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3 Ways to Embrace Mental Health Awareness in Your School

Working or learning in a school can be an incredibly challenging experience at this time in our world. With access to social media and the internet, as well as a highly charged political climate, there are social issues such as coping with bullying to pile on top of a school’s need to achieve higher standards and the pressure student’s are under for excellent grades, passing standardized tests, and preparing to enter the job market or college. All of these pressures contribute to our students overall mental health, for better or for worse.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,

“Undiagnosed, untreated, and inadequately treated mental illnesses significantly interfere with a student’s ability to learn, to grow, and to develop. Since children spend much of their productive time in educational settings, schools provide a unique opportunity to identify and treat mental health conditions by serving students where they already are”.

Luckily, there are ways that schools can incorporate mental health awareness and strategies into their missions and in the daily lives of educators and students. MentalHealth.gov suggests adding effective programs that focus on promoting mental wellness, such as promoting healthy emotional development, preventing mental health problems, recognizing risks, and identifying early intervention.

Our team of E-Therapy counselors work each day to help schools address the emotional well-being of their students and develop effective strategies to support the mental health of all students.

Here are 3 ways to embrace mental health awareness in your school:

Train schools and teachers

Provide training to educators and staff – outside of mental health professionals – to know what behavioral signs to look for in their students. This helps with referrals and with getting students who might otherwise slip through, get the services they potentially need.
Inservices or other trainings can focus on what to look for and who to refer the students to when concerns or questions arise about a student’s behavior.
Our upcoming webinar, Ready, Set, Assess, focuses on this process and what you can do in your school. You can find out more info and sign up below.

Provide counseling via teletherapy

There are currently 7.7 million students with mental health conditions and approximately 50% are receiving services. Many schools are not able to provide services because they do not have the proper staffing to meet their needs.

Luckily, many schools and districts use teletherapy to help bridge this gap. With providers all over the country, they can offer more services. You can learn more about how these services work and how to add them into your school here: click to schedule a demo.

Mindfulness resources: classroom activities, apps

Another way some schools and classrooms are working towards improving overall mental wellbeing is by incorporating mindfulness into the classroom itself. Many teachers use techniques like breathing and movement practices to help students relax, find calm and focus before and during the school day. Teachers can incorporate these into their classrooms with apps or by leading a classroom activity, such as a breathing exercise before the lesson begins.

There are so many ways that we can work together to reach those students in need, and embrace Mental Health Awareness in your school. We look forward to helping you promote the healthy social and emotional development of all your students, shine a light on these conditions and what we can do about them.

For more information, or to get started at your school, please reach out to us and we can schedule a time to connect.

Free On-Demand Webinar

Effective school mental health programs continue to be a huge topic for educators – but what are the most important things to know and steps to take to build awareness in your school?

E-Therapy’s on-demand webinar series for educators, administrators, and teletherapists includes Mental Health: Ready, Set, ASSESS for SUCCESS!

Expert Makisha Gunty focuses on the question “Are your student’s symptoms getting better?” In the presentation she shares how to use free assessments to show clinical progress, talks about common expressed symptoms, accompanying assessments that are evidenced-based and free, and how to show progress over time.

Learning objectives-

Interpret assessments that show clinical progress in behavioral health treatment
Explain a way to monitor progress in behavioral health treatment over time
Identify when your student’s behavioral health is getting better

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/3-ways-to-embrace-mental-health-awareness-in-your-school/

School Psychologist Makes The Move To Teletherapy During The Pandemic

Like many teachers, school staff, and students, School Psychologist Ray Delgado, moved online when schools closed because of Covid-19. At first, he was concerned that mental health services wouldn’t translate well to teletherapy. However, it didn’t take long for him to discover that when the school team pulls together in unity, they could accomplish a great deal for their community – even from a distance.

Delgado now serves in a new role as an account manager for E-Therapy. We recently had a chat to discuss teletherapy and the mental health needs of kids and their teachers, along with what every school psychologist should know right now.

