Motivational Activities Using Everyday Materials for Children with Special Needs – Barbara A. Smith

• Effective, inexpensive and fun activities that you can use immediately
• Develop cognitive, communication, sensory and fine-motor skills
• Integrate iPad® apps and animal-assisted therapy
• Improve deficits in visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic sensory systems

Discover an array of innovative and ‘ready to use’ strategies to increase children’s functional skills in the areas of:

• Cognitive/communications abilities
• Functional vision and visual processing skills
• Sensory processing and motor skills
• Social emotional skills
• Executive functioning (i.e. attention, persistence, organization, problem solving skills)

Through hands-on activities, activity demonstrations, case studies, and video clips you will walk away with evidenced-based strategies and motivational activities that will facilitate your student’s unique growth patterns in all areas of learning, at all skill levels. Learn how to integrate animal-assisted therapies (with a focus on hippotherapy) and iPad® technologies to promote engagement, communication, and motor skills. You will leave with a collection of intervention tools that increase student engagement and motivation in order to promote therapeutic/ educational objectives as well as adaptations that make the activities accessible for children with physical disabilities.

Because having fun is a critical aspect of all learning, be prepared for a multi-sensory experience that will activate your smile muscles. It is very rewarding and gratifying to know that you will be able to take these ideas back to the members of your team to implement and effectively serve children. Please come prepared to participate, so dress comfortably!

• Describe key types of activity adaptations that promote cognitive, sensory-motor, social-emotional, communication and play skills.
• Explain the benefits of various evidence-based and anecdotally supported interventions when working with developmentally delayed children.
• Discuss the use of iPad® apps to promote cognitive, motor, communication and daily living skills.
• Determine the role of animal-assisted therapies in supporting children with disabilities and its role in various therapies.
• Design supports, adaptations and activities for students with functional vision challenges.
• Plan age-appropriate pre-vocational activities for older students.

Diagnoses & Types of Assessment Tools

• Multiply Handicapped with Profound/Severe Delays
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Other Developmental Disabilities (i.e. Down Syndrome)
• Sensory Processing Disorders
• Learning Disabilities/Mild Fine Motor Delays
• Functional Vision Deficits

Typical Early Child Development Activities/Adaptations

• Cognition
• Communication/Play Skills
• Sensory-Motor Skills
• Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Classification of Evidenced-Based Interventions

• Play-Based
• Direct Skills Training
• Behavioral Approaches
• Sensory-Based

Teaching Strategies

• Adaptations for Visual Deficits and Visual Motor Activities
• Adapting/Simplifying Activities for Success
• Integrating Movement into Academics
• Movement Break Activities
• Behavioral Techniques Based on ABA Guidelines
• Forward Chaining
• Backward Chaining
• Hand Over Hand Techniques
• Creating Success Only Activities
• Developing Pre-Vocational Skills (in Students with Developmental Disabilities)
• Adding Sensory Components to Behavioral Based Interventions
• The 80/20 Rule to Build Competence
• Apps That Engage Sustained Attention and Eye Contact, Basic Learning Concepts and Motor Skills

Adaptations for Older Students (4th- 8th Grade)

• Team Approach to Improving Communication and Writing Skills
• iPad® Apps for Organization, Social/Emotional Function and Communication Skills
• Meet the Older Students’ Sensory Motor Needs

Types of Animal-Assisted Therapies

• Dolphins
• Dogs (Therapy Dog vs. Service Dog)
• Horses (Therapeutic Riding vs. Hippotherapy)
• Small Animals (Bunnies, Cats)

Skill Areas Address (Animal-Assisted Therapies)

• Sensory Processing
• Cognitive/Visual Perceptual Skills
• Communication Skills
• Postural Control, Strength, Muscle Tone, Motor Planning
• Social Emotional Skills
• Fine-Motor Skills

Contraindications and Information on Training/Certification

Resources for Continued Learning