Affirmations for Children/People with Low Self-Esteem

“Blank” Basic Beat

Multiple affirmations and lively beat

I believe in myself

I feel good about myself

These downloadable mp3s are positive affirmation chants, specifically made for me on request by famed drummer Russell Buddy Helm. I had them made for my children who receive occupational therapy services, children who often struggle with low self-esteem. Although they are great for all children and adults alike. While these “power songs” can be chanted or focused on, the intent is for it to eventually just play in the background, if not annoying to the child.

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Bed-making Energy Conservation: OT tip of day

It can be easier to make your bed while still in it. While lying down spread the sheets into their most appropriate areas and then slip out. It’s either good enough or easier to finish. Be like a starfish!

Hire This 4th Grader to Help You Fire Your Mother

Background: John is very angry with his mom about a big decision that was upsetting to him.

Mother reports: “John asked me into his room, shut the door, sat me down at his Lego table and told me he had to “let me go”. He handed me an envelope with some peppermints and bandaids. Compensation, I believe. This week he gave me and Shane (ed note: father) some progress charts. He said we could skip the meetings.”

Jerk Chart

Notice the chart that shows levels of behavior:

Cutting/fine motor manipulation/imagination: OT Activity

ACTIVITY

1. Take dinosaur post-it or other random animal paper. Child cuts across animal.

2. Child is veterinarian and fixes animal. (Skim over the fact we were directly responsible for its hurt, cough).

3. Give child a band-aid.

4. Child puts animal pieces together in right orientation, secures band-aid.

See below about grading the activity, skills worked on, and extra notes, while I figure out how to add in a “read more” link 🙂

TO GRADE ACTIVITY (change difficulty level) depending on child’s strengths/weaknesses:

Cutting:
Harder: Multiple lines, thinner lines, curvy or wiggled lines, lower contrast lines, more directions, having child make own lines first and cut out own.
Easier: One thick line, high contrast, fewer directions, no line at all, thicker paper (like a manila folder, construction paper, index card), modified scissors

Band-aid:
Harder:Child gets out band-aid and performs rest of task independently or with minimal assistance, no prompting for sequencing
Easier: Open the band-aid or help the process (start it until manageable by child, such as peeling the bandaid pieces a tiny bit apart and child takes over). Help hold the papers down so child can apply bandaid.

Imagination:
Harder: Do not give the child a sample, fewer prompts, encourage playing pretend
Easier: Role model playing pretend yourself only, give child sample

SKILLS worked on with animal band-aid activity:

• Cutting
• Fine motor manipulation (opening and placing bandaid)
• Visuospatial organization (placing pieces back together)
• Imagination/creativity/flexibility (understanding concept via drama/pretend/silliness)
• Life skill (manipulating band-aid)
• Cognition/Problem-solving (figuring out how to use the band-aid and put it all together)

Notes:
1. Be silly/dramatic. Children with mental rigidity can handle this sort of task as it’s concrete enough to make sense, but the imaginative creative piece is helped by silliness. “Oh nooooo our poor dinosaur!! I hope we can fix him!!!”

2. KIDS LOVE BANDAIDS. I didn’t have any cool ones, but that would help even more. If you have more than one type, let them choose. Even children resistant to cutting/directions may complete this task if they see a band-aid is involved!

AOTA Conference in pictures

Hi guys, so here are some pictures I took from conference. I need to write about it in detail soon too eh? But for now, pics.

 My Carry on…my boquet of flowers + my tiara in preparation of being Miss OTPF. I totally stabbed my arm with the tiara and ended up with a bunch of red marks. Only I could stab myself with a tiara.

Hmm these pictures aren’t in order. This was late Saturday night in Erik’s killer awesome JW Marriot room…He wanted to show us the killer view Libby, one of my AMAZING blog readers and also the co-writer on the feature article of OT Practice on Animal-Assisted Technology, is on the left. 

One of Anita’s students, Frankie, who is utterly hilarious, showing us the Tebow pose on the dance floor. 

Wow Libby. Wow. 

Me, Erik, Anita…all part of the social media panel. 

BroOT! Join the brotherly movement, bro. 

 Me, Libby, Libby’s former classmate Erica, and Frankie, on our way to AOTPAC night.

Erik showing us how to do Star Wars on the Kinect during a tech day presentation earlier in the day. 

Me getting Anita getting Erik. 

Libby guarding our stuff…

Huge tech room. It was pretty busy even though I know it looks empty. 

Sweet Erica took this picture of the panel…Anita, me, Erik, Christopher Alterio of ABC Therapeutics, and Cheryl Morris of OT notes. 

Erik’s ingenius use of the water jug as an ipad holder to video the person talking since we were streaming live. 

Anita presenting in her PJs. We were all in character.

SAN DIEGO NEXT YEAR! 

 Me and Cheryl right before it started.

Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: none | Tags: Anita, AOTA, AOTA conf, AOTA conference, Cheryl, Chris, conference, Erik, Karen, Miss OTPF, OT