You have experienced the transition of mental health services from onsite to teletherapy firsthand. What’s your take on it? Do you think the online model really works?

Initially I was worried that mental health services from onsite to online would not reflect the fidelity and ethical standards that need to be followed. I quickly learned that was not the case. I was venturing into a new dynamic that so many others (e.g., teachers, students, parents) were experiencing for the first time as well.

Ongoing communication via phone, zoom, text and emails is the key factor in making this work. I am able to provide the same level of services online that I would onsite. Students are often more engaged virtually as they are used to using technology for almost everything they do.

There is concern that many students with mental health issues have gone undetected during the pandemic. What can schools do to help identify students with mental health needs?

The pandemic has had a different level of impact across all age groups. It is important for schools to keep in communication with parents and students to continue to address our students’ social/emotional needs – not only from an academic perspective, but an emotional one as well.

Some key factors that one can look at are lack of attendance, failure to complete assignments, and an overall lack of motivation. It is also important to take notice if a student’s writing during a class chat/assignment are underlying calls for help. For example, “Today was a sad day. I don’t feel happy”. These can be warning signs that a student may be expressing emotional distress throughout this pandemic.

Many school staff members are feeling totally overwhelmed at the moment. What is your advice for school employees on how to avoid burnout?

Take it one day at a time. The pandemic has thrown us all a learning curve. I want school staff members to feel that all their efforts are acknowledged and supported. As educators, we often worry about our students and forget our own mental health. My advice would be work together, and do as much as you can knowing that you are doing your best. Rely on your relationships with other staff members. Know that your administration is there to support you.

What is the most important thing that every school psychologist should know right now?

Nine-tenths of education is encouragement! Remember, that as school psychologists our goal is to provide students with the academic and social/emotional support to become the best individuals that they can be. Encourage your students to do their best even during uncertain times.

Your work is valuable. Never let the switch from onsite to online counseling steer you away from fidelity, quality, and morally sound practice. Communication, communication, communication!! Sound communication with parents, teachers, and staff will give you the best road forward.

In the spirit of good mental health, let’s end on the bright side! What is something positive that you have learned or experienced because of the pandemic?

I have truly learned the meaning of UNITY! Everyone working with students has shown that when we unify and do what is best, anything is possible.

Source: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/school-psychologist-moves-to-teletherapy-during-pandemic/

7 Tips To Stay Strong In The New Year

2020 has been quite a year, testing our strength, courage, and resilience. When we are faced with a barrage of changing norms, new ways of doing things, and never-ending challenges it takes all we have to rise to the occasion and find our way through the constantly shifting world we find ourselves in.

1. Believe in Yourself

When we feel overwhelmed it is easy to lose faith, both in ourselves and in others. When this happens, it is good to remember all that you have already accomplished. Remind yourself of your strengths and that you have what you need inside to get you through.

Take time for self-care when you need it, and remember you don’t have to be perfect – you just have to do what you can. You always have the ability to draw on your humor, adaptability, intelligence, courage, and resourcefulness. You can do it!

2. Find Your Tribe

You don’t have to do this alone. So many of us are struggling. Reaching out and working with others always benefits our ability to overcome the obstacles we face. We all need support. Building positive relationships and connecting with others helps us find our way through, even the most complicated and challenging of situations. When we face challenges together, we find more strength to tackle what stands in our way.

Reach out and share what you are going through with others. By doing this it helps you process all the difficult feelings that come with facing stress and overwhelm. It is important not to always put on a brave face, but to connect and get the emotional support you need.

By sharing our experience with others, it helps to release difficult emotional experiences, feel good, and gives us more energy so we can focus on what’s most important.

4. Give Back

Sometimes when we help others in need, it shifts our focus from our own struggles and immediately makes us feel useful and enhances our ability to feel powerful and in control when everything seems chaotic. By empowering others, it helps alleviate our own feelings of helplessness. It also feels good to help others and brings needed positive energy into our daily lives.

