'pin'. You knocked over 'bin'."
Hide the picture cards and let your child "find" them. You can also hide the pictures in other containers, such as plastic eggs.
See the handout entitled "Ideas for Books to Enhance Articulation Skills".

by Harriett Hoeprich, Speech/Language Specialist 1995

The following are only a brief beginning list of possible books to enhance articulation skills. One reason that reading can be a helpful way of enhancing articulation is by "bombarding" the child with many opportunities to hear the correct pronunciation of the targeted sound. When you know your child has worked on a certain sound in therapy, it can also be another way to practice new skills. When you talk about the book with your child, the sound should come up naturally because of the topic or words in the book. You can use a "closure" technique to elicit certain words, if you feel fairly confident that your child can produce the sound. (For example: "Caps for sale! Fifty cents a ____." letting your child fill in the blank.) Or you could have the child "read" part of the book with you, if it's a story he is very familiar with. Very repetitive stories are also helpful in eliciting phrases--such as "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you hear?"

Remember to use a very natural, low-key approach. Drilling under pressure will probably result in the child disliking the activity and possibly the whole idea of reading and speaking, which is certainly not your goal! Remember that even if your child is "only" listening, she is still gaining the auditory bombardment of the sound and opportunities to hear the correct pronunciation in a controlled setting, not to mention all the other benefits of spending time with you and reading.

K SOUND
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle
CROSS COUNTRY CAT by Mary Calhoun
CAPS FOR SALE by Esphyr Slobodkina
CATS AND CANARY by Michael Foreman
CAN I KEEP HIM by Steven Kellogg
CORDUROY by Don Freeman
MILLIONS OF CATS by Wanda Gag

D SOUND
A DARK, DARK TALE by Ruth Brown
HAVE YOU SEEN MY DUCKLING? by Nancy Tafuri
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey

P SOUND
EACH PEACH, PEAR, PLUM by Janet and Allen Ahlberg
HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON by Crockett Johnson
PAT THE BUNNY by Dorothy Kunhardt
THE PIG'S WEDDING by Helen Heine
POPPY THE PANDA by Dick Gackenbach

F SOUND
FAMILY by Helen Oxenbury
FEELINGS by Aliki
FINDERS KEEPERS by Will and Nicholas Mordvinoff
A FARMER'S ALPHABET by Mary Axariun
THE FOOT BOOK by Dr. Seuss
THE FOOLISH FROG by Pete and Charles Seeger
FIVE LITTLE FOXES AND THE SNOW by Tony Johnston
ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH by Dr. Seuss
FIX-IT by David McPhail
GONE FISHING by Earlene Long
THE LITTLE FUR FAMILY by Margaret Wise Brown

M SOUND
MOON MAN by Tomi Ungerer
MAMA DON'T ALLOW by Thatchur Hurd
MADELINE by Ludwig Bemelmans
MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB by Mary Josepha Hale
MAX'S FIRST WORD by Rosemary Wells
MITCHELL IS MOVING by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

G SOUND
GOOD MORNING, CHICK by Mirra Ginsburg
GOOD-BYE HOUSE by Frank Asch
GONE FISHING by Earlene Long
GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret Wise Brown
I GO WITH MY FAMILY TO GRANDMA'S by Riki Levinson

H SOUND
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by many different authors
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOON by Frank Asch
HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON by Crockett Johnson
HIPPOS GO BERSERK by Sandra Boynton
HOLES AND PEEKS by Ann Jonas
HOW DO I PUT IT ON? by Shrego Watanabe
HUSH LITTLE BABY by Jeanette Winter

B SOUND
I AM A BUNNY by Ole Risom
HUSH LITTLE BABY by Jeanette Winter
PAT THE BUNNY by Dorothy Kunhardt
THE RUNAWAY BUNNY by Margaret Wise Brown

L SOUND
I KNOW AN OLD LADY by Nadine Bernard Wescott
I LOVE MY BABY SISTER by Elaine Edelman
A LION FOR LEWIS by Rosemary Wells
THE LITTLE DUCK by Judy Dunn
THE LITTLE PUPPY, THE LITTLE LAMB, THE LITTLE KITTEN, ETC... by Judy Dunn
THE LADY AND THE SPIDER by Faith McNulty
THE LITTLE FUR FAMILY by Margaret Wise Brown
LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE by Bernard Waber

