Podcast Shorts from the Learning Disabilities Podcast Network

This short is part of episode 6, Tier 1 Interventions Podcast.Join us for our next live event on April 20, 2024, or the 3rd Saturday of the month (school year - no live events in June, July, and August)https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/tier-1-interventions-workshops?coupon=T1Ipodcast2024Get 2.5 contact hours.Start for $17Cheri Dotterer discussed her plan to incorporate physical activity breaks in the classroom for first-grade students. She observed students getting up and down in their seats and sitting on their knees and aimed to apply concepts she saw on the board on May 11. Dotterer emphasized the importance of physical activity in the crucial stage of learning and application for young students.Action Step1. Have kids do planks or wall push-ups when noticing fidgeting behaviors like getting up/down from seats or sitting on knees during lessons.2. Implement the movement break ideas from the board (chewing, bouncing, etc.) into a lesson on May 11th.https://disabilitylabs.com/live-webinar/tiers-1-2-3-non-academic-interventions-to-enhance-structured-literacy-and-writing-skills/register

This short is part of episode 6, Tier 1 Interventions Podcast.Join us for our next live event on April 20, 2024, or the 3rd Saturday of the month (school year - no live events in June, July, and August)https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/tier-1-interventions-workshops?coupon=T1Ipodcast2024Get 2.5 contact hours.Start for $17That's true because the nerves start in the brain and go down in your arm. They start at your fingertips and go all the way up your arm to your brain and all of your joints. You've got 123 in this finger, two in your thumb, three in this finger, sensation, and a very complex set of bones in your palm and wrist.

This short is part of episode 6, Tier 1 Interventions Podcast.Join us for our next live event on April 20, 2024, or the 3rd Saturday of the month (school year - no live events in June, July, and August)https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/tier-1-interventions-workshops?coupon=T1Ipodcast2024Get 2.5 contact hours.Start for $17 Cheri walked us through the complexity of the brain, the body, and the spirit and how all of those things interact together to produce access to learning. Traditional math classrooms are not structured to allow these positive sensory experiences.

This short is part of episode 6, Tier 1 Interventions Podcast.Join us for our next live event on April 20, 2024, or the 3rd Saturday of the month (school year - no live events in June, July, and August)Tier 1 Interventions WorkshopGet 2.5 contact hours.Start for $17It gives you some guidance on thinking spontaneously and having your toolbox. What is happening overall with different activities you hear about all the time? But what's the best place to use them? Those high school students—I see the dimension chart and the grid paper being assertive with eight through 12, even as an OT. So, take some time and think through some of the last three sessions, and the next two moving forward will be decisive.

This short is part of episode 6, Tier 1 Interventions Podcast.Join us for our next live event on April 20, 2024, or the 3rd Saturday of the month (school year - no live events in June, July, and August)https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/tier-1-interventions-workshops?coupon=T1Ipodcast2024Get 2.5 contact hours.Start for $17It gives you some guidance on thinking spontaneously and having your toolbox. What is happening overall with different activities that you hear about all the time? But what's the best place to use them? Those high school students—I see the dimension chart and the grid paper being so powerful with eight through 12, even as an OT. So, take some time and think through some of the last three sessions, and the next two moving forward will be powerful.