5. Focus on the Positive

The best way not to get bogged down with the overwhelming difficult feelings and thoughts, is to shift your focus onto what you are grateful for. This automatically brings positive thoughts and energy into your experiences and reminds you of all the good in your life.

It is important to surround yourself with uplifting, amusing, feel good energy, activities, and entertainment. This feeds your mind with positive messages and shifts your focus from your struggles.

6. Now is Not Forever

So often when we are faced with insurmountable tasks and difficulties, we think we will never survive. One of the best strategies to help us get through hard times is to remember now is not forever. This is just one moment in time, things constantly change, and there will be much easier times ahead where you can look back on this moment with pride about how you made it through.

7. Find the Lesson

When we go through tough times it is important to seek meaning and try and understand what you have gained from this experience. Every challenge has a gift.

What gift did these challenges have for you?
What did you learn from going through this experience?
What have you gained?

By focusing on the lesson, difficulties become opportunities. Personal growth and learning experiences can be a reward for making it through the challenges you face.

Join the E-Therapy Tribe

Are you a therapist looking for a professional tribe? Join E-Therapy and become a teletherapist. Start by contacting us.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/7-tips-to-stay-strong-in-the-new-year/

How To Build Relationships During Online Therapy Sessions

Five Relationship Building Strategies to Use During Your Online Therapy Sessions

By Diana Parafiniuk, founder of E-Therapy

Special education as we “know it”, or should I say “knew it”, transformed before our eyes last spring. Educators from general Ed to SpEd had to quickly learn a new way to deliver curriculum and therapy online using a remote platform. Establishing rapport and building relationships with your students during online therapy sessions can be challenging when you are at a distance. It is important to start out on the right foot and help your students feel safe and inspire and compel them so they want to return.

Since many of you are searching for the “Cliff Notes” version of the art of teletherapy, I have compiled a list of five key relationship-building strategies for those new to the online therapy delivery model. These strategies support positivity and help you build relationships during online therapy sessions.

1. Be natural and bring positive interpersonal habits into your online therapy sessions

Check in with your student using casual conversation at the beginning of your teletherapy session, just as you would if you were onsite. Things like:

Praise them for being on time and being present
Notice their energy and take verbal note of it
Ask them how their week is going
Ask about homework you may have assigned and how it went
If it is a holiday, ask them how they celebrated

The idea is to be as “casual” as you would be if you were in person. Bring as much humanity to your session as you can. Make it a safe space.

During the therapy session, allow for bathroom and water breaks. If the session seems sluggish or slightly “off”, be sure to encourage your student to keep moving forward with their exercise or session. This will help keep them on track and let them know they are supported. Some days they may require more empathy to move forward than others, try to tune in and be aware of it.

2. Bring your own flair and personality to your sessions

As much as it is important to “be yourself” and bring your own personal charm and flair to onsite therapy sessions, it is equally important for teletherapy. Find ways to bring levity to your sessions by bringing a sense of humor and fun stories that encourage the student.

Bring your sessions to life by adding silly hats, accessories, or even outfits that get a fun reaction from your student. Let them know you care enough to take the time to do this for them. These kinds of small actions go a long way towards increasing connection and curiosity for future sessions.

3. Do session “audits” with your student

After each therapy session, check in to find out what your student liked about their session and what they would change if they could. Let them help you shape the sessions so you can meet the student where they are. Help them see that their input is important and being heard. This helps them feel more accountable as well for their therapy – always a win!

4. Allow for “breather breaks”

If your student seems particularly quiet or stressed, take a breather break. This is simply a mini “breath break” when you stop and take 5 deep, slow breaths together. Stand up and stretch if this is available to them. Shake out your hands and make circles with wrists and ankles to help the flow and energy increase during the session.

If you are in a speech therapy session, invite them to do some verbal exercises and mouth and face exercises that are fun or silly. This helps them refocus and realign.