SH SOUND
HUSH LITTLE BABY by Jeanette Winter
ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH by Dr. Seuss
SHEEP IN A JEEP by Nancy Shaw
SHEEP IN A SHOP by Nancy Shaw
SHHHH! by Suzy Kline
SHHHHH...BANG by Margaret Wise Brown
SHINE, SUN! by Carol Greene

TH SOUND
THE THANK YOU BOOK, by Francoise Seignobuse
THINGS I HATE by Harriett Wittels
THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD by Wally Piper
AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IT ON MULBERRY STREET by Dr. Seuss
TEETH by Michael Ricketts
THANK YOU by Edith Flack Ackley
THUNDERSTORM by Mary Szilagyi
THUMP AND PLUNK by Janice May Udry
THE THINKING BOOK by Sandol Stoddard
THE THINKING PLACE by Barbara Joosse
THIS AND THAT AND THUS AND SO by Evaline Nuss
THIDWICK, THE BIG-HEARTED MOOSE by Dr. Seuss
THREE BY THE SEA by Edward Marshall

R SOUND
ROSIE'S WALK by Pat Hutchins
ROTTEN RALPH by Jack Gantos
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD by the Brothers Grimm

S SOUND
SWIMMY by Leo Lionni
BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR by Bill Martin
SEE AND SAY by Antonio Frasconi
THE SEAL MOTHER by Mordicai Berestein
SEARCH FOR SAM by Neil Morris
SEEN ANY CATS? by Frank Modell
SEEDS by Terry Jennings

T SOUND
THE TEENY-TINY WOMAN by Paul Galdone
TEN, NINE, EIGHT by Molly Bang
TOUCH! TOUCH! by Riki Levinson
TEENY TINY by Jill Bennett
TASTING by Richard Allington
TAN TAN'S HAT by Kazuo Iwamura
TICKLE TICKLE by Helen Oxenbury
TIGER CAT by Slawomir Wolski
TIC, TAC AND TOE by Bruno Munari

FINAL CONSONANTS
LOUIS THE FISH by Arthur Yorinks
THE LITTLE DUCK by Judy Dunn
MOON MAN by Tomi Ungerer
PERFECT THE PIG by Susan Jeschke
THE CAT IN THE HAT by Dr. Seuss
ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH by Dr. Seuss
CROSS COUNTRY CAT by Mary Calhoun
CAN I KEEP HIM? by Steven Kellogg
A DARK, DARK TALE by Ruth Brown
THE FOOT BOOK by Dr. Seuss
GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret Wise Brown
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOON by Frank Asch
OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM Several versions available
HOP ON POP by Dr. Seuss
TEETH by Michael Ricketts
TIC, TAC, AND TOE by Bruno Munari
You will probably come up with many more of your own favorites!

Harriett Hoeprich, M.S., CCC 1995
 

by Harriett Hoeprich
Boulder Valley School District

When your child has difficulty coming up with a word and is very frustrated, gently suggest a possible word if it seems appropriate. At most other times, however, it is better to "guide" the child to thinking of the word.
Develop your child's skills of categorization and association of words. These can then be helpful "cues" for "finding" a word. As adults, we do this all of the time. For example, we might start to describe the thing we are thinking of and then the word "pops" into our mind. As adults, we tend to use letter associations quite a bit to remember words or names, but younger children can rely on categories (it's a good, animal, etc.) and associations (it goes with a ...).
After the child remembers a word, model that word in the next few sentences you say. This reinforces the word. You might even make some statements that are categories, associations, or--when the child is older--letter associations. For example, say your child can't think of "cow" and then does (either with your help or on his own). You might ten say something that fits the situation, like: "Oh, yes--cows do give milk. You're right about that. A cow is a farm animal. Cows live on farms and give milk.")
Help develop stronger vocabulary skills in general by modeling a wide variety of words yourself. Do so often enough so the child hears frequent repetition of the word. Connect vocabulary to real experiences whenever you can.
Make sure the child gets adequate rest and good nutrition. You may notice that you have more difficulty remembering words when you are tired, sick, stressed, or hungry. This is true for children, too.

