We are working...
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Trying to put smile on faces we are try to do our best. please support.

in reference to: Welcome to Sakshum... Cultivating dreams (view on Google Sidewiki)

Posted byUnknown at 11:30 AM 0 comments  

Primitive reflexes and their inhibition with therapy
Sunday, September 20, 2009

Every one is born with the set of some primitive reflexes which are known for the survival of the child. These primitive reflexes help the child to protect, to assist feeding and for survival. During a developmental screening the child is checked for these primitive reflexes. Presence of primitive reflex indicates the functioning of Central Nervous System before 1 yr of development. After first year of development these reflexes should be integrated to develop more sophisticated set of reflexes called Postural reflexes. Hence the primitive reflexes form the platform for more specific and sophisticated functions like speech, intelligence and cognition.

Absence of primitive reflexes before one year or prolonged persistence indicates the problem with the nervous system or brain functioning. It not only affects the motor, speech and social functions but also affects overall learning. Inhibition of primitive reflexes leads to lateralisation of brain which as physically be seen as hand dominance, speech, interest in maths or music, writing and reading.

Some times due to some reasons the child behaves odd. Inspite of average intelligent and normal physical development he struggles to pass the exams, poor hand writing, aggressive, hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, poor listening skills, clumsy are few common features.

According to the theory of Neurodevelopment, any missed developmental sequence may develop a physical, psychological and behaviourally problem. The treatment is recapitulation, which means the child has to go through all the developmental stages which guide the normal development. Abnormal reflexes are to be inhibited with special skills and physical exercises to guide the normal development. Most common reflexes which are to be integrated, ATNR, STNR, Moro’s, Grasp reflex and TLR.

Children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD, Developmental Delay and other behaviour and psychological like emotional unstable, poor handwriting and confusion, dyslexia and poor reading habits may need reflex inhibition therapy.

Posted byNeeti at 6:29 PM 2 comments  

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Massage for children
Friday, September 11, 2009

In India most of the children are massaged during their developmental period. Massage is not a new concept specially in Eastern and African countries. It is believed that with massage the child develop better strength, coordination and weight bearing. It is to soothe, relax and calm down the child.

Physiologically, touch is the first sense developed to the human. Gentle and loving touch is healing. Babies are known to grow poorly or fail to thrive if physical and loving touch is not sufficient. According to TRI (touch research institute) in Miami, "Every child should be massaged at bedtime on a regular basis"

Massage proved to be best for relieving stress to all of us and same for children as well. It boosts the immune system, tunes the tactile system, and at subtle level make the child daring and courageous. It elevates the mood, reduces anxiety and make children comfortable and happy.

Massage plays an important role for the children with developmental delay, sensory processing disorder, Autism, Hyperactivity, ADHD, preterm and prolonged illness. Deep pressure along with proper massage calm down the system and organize the child activity. Children with Autism and ADHD with associated hyperactivity requires lots of pressure and touch to decrease the sensitivity and improve attention span. It boosts the self esteem and reduce the fear. It improves the motor skills and regulates the sleep pattern. It helps in developing self and body image which indirectly help in organizing the child activity. However, for special purpose parents may need professional guidance for strokes and directions.

Posted byNeeti at 3:55 PM 1 comments  

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Yoga for children...
Friday, September 4, 2009


Yoga is an art, science and in broader term it is a way of living. It is not only for the adult to maintain the fitness and flexibility but it can be done for the children after 5yrs.

Generally we assume that childhood is an age for play and relaxation. A child in his childhood does not have any stress and if they are playing well they should be physically fit. But, it is not so for all children. In this competitive world the child develops a tendency of jealousy, hatredness which is another form of stress. Because of studies, sedentary life, irregular food habits and staying in nuclear family add on to mental and physical stress.

Yoga under the guidance of a qualified professional helps in developing the right personal and social conduct. Yoga asana and breathing exercises helps in gentle relaxation and develop the control of body. Yoga includes the gentle and self guided stretching and bending which helps in physical development. For children yoga is generally fun-filled group activity with slow, gentle and rhythmic movements. Physical development means toned body, development of immunity, restoring the beauty and charm. On the subtle level it helps in various body functions like circulation of blood, respiration and digestion. However, children should not be forced to do that but it is designed as a play for them with the help of yoga expert. It helps in developing the healthy regime for the tiny tots. The physical aspects and the guiding principles of yoga like yama and niyama helps in developing the moral values.

Micro yoga is quite beneficial for the children initially which helps in developing the flexibility of every joint and prevention the falls and injury. Initially the session is for short duration varying from 20 to 30 min, depending on the age. Later it can be gradually increased.

Along with the maintaining the fitness it helps in educing the childhood anxiety, fear of competition, asthma, obesity and other chronic ailments.

However Yoga for children should be practiced under a proper guidance and after proper assessment. Initially for sometime few children may need a personal attention in few of the postures and movement. It should not be tried too rigorously.