If they are late or delayed in responding during a session or late to the session by a few minutes – be sure to let them know they have time to re-group, or re-energize if they need it. Everyone has less than productive days! These acts of understanding and “tuning in” to their life and experience will go a long way.

5. Incorporate play and everyday creativity into your therapy sessions

Always have some fun exercises in your back pocket. Use fun characters and stories to create a playful experience for your younger students.

One of my favorites is to create a new word-of-the-day that helps inspire the lesson that day. Choose a word or phrase that the student can think on for the remainder of their day. They are not only inspired, but maybe they’ll learn a new word or phrase they can use!

Use movement to help the student get settled into the online space. Have them review their school supplies, make sure their computer battery is full, adjust their screen brightness if needed, etc., so they develop good readiness habits from the start.

If the student needs an exercise to relax, or center themself during your session, offer them a mindfulness exercise. For example, make a glitter jar. Once they have one, they can bring that to future sessions or keep it at their desk. These items are nice to have when a student needs to pause for a mindful moment. Here is a fun recipe I like to use.

These are just a few ideas to help you build strong relationships with your students during online therapy sessions. At E-Therapy, we thrive on keeping our sessions lively and impactful. Tips like this help build the relationships needed to develop a strong foundation for fruitful teletherapy and continual student progress.

Good luck in your new distance learning endeavors, and let us know if we can offer any more tips or advice. Please share your success stories from your distance learning relationship building in the comments below.

For tips and ideas for your teletherapy practice, follow E-Therapy on Facebook.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/how-to-build-relationships-online-therapy-sessions/

Motivating Students For Online Therapy During Virtual School

Teachers and students are feeling the effects of hybrid and online learning. But as multiple stories and blog posts since March 2020 attest, those teachers who engage their students in multiple ways: live/synchronous lectures, pre-recorded lectures, phone calls, live chats, and virtual experiences have more academically successful students and a more satisfying experience. As teletherapists, motivating students for online therapy in the midst of daily virtual learning is challenging. We have some ideas and tools to help you!

Engagement is key!

It’s hard for young students to be on a virtual platform all day learning then turning right around and getting on a therapy session. We get that the day is long, hard, and can be monotonous for the little ones.

So change it up! Engage those little learners with therapy sessions that are interactive, fun, and encourages participation. The work on your end might take a little more but that could help a student that is falling behind get engaged and retain the information they are learning. And you could also help their mood and self-esteem.

Motivate with a special guest

Light a fire in those youngsters and get them into action. How many times have you had a therapy session where you know your students can learn but aren’t motivated to learn. There is nothing in it for them to pay attention and participate in the session. A little tip to get them more willing to learn is to bring in a VIP or a person the child looks up to. This could even be a classmate!

Bring that person into a few sessions and work with them to encourage them to motivate the student. How fun would it be to break up the day to day session with a few others to help point the student in the right direction? Your number one resource is your student’s parents and teachers. Ask them!

Provide choices

For a session with a student to work, you need that student to learn and grow. Taking away choice from the students leaves them feeling bored and out of control. After all, who wants to participate if there is nothing in it for them? So give the student choices! Ask them what they want to work on, while keeping in mind your goals. Incorporate topics that they enjoy to encourage them to participate more actively. Ask the student to help prep your sessions ahead of time to let them know what is coming. This makes them excited to participate in therapy. It could be as simple as suggesting doing an activity, reading a book, working on sensory activities, or incorporating games into your sessions.

Getting them excited about what’s to come helps encourage active learners.

Building growth mindset into therapy

Even as an adult you know that having a positive mindset is key! Although not every day is going to be a good one, we can focus on the gains in our life to achieve overall happiness.

Students are the same way. They need constant encouragement and positive reinforcement. Share stories of how you have overcome a difficult situation with your student and encourage others to share their story. There are also different ways to rephrase sentences that students can be encouraged to see light at the end of the tunnel. For several ways to incorporate growth mindset and positive reinforcement take a look at Helping Struggling Students Build a Growth Mindset.