[00:00:00] It's Cheri from The Writing Glitch Pocket Cast. Yeah, you have missed a few weeks with me because. The holiday brought us a vacation with our daughter, and I followed up with some bronchitis. Oh, well, but you know, such as life. Anyway. We are back in the swing of, uh, sessions. Uh, for people to get their dysgraphia certification. [00:00:32] At our last event. We had this discussion about DIBELS. DIBELS is a reading fluency assessment that many teachers do. They also can do. Similar ones. In the school district. Anyway, DIBELS. It is a reading fluency assessment. And. [00:01:00] [00:01:00] We, as OTs, don't necessarily understand all that's involved. [00:01:09] Uh, assessing. That formative assessment of the reading. [00:01:16] And. [00:01:18] This discussion that you were going to hear. It was a monthly discussion that meets on a monthly basis. To earn their dysgraphia certification. [00:01:32] They're currently, we were discussing module two. And that is all about reading and writing. And what are the definitions of dysgraphia? [00:01:44] So this is a little excerpt from that. Evening. About the DIBELS.[00:01:55] Cheri: Does your school use DIBELS? That was one of the things we were going to follow up on. [00:01:59] Carol: I [00:02:00] had never heard of it before. [00:02:02] Cheri: My school just started it again. Okay. [00:02:05] Teresa: But it's only, I think it's K 1 2. The other kids continue their actions, but K 1 2. We had it. We lost, we left it. They came back with it because of the new guidelines.[00:02:18] Carol: I'm pretty sure we pulled it up because we looked at what they ask for in high school and what they ask for in kindergarten.[00:02:24] Cheri: I put that question in because I wanted us to think about, as OTs, we understand neuroscience.[00:02:36] Cheri: We understand since preprocessing, we don't understand academics. And that's why I built that module up, and I added all that information about assessments in there because I didn't know that either. And I was like, Oh, I got to share this. Oh, I got to share this. Oh, I got to share this. And when I realized how [00:03:00] intense the DIBELS is.[00:03:02] Cheri: I wanted to ensure people were aware of it and align it with your school's program. [00:03:11] Carol:  I wasn't sure when you said the reading participation, but as far as an assessment, I think you're right.[00:03:15] Carol: We don't know. And like Teresa said, we. We're unfamiliar with what it is, but to work holistically with this child, we need to know all that and not necessarily take it. What is written in the evaluation report or IEP, they're reading at this level? I do think, and I mentioned it a lot at my meetings after evaluations, that we often ask, I'm like, what is their reading level? Because we are looking at the reading and the writing. Usually, it goes hand in hand, and if we've got reading up here and our report is down here.[00:03:46] Teresa: When you go to those meetings, and you tell the team that this kid can't write, and they'll go, but they can read.[00:03:53] Teresa: So they don't understand that they're two separate pieces where you'll tell them. Yes, they can read and they may be at grade [00:04:00] level for reading, but they don't get the concepts of the writing and they have so because they can read and a lot of our dysgraphic kids can read, but are they, and then you can go into to they understand understanding what they're reading?[00:04:12] Teresa: Because some of those kids Can read, but can they understand it? Can they, that comprehension you're going to read? You know what I'm saying? So you've gotta hit that other side of it to know like how you've got that defense where you can tell, this is why I need to service them as well, [00:04:25] Carol: Absolutely. [00:04:27] Cheri: Share. Sorry, I'm going to share my screen quickly, but go ahead and finish what you were going to say before I talk. [00:04:36] Carol: I was going to say that along with what Teresa was saying, explaining and finding those kids and things like that, that Teresa, not Teresa, Andrea and I have both been, I think she already has an idea of who she wants to do her case study on.[00:04:51] Carol: And I recently met with a new student.  He's interesting.[00:04:56] Cheri: very challenging. [00:04:57] Carol: He's going into 3rd [00:05:00] grade, and that kind of topic we're on had come up, and the mom was saying, look. He can read, but when we get to that writing, we are breaking down, and I said, interestingly enough, I'm taking a course, and I explained it to her, and I said, and.[00:05:14] Carol: We have to do a case study, and she said, if you want to do him, please. I've already got somebody who I'm thinking, all right, let's check this out because he's going to be a, he's going to be a tricky one, but look, whatever, we want to take and try whatever we can, because he really is struggling.[00:05:32] Carol: And like you said, he's at that grade. He's 3rd grade, and we're not even writing names legibly. We're not getting thoughts down, and then we're getting an explosion because we're very frustrated. So there's a lot going on, but I'm toying with him possibly being my case study.[00:05:53] Carol: As we go through, I feel like that's another thing. Since we started this again, as mentioned before at the beginning of the school year, it's very [00:06:00] advantageous.[00:06:03] Carol: Thank you for the new school year. We're seeing kids differently and thinking, could this be, or should I try? And the timing couldn't be better.[00:06:09] Teresa: I think being with Cheri does that to you. It's you have different colored glasses on now that you can go in and be like wait, you've got these radar coming out of you, [00:06:18] Carol: We must find the extra time to see him and do everything we want. Yeah, exactly. And not have to write about it 15 times in 12 different places, [00:06:26] I hope that discussion. I added a little bit of it. Thought. Into your interventions with your students. [00:06:38] This has been. Cgeri Dotterer from The Writing Glitch. This is our Pocket Cast talking about ways to intervene and create collaborative environments for our students. [00:06:55] I hope this discussion on the DIBELS. Was enlightening. [00:07:00] [00:07:01] If you want to learn more about becoming dysgraphia specialist certified. Go to cherodotterer.com And go down to the. Uh, middle of the home page. There will be a link to join the next—IMPACT Formula webinar. [00:07:27] Inside that webinar. We will discuss what comes next, what IMPACT is, and how it relates to dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Remember, you were put here for such a time as this.&...