by Mary Anne Tanner, MSW
Boulder Valley School District

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU, AS A PARENT, ARE AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PART OF THE STAFFING TEAM.
Come prepared to the staffing by writing down questions you have and information you want to share ahead of time. If the staffing is a review staffing or annual review, look over the goals and objectives on the last IEP before the staffing.
Before the staffing, consider what is important to you that your child learns during the next year. Share this information at the staffing.
Bring a friend or relative to the staffing if this will help you to feel more comfortable.
View the staffing time as an opportunity for you, as your child's parents, and your child's teaching staff to work together to construct a plan that will help your child to be a successful learner. Listen, learn from others, and teach others.At the beginning of the staffing, find out how much time everyone has for the meeting. This will help you and the other participants to pace themselves appropriately.
Ask questions as they arise in your mind at the staffing.
Take notes during the staffing if this will help you to remember things you want to remember.
If you do not agree with a goal, placement, services or anything else that is being proposed for your child's education, tell the rest of the staffing team.
A large amount of information is shared at a staffing. Ask for another meeting if you feel overwhelmed and need time to think things over.
At the end of the staffing, summarize your understanding of the outcome of the meeting.
Give constructive feedback to school staff regarding the staffing process. Both positive and negative feedback is appreciated if it is done in a constructive manner. Similar to other professions, school professionals have many constraints and responsibilities pulling at them in addition to their desire to do what is best for the children. They are in many staffings throughout a year and sometimes these staffings occur consecutively. Sometimes we don't do as well as we would like to make the process comfortable for you as parents. Sometimes we do a good job. Please tell us when we do either.
Ask for suggestions about how to support the IEP goals and objectives at home.
Arrange with the teacher and other professionals ways that you can stay in touch throughout the year through notes, phone calls, parent/teacher conferences, etc.
Visit the classroom at least once throughout the year.
Volunteer at school and/or in the classroom.
articipate in activities at home to reinforce the goals and objectives on the IEP.

by Laurel Haack, OTR
Boulder Valley School District

For children to be able to learn or control their behavior, the nervous system must be in the proper state--one of equilibrium on a continuum somewhere between clam and alert. Equilibrium is our normal state, but the nervous system is always ready to respond to changes in the environment. For example, when we hear a car horn, we are alerted and can respond to any possible threat. Similarly, activities like reading a book can help calm us. A nervous system that is not functioning properly may alert and arouse to the wrong cues or may fail to alert at all. When children do not respond to the task at hand, determine if they need intervention through calming or alerting activities. Monitor responses to see what interventions are most effective, as all of these ideas may not work well for all children.
 
 
Alerting Activities  
(For the child who is lethargic and shows a decreased activity level)
Allow a midmorning healthy snack.
Use bright lighting, increase air circulation with fans or by opening windows.
Move and speak quickly and briskly.
Play loud, fast-paced music.
Encourage the child to swing as fast as he can while playing outside.
Encourage the child to slide as many times as she can while playing outside.
Allow the child to splash cool water on his face and neck, take a cool bath or play in a swimming pool when it is hot.
Encourage the child to bring a water bottle filled with ice water and sip from it.
Ask the child to run an errand for you in the house, requiring him to get up, walk or run, go up and down stairs and bring something back to you.
Allow the child to sit on a ball chair, playground ball or hoppity hop while watching TV.
Allow the child to chew gum or suck on hard candies.
Allow the child to jump on a mini tramp.
Take the child to a park or fast food restaurant to play.
Have the child play outside on a cool day for a short time.
Take the child on your errands that involve motor vehicle traffic and large stimulating stores.
 