Following each of these steps and some of the techniques you have learned along the way helps build a child up for success. There are many other examples and resources out there that can help your students during their sessions and getting them back on track. Here’s a few of our favorite YouTube resources for “brain breaks” and movement activities.

We hope you find what you need. It’s easy to give up and get discouraged from the constant virtual setting but just remember that you are helping a young one succeed!

About the author

Diana Parafiniuk, M.S., CCC-SLP

Co-Founder/Chief Marketing Officer

Diana founded E-Therapy in 2009 after finding herself driving hundreds of miles per week. She knew there must be a better way to deliver speech therapy to students and schools. Today, E-Therapy is an established market leader in teletherapy which provides the highest quality services and reaches students and schools across the United States. Read more about Diana.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/motivating-students-for-online-therapy-during-virtual-school/

5 Tips For Practicing Presence

In our Voices series, this month, in honor of Take Your Dog To Work Day (June 26^th), we have a special blog submission from author and leader, Katy McQuaid. She brings us tips on practicing presence with an assist from your best friend, your dog.

How would your world change if you allowed yourself to be fully present in each moment? Dogs are naturally present as they experience the world around them, and they can be great teachers for us humans!

Grace the fluffy dog shares five tips parents and kids can use to practice presence

When you eat, really enjoy your food. (And know it’s okay if you don’t want to share.)
When you walk outside, lift your head, and breathe through your nose. That’s the best way to smell all the sniffs in the air. REALLY breathe it in, all the way into your belly.
Notice EVERYTHING. Be present where you are, and take in everything there is to see.
When you’re free to dig, dig deep and wide. Enjoy the dirt on your paws!
When a person you love speaks, perk up your ears, and smile!

Practicing presence is one of the best gifts a parent can give their child. Through being present a child knows they’re seen, and that they’re being heard. Grace reminds parents to take an extra minute or two to be with your child, so they will feel that you care, that somebody is listening, and somebody notices. Grace recommends just looking kids in their eyes, and of course, looking straight down into their heart. That is the gift of presence.

Want more from Katy and Grace the Dog? Check out Fun Indoor Activities To Do With Children And Their Pets.

Author and leadership consultant Katy McQuaid spent more than three decades in the CIA, including 12 years living abroad. Her work in communities all over the world and the endearing, unconditional love of her four-legged muse, Grace, inspired her to write the “Everybody Loves Grace” series of illustrated books. Parents, kids of all ages, executives, and organizational leaders hail the series as a beacon of hope and inspiration for anyone navigating change or challenging circumstances. Learn more at www.EverybodyLovesGrace.com.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/5-tips-for-practicing-presence/

Ensuring Needs Are Met

Unmet youth mental health needs both in and out of schools is not a new phenomenon. Much like an iceberg, the actual scope of the need is often mistaken as being small and easily managed yet the real problem, one that isn’t often seen, lies below the surface. The fact is, for the past 25 years we have seen the impacts of unrecognized and unaddressed youth mental health needs throughout the United States.

The Tip of the Iceberg

There are certain tragedies that tend to draw our focus and the attention of news outlets and justifiably so however things seem to quickly return to “normal”. The tip of the iceberg is melted away while what is below the surface once again becomes quickly forgotten.

Over the past decade, we have started to see a shift in our understanding and response to youth mental health needs. Prior to the pandemic and in response to a problem that simply couldn’t be ignored any longer, strides were made to become better at acknowledging and responding to the needs that students have both in and out of school. The stigma which has stained the practice of mental health and created hesitation for available supports to be utilized was beginning to be addressed.

The COVID 19 pandemic created a worldwide response that no one could have imagined.

In an effort to ensure public safety, schools and businesses were shut down, the way we shopped and worked swiftly changed, and by and large the world hunkered down and in the process we all became isolated. Days, then weeks, then months. What about our mental selves? After all, our mental health is just as important as our physical health, right?