0:02So if what I'm telling you is overwhelming.0:09Let me be your boots on the ground to help you navigate making changes.0:15Like I've been sharing with you changes in your classroom to create collaborative environments.0:27Ultimately, it's going to improve employee retention.0:36It's going to improve classroom management. It's going to improve student scores.0:50And that's what we really want: happy employees, parents, and kids.0:59We want to be the school that will be the town's talk.1:08Guess what's happening in that classroom?1:11There is so much going on in there.1:14It's so cool to see it.1:16My kid was struggling with writing, and now they are doing writing.1:23I don't exactly know what they're doing, but I've seen such a change in my kid.1:29That's the language that we want to hear from the parents.1:37So, are you willing to be one of those classroom teachers that makes that change?1:44Are you willing?1:46Are you one of those occupational therapists willing to work with that kindergarten teacher to make that change, to make kindergarten the most powerful year as we prepare kids for college and career readiness?2:02Are you ready to transcend a kid's life so that they can overcome their challenges now and unleash their superpowers and be that person?2:22Oh gosh, wouldn't you like to be that person they call back when they're adults?2:31And did you get an invitation to the wedding?2:35Oh, that sends chills up my spine.2:36Just thinking about that experience to be that teacher that that child remembers and wants at their wedding because you were the teacher, you were the therapist that changed their life.3:00If you're interested in learning more.3:04Join us on Wednesday night and learn more about how to impact your kids in the classroom.Look for the FEATURED Event on the calendar page of cheridotterer.com for the next Introduction to Dysgraphia - IMPACT Formula Webinar.

Bilateral integration, bilateral integration has several different components to it.But one of the things I want you to think about is when you're doing lesson planning, like Orton Gillingham, oh activity is when kids finger-write the letter or the word in the air.If they're only doing that with their dominant hand, they're only making an impression on the opposite side of their body.So, for example, if they're right-handed, they only make an impression on the left side of their body.So why not put both index fingers together and air-write with both sides of the body to spell the word their name, the spelling word, whatever? Put both sides of both fingers together, write the word in the air, and impact both sides of the brain by impacting both sides of the brain.You are going to improve the impact that and the retention and the learning, and you're going to create this atmosphere where all the kids are accessing it on both sides of the brain so that both sides of the brain are going to be able to be there to reinforce the memory, they're going to be able to reinforce the recall, the sequencing, the motor planning to help the spelling or what, whatever it is that you're trying to reinforce to them.One of the Orton-Gillingham techniques is to air right with the finger, your index finger, and a dominant hand.I suggest you go to the next level, put both fingers together and nick fingers together, write them together, and make an impression on both brain hemispheres.

0:01What exercises can you do to help prepare kids for writing?0:09I know there's a lot of sensory diets, sensory menus out there.0:14And sometimes I think that we as occupational therapists give these things to parents, give these things to teachers, but we don't explain the strategic time to use them.0:32We say almost like reactive experience to the bad behavior to have them do this to distract them.0:48Well, really we need to be proactive and we need to strategically place interventions throughout the day as a routine as part of the lesson planning to make a difference with these kids.1:08So when we are looking at collaborative co teaching environments, the occupational therapist understands the neurobiology of learning, they understand what needs to happen so that the kids can access that academic environment.1:30And it's time that we strategically include occupational therapists in the lesson plan every day of the school year.1:45So that you were you you as the teacher are placing interventions that are going to be powerful changes for your students brains.2:01So for example, one of the things that you can do to help kids transition, we all know that creating movement is going to help.2:16But what movement should that be?2:20So if you have the kids working on a project and you need them to stop working on the project and pay attention and listen, for example, they're working, they're working, they're working OK?2:35It's time to come back.2:3754321.2:39Now I need you to stop where you are.2:43Yes, I know you're not finished.2:45It's going to be OK right now.2:48I want you to all stand up.2:51I want you to put your hands over your head, put your palms to the ceiling.2:56And I want you to feel that stretch, rotate your, your arms side to side, twist your trunk that go up on your toes, they're back on your heels.3:15Oh Try not to lose your balance.3:18All right.3:19Are your hands still flat toward the ceiling or have they shifted?3:25Notice what's happening to your body?3:27Did you bend your elbows?3:30Did your arms get closer to your hands?3:33Get closer to your head.3:35Were they still straight arms?3:44How does your back feel?3:46How do your arms feel?3:48How do your wrists feel?3:51How about your hips?3:56All right.3:57Now, we're gonna sit down and I want you to listen to me because we're going to move on to the next task.4:07You've just created a, an environment to help with movement.4:15Improve this child's ability to focus on you.4:21You've given them directions, you've given them the opportunity to notice something about their body that's interception.4:29That is that ability for them to really notice and internalize what they're feeling.4:37And if you give them a chance then to talk about those feelings, find out what they are feeling and let them know.4:49Yeah, we are not the only one in the classroom who wrists hurt when we put your palms toward the ceiling.4:56I'm not the, you're not the only one who is feeling really tight in the hips because you've been sitting so much and that is normal.5:06But let's make some changes in here in the classroom to help improve our ability to be a group in the classroom.5:33Now, when you think about that task and you put it together with the occupational therapist organically having the occupational therapist present and not just coming in to disrupt the classroom.5:54If the OT is already there, think of the power that it's going to bring when you both are working on the tasks that you are best at you, the teacher are best at presenting the curriculum effectively.6:19The tea is best at understanding when that movement is going to be the best thing for the student, the activity you both can do, but the strategic placement in the day takes work between you.6:44So I encourage you to create collaborative environments.

