OMazing Kids Book Review: Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap: NT is OK! by Clay Morton & Gail Morton

Why Johnny Doesn't Flap - book review

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Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap: NT is OK!

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Johnny is different. He is never exactly on time, he can’t seem to stick to a routine and he often speaks in cryptic idioms. Johnny is neurotypical, but that’s OK. A picture book with a difference, Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap turns the tables on common depictions of neurological difference by drolly revealing how people who are not on the autistic spectrum are perceived by those who are. The autistic narrator’s bafflement at his neurotypical friend’s quirks shows that ‘normal’ is simply a matter of perspective.
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What I love about this book: This book is a witty change in perspective and is a great addition to my special needs acceptance & awareness library! It can be used to help kids who are neurologically diverse to understand and appreciate each other. I love that this kids picture book is written from the perspective of a child with Autism and that the character is accepting of his neurotypical friend despite their differences. The “A Note for Parents” page has helpful tips for parents as they read the book with their child.

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A peek at a couple of pages inside the book:

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• Age Range: 4 – 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – 3
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1 edition (October 21, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1849057214
• ISBN-13: 978-1849057219
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.3 x 8.4 inches

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Available for purchase at: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Johnny-Doesnt-Flap-NT/dp/1849057214
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nt.is.ok/

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About the authors:
Clay Morton is Associate Professor of English and Director of the Honors Program at Middle Georgia State University. Gail Morton (MLIS) is a Public Services Librarian at Mercer University. Clay and Gail research issues of neurodiversity, particularly in relation to higher education. They are parents to a child with autism and are both advocates for the neurodiversity movement.

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Check out this video review for the book by Autistic Genius. I had wondered what older individuals with Autism would think of the book.

‪#‎AutismAcceptance‬ #Neurodiversity
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I only post reviews for books that I have in my personal library. If you are an author of a book or resource geared towards helping kids understand special needs and would like me to review your work OR if you have questions about any of the resources I have listed on my blog, the best way to reach me is via Facebook Messaging on my OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894. (My e-mail is listed below but I am getting tons of spam mail due to using that account for social media and blogging…. to the point that I may not receive the e-mail or it being buried among the spam.)
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Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product to facilitate my review. Opinions expressed are my own.
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Home E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/17426452595789
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.
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{please ignore any ads that may appear below. This is a free blog. I have no control over ads nor do I profit from them}

2 Amazing “Must Have” Books for Teaching Kids Self-Regulation Skills

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I absolutely LOVE both of these books! Great for teaching kids self-regulation skills. I love the illustrations, kid-friendly language and analogies used to make the concepts easy to understand and to implement. The concepts are therapeutically sound. I highly recommend both books as “must haves” in the library of anyone working with kids with special needs.

I bought my copies on Amazon. Check out the reviews for yourself…. 100% 5-star rave reviews:

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* The Kids’ Guide to Staying Awesome and In Control: Simple Stuff to Help Children Regulate their Emotions and Senses

Hardcover – July 22, 2014

About the book:
Packed with simple ideas to regulate the emotions and senses, this book will help children tackle difficult feelings head-on and feel awesome and in control!
From breathing exercises, pressure holds and finger pulls, to fidgets, noise-reducing headphones and gum, the book is brimming with fun stuff to help kids feel cool, calm and collected. They will learn how to label difficult feelings, choose the perfect strategies and tools to tackle them, and use these correctly whether at home or at school. The strategies and tools are accompanied by cartoon-style illustrations, and the author includes useful tips for parents and teachers as well as handy visual charts and checklists to track learning and progress.

Armed with this book, kids will be well on their way to managing difficult emotions and feeling just right in whatever situation life throws at them! Suitable for children with emotional and sensory processing difficulties aged approximately 7 to 14 years. (Note: With modifications I’ve used the strategies with kids as young as 4 1/2 years old)

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Free printables from the book:
https://bit.ly/3OMG9BI

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* How to Be a Superhero Called Self-Control!: Super Powers to Help Younger Children to Regulate their Emotions and Senses

Hardcover – November 21, 2015

About the book:
Meet Self-Control, a superhero who wants to teach young children his super powers of self-control! Anxiety, frustration, anger, and other difficult feelings won’t stand a chance against their new-found powers.

