Make your own therapy tools :)

I've been working with 2 kids with special needs these days. Autism and speech delay. I looked for tools that could help me for my therapy with them. I found this article that is very helpfull. It's from this website, by Terri Mauro. Improvise with some homemade items may give you a preview of how your child will respond, well children have different needs. I'll copy paste some for you...

For calming the mind of an autistic kid, (or any special need kid) maybe you can try this one:

Fidget Toys

When "sit still and pay attention" isn't enough to get them paying attention, that's when fidgets work best combined with things that allow a little movement such as move and sit seat wedgesYou can get sets of nifty fidget toys, of all kinds and sizes and shapes. Try, for starters:

• A balloon filled with sand and knotted securely
• A smooth stone
• A palm-size sea shell
• An old set of keys
• A combination lock

For the speech delay, maybe you can try this one:

Oral Motor Items

Strengthening the muscles in your child's mouth can increase speech production and decrease drooling. Anything that gives the mouth a strong sensory jolt can also improve sensory integration and make your child less likely to finger-suck or mouth objects. Try these around-the-house items to do a little impromptu oral-motor therapy.

• Straw: Have your child suck something thick -- pudding or yogurt are good choices -- through a regular or twisty straw.
• Whistle: Speech and occupational therapy catalogs sell a variety of fancy whistles, but your child can get some benefit from a plain whistle, a plastic flute, a kazoo, or one of those mini-trombone-type whistles where you pull the end of it and the sound goes up and down.
• Bubbles: Blowing bubbles is good exercise for your child's mouth. Make sure he or she actually blows rather than just waving the wand around.
• Cotton balls: Hold races to see who can blow a cotton ball across a table the fastest. Have your child do it with just his mouth, and then with a straw.
• Plastic necklace: Inexpensive aquarium tubing from a pet store makes a nice chewable necklace for kids who need to gnaw. Try knotting some beads in the tube for extra oomph, or putting it in the fridge for a cool bite.

You can also try this:

Weighted Items

• Weighted blanket: Take a heavy afghan and and fold it into quarters to concentrate the weight. Put it on your child at night and see if it stops rocking, rolling, and sleeplessness.
• Weighted vest: Take an old vest or shirt and fill up the pockets and hems with curtain weights. Have your child wear it during stressful times, but not constantly -- it will lose its effect with overuse. Consult with an occupational therapist trained in sensory-integration techniques to determine the appropriate amount of weight for your child.
• Pencil weight: Got a big box of loose nuts and bolts in the garage? Rummage through to find some nuts that will fit on the end of a pencil, then glue two or three of them around the barrel.
• Weighted stuffed animal: Take an old favorite stuffed animal -- but one not so favorite that your child will mind you slashing it open -- and cut open paws and tummy to insert more curtain weights, nuts and bolts, or other heavy items. Sew the critter back up securely and let him sit on your child's lap during homework.
• Body weights: Catalogs sell weights for wrists, arms, even shoes. Improvise by putting some books in a backpack or weights in a fanny pack and having your child wear them when jumpy.

Tactile Experiences, for children who have tactile defensiveness...sensitive to touch sensations:

• Rice: Fill a bin with rice and let your child plunge hands deep into it. Hide some toys and measuring cups for added fun. Dried beans are another good choice.
• Bubbles: Blowing bubbles is good, and trying to catch bubbles is good, too. Kids who don't like to touch stickly slimy substances may be less threatened when the stuff is bubbling through the air.
• Shaving Cream: Spray some on a shower or bathtub wall and let your child fingerpaint with it.
• Sand: A sandbox can be a full-body experience for a child with tactile cravings. Let your child get down and dirty with it.
• Ball pits: You can buy a big inflatable pit and the balls to fill it for big bucks, but many kids' restaurants will let your child play in theirs for as long as you want for the price of a slice or a soda. Bring a book and enjoy it while your child hits the pit and has a great therapeutic experience.