I was praying about you at 4:50 am.  Here is what I was thinking... I have this vision. I have this vision where OTs and teachers work together nationwide. Scores for reading, writing, and mathematics have improved significantly. How can we execute this vision?Creating environments in our schools where OTs and teachers are in the classroom together, not pulled out and working in separate rooms.So what do I mean?I envision the OT working with the teacher in the classroom showing the kids how to hold the pencil and sit in their seats. What grace is there to sit in alternative ways that are acceptable in the classroom to get the work done?I envision the OT teaching letter formation, teaching what the lines are all about on the page. I envision the teacher taking over and explaining how letter formation will help kids with overall writing skills. But we really need to have the team working together, not separately. working separately is not improving these classrooms. Pullout sessions are only effective for the kids who have major issues. Kids who are struggling need explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multi-sensory interventions to create their writing skills. Those are the ones that are that I'm targeting. Those are the kids that I'm looking for. Those are the environments that we can create. We can reduce cases for OTs because we've created this environment where the kids know that we're working together because we are better together. We are better as a team rather than in isolation. If we are going to have classrooms where the teachers, the therapist, and the kids all want to be there.Oh wow, imagine that classroom where everyone is excited to come and be there every day. Wow.Wouldn't that change the statistics across the nation?How do we create that environment? We need to work together. We need to have this schedule in our lives that is creating a collaboration.It's creating co-teaching. It's creating space.I know you're thinking, how am I going to do this? How is this going to happen - by creating this togetherness in this co-working and this co-teaching model? We're going to create space for each other so we have time to get those things done that need to be finished. Because by doing it together for 15 minutes, you're going to save an hour a day in frustration or even more than that. If you're interested in learning more about how this all works, come to this free event I'm having on Wednesday night.Learn how to impact your classroom. Learn how to create these collaborative environments. I would love to see you there. The link will be in the button the show notes somewhere you'll find it.Connect and join us. Learn how to change the narrative in your school.Create time for yourself. Create better working relationships with the other staff and have happy kids and happy parents because that's what we want, right? Happy Kids. Happy parents. And we also want to be happy ourselves.It's not just about the kids. It's not just about the parents. We also want to be able to enjoy going to work.There's been too much too long where we haven't enjoyed going to work. Let's change the narrative!Join the Info Session

Hey, everybody, this is Cheri Dotterer from The Writing GlitchI have been having such a crazy week.I am currently sitting in my car watching it downpour and I wanted to take this time and stop driving and just talk with you for a few minutes.We have been talking the last couple of weeks on the primitive reflexes.I talked about the ATNR and the STNR and then I talked about the spinal galant and spinal pereze and I really wanted to stop and really talk a little bit about the and the Marea really is a startle reflex.It's the reflex that lets babies be alert that they're moving.It is the one that allows us to respond to sudden noises.But it's the way that we respond when we're older that helps us break out of the marrow reflex.So what happens in the marrow is your arms, go back, your shoulders, go back, your head goes back and you kind of back away.And if that happens in a typical situation, more than just a kind of a, a jump where everything gets thrown back, imagine what happens with the kids, if something sudden happens to them in the classroom where they're startled and the MORO reflexes of taking over they're going to be pulling back away from the chair or the desk and, and their arms are going to go back and they're not going to be able to engage for a while in the classroom until the reflex relaxes.So, if you've got kids that are holding their arms back for an extended amount of time and it doesn't make sense, maybe it's a startle reflex.So what about these kids out on the playground?If we've got a startle reflex going on, they may have a difficult time playing on the play gym because they're constantly pulling their arms back and their head back.And so they can't coordinate their arms and they might have trouble crossing midline, they might have trouble alternating their body parts to march and things like that because the startle reflex kind of kicks in and puts them in this almost like a statue state.And so think about the those kind of reactions with the, the kids that you see in the classroom.If this gave you some ideas of how the moo reflex might look in the classroom, let me know, send me an email and tell me a little bit about what you're thinking as well.Now, I have something else that I want to share with you.I have been doing a whole bunch of interviews and that's why you didn't get a pocket cast.Earlier this week, I have been so busy trying to get something ready for you.How many of us have emotional kids that are, we are anticipating being difficult in the classroom.This coming year, I am interviewing clinical psychologists, social workers, therapists, teachers, dyslexia therapists.I'm trying to find different professionals that are out there helping kids with emotional outbursts and giving us some really good golden nuggets to help stop them in their tracks.So if you are thinking, oh, this sounds very interesting.I want you to go to cheridotterer.com/emotional-kids-summit/ and take a look at more information there.Again.That's Cheri Dotterer.com/emotional-kids-summit for now.

