Activities for Young Child with Low MS

COD OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES 372-2567

Therapy Home Exercise Plan ideas to help increase muscle tone for under 2 years old:

Vestibular input: make sure that the child swings at least two times daily for 15 minutes each time, try some spinning slowly about 10 minutes into the swinging session, and go a little faster each time if they don't get upset. Make sure that you spin in equal directions (10 rotations to the left, stop wait for a few minutes, then due 10 rotations to the right). If there are any signs that the child is uncomfortable then STOP, this includes up to 6 hours after spinning.

This will help increase muscle tone and balance tremendously.

Try doing games and play that includes rolling, hanging upside down (hold their feet, do somersaults over couch pillows or bed safely of course), dancing and moving in all different directions, this will also help with balance and muscle tone.

Proprioceptive (joints and muscles): give a lot of opportunities to continue to weight bear on hands to help build up palmar arches and strengthen web space (muscles between thumb and first finger). Some ways to do this may be to get a crawl through tunnel, cut out holes on the sides of boxes and make crawl through houses, throw down all couch pillows and extra pillows on the floor and "chase" each other creeping on hands and knees, make tents for playhouses over tables and chairs to crawl around in, and wheelbarrow walking, start with walking on hands off the therapy ball, and work up to walking around without support of ball underneath.

Tactile play: make sure there are many opportunities for touch play in many different textures. This includes edible foods, puddings, jellos, kids shaving cream called Fun Foam, and combine texture play with fine motor work such as placing marshmallows in a bottle or sticking them to a snow picture.

Fine motor strengthening: see handouts attached for more details, but a few quick ideas:

put anything they may olor, paint, or puzzles on an incline such as on a painting or chalk easel, tape paper to a mirror, or play with removable stickers on the windows.

Put up large magnetic letters and pictures on the fridge for incline work to help the wrist and fingers gain more stability!

Play with play dough and modeling clay often, helping the child to squeeze it, roll it, and pinch it. Hide objects in the play dough for her to find by using fingertips.

Put snacks in a smaller opening cup to force using finger isolation (one finger) and fingertips to reach in and try to get them out.

Make a scarf bottle, put pretty colored scarfs or pieces of brightly colored materials in a tall creamer bottle, close the lid, and have them pinch and pull them out with their fingertips and thumb.

Toys that vibrate or have to be squeezed are great muscle tone and "hand wake ups" to help wake up the joints. Dog squeeze toys and pull mouse vibrating cat toys are great for these!