 
Calming Activities  
(For the child who is hyperaroused or shows an increased activity level)
Use low-level lighting.
Encourage the child to listen to quiet music.
Use a soft voice and slow down your movements and speech.
Place a heavy hand on the child's shoulder or use a big bear hug to settle her down.
Allow the child to slowly rock or swing in a rocking chair, suspended hammock chair or hanging net.
Build a hideout in the child's bedroom from a card table and blanket.
Provide a hidden corner made with pillows or a large carpeted box as a quiet getaway.
Let the child wrap up in a blanket or a sleeping bag and lie down while reading or looking at books.
Encourage the child to make a tent over himself with a blanket while looking at a book.
Make a "calming sandwich" by having the child lie between two beanbag chairs or large pillows.
Encourage the child to sit on a vibrating pillow.
Give the child a warm bath followed by reading a story.
When the child is ready for bed, turn out the lights and play a flashlight game on the wall. Follow each other's flashlights, find an object, etc.
Have a lighted fish tank in the child's room. The filter system provides slight white noise and watching the fish swim is relaxing, particularly at night time.
Avoid taking the child on errands involving driving in a lot of traffic or to large stimulating stores.
Give the child a baby powder or nonfragrant lotion massage.

All of these activities require guidelines and rules for use in the home. Make your expectations clear with children before trying them out. As a precaution, discuss using specific activities with the child's therapist.

by Laurel Haack, M.S., OTR
Boulder Valley School District 
 
What is sensory processing? 
 
The process by which the brain registers, organizes and interprets information from our sensory systems (movement, touch, sight, sound, smell and taste). The terms sensory integration and sensory processing are often used interchangeably. Faulty sensory processing can result in sensorimotor delays. 

What is sensory integration?  
The process by which the brain registers, organizes and interprets information from our sensory system:
touch
movement
sound
sight
smell
taste

It is living, coping with daily incoming sensory input, organizing and correctly interpreting it (making sense of it) and using it wisely.
 
 
What is sensory modulation?  
It is the ability of the nervous system to continually and accurately register sensory information and modify or alter a person's perception of it, prior to responding.

Adequate modulation implies that there is a continuous interchange between the child's ability to habituate to the sensory input and/or adapt to the sensitivity level of the input. Therefore, if the child's nervous system is modulating sensory input successfully, it will be ready t to respond to any type of sensory information in the environment and respond appropriately.

Adequate modulation can also be referred to as the "just right state," in which the nervous system achieves equilibrium somewhere on the continuum between calm and alert. It is the state that is appropriate for the given activity.
 
 
What causes a sensory modulation problem?  
At this time there are no exact answers to this question. Sometimes these problems are seen in children with other medical disorders, such as autism, fragile X syndrome and attention deficit disorder. However, is this a disorder of its own? The Children's Hospital in Denver is currently involved in a comprehensive research project to help answer or address some of these issues.
 
 
What type of problems can occur with poor sensory processing or poor sensory modulation?  
Often, the nervous systems of children with sensory processing problems may not modulate sensory information properly and may alert and arouse to the wrong cues or may fail to alert at all.

When the arousal level is too low (hyporesponsivity, dormancy, failure to orient, high neuronal threshold level), the child may react less readily or more slowly to stimuli, affecting performance, learning and attending skills. When the arousal level is too high (hyper, overorienting, defensive, low neuronal threshold level), performance can also decline. For example, if the fire alarm rings, a student will hear the sound, register what it is and what it means and then respond to it appropriately by following the school rules of lining up with the class and going outside. If they over react to the sensory input (hyperresponsivity), they may not pay attention to the alarm, again, resulting in not following the rules.

When a child spends excessive time at one end of the continuum or the other, or shifts from one extreme to the other, a sensory modulation problem may exist. Therefore, a child may shift from one end to the other without ever being in the midrange or within what is considered the normal range.

Poor sensory modulation can occur within any of the sensory systems: tactile, motor (proprioceptive and vestibular), auditory, visual, smell or taste. It is felt that if a child's modulation can be altered to the "just right state," their performance can improve. 

What is the relationship between sensory integration issues and behavior?  
Children with sensorimotor disorders can easily become stressed and often develop negative attitudes toward school.

Learning is frequently a struggle rather than a positive experience for the child. Some children with sensory integrative disorders may function at their maximum potential after several years of therapy and become subject to the frustration and teasing from others as they try to keep up with peers physically, socially and academically.\\Dealing with the frustration, and possible stress, may be too much for the child to handle, resulting in socially inappropriate responses, poor coping strategies and low self-esteem.\\To increase the child's chance for success, environmental adaptations and firm classroom rules and consequences can provide the external structure needed to assist the child in developing internal organization (something children with sensory processing problems often do not have) and behavioral control.