It's your Thursday pocket cast from Cheri Dotterer at The Writing Glitch.Today, we will continue to talk about those spinal reflexes that we started talking about on Monday.Today, I will talk about the Spinal Galant and the difference between the Spinal Pereze and the Spinal Galant impacts the lumbar spine.It's the same idea: if you take your finger from the middle of your thoracic spine, swipe it down alongside your lumbar, and the kid is bending to that side, you do it to the other side, and they bend toward that side.That is an indication that the spinal glunt might be something that is impacting their writing skills.And this would be when you either touch the smaller of their back or their chair is touching the small of their back, and they pull away.Think about this.You have kids who want to hug one another, and one wraps around the back and touches the smell, the back, and you've got a kid going."I don't like that.""I don't like hugs" might be an issue.It could also happen with the Spinal Pereze if they're touching their thoracic spine.The other thing is if you do like a circle where you're interlocking your arms from one person to the other, naturally, your hand goes at the small of the back, and then you've got a kid going.They don't know that it's a reflex.They don't know that it is just something that is not normal because it's normal for them not to like somebody touching their back again many times.This is something that happens with ac section because this is the reflex that allows the kids to kick their feet to push themselves down the vaginal canal.If we don't have that vaginal canal, moving those legs back and forth continuously to help push them out, they will have this reflex dormant in their background.And we need to work on exercises to help move that.One of the exercises that help is marching, making those hips have that alternating movement.And it helps both reflexes, the Spinal Pereze and the Spinal Galant.Anything you can do to move those hips back and forth, back and forth, will help these kids with those issues.Another exercise that will help these kids is called the Star.They lay on the floor, arms spread, and you want to touch them with extended arms and legs, their fingertips to their toes, left arm, right foot, right arm, and left foot.The star is coming up and closing on from one side to make it diagonal with the body and then the other way.Again, kids are having trouble sitting in their seat, paying attention, not winning, and not wanting kids or other people touching their backs.Think about these. Send the kid for an ot evaluation.In the meantime, look for more information about these primitive reflexes in an upcoming master class.This fall, more information is coming by now. We might have information in the show notes.But if the information is not there, keep looking because it'll be coming soon.Talk to you later. Thanks. This is Cheri from The Writing Glitch. This is your Thursday Pocket Cast.The Writing GlitchMasterclass Information

0:02 Hey, everybody, we're back to Monday again.0:06 And this week, we're going to talk about two reflexes that impact kids being able to sit on a chair.0:15 The first one is the spinal pereze.0:19 It's a lesser-known primitive reflex that impacts your thoracic spine.0:27 So when those of you who don't know where the thoracic spine is think about your ribs, it's part of your spine that connects your ribs to the front.0:41 So it's that section of the spine with those extra bony prominences.0:51 And what the spinal per does is it is happening during childbirth.1:02 The reflex helps the child move down the vaginal canal.1:07 And if, and this one and the one that we're gonna talk about later this week and if kids don't work their way through that vaginal canal, this reflex can remain dormant for many years, and all of a sudden, it will start to kick in at later times in their life.1:32 So, how do you know if a kid potentially has spinal pies if you run your finger from the base of their neck down their spine?1:45 Now, don't go on the spine. Go alongside it.1:47 So on the side that you are moving top to bottom down their thoracic spine, they kind of twist in that direction.1:56 That's cause for concern.1:58 You can go on the other side and see if they also do it over there.2:04 If kids are having trouble sitting, these things might be going on with these children.2:16 And I'm not saying that you can definitely diagnose that this person has; you need to get an ot evaluation.2:24 But it's something to consider when you're looking at these kids, if they're having trouble sitting with their back against the chair and always wanting to stand, there could be a reason. It could be a reflex pulling them away.2:43 And one of them, one of the things that you can think about is that C-sections don't permit the kids to go down the vaginal canal.2:56 Therefore, you may be finding that this reflex is still retained.3:04 This is Cheri Dotterer from The Writing Glitch.3:08 Look for that master class coming up this fall.3:11 This was today's Monday pocket cast. Talk to you soon.Grab your What is dysgraphia FAQs at Cheridotterer.comYou will find Masterclass information here.