Self-Control teaches children with emotional and sensory regulation difficulties aged approximately 4-7 how to calm themselves using self-massage, deep pressure, breathing exercises, and activities such as making an imaginary list and finding their own peaceful place. This illustrated book also features an appendix with photocopiable super power charts, reinforcers, and reminder tools to ensure that parents, teachers, and other professionals can support children in upholding superhero strategies even after the book has been read.

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Free printables from the book:
https://bit.ly/3yGeQU0
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The author, Lauren Brukner, is a pediatric OT: https://twitter.com/brukner_lauren?s=21&t=JN4N-ms77XgvaxEmobXCEQ

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/17426452595789
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is a kids book reviewer with a focus on great picture books, a kids toy / product reviewer with a focus on those that are helpful for kids with special needs & an iOS app beta tester for educational and therapeutic app developers. She loves sharing info about great things to use with kids of all abilities.

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{Note: please ignore any ads that may appear below. This is a free blog and I have no control over the ads nor do I make any profit from them}

Amazing new FREE app: Sesame Street and Autism

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Wow! I’m very impressed with this! Get amazing resources for kids & parents in this new FREE app: Sesame Street and Autism
https://appsto.re/us/MCg48.i

Also available online at: http://autism.sesamestreet.org. I didn’t see an Android version of the app yet but my guess is that it will be released soon.

I love that they have presented a well-balanced view of Autism…. both the positives & the challenges. Also love seeing several real life examples of AAC use. Excited to see AAC use out in the mainstream media 🙂

Love, love, love this new song:

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MP3:

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More about the project: http://www.people.com/article/sesame-street-introduces-autistic-muppet

The story behind why this new Sesame Street​ Autism initiative is so awesome… they took the time to include Autism self-advocates in the process of developing it!

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network​, ASAN, is proud to be a partner in Sesame Workshop’s “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children” initiative. Over the past year, ASAN has worked closely with Sesame Workshop to ensure that the initiative and its materials are positive, respectful, and promote real understanding and acceptance of autistic people. The See Amazing initiative represents an important step forward in public conversations aimed at autism, one focused on celebrating all kinds of minds.”

ASAN Statement on Sesame Workshop’s “See Amazing” Initiative

https://www.facebook.com/AutisticAdvocacy

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More cool behind the scenes info: http://autism-daddy.blogspot.com/2015/10/sesame-street-autism-my-2-worlds.html

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Why is the new Sesame Street character is a girl? How did they choose the traits she would have?

“Children with autism vary in their traits significantly: some can talk, while others can’t. Many of them are sensitive to noise. Some have trouble keeping eye contact, and many of them experience the world differently, so they’ll touch different objects to explore the sensation of texture. Perhaps because of this range, autism is also extremely controversial. While some organizations, such as Autism Speaks, consider autism a syndrome that calls for research to help mitigate its effects, others, such as the Autism Self-Advocacy Network, simply view autism as an alternative way of expressing oneself….”

Read the whole post at: http://www.latimes.com/local/education/community/la-me-edu-sesame-street-autistic-muppet-girl-julia-20151022-htmlstory.html

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‪#‎SeeAmazing‬
‪#‎AACawareness‬
‪#‎Autism‬
‪#‎SpecialNeeds‬

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Looking for more app info? Come on over to my OMazing Kids Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga & my AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Home E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps and tech products to use with kids of all abilities.

A peek inside my special needs acceptance & awareness library….

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One of the frequent requests I receive is for suggestions regarding resources to help kids understand & appreciate special needs. The reason why I have a variety of resources for this is that there is no “one size fits all” resource. Some of the books in my library are geared towards group or classroom settings (but can also be modified for individual use). Some are geared towards specific special needs. Some are more subtle with general themes of respect, compassion & caring. Some are new and some have been in my library since I started my career as a SLP over 25 years ago. My library is frequently expanding but here’s what it includes at the moment:

