Hand Strengthening - OT & Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome Awareness Month continues. I thought I would share an OT post. Hope it's helpful. We do Occupational Therapy (OT) with our daughter Hazel. Click here and here to find out more about what OT is and what we do here in our home. It's important to note that I AM NOT AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST. I am just a mom who works closely with one and listens to everything she has to say like it's the bible. I strongly encourage you to speak to your child's OT before trying any of these activities to make sure they are a good fit for your child.

 

Sometimes children with Down Syndrome experience low muscle tone. One area this can affect is their hands, making it difficult for them to manipulate objects.

I always hesitate to add an age to these posts because every child develops individually. We have been doing this one for a while and will continue to do so as she grows. As she gets stronger, I will find more challenging objects for her to pull apart.

2 OT activities we do that target Hand/Finger Strengthening.

1. Pull Apart Toys

Here are a couple of things we use. We also use MEGA blocks, bristol blocks, snap beads and pretty much anything that links together. Some are easy to pull apart and some a little more challenging.

2. Play doh

I hide objects in the play doh and she digs through to find it. She also likes the feeling of it so she squeezes it and manipulates it with her hands.

There ya go!!! Too easy.