0:01 Hey everybody, it's Cheri from The Writing Glitch.0:04 Today we're going to be talking about the symmetric tonic neck reflex, and this reflex will impact kids when they're writing as well.0:17 So, how do you test for this one in a baby?0:19 Is you?0:22 Well, describing it in an older kid is easier than a baby.0:27 I don't do the babies very often.0:29 I do the older kids.0:30 So when I'm testing this with an older kid, I put them on a horse, and I will have them look up at the board and then look down at the floor while they're on all fours, all fours. 0:43 And if they sit back on their heels, that's a good sign that is an STNR in the works.0:52 So what that looks like from a functional standpoint is that kids will have difficulty copying from the board.1:06 So we often talk about whether can they copy near copy, mid copy, or far copy.1:11 For those of you who are not OTs, near copy means copying from a book on the desk with them. Mid-copy might be being able to copy from the computer or something just in front of them.1:29 But can they copy from the board beyond the desk or far copy? 1:35 So you've got a kiddo that might be struggling with cupping.1:45 They're losing their place all the time. Every time they go to look up their vestibular system gets confused.1:55 It doesn't know where to go and doesn't know how to refocus when they look down.1:59 This vestibular system gets confused and doesn't know where to look.2:04 It might be even more basic than the vestibular system's reaction.2:11 It might be that this kid has an STNR, which again is the symmetric tonic ne reflex.2:22 So, this reflex is helping us learn how to stand up and sit down and do activities where we can tilt our head.2:33 So if we can't do that, we will have difficulty.2:40 So, if you have any questions about an STNR sign-up for the upcoming master class this fall, more information is coming.2:52 But I want to let you know that we'll do another pocket reflex here in a few days, probably Monday again.3:05 I want you to understand that these reflexes have 1 to 1 connections with writing skill deficits.3:19 This is Cheri from The Writing Glitch, and this is your Thursday pocket.3:26 Talk to you soon. Thanks. Bye.

0:02 Good morning. It's Cheri from The Writing Glitch with another Pocket Cast.0:08 Today, I want to talk to you about primitive reflexes and why they are important to writing skills.0:20 Each day this week, I will share a different one Today.0:24 I will talk to you about the asymmetric tonic neck reflex.0:31 The asymmetric tonic neck reflex is abbreviated ATNR.0:37 So, parents, if you have heard an OT talk about their ATNR, that's what they're talking about.0:43 It's a reflex that happens when they are babies as are developing.0:49 The reflex allows them to move their head to the side and look at a toy.0:59 Meanwhile, the hand they are not looking towards is moving toward their head.1:07 It's kind of like their hands are on a string, and as their head turns to the side, the string moves to the one side, and then the series moves to the other side on the way back.1:18 But it doesn't just happen in the head.1:21 It does. It's a full-body movement.1:24 You don't see it as much in the legs the way you look at a baby because oftentimes you have them lying down.1:31 So when kids get older, an easier way to test it is on their hands and knees, and you ask the kid to stand on their hands and knees, and you turn their head to the side.1:46 And if the side away from their face buckles, they can potentially have a retained to ATNR.1:58 Now this reflects should, what word am I looking for?2:05 Equalize, I guess, is the right word.2:07 It should equalize into your system when you are in infant stages like that, 0 to 1, maybe 1.5 at the latest.2:18 But by then, your other reflexes should be taking over in kids with developmental delay and other things that may have happened to them as a young child, the ATNR stays in the back, and when things trigger it, it kicks in.2:43 So when we have kids at the desk, they're looking like they're like laying all over the desk, and they might have their feet hanging out to the side, and they don't want right in the middle.3:00 They may be compensating for an A and R because their system is in this reflex, and they cannot physically get out of it until they move their body.3:13 So when we're talking about kids, about posture, this is something to be concerned about.3:21 And when we're looking at writing skills, they won't have effective writing if they have a terrible posture.3:28 However, it may not be under their control.3:32 This reflex may kick in when something happens at school or home.3:42 But we don't realize it because it seems part of them.3:46 So when I think, some of the other impacts that will happen with A T and R in writing is kids won't want to pay attention because they're off to the side.4:00 They have trouble seeing it because it's not in the middle.4:04 So if you got kids with intention and poor slouchy, resting back all the time, position with their writing skills, have an ot look at it and see if they have a retained asymmetric tonic neck reflex.4:23 If you'd like to learn more about these reflexes, keep looking for a master class that will be coming out in the fall on primitive reflexes for now.4:38 Think about what you can learn between now and then about primitive reflexes.4:43 But my offer is going to be going up live. You can order it very soon.4:53 More information is coming as the week progresses. Talk with you soon. Thanks. Bye.5:00 This is Cheri from The Writing Glitch, and this is Monday's Pocket Cast.

