Autism

The Opportunity to Play: Step One on the “Competence Makes a Difference” Journey

The Opportunity to Play: Step One on the “Competence Makes a Difference” Journey FOR MANY OF THEM, MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES OR BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES HAVE MADE PARTICIPATION IN A TYPICAL SCHOOL SETTING UNREALISTIC. Contributed by David Weiss, occupational therapist, PEP Prentiss   “Mr. Weiss, I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF!” DeShawn* exclaimed to me out of
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Autism

Using “Brain Breaks” to Boost Attention

Why Brain Breaks? The more that is learned about the human brain, the more it is understood that frequent, regularly scheduled movement activities for students are not a luxury. They are a necessity to help students pay attention and learn.  There is evidence that regularly scheduling short “brain breaks,” which include movement and/or exercise during
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