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  • A Rainbow of Friends by P.K. Hallinan
  • All Kinds of Friends by Ellen B. Senisi
  • ASD and Me: Learning About High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder by Teresa DeMars
  • Can I Tell You About Autism?: A guide for friends, family and professionals by Jude Welton
  • Do-si-Do with Autism Friendship Kit by Sarah Stup
  • How Katie Got a Voice (and a cool nickname) by Patricia L. Mervine, SLP
  • I Like Birthdays…. It’s the parties I’m not sure about! by Laurie Renke
  • Ian’s Walk: A Story About Autism by Laurie Lears
  • In Jesse’s Shoes: Appreciating Kids With Special Needs by Beverly Lewis
  • Leah’s Voice by Lori DeMonia
  • Love for Logan by Lori DeMonia
  • Meet the Beaker Kids: A book for anyone who’s ever had “enough” by Shanna Philipson
  • Show You Understand: Learning about Compassion and Caring by Regina G. Burch
  • Someone Special Just Like You by Tricia Brown
  • Sometimes My Brother: Helping Kids Understand Autism Through a Sibling’s Eyes by Angie Healy
  • Special People, Special Ways by Arlene Maguire
  • The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone with Autism by Ellen Sabin
  • The One and Only Special Me by Rozanne Lanczak Williams
  • The Special Needs Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone with Special Needs by Ellen Sabin
  • This is Gabriel Making Sense of School: A Book About Sensory Processing Disorder by Hartley Steiner
  • We Can Do It! by Laura Dwight

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I only have listed books that I have in my personal library. If you are an author of a book or resource geared towards helping kids understand special needs and would like me to review your work OR if you have questions about any of the resources I have listed, the best way to reach me is via Facebook Messaging on my OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894.

(My e-mail is listed below but I am getting tons of spam mail due to using that account for social media and blogging…. to the point that I may not receive the e-mail or it being buried among the spam.)

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894

AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

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OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. 

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Five Count Breathing Foam Stars Craft

How to make:

1. Print the star (1 page PDF) & cut it out leaving a small border of white.

2. Laminate & cut it out again leaving a small border of lamination to help it stay sealed.

3. Attach to foam star with permanent glue runner tape.

(I tried Superglue, Zots adhesive dots & glue runner tape. Superglue did not work well at all. Zots were difficult to position. The permanent glue runner tape worked well. I outlined the back of the laminated star and then put some in the middle before rubbing it down onto the foam star)

4. Kids can decorate the back of their foam star by drawing a picture of something that is calming to them.

Thanks to Edna Reinhardt at Yoga Education Resources for sparking the idea of mounting them on something so the kids can run their finger along the edges of the star as they practice the breathing. I went with foam stars since they are soft, colorful & precut.

I reconfigured and resized the printable to fit the 6.75” foam stars from Creatology at Michaels. I have seen similar stars at Walmart.

This is a wonderful self-calming breathing activity for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders, anxiety, stuttering & other special needs.

breathing stars

Looking for the full page breathing star printable? See the original post: Five Count Breathing Visual Support

Concept inspired by this handout I found online about “Worry Wars: An Anxiety Workbook for Kids and Their Helpful Adults!” by Paris Goodyear-Brownhttp://bookwhen.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/documents/4140/original.pdf?1360464416.

#pranayama #breathing #anxiety #autism #kidsyoga #yogaforkids

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More ideas in these albums on the OMazing Kids Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.344029728981372.95741.174264525957894&type=3

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https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.343461705704841.95556.174264525957894&type=3

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. I have attempted to remove the CouponDropDown but no luck so far…. DO NOT click on any hyperlinks unless you hover above them first to insure they are valid. Ones I included should appear in blue font.

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Five Count Breathing Visual Support

The kids I work with at the J.D McCarty Center needed a little more support to understand the steps in Five Count Breathing. So I made this visual support using a combination of Boardmaker & MS Word.

The free printable 1-page PDF is saved on my OMazing Kids blog at: https://omazingkidsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/five-count-breathing-visual-support.pdf.

It’s a wonderful self-calming activity for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders, anxiety, stuttering & other special needs.

Inspired by this handout I found online about “Worry Wars: An Anxiety Workbook for Kids and Their Helpful Adults!” by Paris Goodyear-Brown: http://bookwhen.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/documents/4140/original.pdf?1360464416.

#pranayama #breathing #anxiety #autism #kidsyoga #yogaforkids

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More ideas in these albums on the OMazing Kids Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.344029728981372.95741.174264525957894&type=3

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https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.343461705704841.95556.174264525957894&type=3

grass-green-divider-bar

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. I have attempted to remove the CouponDropDown but no luck so far…. DO NOT click on any hyperlinks unless you hover above them first to insure they are valid. Ones I included should appear in blue font.