0:01 Hello, everyone.0:02 This is Cheri for The Writing Glitch Pocket Cast.0:08 I was just pondering on my way home last week after my trip to Kentucky to see that wonderful ranch that I visited that's doing dyslexia training over the summer.0:27 And I was thinking a lot about the placement of our interventions to strategically enhance what we're trying to facilitate with the education.0:43 And followed by that my experience with the June event that was hosted by general panic.0:53 And we were there talking a little bit about whether you allow the students to engage in the activity that they were doing when you broke out and let them do some independent work versus do you stop them abruptly, get their attention again, and want everyone to be focused on what you are going to say.1:19 And teachers have really good techniques a lot of times on which way to go to facilitate the difference here.1:30 One of the things that I suggested was utilizing the handstand flip, so the handstand flip can be used as an experience that will break up your instruction a little bit.1:46 So Jonily facilitates her instruction with students by providing a stimulus, and then she provides an experience, then she'll teach math, and then she will leave something that lingers at the very end.2:09 And she calls that salt.2:11 And one of the things that we were talking about is when we're breaking them up from that experience back into the mini-lesson.2:20 Do we let them continue working while we're training?2:26 Sometimes, letting the students continue to work and listen simultaneously is good.2:33 But other times, you don't want to do that.2:35 And that's when you can use the handstand flip or other activities to get their attention back.2:44 And one of the reasons it works is because, hey, everybody, it's time to stop.2:51 Now.2:52 I want you to stand up at the side of your desk, and I want you to put your hands over your head and proceed with the handstand flip because they abruptly had to stop.3:00 They shift their attention to what you are sharing with them.3:05 And therefore, they're not going to continue manipulating whatever they were doing in your lesson and your experience that you were teaching them with the independent stuff.3:20 So, when do you think is a good time to interject these functional activities with your students that will encourage a natural break in the action so that you can reengage them in the learning process?3:45 That's one way to utilize the handstand flip in the middle of your math lesson.3:53 I hope this was helpful and has you thinking about when to strategically plan these 30-second interventions for your academic tasks.4:06 This has been Cheri Dotterer from The Writing Glitch, and here is the Pocket Cast for Monday, June 12th. I hope you are having a blessed day, and remember you were put here for such a time as this to unleash that potential with those kids so they are career and college ready.4:33 Talk to you soon. Thanks. Bye.

WARNING: This Pocket Cast is the audio version of a webinar called An Introduction to Dysgraphia.It is uncut and, therefore, 1.5 hours.How the new dyslexia regulations will impact instructional deliveryInside I share what is happening for the 2023-2024 school year Dyslexia mandates. It includes 1. How literacy programs have evolved, gaps with handwriting curricula and instructional delivery, and a solution for changing the classroom environment. 2. How to use a multi-disciplinary team approach to maximize the scope of practice for all disciplines.3. How to shift MTSS Tiers to become UniversalWhile sharing tips and strategies to support students with dysgraphia.If you want to see the video version, stop by The Writing Glitch Community.Want to learn your Next Best Step on how to #STOPthewritingpandemicgo to cheridotterer.com to register for the next 5-Day Roadmap to Hacking Dysgraphia Challenge. cheridotterer.comThe Writing Glitch Community

0:01 Hey, it's Cheri from The Writing Glitch.0:04 And here is your pocket cast of the day.0:06 Hey, I need some help in the writing glitch community.0:11 I posted several images of the book cover for the book that we are producing.0:19 John and I have written and should be coming out this summer, and I really need your opinion on which book cover is attractive to you.0:30 So please go in and give me some comments and help me figure out which book cover will be the one you like the best.0:40 And then let me know that you have posted some comments about it.0:48 There's also a post on Facebook if you don't have The Writing Glitch Community and a post on LinkedIn.0:58 So, no matter where you are, you can find these images on social media to help us figure out which images you like.1:13 And if you like one thing in one image and another in another, let me know so we can make this book the best for you.1:23 This is Cheri from The Writing Glitch and your pocket cast of the day.1:28 Have a wonderful. What day is it?1:31 Thursday?1:32 Have a wonderful Thursday.1:36 And remember you were put here for such a time as this.The Writing Glitch CommunityLink for Book Covers

