Sunday, October 16, 2011

31 for 21: Cutting with scissors

This year have been a rough year for us. I am more exhausted than ever. So I haven't been very focused on Tommy's therapies as I used to do. This make feel the guilt of not doing enough to help my son; but at the same time, I feel Tommy needs a break sometimes. After all, he is a child!

I am getting inspired again in this month, as my way to create awareness and showing how capable our kids can be.  I am ready to help Tommy with all those milestones he was ready to master before getting sick. One of this big milestones is to independently cut with regular scissors. Currently, Tommy can snip with adapted scissors with guidance. He is able to hold the paper with one hand and cut with the other hand. He does about two or three cuts by himself. We are also working with him to learn holding the scissors by himself.

Necessary Adaptations for Tommy successfully snips

  • Using advertising cards that come in the mail and construction paper. I sort different paper thickness. I have grouped them by thin card stock, thick card stock and heavy card stock. This allows me add complexity in the activity. I have realized that thick and heavy card stock are harder for Tommy to cut, which creates frustration. So we are working with think card stock and construction paper for now. Using advertising materials is a way of showing Tommy the real world. Before cutting we look at the cards and point to letters, numbers, photos, and them some. It is a good way for language reinforcement.
  • Making sure Tommy sits properly. I have put a step stool underneath the table so he can rest his feet on it. otherwise, his feet would be hanging that will create instability and will make him worried about his sitting position that will cause loosing his focus on the task. 
  • Keep the activity short from 2 to 3 minutes and make two or three reputations through the day. 
  • Use several adapted scissors to generalize the idea of cutting and find the scissors Tommy feels more successful with to avoid frustration.



Cutting advertising postcards are more exciting for Tommy
than cutting other paper material, such as: 
greeting cards or blank card stock.
(It may be from mommy's graphic design genes, ha, ha, ha).


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