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Woozles Galore: Romping into Speech-Language & Kids Yoga with the Feed the Woozle Game by Peaceable Kingdom

Woozles blog post

Ready to have some fun with a Woozle? What’s a Woozle?! Glad you asked. He’s my new BFF. Met him on my annual shopping trek to the Lakeshore back-to-school sale. As a SLP who has been practicing for almost 24 years, I am pretty picky about the stuff I buy. Pediatric SLP’s are pretty notorious for having lots of “stuff” and I think I probably would have a guaranteed appearance if they ever have a “SLP Hoarders” show. So now I set pickier criteria for anything I buy. It must be: creative, unique, fun, reasonably priced and be adaptable (have a use towards several different goals). So envision me on my typical hour long browsing adventure in Lakeshore….. ruling out tons of stuff (“Already have one”, “That’s very similar to _____”, “They want HOW MUCH for a _____?!”, “Too flimsy”, etc….). I was about to leave empty-handed until I spotted him. A Woozle!  Smart move on Lakeshore’s part to have a sample of most products open to examine. I used the 20% off any regular priced item coupon to buy the game at Lakeshore (after first scanning it with the Amazon app & searching Google to make sure I was getting a good deal). Retail price: $19.99

The Feed the Woozle game is a cooperative game by Peaceable Kingdom. They have several other cooperative games, including Hoot Owl Hoot! which I have and love.

What is a “cooperative game”? Glad you asked….. It’s a game where everyone plays together, no one is left out, and everyone has fun! Traditional games tend to have one winner and one (or many) losers! In a cooperative game, the players work as a team against a common obstacle, not against each other. Cooperative games emphasize play, not competition. Kids learn to work and play together in respectful and compassionate ways. They learn to share, make decisions together, and trust one another. Cooperative games encourage inclusion and build confidence. Cooperative games are great for kids of all ages (as well as the adults in their life). Kids don’t beat a cooperative game every time, so even if kids lose to the game, they lose as a team. There’s always a reason to keep working, thinking and playing together to win as a team! These type of games are awesome to use in social skills groups, in speech-language therapy, kids yoga groups, on family game night & more!

 

The Feed the Woozle game includes:

  • A stand-up Woozle (made of thick cardboard with a shiny finish. While not water or saliva-proof, the slightly laminated feel to it should help it’s durability. It folds nicely to fit in the box)
  • 24 silly snack tokens (made of thick cardboard with slightly laminated finish)
  • 12 “Mmmm! Yummy!” cards (made of a little thinner cardboard with slightly laminated finish)
  • A large die (with the numbers 1, 2, 3)
  • A durable plastic spoon
  • A spinner (very easy to spin & made of thick cardboard with slightly laminated finish)
  • Instructions for 3 different levels of play based on developmental level

While they have marketed this game for kids ages 3-6, I think older kids will enjoy it as well.

What I love about the game:

  • Carrying the snack tokens on the spoon promotes mindful focused attention. Tasks like this are especially great for kids with ADHD.
  • The silly snack tokens are hilarious & full of great descriptive language. Using humor & creative thinking is especially great when working with kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (who tend to be very literal thinkers).
  • It promotes creative movement especially when using the spinner. It adds movements that you do while carrying the spoon with the snack token [ex: Hula Dance, Spin, March (could modify into a Brain Gym Cross Crawl March), Bunny Hop, Walk Backwards & Go Crazy (make up your own movement or could do a yoga pose of their choice)].
  • The cooperative nature of the game promotes the concept of working together as a team.
  • The rules are easy to follow & easy to modify further to meet individual kids needs.
  • The game is colorful & well constructed.

Ways to adapt the game to meet special needs:

  • Use the Woozle symbols (in the PDF below) for kids to comment or request during the game.
  • Create a 12-space token board for kids to collect the “Mmm! Yummy!” cards on to provide a concrete visual support for kids to see how close they are to winning the game. Of course the game could be modified with a rule of collecting a lesser amount of cards to win (for kids with shorter attention spans or to fit the game within a short therapy session).
  • Use a BigMack or other single message output communication aide for kids who are nonverbal or minimally verbal to comment during the game (ex: Ewwww! Feed me! Yeah! We won! My turn, etc.).
  • Put the die into a High Roller (adapted dice roller) to allow kids with physical limitations to be able to “roll” the die.

