Monthly Archives: October 2011

Updated: Yoga for Kids and Teens in Oklahoma – Resource List

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Click here for the UPDATED resource list (PDF): Yoga for Kids and Teens in Oklahoma (Updated 10/22/11)

6/18/11

I have compiled this resource list of folks offering yoga classes/groups for kids & teens in Oklahoma based on what I could find online & through e-mail and Facebook correspondence. It is a work in progress so please let me know if you would like information added, removed or updated.  If I have overlooked someone who is doing yoga with kids and/or teens please let me know so I can get them added to the list.

Just in case you are wondering why I put together this resource list…..

1. We have kids & teens who benefit from yoga in my OMazing Kids Yoga groups at the JD McCarty Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Kids come to the center from all over the state and I have been looking for places to refer families to when their child discharges from the JD McCarty Center.

2. It will be nice to be able to network and collaborate with other folks doing yoga for kids & teens here in Oklahoma.

Thanks for all the OMazing things you each do for kids & teens in Oklahoma!

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2
amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1?feature=mhsn#p/u
Blog: https://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com

Using Visual Supports in Yoga Groups for Kids & Teens – being inclusive of learning styles

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Looking for ways to include kids & teens with different learning styles in your yoga groups? Want to use positive ways to support participation and reduce problematic behaviors? Then you might want to consider using “visual supports”.

Many of the kids I work with in OMazing Kids Yoga have difficulty understanding & following verbal instructions. This can be due to a difference in learning style (visual vs. auditory learner), difficulty maintaining attention (ex: ADD/ADHD), difficulty tuning out extra sensory input to be able to attend (ex: Sensory Processing Disorders), focusing in too much on an area of high interest to the point that the child has difficulty attending to other information (ex: Autism Spectrum Disorders), specific learning disabilities, etc…

Regardless of “why” the child is having difficulty understanding & following instructions, this will make it difficult for them to participate in a meaningful way in activities, including a kids yoga class.

Adding “visual supports” (ex: pictures of the poses, pictures to depict the sequence of activities that will occur in the group, pictures to show the “steps” within an activity, showing “first ____ / then _______”, etc…) can make a BIG difference for many kids.

Here are a few examples of visual supports I created to use in OMazing Kids Yoga:

Some kids do well with a “Social Story” describing the expected behavior and how that makes other feel:

Some kids do well with a left-to-right schedule showing what will happen in the group (other kids do better with a top-to-bottom type schedule):

(this file is saved out on Boardmaker Share at: http://www.boardmakerachieve.com/Activity/1865866)

Some kids need extra visual cues to help them understand concepts:

(Note: These are just a few examples of the many different visual supports I use. Every child is unique so I often modify things or make new visual supports to meet those unique needs. Some kids do better with photos, black & white symbols or just words.)

Looking for PDF printable versions of some visual supports?  Here are a few: yoga breathing visual support (flower and candle), Social Story “Good Behavior in Yoga Group” with picture symbols, Peace Tree – guided visualization.

 How Do I Make These Visual Supports?  I use a combination of Boardmaker, MS Word, MS Paint, Google Images and the “snipping tool” in Windows 7. Boardmaker is a software program commonly used by Special Education teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists and other therapists to make communication boards, educational materials & visual supports for kids with special needs. Mayer Johnson offers a 30-day free trial of the program (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/downloads/trials/) and free online trainings on how to use it (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/training/recorded/details/id/2189/).

More About Visual Supports

Visual supports help many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other special needs understand their world better.

Just as many adults need calendars, to-do lists, shopping lists and planners to remind them of their activities for the day, many children need visual schedules and other visual supports.

Visual supports enhance understanding of what is going to happen and clarify expectations during that specific time period or activity.

In addition, visual supports often help the child move from one activity to the next with less frustration and reduced behavioral outbursts because the symbols turn the unknown into something the child understands.

The consistency provided by a visual support is crucial in establishing an atmosphere of trust and
security. Visual supports can also provide motivation for the child to work through a less preferred activity knowing a preferred/reinforcing activity is coming soon.

The type of symbols used, number of activities and amount of time shown on a visual schedule depend on the individual child’s needs.

If you want even more info about “visual supports”, check out these websites:

http://www.autism4teachers.com/autism4teachers_028.htm

http://www.autism4teachers.com/autism4teachers_020.htm

http://cdd.unm.edu/swan/autism_course/modules/environ/visualschedule/index.htm

http://card.ufl.edu/content/visual.html

http://www.polyxo.com/visualsupport/

http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/visual-supports

http://www.usevisualstrategies.com/VisualStrategiesInformation.aspx

http://visualaidsforlearning.com/

http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/visual-supports.pdf 

NOTE:  Please ignore any ads that appear below the blue divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2
E-mail: amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Blog: https://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com

Review & Giveaway: Namaste Kid Yoga Motion DVD

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  Looking for a unique kid’s yoga DVD with no distractions? Then the new Yoga Motion DVD by Namaste Kid would be a great one to get!

