Distance Learning Tips from an OT

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There was a wonderful article written by a Learning Support Teacher named Loise Conway who wants to help teachers and parents with remote learning. She engaged an OT colleague named Robin Huesca to provide us with some tips too help support and address some of those unexpected behaviors. As an experienced teacher, she said it’s not uncommon to encounter a child who is having trouble keeping their body upright, sitting still, yawning, doodling, watching anything but the teacher. In the classroom, those children may be given a new chair to sit in, asked to take a movement break or given a piece of gum to chew on but now the classroom is home with us. As Ms. Huesca states, “do not expect kids to sit in front of a screen for more than 10 minutes without a movement and eye break.” So, what can we do if we notice that our children are exhibiting these behaviors? She says that we can send “students to run up and down the stairs, get a drink of water, or do a few yoga poses. However, she also recognizes that for some students, transitioning away from and back to the computer can be challenging.” So, if this is your child, here are a couple additional tips:

  1. Hand push/pull — Put your palms together like in the “tree pose.” Push your hands together for 5 to 10 seconds. Then, hook your fingers together, and pull out to the sides.

  2. Chair sit-ups— Put your hands on the sides of your seat. Lift yourself off the chair by pressing down, and try to hold it for 3-5 seconds.

  3. Finger count down — Count down from 10 slowly while touching one finger to your thumb as you say each number.

  4. Have some sensory fidgets available for kids so they can busy their hands even while they are listening to their teacher. Things like putty, or a few Legos, which require a little effort to play with and provide some sensory feedback, can be helpful to try out. Of course, there are always kids for whom fidgets are more distracting and kids who might need to try a few different ones to find something that works for them.

If you are still in need of tips or suggestions for your kiddos, please feel free to ask your local therapy ops OT’s for suggestions. They are full of creative and wonderful ideas like the ones listed above. If you wish to read the full article, please visit the following link.