Posted byNeeti at 2:40 PM 0 comments  

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Hand Dominance... its relevance
Friday, August 28, 2009


Handedness is an attribute of humans defined by their unequal distribution of fine motor skill between the left and right hands. Some are left handed and some are right handed. However, there are 2 more types of handedness seen, Cross dominance and Ambidextrous. Cross dominance means the child uses one hand for one particular activity and other hand for other specific activity. Ambidextrous is a unique quality that a child can perform a particular skill with both the hands with equal quality. Crossed dominance and ambidextrous is not a problem every time until it affects the function.

Handedness is comprised of hardware (musculoskeletal, strength) and software (neurological), interacting to produce an efficient action. Handedness depends on neurological inhibiting of the recessive hand, so that the dominant hand can develop the precise, corrective, rapid movement without any competition from the non-dominant hand. Generally hand dominance is established at the age of 3 to 4 yrs but as late as 7 yrs. It is important to develop the hand dominance. However most of the child does develop hand dominance spontaneously at age but sometimes children with developmental delay and autism may have problem with it. Parents often have concerns that their children can write from both the hands but not sure.

To develop hand dominance it is important to know the preferred hand of child. Parents and teachers can observe the child in various functional activities. Observe child closely for preference of hand, control, strength and stability. Observe the child in unconscious and sudden or alone without interfering or biasing. It gives a better idea than intentional observation which sometimes becomes biased. Sometimes poor shoulder stability leads the child to keep on shifting the hand which gives a wrong expression of poor hand dominance.

Many activities like horizontal and vertical eight can help in finding the midline orientation and laterality. Bilateral hand activities like scissoring, hammering, tearing the paper, screwing, unliding the bottles, pick up games, lifting heavy objects, push ups and pull ups can be done. Observe the child preference and effort during movements. Once if it gives the idea of hand preferences stimulate that side with graded finger and shoulder exercise.



Posted byNeeti at 10:51 PM 0 comments  

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Reading habits...
Thursday, August 20, 2009


To develop reading habits in children with special needs is always a concern for parents. Reading habits are very important for academics. Most of the special need children have poor visual function i.e. fixation, tracking, sorting, depth perception and discrimination. Many a time poor sitting tolerance and hyperactivity make the reading habit a daunting job for the educators and parents.

Tips for developing reading habits

  • If hyperactivity is diagnosed as a sensory issue, resolve it with guidance of Early interventionist or occupational therapist.
  • Work on developing the visual functions like sorting, matching, tracking and visual discrimination etc. this can be done with lots of visual cues and visual supports.
  • Most of autistic children are visual learner, so use this strength to develop reading and matching skills.
  • Read lots of story books, depending upon the age and child understanding level, the books can be selected. This not only creates the interest in child but also helps in improving further the visual memory. Repeat the story of the child favourite character and then keep on adding the new concept. For e.g. if the child likes “POOH”, create a story with some more pictures to teach the social skills and other functional activities.
  • Be patient as it may require lot of time and efforts. If you are patient the child tend to calm down easily and that further helps you and your objectives.
  • Bed time is best time for some children as they are calmer during that time.
  • Always remember every child learns with difference pace as every child is special 

Posted byNeeti at 3:32 PM 0 comments  

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Fine Motor Control
Thursday, August 13, 2009


Most of the children with developmental delay (including CP, Autism, ADHD, poor attention, SPD, Down Syndrome) have poor fine motor function. For parents and children it is major concern as it affects the child overall performance varying from play, academics, writing and activities of daily living (ADL). Fine motor development is essentially associated with the hand function or in other words fine movements. But, it is not only the hands which are responsible for the effective fine movements. The other gross motor aspects like shoulder movement and shoulder stability, back mobility and back strength are equally important. It has been seen that parents and even professionals tend to forget the gross motor aspect.

Whenever there is poor fine motor control, the therapy plan should start from the shoulder and back stability exercise. This other way helps in better posture, core stability and better functioning of fine motor control.

Use of therapy ball, full range of shoulder movements (extension, flexion, rotation and circumduction) should be designed and practiced in the form of functional activities like drawing a big circle on wall or on floor in clockwise and anticlockwise direction, stair climbing etc. Various asanas like bhujanasan, tadasan, sarpasan should be practiced if the child understands the commands and above 8 yrs. Younger ones should practice under proper professional guidance. Asans in whole help in developing core stability, flexibility and relaxation

Fine motor activities like tearing the paper, crumbling the big sheet of newspaper, pegs activities, screwing and unscrewing movements, scissoring activities, pasting and folding, balancing, play dough activities, movements with the elastic bands in fingers, art and craft activites with different textures materials, strengthening of various grips and grasps (palmer, pincer, cylindrical, spherical, diagonal volar grasp and tip to tip grasps) etc.

Sometimes poor hand functions are associated with poor visual information process or poor visual perception. Activities should also includes eye hand coordination and midline and laterality orientation. other aspects like fixation, tracking and discrimation

Posted byNeeti at 11:37 PM 0 comments  

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