 Maybe you want to try it at home :)

Sunday Tea Time with cousins :)

Me and my cousins were having a tea time together today. Me, my sister Raya and Kianti, my cousin...were making desserts. I made this easy Peach & Apple Tart. This is a ridiculously easy tart to make.  Got this recipe from this site. I love the fact that you can have different colors from the peach and apple, can you tell from the pic? :)

All you need:

1 sheet puff pastry
4 fresh peaches/apples
1 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice (i used nutemeg, because i ran out of allspices hehe)
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 200C. Thaw the puff pastry sheet for about 30 minutes. Pit the peaches nd chop them into wedges. Peel the apples and peaches if you like. Toss the chopped apples and peaches with sugar, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Cut the puff pastry sheet into thirds and lay it out on a baking sheet. If your the baking sheet is not non-stick, spray it with non-stick spray or oil. Arrange the peach slices on the puff pastry. Bake for 20 minutes or till the puff pastry is golden. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

If you want to use phyllo instead of puff pastry...you can check the other recipe here.

Teh Poci teh Tong Tji :)

Kianti's nutella cupcakes

Raya's strawberry cupcakes

A nice way to end the weekend chillin' with my sister and cousins :)

A quick dinner

A quick simple sunday dinner before my weekday's healthy food hihihi :p All you need to do, just boil some pasta, cook bacon (without oil, they already got oil from the fat right)...make a sunny side up egg. After finished, just mix the cooked bacon with pasta, you don't need butter or olive oil too, because you already have oil from the bacon. And mix it with herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary) too. Then put the sunny side up on top. Enjoy :)

Peach Crisp

Got this recipe from Real Simple's website.

 

Ingredients

• 4  ripe peaches
• 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 cup granola/muesli
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream (optional)

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200° C.
2. Place the peach halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish.
3. Sprinkle each half with 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of granola, and 2 pieces of butter.
4. Bake until the peaches are soft and the granola begins to brown, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer to individual plates, spooning the juices in the dish over each peach half. Serve with the ice cream (if desired).

 I have another version, you can click here :)

Happy Valentine's Day

I dunno why people sometimes just love to be a hater like..."what? valentine? common it's not our culture...you're not a kid anymore...you can celebrate valentine everyday..." Yes, that's true....but what's wrong if I want to say "Happy Valentine's Day" too on Valentine's Day? :)

So...."Happy Valentine's Day" lovely people! Let's share and spread the love :) And like India Arie said..."love never goes out of style...:)

And Paul McCartney said..."Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs. And what's wrong with that" :)

Here's a bit about love from Chairil Anwar, Sapardi Djoko Damono, Rumi, John Steinbeck, Rob Sheffield and more ♥ 

If you want to cook for your love ones on this Valentine...you can check my easy recipes here. Or if you want to give something cute to your love ones...you can check my Boneka

And if you want to help others, it's the month of love right? let's help: Happy Hearts Fund & Kampung Kids Foundation & Yayasan Pembinaan Anak Cacat & Yayasan Usaha Mulia & Yayasan Kasih Anak Kanker Indonesia

♥.♥

Grilled Salmon with Yoghurt Mint & Mashed Sweet Potato

After a long busy week....well hello rainy saturday. Let's just stay home, read a book, watch dvd and cook. We got the recipe from myrecipes.com and marthastewart.com

For Salmon and Yoghurt Mint sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 4 6-oz. salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick

1. Pour yogurt into a strainer set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and let drain until thickened, about 2 hours. Discard liquid in bowl, spoon yogurt into another bowl and stir in cucumber, mint, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. We used grilled pan for the Salmon. Sprinkle salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place salmon fillets, cooked for 4 minutes. Turn salmon carefully and continue to grill until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Serve with yogurt sauce on the side.

And...for Mashed Sweet Potato:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar (it's up to you if you want to put sugar or not, for me sweet potato is already sweet...so no need brown sugar)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Set a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Fill with enough water to come just below basket, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Place sweet potatoes in steamer basket and cover, steam until tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain, and return to saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring half-and-half, butter, and brown sugar to a simmer, stirring to combine, remove from heat. Add to drained sweet potatoes, and mash just until smooth, season with salt and pepper.

It's light, go have a try :)

Happy weekend :)

After a busy week...

:)

KidsYogArts for the month of love :)

Check here for previous KidsYogArts :)