News outlets for the past week have run story after story reminding us that mental health supports are needed now more than ever. The iceberg continues to grow and we must begin to dive below the surface in order to address what is impacting families and communities across the country. Teachers, coaches, and parents (along with any other adult who has regular contact and communication with youth) need to have the tools to not just recognize when a student may be struggling with unmet mental health needs, but should also know how to respond in the moment to that young person as well as how to refer the individual to someone that can help.

Recognize. Respond. Refer.

These 3 steps create hope. These 3 steps provide support. These 3 steps save lives.

At E-Therapy, we recognize the importance of putting the right tools and resources in front of those who are in positions of influence and impact. That is why we are passionate about helping those who so tirelessly help others day after day. Teachers have incredibly important and incredibly challenging jobs yet they possess great opportunities to recognize youth who may be struggling. Is it their responsibility to single handedly “fix” the mental health epidemic? No, it is not.

A comprehensive, community effort is needed.

That said, do teachers have an opportunity that other adults don’t have? Yes they do. Knowing this, it is imperative for us to support teachers not just in the day to day work that they do but in helping to support the mental health that students across the country are struggling under the weight of. A team effort is needed. We can’t afford to not win this battle for our children’s well-being. It’s time that we all make the decision to dive down below the water’s surface and start chipping away at the cause rather than continuing to react to the symptoms.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/ensuring-needs-are-met/

E-Therapy Provides Teletherapy To Variety The Children’s Charity

Early in the pandemic, Variety, the Children’s Charity, found themselves in a bind. St. Louis was under a new stay-at-home order, and no one knew how long it would last. Variety needed to find a way to provide speech, occupational, and physical therapy to children with special needs who could no longer see their therapists in person. Many of the children are immunocompromised or have health issues which made them especially susceptible to Covid-19.

“They would normally go to a therapy place, or a lot of them would have therapists go to the home,” said Brian Roy, Executive Director of Variety to FOX2 Now. “If you’re making progress in your different therapies, the idea of several months of stopping and the child regressing…; well, you want to keep doing that.”

Mr. Roy knew that they could not just wait out the pandemic before having speech, physical, or occupational therapy again. “It’s something that’s an ongoing and critical need,” he said.

E-Therapy gets Variety kids back in therapy online

E-Therapy worked with Variety, and in only eight days, online therapy, known as teletherapy, was added to their TherHappy Kids program.

During these virtual physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions, Variety Kids build on skills they have already learned and work on new exercises, all from the safety of their homes. E-Therapy’s expert teletherapists teach parents how to help their child from home, and give them continual support. Each therapist also works to make every session fun and engaging while adjusting all activities to fit the child’s specific needs.

“Parents were struggling, and we know there was a big sigh of relief to say, ‘Here’s a solution’,” said Roy.

Watch the special report from Fox 2 Now: https://fox2now.com/news/variety-moves-to-online-therapy/

E-Therapy can help you

E-Therapy provides teletherapy services to charities like Variety, schools, and school districts across the nation and has been doing so for more than a dozen years. During Covid-19 school closures in the spring, and now with school reopening, E-Therapy is busy training school-based therapists to become expert teletherapists using their state-of-the art teletherapy platform, STAR.

If your school needs teletherapy help, please contact us.

Original Source

December Activity Round Up!

The most wonderful time of the year has arrived, not to mention all the hustle and bustle that goes along with it. We’ve been busy elves at the E-Therapy resource workshop creating a month’s worth of activities to fill your December therapy needs. E-Therapy resources are always our gift to you. Happy Holidays from all of us at E-Therapy

December Calendar of Activities

Our December “National Day” calendar is ready to unwrap, stuffed full with 31 days of daily activity links that you can use with your class or in therapy sessions. Activities linked in our calendar may direct you to stories, hands-on activities, or fun and engaging online activities. Don’t miss incorporating our monthly calendar into your plans!