Laurel Haack MS OTR
Boulder Valley Public Schools

Throughout the course of a day, our nervous system takes in and must respond appropriately to a wide variety and amount of sensory information. The brain helps register the type of sensory information coming in, filters out what is not necessary to pay attention to and organizes and interprets the most important input so we can respond accordingly. It is generally assumed that everyone has the ability to attend to all the important sensory input, filter out what is unimportant, interpret the input accurately and respond appropriately. This process is called modulation and is necessary to insure that a child (or adult) is able and ready to learn and control behavior. The modulation must be continual, throughout the day and does not occur easily or automatically in some children (or adults). Therefore, it is important to analyze what part of the process is breaking down and what can be done to help improve the modulation. For example, when we hear a smoke alarm, we are alerted to the auditory input and can respond appropriately to any danger. Likewise, we become calm when we read a book, watch TV or go to bed. However, if our nervous system does not process the sensory information accurately, it may alert and arouse to the wrong cues (attending to the activities of other children in the classroom, rather than completing your own work), it may become over aroused (to a TV commercial) or may fail to alert at all (by ignoring a teacher’s announcement that it is cleanup time). Our nervous system may also have difficulty calming down after a stressful or unexpected event.

Since everyone’s nervous system is unique and responds in different ways, each person may modulate sensory input very differently. Some children have a need for intense visual, auditory, movement or oral input. Examples would include: having toys or books all over and not being distracted by them, enjoying a loud radio, TV, or stereo while playing or doing homework, enjoying riding a bike up and down curbs rather than on a flat sidewalk, jumping off of playground equipment and chewing on clothes, toys or straws. While other children cannot handle that amount of input and may avoid it or limit their participation because of it. It is important to understand and be aware of what a child’s needs are, because if an adult tries to engage them in an activity without the appropriate level of modulation, they may not be able to respond well to the task. When the arousal level of a child is too low, the child may react less readily or more slowly to the input, affecting performance, learning and attending. If the arousal level is too high, performance can also decline. The trick is trying to keep the child at the "just right" level for learning, without shifting or staying at a too high or too low level; in other words, modulating their responses appropriately to the demands of the task.

There are certain types of sensory activities that can have an influence on modulation, resulting in more appropriate behavioral responses from the child. Deep pressure input, heavy work, rhythmic movements in a linear motion, vibration and oral motor activities can be organizing and also calming to the nervous system. These activities must be available and repeated throughout the day to help maintain an optimal level of modulation, particularly during transitional times, in stimulating environments and when the child is having difficulty maintaining attention. As children learn and grow, this process can become one of self-regulation, in which the child attempts to cognitively attain, maintain and change his/her arousal level appropriately for a task or situation. These activities are commonly referred to as a "sensory diet," which is generally designed by an occupational therapist for an individual child. The child’s response to the activities is monitored and changes are made as needed. Examples of the activities follows.
 
 
Deep Pressure Input  
This involves any kind of firm input through the muscles, joints and skin. It is generally organizing, and unlike other forms of sensory input, rarely overloads the nervous system. Therefore, it is an excellent strategy to use to alert or calm down the body and helps develop body awareness at the same time.
Wilbarger Protcol using brushing and joint compression (must be demonstrated by a therapist)
Rubbing lotion on the body with firm strokes
Using weighted blankets, weighted vests or wrist/ankle weights
Utilizing a "pillow corner" in which the child can nestle, wrestle and cuddle in
Wearing leggings, tights, or spandex, also ace wrapping the arms, legs and trunk
Receiving firm hugs
Rolling a large ball over the child with careful pressure when lying down
Creating a small space with pillows or a barrel and climbing into it
 