0:01 Good afternoon everybody.0:03 This is Cheri Dotterer, dysgraphia consultant from The Writing Glitch.0:10 Today's pocket cast is about symmetrical bilateral immigration. Symmetrical bilateral integration is when both hands do the same thing at the same time.0:23 And the thing that I think about when I think about is that scene from the karate kid where Mr. Miyagi is going wax on, wax off, and then later on, he's going up and down, he could paint, brush up, paintbrush down.0:40 Well, if you're doing both hands simultaneously when waxing on, waxing off, or painting with both hands simultaneously, you're going in the same direction.0:50 That's Symmetrical Bilateral Integration.0:55 So, how does that work with our kids and writing skills?1:00 Well, not directly but indirectly, if they're doing activities that require them to do the exact same thing on both sides of their body at the exact same time, then we can work on their motor skills, potentially their core strength so that they can learn to do better at their writing skills.1:26 One of the activities that I encourage people to do is called the Handstand Flip.1:33 The handstand flip is on my store:  store.cheridotterer.com.1:40 And if you go in there, there are seven days of variation to the Handstand Flip.1:48 So, if you'd like to learn more about symmetrical bilateral integration, that's a place to start.1:55 You could also join me on Wednesday night, the 24th of May, for an intro session.2:04 I'd love to have you there to learn more about what it means to be a dysgraphia specialist.2:13 If you look in the show notes on this page, you will see the registration details for now.2:22 It has been a wonderful day being with you, and remember you were put here for such a time as this.2:30 Have a wonderful evening. Talk to you soon.cheridotterer.com

0:01 Hey, good morning, everyone.0:02 It is time for today's Pocket Cast for The Writing Glitch0:07 I'm Cheri Dotterer.0:09 Today we're going to talk about asymmetrical bilateral integration.0:16 So, what is asymmetrical bilateral integration?0:19 It is when one hand is doing one thing, and the other hand is doing another thing, but they need both hands to get the task done.0:29 One of the ideas here is that writing is an asymmetrical task where one hand holds a pencil, and the other has the paper.0:39 But I wanted to share some other thoughts about asymmetrical bilateral integration with you.0:46 And I was thinking about climbing a ladder.0:48 Hey, they were changing the gutters out in my house and watching people climb the ladder.0:55 Well, both hands are doing the same thing, but they're not because they're not simultaneously doing the same thing simultaneously. You're making some reciprocal motion for climbing a ladder.1:09 So one arm is stabilizing while the other is moving, you still need both arms to do the task, but you aren't doing the same thing at the same time.1:21 We're going to talk about that tomorrow that symmetrical bilateral integration.1:28 Not tomorrow, but Monday.1:30 So, when thinking about asymmetrical bilateral integration, think about what tasks you do with your students that require both hands to complete the job.1:46 They're not exactly doing the same thing.1:48 At the same time, when you think about one, let me know what it is.1:56 Let's talk about it.1:57 Let's discuss it.1:59 So reply to the email, and we'll discuss it further.2:07 In the meantime, don't forget about March May 24th, when I'm having an intro to my programs.2:15 What does getting, becoming a specialist, and getting your certification mean? Please share this with your administrators so that they can understand why this specialization is essential for teachers, parents, occupational therapists, but especially those general ed teachers so that we can look at how to take what is now a tier two and make it a tier one so that all the kids are benefiting from this idea of structured literacy.2:54 This little technique is just an augment to your current program.3:02 Another way of saying that it supplements your current program.3:06 It's not going to replace curricula. It's going to supplement it. It's going to help it. It's going to make it even better.3:13 So take a look at and join me on May 24th at seven o'clock Eastern and take this idea of symmetrical bilateral integration and expound on it briefly.3:28 Share with me what you think again. This is Cheri Dotterer, The Writing Glitch host.3:36 And here we have today's Pocket Cast.3:40 And remember you were put here for such a time as this talk with you next week.MAY 24, 2023, 7:00-7:30 pm EDT (NY) #STOPthewritingpandemic: How to have success with your current handwriting curriculaThe Writing Glitch PodcastCheridotterer.com