I recently had to move all my instruments and materials from the therapy center where I’ve worked for three years and move it back home.

The therapy center was closing its doors and my materials needed a new home.

This move allowed me to take inventory of everything I own and reminded me of a question I often get asked by new MTs starting out it in the field:

What instruments are must-haves when working with children?

They’ll often tell me they’re on a limited budget and would like to purchase just a few items to get themselves started.

I always share with them a few of my “must-have” instruments for working with children with autism – mixed instruments like the shakers and bells, the cabasa and a drum. I also share a few “must-have” manipulatives – scarves, the stretchy band and a little parachute.

But, there is one thing I’m always sure to mention that they might not think of…

That item is: a laminator.

I could not live without my laminator. I use it to make ALL my visuals.

Everything from shapes to letters to monster pics!

I always recommend the laminator to the students I supervise and to new MTs who write to me. It’s super easy to make your own visuals and it’s fun.

The best part is that once you purchase the laminator, the amount of visuals you can create for your sessions is endless! I have shapes, letter cards, animal pictures, number cards and of course anything and everything related to the holidays (pumpkins, shamrocks, hearts, flowers – you name it, I have it laminated!)

I purchased my lovely laminator from Kmart years ago and it is still going strong! Do you use one?

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We have a *newly updated* Songs for Kids web page!

There you’ll find a variety of my original songs that that can be used in your music therapy sessions or music classes!

The songs address a variety of goals and fall under the following domains: Academic, Communication, Move & Groove, Social Skills, and Sense-ational.

When you visit the page, you can:
– Listen to songs
– Download songs
– Purchase sheet music individually for $1

Sheet music includes melody, lyrics, chords, suggestions for implementation, and guitar accompaniment patterns (where applicable).

The most popular selections so far have been:
What Do You Do? A Social Song for Children with Autism
Body Parts
I Am An Elephant

Or check them all out HERE!

If you don’t see what you are looking for, I also take requests. :) Get ready to sing your heart out!

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Here are some of my favorite resources when it comes to designing interventions that target occupational therapy goals:

Sensory Processing Disorder website has so much good information, it’s almost overwhelming! Here are some of the highlights of the website:

Symptoms Checklist
Treatment Activities
Proprioception
What is Occupational Therapy Anyways?
The Latest Sensory Processing Disorder Research

Therapy Street for Kids is a user-friendly site that provides lots of creative ideas for how to incorporate OT goals into music therapy sessions. Categories include: fine motor strength, finger isolation, bilateral coordination, pre-writing skills, etc. Check it out!

Education.com covers a myriad of topics related to children, education, and therapy. The link below is specific to goals addressed during OT:
Goals of Occupational Therapy

What are YOUR go-to sites when it comes to finding ideas for addressing OT goals in your sessions?

The post Favorite Resources for Addressing…Occupational Therapy Goals appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

I have been SO excited to write this blog post! A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Target and as always came face to face with the Dollar Section. This is extremely well planned out on Target’s part, because before you can get to any other section of the store, you must pass the dollar section. This is a dream for me, especially now that all the back to school items have made their way to the shelves (does anyone else feel like July is a tad bit early for this??) However I still show my support and wanted to share a few treasures I found there with you…

JUMBO CARDS: ANIMAL SOUNDS & ANIMAL ACTIONS ~

If you’re like me, when it comes to animal sounds, I tend to stick with the basics: cows say moo, cats say meow, etc, etc. But the crafty people that made the cards pictured above came up with ones that are far more interesting. Some of my favorites? Rabbits snuffle (sniff sniff); beetles tap-tap-tap click!; rhinos huff huff; giraffes bleat; and zebras woop! woop! woop! I love the creativity!

Some examples of actions: ants march; goats frolic; ducks dwadle; hamsters nibble; lions watch and wait; and lizards scurry. These cards are great for teaching new vocabulary words!

ALPHABET BINGO ~

Comes with 8 BINGO cards, 42 Alphabet cards, and 70 BINGO Chips

U.S. ANIMALS FLASHCARDS & INSECTS AND SMALL CRITTERS FLASHCARDS ~

The U.S. animals flashcards include: sea otters, raccoons, prairie dogs, badgers, white-tailed deer, roadrunner, and more. Each flashcard has factoids (such as scientific class, family, habitat, and top speed) on the back.

The insects and small critters cards include: gypsy moth caterpillar, praying mantis, dragonfly, stinkbug, cricket, and more. Each flashcard has fun facts on the back as well. (Yes, everything listed here is $1!!!)

NUMBERS & SHAPES CARDS ~

(These ones are pretty self explanatory!)

I have already started using these cards in my sessions and they have been a huge hit! What are YOUR favorite things to buy in the Target Dollar section and how have they been used in your sessions?

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The administrators and teachers at UCP love that I am able to support the curriculum by creating songs that target specific academic concepts and are catchy and easy to memorize.

I’ve written songs on everything from rhyming words to addition to the life cycle of a butterfly.

Check out my collection of Songs for Kids here (sheet music & mp3s are available!) AND our entire E-Book collection here, which has tons of session planning inspiration for you.

The majority of my songs and interventions are original, but I also rely on a couple of resources to help me out when it comes to generating new ideas.  Today I’d like to share a few of those resources with you.

Songs for Teaching is one of my favorite websites! Songs are divided into a number of different categories such as: Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Life Skills, etc. When you click on a song, you are provided with the lyrics and a sound clip of the song. That’s enough to get you started!

Preschool Express offers a variety of creative ideas categorized into different “stations.” My most frequent visits are to the Alphabet Station, the Number Station, and of course the Music and Rhyme Station.

Gayle’s Preschool Rainbow is a site with creative ideas and themes. The following areas on her website have been most helpful to me…

Alphabet Activity Theme
Brain Growth
Counting and Number Theme
Five Senses
Toddler Themes

These sites will provide plenty of inspiration as you plan for your sessions and classes with children.

If you want even more creative ideas, come on over and check out our E-Book collection. Sensational Songs & Activities has ideas for working with children with autism and other sensory learners. Tuneful Teens and the Rap Pack for Teens have ideas for working with adolescents. I know you’ll be inspired creatively, so be sure to check them out!

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