In addition to the game directions, I have already come up with lots of other ideas for my new BFF the Woozle! I’m one of those folks who can’t just use an item for the advertised purpose. I go to DollarTree or Target and see a cutting board and think “ooh that would be great to make PECS boards out of” or a neoprene iPad case and think “ooh I could cut holes in it to make a keyguard for the GoTalk Now app on the iPad”. I kid you not! Ever since attending a Linda J. Burkhart make-and-take low-tech AAC workshop in 1992, I have lost the ability to think “inside the box” and my venture into kids yoga has just magnified the creative side of my brain. (For those of you who are not familiar with Linda Burkhart, she’s the “MacGyver” of no/low-tech AAC)

So far I’ve come up with the following Woozle-themed activities & printables:

  • Kids yoga activities to go with each of the 24 silly snack tokens
  • Draw or do an open-ended craft to create more snacks to feed the Woozle
  • A fun fruit mindfulness activity (Woozles need mindfulness too! If he was practicing mindful eating, I’m pretty sure he would not consume “toenail toast”)
  • Cards & coloring to show the Woozle how to “Eat the Rainbow” to encourage healthier food choices
  • Color Woozle (could also be decorated in a craft activity)
  • 30 language attribute/category activity cards (ex: Name 2 things that are crunchy)
  • 6 Woozle size cards (2 each of small, medium & big. Plan on using them to order & match by size)
  • A Woozle size sorting board (small, bigger, biggest ~ use with the cards above or with any other manipilatives of snack items)
  • 40 communication symbols (can be used as a communication board, cut apart as PECS symbols and used in aided language stimulation)

Here is a free 16-page PDF with all the printables: Feed the Woozle ~ free printables to use in speech-language therapy or kids yoga

I’m sharing it to encourage others to think “outside the box” when selecting materials. All I ask in return is that you “like” my  OMazing Kids Facebook page and leave a FB and/or blog comment about how your kids enjoyed it or how you plan on using it with your kids. I also ask that you follow the “Printables Terms of Use”.

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Craft Idea: Make a Woozle with these Easy Monsters Finger Puppets. Wouldn’t it be fun to make these & then do “Woozle Mudras” in kids yoga or work on requesting and descriptive language in speech therapy?!

Check out this fun free Monster Pack printable from 3 Dinosaurs! I bet these are the Woozle’s other BFF’s 😉

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Check out more Feed the Woozle activity ideas for SLPs in this post on Activity Tailor: http://www.activitytailor.com/feed-the-woozle/

http://www.activitytailor.com/feed-the-woozle/
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I’d love to hear your ideas for games to use in kids yoga or speech-language therapy! Feel free to leave a comment below or on the OMazing Kids Facebook page :)

BrightIdeas

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities (http://www.jdmc.org/)

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.

 

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

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Arrgh Matey…. Pirate-Themed Kids Yoga Lesson Plan Ideas & Adapted Yoga

Arrgh Matey…. looking for activities to keep the Monkey Mind Pirates off your ship this summer? Activities that can be adapted for a wide range of ages, needs & abilities? Follow this OMazing Kids treasure map to find the Isle of Calm and a summer filled with pirate-themed yoga, affirmations, relaxation, crafts & more!

Week 1 of Camp ClapHans at the JD McCarty Center primarily had kids with ADHD. After reading through the campers registration forms, I knew that my usual “storybook” approach to yoga would not be the best choice for the older group of boys at camp that week. So I jumped out of my comfort zone & planned some freestyle yoga storytelling with a little structure based on the Monkey Mind Pirates workbook & CD. As I was setting up, I overheard the boys commenting “yoga is for girls”, “I don’t like yoga”, “Do we have to?”. Fearing a mutiny, I calmed & centered myself with yoga breathing & listening to a few tunes from my playlist as I continued setting up. When I set out the Hoberman Sphere & the Vibratone, two of the boys were drawn like moths to a flame. {Ahhhh….. the magic of yoga props!}. Before I knew it, the rest of the boys were seated on mats intrigued by what we were going to do.

