Pediatric
occupational therapists (OTs)
have the best jobs in the world. We get to spend time with children of
all
ages,
sizes, and abilities and help them to develop skills to maximize
participation in the “occupations” of everyday life.
What is a child’s primary occupation?
Playing. How do OTs know when our interventions are working? That’s
simple.
Our
clients are having a great time, and we are too. Not many professionals
get to use
fun as the chief criterion of whether
they are doing their jobs well!
When
Barbara Smith asked me to write
the foreword to this wonderful book, I was delighted. From cover to
cover,
these
pages are packed with great activities and practical information
you can
use to help the child you love or work with (or both!)
to build developmental
skills. How will you know whether you are doing it the right way? Once
again,
it’s simple. You and
the child will both be having fun.
If
your child is meeting motor milestones basically on time,
there is a wealth of ideas and insights within these pages for you.
You’ll gain
a deeper understanding of how your child is developing and learn ways
you can
help to foster your child’s exciting new abilities.
If
your child has developmental delays, take heart. Remember
that milestones are general guidelines and all children develop
at their own
pace. Celebrate what your child can do
right now and build from there. This book is an essential resource for
understanding what is going on with your child, and learning about
tools and
techniques that will help you to help your child
to flourish. If your child is
receiving services such as OT, physical therapy, speech language
therapy, or
special education,
you’ll want to share this book with them. These
developmental specialists can point out which activities are best for
your
child right now and help you to modify them to meet your child’s
unique needs.
So
many parents are overbooked and
overwhelmed these days. Hopefully this is not the case for you, but
even if it
is, you can
still make time for
the types of play that
promote reading and writing readiness. Barbara
Smith has made it easier for you
with this book. Within
these pages, you'll find suggestions for toys and equipment you can
make
yourself or find in most toy stores.
Barbara
Smith has made it easier for you with this book.
Within these pages, you’ll find suggestions for toys and equipment
you can make
yourself or find in most toy stores.
Set aside time each day for play. Turn off your cell phone
and the television, and have a blast together. Kids love repetition,
so don’t
hesitate to do the same activities over and over. This book will teach
you how
to add variety to keep it interesting as
well as how to make an activity a bit
easier or harder so that your child is always challenged, engaged, and
successful.
I know
you will enjoy reading and using this book. Have fun
playing!
Lindsey Biel, OTR/L
New York City
Co-Author,
Raising a Sensory Smart Child