"Halloween-themed attention & perception training exercises." Kind of a mouthful, isn't it? That'a just a fancy way of saying that we're going to use Halloween songs to work on attention and perception skills (like listening and following directions). Here's an idea that can be used with clients of all ages: Play a spooky Halloween song [...]
Last week, I started a two-part mini-series on the importance of transitions when working with children. Quick refresher: 1) Transitions help children know an activity is ending; 2) They help recap and review; 3) They let children know another activity will be starting; 4) Transitions help reduce challenging behaviors; and 5) They help children feel [...]
There are times when I’m on schedule, cranking out a blog post a week. And there are other times when things get in the way – like a hurricane barreling towards South Florida. When my husband and I heard the news and saw how close it could potentially get to us, we dropped everything and [...]
I'll never forget the first music therapy session I led with a group of teen clients. I'd worked with young children for a few years prior and felt confident I knew just what to do to build a connection with these teens. Children are pretty easy to warm up, however I quickly realized it would [...]
Are you still humming "It's always better when we're together?" That's the theme of last week's blog post and this week's blog post: how to make the most of your collaborations with other professionals. I love, love, LOVE co-treating with other therapists - speech language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists (OTs), physical therapists (PTs) and ABA [...]
One thing I've learned in my fourteen years as a music therapist is that it is better when we work together. Cue Jack Johnson singing "it's always better when we're together." One of my favorite parts about working in a school setting is co-treating with other professionals. I have learned a tremendous amount from co-treating [...]
Are your students as into "Old Town Road" as mine are? You know, the one by Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X? I hear about that song in pretty much every session. So, it worked out perfectly that this week's theme at the Children's Resources summer camp (for PreK-5th grade students) was Wild Wild [...]
Every other Sunday, I drive up a palm tree-lined road to the Chabad Center of Kendall to facilitate sessions for Friendship Circle Miami. I've worked with Friendship Circle since 2010 and it's one of my favorite programs to work with. This past week something very interesting happened in one of the sessions. I had just [...]
There is no denying that summer is here in Miami. Hot temperatures, afternoon rainstorms, staying inside to soak up the AC. Yup, summer is definitely here! At the Children's Resources Summer Camp, there's a different theme for each week of camp. I love this, because it gives me a creative jumping off point for planning [...]
The other day I was walking through Target and had a 'Hallelujah moment'! Seriously. I was coming in for one item: a white t-shirt that my daughter needed for an art project at her preschool. But, like most times I visit Target, I never made it past the Dollar Section (does that happen to you, [...]