To set the stage for our yoga adventure, I played “Welcome Aboard” by Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate and read this script from the Monkey Mind Pirates in my best “piratey” voice:

We went over the “rules of the ship” with this visual support….. we didn’t want anyone to fall out of the ship or have to walk the plank….. Arrgh!

I also used a visual support to show the kids that we would be breathing through our noses (like smelling a flower) and blowing our breath out through our mouth (like blowing out a candle).

We rolled up our treasure maps…… the key to making this a pleasant experience is to ALWAYS ask permission first. Ask who wants to be rolled up. Most kids love this & it is very calming to them. But some kids are fearful of trying it. In this class, I had two boys who were hesitant to try it. One ended up asking to do it after he saw the others enjoying it. One sat and watched. He kept a look out for Monkey Mind Pirates as the rest rolled up in the maps. By honoring his choice to not be “rolled”, it opened up the door for him to feel comfortable participating in most of the activities later in the class.

wrapped up like a map during yoga

The kids were in charge of how long they wanted to stay rolled up & if they wanted to repeat the activity.

wrapped up like a map for yoga and storytelling

Doing a breathing activity from Monkey Mind Pirates…..

This boy initially insisted he was NOT going to do yoga! He didn’t even want to sit on a mat……. but after a few minutes of watching from afar look who got on the pirate ship and ended up LOVING yoga. In fact, staff reported that later in the week he was one of the ones using the 3 strategies we learned to ward off Monkey Mind Pirates as a means to self-regulate. A great example of how yoga is so much more than just having fun in that moment…… it’s also about helping kids discover tools they can use to feel calm and empowered every day 🙂

Monkey Mind Pirates wanted posters

Activities & poses on our Monkey Mind Pirates adventure: rolled up treasure maps, Gyan Mudra spyglass, seated twist to look for Monkey Mind Pirates (Sir Winston, Ansel the Antsy & Lady Bronte. I made a “wanted” poster for each Monkey Mind Pirate so they would know what we were looking for. The Monkey Mind Pirates CD comes with some trading card sized pictures but these were too small to see in a group setting. One of the campers asked if the Monkey Mind Pirates were puppets….. gotta love a child with Aspergers Syndrome’s ability to immediately infer that from the wanted poster pictures! I explained that the real Monkey Mind Pirate puppets were sailing elsewhere but we never knew when they might appear. Fortunately he bought my story… or at least humored me and we kept going with our adventure), raise the sail (triangle pose), pirate flag waving in the ocean breeze (crescent moon), setting sail on our pirate ship in search of the treasure in the “Waters of Calm” (boat), sun shining down (breathing activity pictured above), laugher yoga (the tip for taming Winston), breathing (the tip for taming Ansel the Antsy. I added the Hoberman Sphere), 1-2-3 counting breath + mindful listening (the tip for taming Lady Bronte) {we practiced each of the 3 taming tips several times as we sailed. They knew to look out for a Monkey Mind Pirate when I sounded the Vibratone & held up one of the wanted posters. Made my heart smile to see how quickly they remembered & did the tip for each one}, X marks the spot (star), digging for treasure (woodchopper), treasure chest (seated forward fold), gyan mudra gold doubloons, guided relaxation (using the Relaxing on the Beach mp3 from Relax Kids). At first the boys were a little wiggly but they quickly calmed and a couple almost fell asleep. Remember, this was a group of boys with ADHD who rarely experience that level of “calm”. The calmness was so noticeable that the Camp ClapHans assistants asked if I could come do yoga with the boys every night! I reassured them that they had learned the 3 tips for taming Monkey Mind Pirates along with the boys and that they could use the strategies with them throughout the day & night 🙂 Ahhhh…. yes mateys that is the true treasure found in the “Waters of Calm”.

The girls group in Week 1 went on a beach-themed yoga adventure with “Ladybug Girl at the Beach”. I chose NOT to do a “pirate” class with this group since I knew one of the participants very well after having worked with her in outpatient speech-language therapy. This particular child has a VERY difficult time distinguishing between reality and imagination and would often assume alternate personalities. So I was pretty sure the pirate theme might trigger some swashbuckling aggressive behaviors in her. I also did NOT pass any props (Hoberman Sphere & Vibratone) in this class since this particular child has a history of damaging things. Of course the girls group had no idea that I had chosen a different theme for that reason and LOVED the adventures of Ladybug Girl. (I’ll be including yoga ideas for that book in a summer-themed post soon). The reason I share this is to remind folks that knowing info about kids before doing lesson planning will help guide you in making good choices in customizing a class to best match those kids’ needs.