Decorate the Christmas Tree

Drag and drop images to decorate Christmas trees in Jamboard! This activity includes two different trees with ornaments and lights. Use this activity to promote receptive and expressive language skills, following directions, turn-taking, and articulation practice reinforcement. Slide frames can be easily duplicated by right clicking on the three stacked dots in the upper right corner of the slide. Add sticky notes or text using the annotation tools. Create a PNG image or a PDF of the finished trees to send home for extra practice! Also, use the Jamboard app to play the game on an iPad or phone. Your students are sure to love our Decorate the Christmas Tree Jamboard activity!

Match the Cookies! Memory Game

Match the delicious holiday cookies! This open-ended Match the Cookies! Memory PowerPoint game is a great activity for promoting descriptive language skills, asking and answering WH-Questions, and articulation practice. It is also an appropriate game for reinforcing group discussion and turn-taking skills. You must have PowerPoint to use this game. It will not work in Google Slides. If you are using the Drive link, it will open as a Google Slide file. From there, select the file tab and download as a PPT file to your computer. This game can also be played on an iPad using the PowerPoint app.

Gingerbread House Spot the Difference

Our E-Therapy Gingerbread House Spot the Difference visual perception activity can be used in all therapy settings. In a remote setting, screenshare the activity from Jamboard. While sharing in Jamboard, use the shape tool to circle the student’s responses or if your teletherapy platform allows, share remote keyboard access and allow your students to circle their responses using the shape tool. In a brick and mortar setting, print paper copies of the activity and complete with your students. Use the answer key provided to double check that your students found all the differences. Grab this sweet treat today!

Find Santa’s Pack of Toys! Board Game (Jamboard and PDF)

Use this Christmas Holiday theme game board together with the printable physical therapy movement task cards. Students roll a dice, move their game piece, and when they land on a “pick a card” space, one of the task cards is chosen. The student then attempts or practices the movement on the card. A grayscale version of the game is also included and is perfect to send home for home practice or to print off for online sessions. This game can also be used on an iPad using the Jamboard app. Get your Jamboard copy of Santa’s Pack of Toys! today or if you prefer, we’re also offering a PDF copy. Download this Santa’s Pack of Toys! PDF game board to use with the Movement Task Cards for Physical Therapy. Open the PDF in Adobe Reader to move the game pawns on the colorful holiday game board. Print off the grayscale game board for onsite sessions or send home a copy for home practice.

Christmas Theme PT Movement Cards

These Christmas Theme PT Movement task cards have holiday theme movements that can be used with the Find Santa’s Pack of Toys! game. The PDF of movement cards come in grayscale for printing and in color to use for screen sharing during remote sessions. Customizable cards and included and can be edited using Adobe Reader. Don’t miss downloading your copy!

Holidays Around the World Virtual Room

We’ve updated and upgraded our Holidays Around the World Bitmoji Room for you to use with your students this holiday season. This virtual room comes preloaded with interactive therapy links that you can use in your remote or in-person therapy sessions. Be sure to get in on the holiday fun and snag your free copy!

December Daily Digital Planner

This December Daily PDF planner was designed for use in teletherapy and onsite session planning. Sections include tabs for a yearly calendar, a December 2021 calendar, Daily Reminders checklists, Lesson Plans, and Resource links to aid in planning therapy sessions. When using this hyperlinked PDF on the computer, Adobe Reader is recommended to ensure that the hyperlinks continue to be live. If you plan on using this planner with an iPad, a paid app such as Goodnotes is recommended. If you already use a paid Adobe Pro subscription, you can use the Adobe Reader app on your iPad to edit your planner and the notations will save from your iPad and opened using Adobe Pro on your computer. Using a digital pencil or a stylus will also be helpful but not required. If you are using OneNote, keep in mind that the hyperlinks will no longer be live. Grab your copy today!

Get monthly activities to use in your online therapy sessions.

Check out our monthly Activity Round-ups for even more fun online games and activities that can easily be used in your online teletherapy sessions.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/decemberactiviityroundup/

Happy Thanksgiving! We’re so grateful for our therapists!

Wishing you the best holiday with friends and family! We are so very grateful to work with every single one of our therapists.