 
Heavy Work  
This involves any type of activity that provides active pressure into the muscles through pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying. It is also useful in assisting development of body awareness and muscular strength.
House work involving vacuuming, carrying groceries, carrying laundry, using a wheelbarrow or pushing the lawn mower
Carrying and wearing a backpack filled with books or toys
Pulling a wagon with another child in it
Pushing the grocery cart
Assisting in moving furniture, stacking chairs, scrubbing tables
Push-ups or pushing against a chair seat, desk, table or wall
Climbing stairs, using a stair master, pedaling a stationary or outdoor bike
Playing with play dough or therapy putty
Kneading bread, stirring baking mixes, using a rolling pin
Jumping on the floor, mini-tramp or mattress
Using playground equipment involving climbing and crawling
Climbing up the slide portion of a slide, pulling self up with a rope
Use of hand fidgets
Using a "worry stone" that feels good to hold and rub on
Attaching rubbing tubing to the backpack strap to pull on as needed
 
 
Movement  
Movement that is slow, rhythmic and done in a linear motion is generally calming. Fast and more variable motion is generally alerting. Movement can also help improve muscular strength and balance.
Riding a bicycle, roller blading and skiing
Aerobics
Playing on a trapeze
Swinging and playing on other types of playground equipment
Jumping jacks, running in place and stretching
Using a rocking chair
Utilizing recess time well
Using hand fidgets
Doing classroom errands
Jumping on a mini tramp
 
 
Vibration and Music  
Vibration and music can be stimulating to a child (depending on the type), but also can help to "center" or focus a child, as well as providing a calming effect.
Electric or battery operated tooth brush
Using a vibrating pillow
Playing with a variety of vibrators
Some musical instruments, especially electric or mouth blown can create vibration (harmonica, drums, etc.)
Use music to help identify transitions and cleanup time
Sing about activities as they are occurring in short, rhythmic phrases
Teach concepts musically and with rhythm
Listen to relaxation music and environmental sounds

Oral Motor  
This provides "heavy work" input to the mouth that can help organize and calm the nervous system.
Chewing gum, fruit leather, licorice, gummy bears
Chewing on rubber tubing
Using straws for thick drinks
Using blow toys
Playing games by blowing cotton balls across the table
Sucking on popsicles
Eating frozen grapes or frozen fruit
Tooth brushing
Sucking on hard candy
Eating a crunchy snack such as pretzels or carrots

Haack ‘99

by Connie Ferenc, School Psychologist

Self-esteem usually means that we have positive feelings about ourselves. It comes from a sense of security and a belief that we are capable of handling most of the events in our daily lives. Self-esteem allows us to respect ourselves and to treat others with respect. A child with high self-esteem is more likely to seek attention in positive ways and, in the long run, less likely to let peer pressure draw the child into substance abuse, school failure, crime, etc. A child with high self-esteem is more likely to grow into an adult who succeeds in life, who has real choices about what to be and what to do in life. 

There's a bonus for us adults when we work to help children develop self-esteem: when we help children grow, we can help ourselves to grow and build our own self-esteem. 

Here are some ideas that can help with developing children's self-esteem. 

Build your child's sense of security.
Provide the structure of some regular daily routines (not a rigid schedule). 
Provide predictability through rules that are enforced consistently and fairly. 

Build your child's sense of basic self-worth.
Regularly give your children some of your time and undivided attention, even if it is only a little time.  Express your interest and pleasure in them. 
Show your children your acceptance and respect.  

Build your child's sense of being a capable person.
Give your children the freedom to make choices from the options that you approve of. 
Offer just a few, simple choices to the very young child. 
Allow them to experience the consequences of their choices. For example, don't "rescue" a child who has chosen strawberry ice cream, then has a taste and decides that he/she really wants chocolate.
Give your children responsibilities at which they can succeed.
Make sure your expectations are reasonable for your particular child. For instance, a child might start with simply putting napkins on the table and gradually grow into independently setting the whole table.  Acknowledge your children's efforts when they succeed and when they try, even if they don't succeed.