The unique thing about this kids yoga DVD is that it has no distractions in the background.

Just a kid-friendly yoga instructor on her yoga mat on a plain white background.

Lindsay McCoy’s positive, calm energy makes yoga fun and approachable. It’s like having a personal yoga instructor in your child’s living room, your classroom or your therapy clinic/office.

Yoga Motion helps kids develop core strength, balance, and confidence. You can even use the relaxation chapters as part of your child’s bedtime routine.

  • The DVD is organized into 10 chapters.
  • Each chapter is a complete 3-4 minute yoga routine, identified by a colorful icon.
  • You can mix-and-match chapters to create your own unique yoga experience.
  • This DVD can also be played from beginning to end as a full 35-minute yoga routine.

 

They have found that this format works well with young kids short attention spans and also works well with kids who have ADHD, Autism, etc…..

We have already found this to be true with some of the kids we work with at the JD McCarty Center. One of our Physical Therapists was reviewing the DVD and two children with special needs who happened to be in the exercise room at that time were immediately captivated by the DVD and started to follow along. Namaste Kid has generously donated 24 copies of the previous version of this DVD to give away at my presentation at the Oklahoma Autism Conference & to patients at the JD McCarty Center so I look forward to having more stories to tell about the kids responses to this cool DVD!

While the DVD was designed for young kids (2.5 to 8 years old), it also would be appropriate for older kids that need a simplified format with no distractions.

Why does a “distraction-free” background matter?….

(FYI… the blue painting in the background above is a portion of “Sensory Chaos” by Donna Proctor: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/sensory-chaos–autism-donna-proctor.html)

This is the “Warm-up” sequence from  the Yoga Motion DVD. Your child will learn “Rock-and-Roll”, “Zipper”, and “Cat-Cow”, as well as some breathing techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vSXvrO4M2lg&vq=large

 

Information about stores & websites that carry Namaste Kid products (they also have a great eco-friendly kid-sized yoga mat): http://www.namastekid.com/in-stores/

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of the previous version of this product to facilitate my review.  Opinions expressed are my own.

How to enter the Yoga Motion – Namaste Kid DVD giveaway:

  1. Leave a comment on this blog post. Must mention how you think a “distraction-free” kids yoga DVD would work well with your child or children you work with. (comments must be in English; 1 entry per person; must have a valid e-mail address)
  2. For one additional entry, enter via the “Giveaways” tab on the OMazing Kids Yoga FB page (https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga) & mention how you think a “distraction-free” kids yoga DVD would work well with your child or children you work with (posts must be in English; 1 entry per Facebook account).

Entry Deadline: Enter by any of the methods listed above by 11:59pm CST on October 12, 2011 .

Rules of Participation:

  • Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address AND a mailing address in the United States of America OR Canada.
  • Due to the cost of mailing, only USA & Canada entries allowed. Sorry… no other international entries for this particular contest.
  • Employees or family members of OMazing Kids Yoga or Namaste Kid are not eligible.
  • No purchase required.
  • Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
  • One (1) winner will be chosen via a random drawing of valid entries on October 13, 2011.
  • The winner will get one (1) copy of the Yoga Motion DVD by Namaste Kid
  • The winner will be notified via e-mail.
  • In the event that the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected via a random drawing.
  • The winner’s mailing address will be obtained via e-mail and will be forwarded to Namaste Kid.
  • Namaste Kid will be shipping the DVD directly to the winner.
  • Prize Value: retail price $15.00.

Other Legal Stuff: I know it’s just a kids yoga DVD but just to be safe here is all the legal stuff…

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing your information to OMazing Kids Yoga and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for our internal purposes in relation to the administration of the giveaway. Your information will NOT be sold to any outside parties.

Indemnification/Hold Harmless: By participating, entrants agree: (a) to the decisions of OMazing Kids Yoga, which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release, discharge, and hold harmless OMazing Kids Yoga and its respective representatives and agents from all liability, injuries, losses or damages of any kind to persons or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize, or from participation in and/or entry into the Contest or any Contest-related activity and for acceptance, delivery, or use of any prize; (c) that the foregoing parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guaranty, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relating to any prize.

NOTE:  Please ignore any ads that appear below the blue divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2
amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1?feature=mhsn#p/u
Blog: https://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com