Ladybug Girl looking out at the big waves in the ocean through the Gyan Mudra binoculars (FYI…. this is not the child I was describing above. She was one of the other campers. It made my heart smile to see how well she already knew how to do yoga! When she saw the seagull in the book she spontaneously went into Pigeon Pose….. one that I have a difficult time getting into myself.)

Week 2 of Camp ClapHans primarily had kids with physical disabilities. Because I had reviewed camp registration forms & knew several of the kids from seeing them as outpatients as JDMC, I chose a book that would lend itself well to these kids developmental levels, interests & physical needs. I played “The Porpoises and the Pirate Ship” by Brent Holmes & “Welcome Aboard” by Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate as I set up for the group to set the scene. We still did a pirate theme. But this time it was all with seated poses with the book “There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish” by Jennifer Ward. The kids chose whether they wanted to stay in their wheelchair or get down on a mat with a camp assistant to support them.

{Note for SLP’s: The repeated & cumulative lines, big vivid illustrations & humorous descriptive vocabulary has made “There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish” a new “fave” to use in speech-language therapy! I scanned the pirate & cut out his lower teeth to make room to “feed” him & made story props for each item he swallows in the story. These are also great to use for receptive & expressive language, sequencing & story retelling. For kids yoga, I wrote pose ideas on the back of each one with a fine-tipped permanent marker after I laminated them. The prop on the far right is for the repeated line “Yo Ho Ho! Watch his belly grow!”. It’s great to attach to a BigMack or other single message voice output communication aide (VOCA) for kids with minimal verbal skills to be able to participate in “reading” the repeating line. Get the free printable story props in this PDF: There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish story props}

{Update: 7/4/13: The illustrator, Steve Gray, generously posted a couple of illustrations on my Facebook page to use as coloring sheets after the author contacted him: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151554767913845&set=o.174264525957894&type=1&theater& https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151554766543845&set=o.174264525957894&type=1&theater

There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish – coloring sheets

Ok on to what we did in yoga…. This child is doing the pose for the pirate ship mast (a seated version of mountain pose with hands up and together for a tall, straight mast). It made my heart smile to see him using his iPad to tell his outpatient PT at JDMC that he wanted to go back to camp this week 🙂

It’s fine to take a rest on the pirate ship…….

Blimey but that fish was slimey!

Adapted activities & poses specifically chosen for this group of kids (all were done while kids were seated in whatever position was comfortable for them): ocean breath, gyan mudra spyglass, pirate (“Arrgh” breath + moving fist across midline on each side), fish (clasped hands together at midline & wiggled them in a modified sign for “fish”), blimey that fish was slimey (palming to wipe off the fish slime), “yo ho ho watch his belly grow” belly breathing w/ Hoberman Sphere (this is a repeated line at the end of each page), bird (stretch arms behind like wings), treasure map (roll arms around each other forwards & then back), gyan mudra gold doubloons, treasure chest (seated forward fold), plank (seated cross crawl, foot stomping or patting on legs as “footsteps” depending on that child’s ability to move their lower extremities), sail (seated side bends as a modified version of triangle), mast (a seated version of mountain pose with hands up and together for a tall, straight mast), pirate ship (boat with lots of support from that child’s camp assistant. The two boys in wheelchairs had a recline feature on their chair so they were able to participate). Because all the poses were done seated, they flowed easily as we repeated them through the cumulative story. I paused at key times to see what the kids would remember……. so fun the see their delight at remembering the word + pose. At the end of the book we sank to the bottom of the deep blue sea like the pirate in the book with a guided relaxation (using the Under the Sea story from the Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids book with the Pirate Ship sound from the Relaxing Sounds Of Nature Lite free app (gentle sounds of a pirate ship creaking, waves & seagulls) and a weighted fish toy to ride on the waves of each child’s breath). After relaxation we listened to the song “Seven C’s” by Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate and talked about the “courage” it took for them to come to camp and try so many new things (if you haven’t heard this song yet you should….. a really cool way to incorporate some yamas/niyamas into a pirate themed class! “there’s COURTESY, COMPASSION and a bit of COURAGE too. With CLEANLINESS and CLEVENESS they’re good for me and you. Plus CHEERFULNESS and CHARITY now that makes Seven C’s.…”). We used a gold doubloon & treasure chest prop to talk about treasures inside each of us. As each child said or signed what they were good at or liked about themselves, they added a gold doubloon to the treasure chest. I left an “I’m more precious than gold coin affirmation” page with the camp assistants to offer to the kids during their journaling time later that day so they could write or draw additional things about themselves and their new camp friends.