Kids are just like adults when it comes to self-esteem. They will learn and grow by trying new things. They need to know that it is "safe" to try and possibly not succeed. They need our support and encouragement (not pushing) so that they will be willing to take that risk. And we can enjoy seeing them develop into self-confident people who feel good about who they are and what they can do.

by Connie Ferenc, M.A., NCSP
School Psychologist
Boulder Valley School District Child Find

We all want our children to be successful. Yet some children, as they get older, get involved in risky and even dangerous behavior. Why? Many factors influence why some young people choose positive lifestyles while others have a harder time. But even while your children are preschoolers, you can begin to give them the tools for success. You do this by building their "developmental assets": positive attitudes and skills. These assets help young people to succeed and help them to be more resilient whenever they do have negative life experiences.

The things you do now will help your children build resources that are a foundation for healthy development and can even help with "weathering the storms" of adolescence. Research has shown that the more assets a young person has, the better. Here are some areas in which you can start building your children's assets.
 
 
Children Need to Feel Loved. 
 
Relationships are a key factor in developing assets. Naturally, not just our words, but our tone of voice and our behavior tell our children how we feel about them. They need to know that we:

Part of this information is adapted from materials developed by the Search Institute. For more details, contact their web site at www.search-institute.org or write Search Institute, 700 South 3rd St., Minneapolis, MN 55415 or phone (612) 376-8955. January 1999  

InReal: Reactive Language Strategies  
The term "InReal" originally came from the idea of "In-class, reactive language." It is a model for interacting with children which uses the natural context of communication as the foundation for stimulating the child's language development. The In Real philosophy rests on the premise that genuine conversation, NOT correction, encourages language growth. To encourage genuine conversation, the adult interactor follows the child's lead and uses the content and the ideas of the child's play and communication to guide interactions.
 
 
S.O.U.L.: The foundation for all reactive language interactions.  
Silence  Refers to WAIT TIME between conversational turn taking (at least 3 seconds). This allows the child additional time to respond and formulate, as well as allowing you to follow the child's lead. 
Observation Understanding
Listening  Involves getting at the child's level physically, emotionally and linguistically. Putting yourself in the child's perspective. 

The following reactive language strategies can be used with preverbal children, as well as verbal children.
 
 
Mirroring  
Mirror or copy the child's activity whether the activity is making funny faces or car noises with a vehicle. Mirroring lets a child know that his actions are understood. You will find that the child wants to imitate you in return. Mirroring allows for genuine turn taking which lays a foundation for verbal turn taking.
 
 
Parallel Talk  
The adult talks about what the child is doing or what the child may be feeling or thinking during play. Use language that is at the child's level so they can understand.

EXAMPLES:
Child pushes car  Adult: "You're pushing a car." 
Child has an angry face after another child takes a car from him.  Adult: "You look like you're feeling angry because you were not done playing with the car." 
 
 
Self Talk  
The adult talks about what she is doing while she is playing with the child. Remember, follow the child's lead and talk at the level of the child's verbal skills.

EXAMPLES:
Parent and child are drawing.  Adult: "I'm drawing, too."  
Parent and child are playing with a doll house.  Adult: "I'm putting the daddy in a chair." 
 
 
Revisions  
The adult repeats the child's words or sentences, using correct pronunciation and grammar. This is the preferred way for the adult to model the correct form of what the child has said, thus the natural flow of conversation is not disrupted.

EXAMPLES:
Child: "Baby want swing."  Adult: "The baby wants to swing." 
Child: "Me ju."  Adult: "You want juice." 
 
 
Expansion  
Listen to what the child is saying, then add to the child's words or build on the child's ideas. You are modeling more advanced language skills and vocabulary. This strategy clarifies the topic, the child knows he is understood and you are following the child's lead.

EXAMPLES:
Child: "Meow."  Adult: "Your kitty is saying meow." 
Child: "Car."  Adult: "Car go."/"Drive car." 
 
 
Modeling  
Use your "own" words but continue to talk on the child's topic. This allows you to introduce new ideas and build on the child's language skills. Remember to talk at the child's level so he/she can understand.

EXAMPLES:
Child: "Want some ticken?"  Adult: "I'd like some chicken. It looks like good fried chicken."  
Child: "This ice cream is good."  Adult: "Yes, the ice cream is delicious and it makes my mouth feel cold." 

Information included was taken from the video Natural Ways for Enhancing Children's Speech and Language Development, a product of the Boulder Valley School District. Some direct statements and examples were used.