Obstacle courses allow us to efficiently address multiple OT goals with one fun activity!

Cognitive/ Thinking Skills

• Sequencing and planning

• Following directions

• Memory

• Ability to think of new ideas/ Flexibility / Creativity

• Problem Solving

 

Communication

• Cooperation

• Taking Turns

• Waiting calmly

• Collaboration with others to solve problems

• Self esteem, sense of accomplishment

• Play skills , having Fun!

 

Fine Motor / Visual Perception

• Finger and grasp strength (e.g. opening carabineers, grabbing trapeze)

• Eye hand coordination (e.g. connecting and threading webbing into carabineers)

• Writing grasp (e.g. labeling and drawing map of obstacle course and then giving it a star rating)

• Ocular motor skills, separating eye/head movements (e.g. throwing to a target while on a swing, watching a moving swing and timing transition to it)

• Visual spatial awareness (e.g. planning the spacing of the course and drawing a map of it)

 

Gross Motor

• Balance • Strength (upper body, lower body and core)

• Postural control and protective reflexes

• Bilateral coordination (using both sides of the body)

• Timing of movements and speed (moving faster and slower)

 

Safety Awareness

• Following safety rules

• Waiting until therapist is ready

• Safely maneuvering body up/down ladders and on/off equipment

• Thinking about consequences and placement of padding

 

It builds a strong sensory motor foundation of Kinesthesia (physical sense of self) which is a basic need for all skilled activities (motor, social, academic, cognitive, and attention).

• Proprioception (nerve receptors in muscles and joints)– bouncing, jumping, pulling, pushing, lifting, climbing

• Vestibular (nerve receptors in inner ear)– movement in all directions up, down, around and angular

• Tactile- Varied materials in contact with the body (e.g. spandex, carpet, beans, shaving cream)

 

Mary Kostka is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist specializing in Sensory Processing Disorder at  her  private practice, ‘Ohana Occupational Therapy, LLC,   in Wenatchee and Leavenworth Washington.

1)   Your child has uncontrollable outbursts that are more involved than a regular tantrum. He is not able to stop the behavior even if he gets what he wants.  The response is so intense it is more like a fight/flight/freeze/shut down response (e.g. the feeling you might have if you found a spider or snake crawling on you).

2)   Your child’s activity level is much different than his peers.  This can be either much more active (can’t sit still, too rough with peers,) or very sluggish and it looks like “gravity is sucking him to the ground” (everyday tasks take forever, “spacey”).

3)   Your child’s response to typical environmental stimuli is unusual such as sensory seeking (excessive spinning, crashing, staring at spinning objects, flicking lights on and off) or sensory avoiding (e.g. excessive reaction to certain noises, avoids lights, avoids hugs, extreme distress with hair and nail cutting).