These were just 30-minute classes so we didn’t have time to do a pirate-themed craft. But I found several online that would be fun to do. See this printable for the coins & treasure chest we used plus more fun ideas: Pirate coin affirmation printables, crafts, activities & coloring pages

Piratey Playlist:

  • Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate CD
  • Monkey Mind Pirates CD
  • Sea Tunes for Kids CD by Brent Holmes
  • Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs CD
  • Disney’s Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me) Instrumental by George Bruns
  • Rockin’ & Rollin’ On the Ocean by John Archambault & David Plummer
  • A Yogi Went to Sea by Kidding Around Yoga
  • Reiki Whale Song CD by Kamal (lots of great songs featuring whale sounds for relaxation)
  • Pirate Ship sound from the Relaxing Sounds Of Nature Lite free app
  • Plus I have lots of songs about individual ocean animals to use if needed

Please remember to keep kids individual sensory needs, developmental level, interests, etc… in mind when choosing particular music to use in a class.

I purposefully did not bring any pirate swords or hooks since those would naturally lead to kids wanting to have swashbuckling sword fights.

I’d love to hear your ideas for more “pirate yoga”! Feel free to leave a comment below or on the OMazing Kids Facebook page 🙂

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.

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

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Music to Promote Acceptance & Love for Kids of All Abilities

Love me for who I am

See the story behind “Love Me For Who I Am”….

videos on their website

“Like” Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could & Celebrate The Children School on Facebook.

Listen to & purchase their great music. This beautiful album honors kids of all abilities with themes that resonate particularly well for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Sensory Processing Disorder:

See the lyrics & artwork at: http://www.bradyrymer.com/grammy2011/interactive/

love me for wh I am lyrics

April is Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month. Inclusion, acceptance & love should be practiced every day…. but months like this are a good opportunity to raise awareness & then go beyond awareness to building programs, services & communities that support individuals of ALL abilities and needs ♥

Autism Acceptance

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities (http://www.jdmc.org/)

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.

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

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New: Research Roundup on the OMazing Kids Blog

Announcing a new feature on the OMazing Kids Blog: “Research Roundup”.

https://omazingkidsllc.com/research-roundup/

This page is dedicated to sharing research & articles relating to kids wellness, including yoga, with a focus on Autism and other special needs.

Articles are listed in order of publication dates with most recent publications listed first.

When available, I am sharing links to full research articles rather than just the “abstract”.  Advocates and practitioners are cautioned to read more that just an “abstract” in order to understand research study results because abstracts rarely mention any limitations to the study, they report only key findings, and the brevity of the paragraph (typically 120 words) may tend to provide an overly optimistic read of the study and what was found. For more info about reading & understanding research articles: http://www.uky.edu/CRVAW/files/Understanding%20Scientific%20Journal%20Articles.pdf & http://www.womenshealthapta.org/pdfs/HowToResearchArticle.pdf

It includes a full PDF of the latest research on yoga for kids with Autism:

Efficacy of the Get Ready to Learn Yoga Program Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design

By Kristie Patten Koenig, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Anne Buckley-Reen, OTR/L, RYT & Satvika Garg, MS, OTR/L, Published in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, September/October 2012, Volume 66, Number 5

Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22917120

Full PDF: https://omazingkidsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/efficacy-of-the-get-ready-to-learn-yoga-program-among-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorders-a-pretest-posttest-control-group-design-am-j-occup-ther-2012-sep665538-46.pdf

Feel free to e-mail me at amoorad1@juno.com if you would like to share an article to be posted :)

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center in Norman, Oklahoma (http://www.jdmc.org/)

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

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